Seek / Save - and have fun!

Walking downtown: largo Camões

A perfect day to take pictures - perfect light, perfect mood, perfect sky, perfect company, perfect place...

Mia: c'mon play with me!

Treat of the day: black bean chocolate cake

Black Bean Chocolate Cake 

by Josephine Malene Kofod, recipe found here 
 
1 cup/240 g cooked black beans (or 1 400 g/14 oz can black beans, drained)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup/100 g sugar
3 heaping Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp instant coffee or 1 espresso shot
1/2 vanilla pod, scraped (I didn't use it as I didn't have it)
1 tsp baking powder
Juice and zest from 1/2 organic orange
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup/50 g dark chocolate 70%

* Preheat the oven to 350 °F/175 °C
* Mix all the ingredients in a blender, except the dark chocolate, until it is smooth and free of any lumps.
* Pour the batter into a parchment lined loaf pan (yes the batter is very liquid), chop the dark chocolate and spread it across the surface, some of the chunks should fall into the batter or else help it with a teaspoon, in order to get chocolate inside the cake as well.
* Bake the cake for approximately 35 min and set a side to cool completely before removing it from the pan.

Bonus info: If you cut the cake into 13 pieces, every piece contains 100 kcal!!!

Its too good to describe, simply beyond words...

Family tea time in a nice new coffee shop

Famílly outing to try out a new coffeeshop near home. Good company, great decoration and scrumptious food!

This weekend's best bites

1 - Saturday I cooked a late, healthy and delicious meal: scrambled tofu and mushrooms with orange zest, 'padron' peppers, cooked greens seasoned with sesame, olive oil and balsamic vinegar

It was so good...

2 - As J. and I walked downtown on Sunday these beautiful heart shapped strawberry filled cookies caught our eye and we had to bring some home with us.

3 - We then headed off to have some japanese green tea at "Castella do Paulo" and had a difficult time chosing from all the delicious treats on the menu. What would you choose?

Inspiration: the best thing I read today...

"You're only here for a short visit. 

Don't hurry, don't worry.
And be sure to smell the flowers along the way" 

Walter Hagen

Treat of the day: Rosemary crackers

I made these rosemary crackers inspired by the recipe I found here. I usually buy rosemary crackers in a bio/organic supermarket nearby. But this time I made them myself and must say they turned out pretty good: crispy and light (the secret is to roll the dough as thin as you can). Give it a try. It's easy and delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

 (serves 4)

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary plus 2 (6-inch) sprigs

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing

sea salt to taste

HOW TO DO IT:

Preheat oven to 180°. Mix together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center, then add water and oil and gradually stir until a dough forms. Briefly knead dough gently on a work surface.

Divide dough into 3 pieces. Keeping the remaining dough covered, roll out the first piece as thin as you can on a sheet of parchment paper. The shape can be rustic. (The thinner you roll it, the crispier it will be!)

Lightly brush the dough with additional oil and scatter the remaining rosemary leaves on top, pressing into the dough slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Slide the dough (still on parchment) onto a baking sheet and bake until pale golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining two pieces of dough. Let them all cool, then break into cracker-sized pieces with your hands. Store in an airtight container.

Important tip: cooking is best in good company... Mia is always curious to see/smell/taste what I'm doing!

   

        

A blog I like: the longest acres

The longest acres is Kate's blog, a farmer in Vermont.
Each time I read her I find myself missing the countryside, nature, silence, rythms, the possibility to be with so many animals, the green landscapes, the smell of the earth, and can't help wondering: why again am I living in a city?

Walking, snacking and sketching

We walked and walked and walked... and eventually found out our batteries were low on 'fuel' and stopped for a snack in a place we like.