Recipes - Starters

Salada de Palmito

Ingredients

1 x 450g/16 oz tin hearts of palm, drained and cut into 2.5cm/1 inch pieces
½ head romaine lettuce, shredded
croutons
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
25g/1oz freshly grated parmesan cheese

•  Mix all ingredients into a large bowl, mix well. Serve immediately.

Salada de Tomate  

Ingredients

6 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 onions, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
180ml/6fl.oz basil vinaigrette

•  Use four plates and on each plate place the sliced tomatoes and onions. Season with salt and pepper.

•  Mix garlic and vinaigrette and crush them together. Then sprinkle them over the tomatoes and onions and serve them.

Fried cassava (Mandioca frita)

Ingredients

fresh cassava
cooking oil or butter
salt to taste

Steps

•  First thing is to peel the cassava make sure you remove the dark layers.

•  Cook the cassava until it is tender, as it cooks you can remove the cassava's stem.

•  Drain the cassava in a colander.

•  Cut the cassava into cubes and fry them in oil until they become golden. Season with salt.

Serve while still being hot.

Bolinhos de Bacalhau

Ingredients

450g/1lb dried codfish (salt fish), soaked overnight
1 tbsp butter
2 teasp freshly chopped chives
2 teasp freshly chopped parsley
150g/+5oz finely chopped onion
240ml/8fl.oz milk
450g/1lb mashed potato
3 tbsp flour
½ teasp paprika
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
oil for deep frying

•  Drain the soaked fish and place it in a pan then add fresh water and let it cook for thirty minutes.

•  After cooking drain all the water, then remove the bones and skin and chop it. set aside

•  Next take the butter and heat it, then add chives, parsley, onion, and chopped fish heat them in medium heat. Keep stirring until the onion becomes transparent.

•  Remove from heat and add the other ingredients and mix well, let the mixture cool for at least ten minutes.

•  Heat the oil to 180C/350F; shape the cooled fish mixture into small balls using your lightly floured hands.

•  Insert the balls into the oil and let them fry until they are golden brown. Drain the fish on a kitchen paper.

Serve while still being hot.

Salada de Arroz (Rice Salad)

Ingredients

2 cups cooked white rice
4 teaspoons minced pimiento
1/4 cup green bell pepper, minced
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup basic salad sauce
salt and pepper to taste

•  Using a salad bowl mix rice, pimiento, pepper and onion.

•  Pour salad sauce over them then season to taste. Cover then refrigerate for one hour.

Serve cold.