The weather has been great lately with the first hint of spring in the air. I’m tired of winter dishes and have been itching to cook lighter food with fresh herbs and vegetables. This tart is a nice taste of things to come in the warmer months ahead – the fresh aroma of mint and lemon combined with creamy feta, crispy puff pastry, and delicious zucchini. The original recipe is from an old issue of Donna Hay Magazine.

Zucchini Tart With Mint And Feta (serves 4)

1 sheet puff pastry (thawed if frozen)
zucchini, thinly sliced (amount depends on the size of the puff pastry sheet)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
finely grated rind of 1 organic lemon
sea salt and black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
about 5 oz (150g) feta, crumbled or cubed
mint leaves
extra olive oil for drizzling

1. Preheat oven to 390F (200C)
2. Place pastry on baking sheet lined with baking paper.
3. Place the zucchini slices, olive oil, lemon rind, salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss to coat.
4. Layer the zucchini in rows on the pastry with slices overlapping, leaving a 1/2″ border all around.
5. Brush pastry border with egg.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.
7. Let cool slightly and top with feta and mint leaves. Sprinkle with extra pepper and drizzle with extra olive oil.

Enjoy!

This bread is fantastic all by itself or with some butter and orange marmalade. It’s irresistible when it’s still warm, and even better with a cup of tea or coffee. The recipe is from the February issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Make sure to plan ahead as the dough requires quite some time to rise, but the actual preparation is very easy and speedy with the help of a food processor.

Cinnamon-Raisin Bread (2 loaves)

2 x 1/4 oz. package active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups warm water
3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons honey
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup sugar + 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, mixed

1. Sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup water, add 2 teaspoons honey and whisk until yeast dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer to a food processor. Add butter and remaining 1 3/4 cups water and 3 tablespoons honey.
3. Add 3 cups of flour and salt.
4. Process until smooth.
5. Add remaining 4 cups of flour, one cup at a time. Add raisins.
6. Process until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and forms a slightly sticky ball.
7. Butter a large bowl.
8. Knead dough on a floured surface a few times, shape into a ball and transfer to bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
9. Let dough stand in warm place until it doubles in volume. This should take about 1 hour.
10. Remove dough from bowl, punch down, and divide in half.
11. Roll each dough half into an 8 1/2″ long rectangle.
12. Brush rectangles with water and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture, leaving a 1/2″ border around edges.
13. Starting with short side, roll dough into a log. Seal edges with fingers and tuck ends under.
14. Transfer logs to loaf pans with seam side down.
15. Brush tops with melted butter, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place for another 45 to 60 minutes.
16. Bake in preheated oven at 400F (200C) for about 45 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil if top darkens too quickly.

Enjoy!

This is a lovely dish for cold winter days. It’s creamy and warming, yet healthy and very low in fat. This risotto is delicious by itself, or you could serve it with some Italian bread or a small side salad.

Risotto With Carrots and Parsley (Serves 4)

1/4 bunch parsley, finely chopped
350ml vegetable broth
300g orange and yellow carrots, peeled and shredded
1 small red onion, finely chopped
olive oil
200g arborio rice
500ml carrot juice
80ml dry white wine
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
salt and pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a big pot and add chopped onion. Cook until translucent.
2. Add shredded carrots and sautee for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add rice and sautee until translucent.
4. Deglaze with wine and cook until wine has evaporated, stirring frequently.
5. Add broth and carrot juice in batches and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed and rice is al dente. Stir frequently. The risotto should be creamy and moist.
6. Stir in cheese, and season with salt and pepper.
7. Add parsley.
8. Serve in bowls and sprinkle with extra cheese.

Enjoy!

I recently returned from a trip to Lisbon, where I had some of the best pastry. There was literally a pastelaria (pastry shop) on every corner, and no matter what I tried, it was all delicious.

However, my absolute favorites were pasteis de nata. These are crisp puff pastry shells filled with a heavenly soft custard that is faintly reminiscent of vanilla. The little pastries are eaten straight at the counter, as is tradition there. Along with their order, customers are handed powdered sugar and cinnamon, which are sprinkled over the tarts.

The most famous place to eat pasteis de nata in Lisbon is at Antiga Confeitaria de Belem, which is a sprawling cafe just outside the city in Belem. The place churns out thousands of pasteis de nata every day, and their recipe is top secret. Don’t expect to walk in and get right down to business though – the place is hugely popular with tourists, and there is always a line.

I was anxious to try them, but I actually didn’t like them. The shell was too thin, and the filling too soft and eggy for me. My favorite pasteis de nata came from Casa Brasileira in Baixa, an old neighborhood in downtown Lisbon. Everything was just right about them, and the perfect contrast between the crisp shell and the creamy filling made me come back to this pastelaria way too many times during my trip. I ate copious amounts of their pasteis de nata, and I would fly to Lisbon just for an order of them! In the meantime, I’m going to do the next best thing, and try baking them myself.

Pastelaria Casa Brasileira
Rua Augusta, 267-269
Lisbon, Portugal

Antiga Confeitaria de Belem
Rua de Belem, 84-92
Belem, Portugal
www.pasteisdebelem.pt