Rubbishy Cookery

  While recently in Portugal, I enjoyed many variations on lemonade. Strawberry was a popular flavour, but at one special patio café near the famed “Triangle” neighbourhood in Lisbon, the sign read: “strawberry, ginger, mint”. When I asked for the special lemonade, the server asked me which one I wanted—silly me, I thought it was all three flavours combined! But they were happy to accommodate my initial expectation and so I was able to enjoy an ice cold glass of strawberry-ginger-mint lemonade. What a combo! Here it is! Ingredients: Directions: I used a generous handful of frozen strawberries, a sprig of garden fresh mint, about a half tablespoon (?) of peeled fresh ginger, two or three generous soup spoonfuls of frozen concentrate lemonade, then added two ice cubes and water to the Vitamix: Here’s a side view: Let ‘er rip: Pour and enjoy on your favourite patio with your favourite Portuguese literature: Obrigada!

  This is the closest thing I make to a real salade niçoise, and although it’s much more effort than the other, faker versions (see recipes #15 and #20) (and still not authentic), it’s well worth it! Ingredients: Directions: I’m going to make my hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot because I have one and it makes perfect hard boiled eggs (as well as cool fun-house reflections on the mirrored interior), but you can certainly make them the old fashioned way on the stove top: Boil up some fresh baby new potatoes and green or yellow beans: The potatoes take longer than the beans, which are really just quick cooked to al dente or barely cooked, then plunged into cold water to stop them from overcooking, then drained well. The potatoes are cooked until a fork can easily pierce them, then drained well but kept warm. Chop all the raw vegetables and put into the salad bowl: Then add the canned tuna with oil, chopped hard boiled eggs, drained beans, drained (and still warm) diced potatoes, an...

  Today’s post is a 2-for-1, but rest assured, both recipes can be made independently and separately with good results! Recipe #8: cucumber salad  This is super quick salad recipe that you can whip up in a few minutes and impress the pants off of your dinner guest(s). I’m making a batch for two diners here. Ingredients: Directions: Slice the cucumber(s) in thin rounds with a sharp knife. A mandoline would work well, but ours is still in its original packaging and I’m afraid of it, so I just used a paring knife and sliced directly into the serving bowl (no cutting board = less clean up = less neatly sliced = I don’t care). Likewise with the red onion. I just used a small amount of the red onion you see pictured above. We want the onion to be a sidekick to the cucumber, not a leading lady. Next, squeeze a wedge of fresh lemon juice in the bowl, shake a few shakes of dried dill (or a good anmount of chopped fresh dill if you have it), add a glug of mayo and a spoonful of sou...