Exploring new places is a wonderful thing. I enjoy learning about new places, cultures and food. Madeira is located off the coast of northwest Africa lies the archipelago of Madeira, a Portuguese autonomous territory made up of four islands. | Stay connected, wherever you travel, at affordable rates with Airalo eSim. |
The painted doors of Rua da Santa Maria in old town Funchal (Zona Velha). I just returned from 5 days in Madeira Island. It was supposed to be 6 but the weather was not kind to us on Friday. We boarded our flight, got so close to landing and the powers that be decided it wasn't safe to land. Madeira airport the world's ninth most dangerous airport, and the third most dangerous in Europe. The Painted Doors In 2014, when the “Art of Open Doors” project was started, the street was turned into a public art space, as local artists were invited to paint over two hundred of the street’s restaurants, cafes and shops. These were just a few of the 200 doors, but hopefully you get a taste of what this revitalization project has to offer. My following were my favorites. I had to wait a long time to take this photo. There was a man standing in front of this door smoking. And of course, the cat door. :) Do you have a favorite? Post yours in the comment below. Recommended Posts
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This BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich is hearty, big in BBQ flavor and crunchy from the slaw. Very simple yet oh so satisfying. When I visited Tomar, Portugal back in January, I stumbled upon a cute cafe called Insensato Cafe-livraria located at Rua Silva Magalhães 25. One of the dishes on the menu was a BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich. I've seen jackfruit at Farmer's Markets in the past but have never tried it, so I decided it was time. In case you aren't familiar with Jackfruit, it is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as 120 pounds in weight, 35 inches in length and 20 inches in diameter. And I'm so glad I did. It was delicious. I actually tried to go back to the cafe the next day to have it again - it was that good! But, sadly, they were closed that day and I was leaving the next day. I thought about that sandwich quite a few times since then, so I knew that I had to try to recreate it. Jackfruit's texture lends itself to mocking meat and absorbing just about any flavor you throw its way. So it's perfect substitute for vegan meat and these BBQ sandwiches. BBQ Jackfruit with Avocado Mango Slaw Sandwich
Makes 4 sandwiches Ingredients: 1 20-ounce can young green jackfruit in water (NOT in syrup or brine*) 1/4 cup BBQ seasoning (2 Tbsp Monkfruit sweetener + 1 tsp paprika + 1 tsp garlic powder + 1/2 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp pepper + 1/2 tsp chili powder) 2/3 cup BBQ sauce (if you are trying to stay vegan, make sure that the BBQ is Avocado Mango Slaw (optional) 1/2 ripe avocado, chopped 1/4-1/2 mango, sliced thinly or chopped 1 Tbsp maple syrup (or sweetener of choice) 1 lemon or lime (juiced) Salt + pepper (to taste) Water (to thin) 1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage (I used green and purple cabbage) + carrots 2 Tables olive oil 8 slices of bread or buns (GF for gluten-free eaters) Directions: Rinse and drain jackfruit. Place in a mixing bowl and set aside. Mix together BBQ seasoning and add to jackfruit. Toss to coat. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil (or oil of choice) and seasoned jackfruit (use more oil, as needed, if increasing batch size). Toss to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes to achieve some color. Add BBQ sauce and thin with enough water to make a sauce. Stir and reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for about 15-20 minutes. Remove lid and stir occasionally. In the meantime, make slaw by adding maple syrup, juice of lemon/lime and salt and pepper to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Then add cabbage and carrots. Toss to coat. Stir in avocado and mango. Set in the refrigerator until serving. Place generous portions of slaw on the bottom bread/buns, top with generous serving of BBQ jackfruit. Serve with extra BBQ sauce, avocado or guacamole! Leftover jackfruit keeps for up to a couple days in the fridge, though best when fresh.
Dominica, an island of rich vegetation, mountains, the Caribbean Sea … and CHOCOLATE!!!!!! While Dominica may not be among the largest of the world’s chocolate producers, it is certainly developing a reputation as a great producer of high-quality organic chocolate.
**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links which help to keep this blog running.**
I took this tour as a cruise ship excursion while on the Carnival Glory. We didn’t quite know what to expect but we’re very interested to learn about the history of the estate and of course make and sample chocolate! You know how I love chocolate.
Bois Cotlette Estate
Making Organic Chocolate at Bois Cotlette Estate
The Bois Cotlette Estate is 53 acres of volcanic soil. It is self sufficient where they grow their own food, capture water, and generate green energy. It was name after a tree and has a 290 year history – making it the oldest surviving estate in Dominica — producing cocoa, coffee, and sugar cane.
The estate itself is beautiful. You are greeted by very knowledgeable guides and the owners wife who is also the chocolatier. They take us on a brief tour explaining the history of estate.
We saw ruins of a windmill.
Then we followed the path of chocolate from breaking open the cocoa shell, to harvesting the raw beans, through the drying and grinding the beans into cocoa powder.
You also get to taste the fresh cacao fruit, right off a tree, and taste the cacao in different stages of production. You’ll taste the raw cacao nibs after they’ve been roasted and get the chance to grind the cacao down into powder.
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Then you’ll visit the test kitchen to see the entire process of how large chocolate blocks are tempered and turned in chocolate chocolate delights. When they asked for volunteers to help temper the chocolate, I immediately raised my hand.
We were each given a Candy Melting Pot and we had to stir the chocolate until it reached a certain temperature (yes, my arm did hurt a bit after all that vigorous stirring) and then pour the chocolate into molds.
While we volunteers finished up with tempering our chocolate and pouring them into molds, the rest of the group went into an enclosed open-air facility where we tasted various chocolate rum drinks (fruited-punch, tea, coffee), and several different types of bon bons. By the time I got to there I was a bit sick of chocolate — what did you say? — let’s just say that after we poured the chocolate into the molds, there was some left in the pot that we got to eat. It was delicious going down, but then I got a chocolate/caffeine high. I ended up saving my bon bon samples and took them back on the ship for later.
You’ll get a chance to buy some of the chocolate and coffee! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Dominica!! I thought this was the best tour of this cruise.
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This quick and easy French toast is made with healthier swaps but still packed with flavor, you won't even miss the heavy cream and butter. Ready in about 15 minutes, it's the perfect sweet breakfast recipe for birthdays, holidays such as Mother’s Day or Christmas, busy mornings, or just an easy Sunday morning, **This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links which help to keep this blog running.** Healthy Gluten Free Almond and Orange French Toast Yields 4 servings Ingredients: 8 slices thick slices of gluten free bread (perferrably slightly stale) 4 eggs, room temperature 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 1 tsp almond extract 1 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground nutmeg zest of 1 orange 1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey 2 tsp coconut oil Optional Toppings: Fresh berries orange or mandarin Monkfruit Maple syrup or Honey Monkfruit powdered sugar whipped cream or Greek yogurt Slivered almonds Directions: Whisk all ingredients from eggs to maple syrup/honey in a medium mixing bowl until well combined. Pour the egg mixture into a flat, shallow dish. Place 4 slices of bread into the egg mixture and allow to soak for 2 minutes before turning over and soaking again for another 1 minute. While the bread is soaking, melt 1 tsp of coconut oil in a large skillet over a medium or medium low heat to avoid burning. Remove the bread from the egg mixture and cook two to three minutes on each side until golden brown. Repeat with 3 bread slices. Then repeat: melt 1 tsp coconut oil in a large skillet again, and use that to cook the remaining 4 bread slices. Serve with berries, toasted almonds, whipped cream, mint, and maple syrup or your favorite toppings! Vegan Option: To make this heart healthy french toast vegan, use a flax egg and a little bit of cornstarch instead of the regular eggs. Also be sure to use maple syrup and not honey for the sweetener. Sugar Free Option: Making sugar free or low sugar french toast is super easy! All you have to do is substitute the maple syrup for a sugar free maple syrup (I like the Lakanto Monkfruit Maple Syrup), and make sure to use sugar free toppings. For a low sugar version, use half the amount of maple syrup. Storing Leftovers To Store In The Fridge: Let the leftovers cool completely. Transfer the toast to an airtight storage container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the toaster oven or on a warm skillet until heated through. To Freeze: To freeze this recipe, transfer the cooked french toast to a freezer safe airtight container or freezer bag and separate the individual slices using parchment paper. Place in the freezer for up to three to four months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, and then heat the frozen french toast slices on a skillet on the stovetop or in the oven until warmed through. Recommended Posts
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Linda RoisumTraveller, chief taste-tester and food finder and retired expat living in Lisbon, Portugal. Archives
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