Buffalo chicken wings

This well-known American recipe is only for people who like hot food. Over here, we all do. But if there is anyone who doesn't like chili coming over for dinner, simply serve them the chicken wings without the sauce.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken wings per person
• salt, vinegar and garlic for seasoning the chicken

For the sauce

• 1/2 a cup of ketchup
• 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of Tabasco or equivalent

1. Season the chicken wings with salt, garlic and vinegar
2. Grill them until crispy
3. Mix the ketchup, the vinegar and the Tabasco in a bowl
4. Coat the chicken with the sauce and serve.
   

Nice with a green salad or potato salad.

Chicken ginger casserole

This recipe is inspired by one of the dishes of an excellent Chinese restaurant in Estoril, where we go whenever we are celebrating a family birthday. I've to tried decipher all the ingredients present in the restaurant recipe, adapted some and added a few of my own. My version tastes totally different from the restaurant one, but I hope it is just as good.

Ingredients (four 4)

• 1 skinless chicken cut into pieces
• 1 onion
• olive oil
  
• 1 leek
• 2.5 cm (1 inch) fresh ginger
• salt
  
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons wholemeal flour
  
• 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup soya sauce
• mushrooms
  
• fresh coriander

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper
2. Chop the onion and brown it in olive oil in a large casserole
3. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry them with the onions
4. Add the sugar and wholemeal flour and mix until browned
5. Slice the ginger and add it to the casserole
6. Add the vinegar and keep stirring
   
7. When everything is nice and browned, add a bit of soya sauce and then some water
   
8. Mix in the sliced leek (green leaves included) and mushrooms
   
9. Cook for 30 minutes
10. Add fresh coriander just before serving

Serve with basmati rice and a green salad.

Chicken curry (Caril de frango)

The first time I made chicken curry was inspired by the Portuguese (read Macanese) way of preparing it, but now every time I cook it, I make it a different way. It's so easy to get it right that all variations taste lovely. Here it goes. I hope the variations are not too confusing.

Ingredients (for five)

• chicken (600/700 grams breast only or a whole free-range chicken cut into prieces)
• 1 cup pink lentils (optional, especially when there is not enough chicken)
• 1 large onion
• 1 cup of frozen leeks
• 2 very full tablespoons of good quality yellow curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• salt
  
• 1 tin coconut milk
  
• olive oil
  
• 1 small white yoghurt (optional, to water down the coconut milk, especially if you are using lentils)
• a bit of fresh coriander leaves

1. Stir-fry the onions in olive oil in a large casserole until soft
2. Add the chicken and keep stirring
3. Add the curry powder, cayenne pepper, salt, bay leaf and mix in well
4. Add the coconut milk (and yoghurt if using)
5. Add the lentils (if using) and leeks
   
6. Cook in low heat for around 40 minutes, adding water if it dries up
   
7. When ready, sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves

Serve with basmati rice.

Frango Assado (Roast Chicken)

There are hundreds of ways of roasting chicken. This is the way my mother taught me. Just the smell of it brings back lovely childhood memories. As a grown up, I discovered this is a great recipe for busy mums - just stick everything in the oven and go and do something else while it is cooking.

Ingredients (for four; for a family of five, like ours, add some extra wings or drums)

• 1 chicken (preferably free range)
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt
• black pepper
  
• vinegar
• rosemary (optional)
• potatoes (2 per person)

1. Cut the chicken into pieces (I save the back for making stock and use only the nobler bits)
2. Season with salt, black pepper, garlic, vinegar and rosemary
3. Place in a hot oven
4. Peel the potatoes and cut them in halves (or quarters if they are very big) and stick them in the oven in the same baking dish as the chicken
5. After half an hour, turn the chicken and the potatoes so that they brown on both sides
6. Continue cooking for another half hour

Serve with a mixed salad or any kind of vegetables