Portuguese Caldo Verde

There’s something about Portugal that lingers long after you leave. Maybe it’s the tiled facades glowing in late afternoon light, the winding cobblestone streets climbing impossibly steep hills, or the way even the simplest meals feel deeply soulful and intentional. I’ve now been to Portugal twice, from Oporto to the Algarve and just back from Lisbon, and each visit leaves me craving the food all over again. 

This trip, one top nostalgic food I must have was caldo verde, Portugal’s beloved national soup, which I had on a day-trip to Sintra. I first fell in love with it two decades ago, and one spoonful instantly transported me back to that tiny table in Oporto with my husband. Travel always leaves me bringing home more than souvenirs. Sometimes it’s a technique, sometimes a feeling, and sometimes it’s a humble bowl of soup that carries an entire country within it.

Enjoying a smooth puree caldo verde in Sintra

Back home, with the flavours of Portugal still fresh on my tongue, I recreated caldo verde for tonight’s comfort dinner. Silky potatoes, ribbons of kale, smoky chorizo sausage, lots of garlic, and good olive oil come together in a soup that proves simplicity only works when every ingredient is treated with care. It tastes like something a grandmother would ladle into your bowl after a long walk through hilly streets, warming you from the inside out. 

There are many versions, but the texture I like is rustic, loose with a bit of potato bite. To create a smooth soup, blend your potato soup base then add the kale shreds and sausage slices to cook towards the end.

Caldo Verde
Serves 6 

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
½ lb. chorizo sausage, cut into ¼-inch rounds (use any good smoky sausage)
1 large onion, diced
8 to 12 garlic cloves, chopped
4 large potatoes, peeled, chopped in large chunks
6 cups water
1/2 bunch kale, washed, hard stems removed and leaves thinly sliced (chiffonade)
Extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt to finish

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and the sausage; cook and stir until browned. Remove sausage onto a plate.

Add remaining olive oil to the pot; then add onion, garlic and a little salt to sweat the onions. Cook and stir until the onion and the garlic is lightly golden (taking care not to burn), about five minutes. Add the potatoes and toss for a minute. Add water and bring to a boil.

Lower heat, simmer until potatoes are soft about 15 minutes. Carefully mash potatoes in pot.

Add kale and cook five minutes until tender. Then add sausage and stir.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of good EVOO. 

Serve at the table with crusty bread, good olives and a splash of lemon juice.

Homemade caldo verde in 2014

And already, I’m dreaming about the next trip-inspired dish recreation. Stay tuned 👊💥

Full Recipe:

Caldo Verde 
Serves 6 

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
½ lb. chorizo sausage, cut into ¼-inch rounds (use any good smoky sausage)
1 large onion, diced
8 to 12 garlic cloves, chopped
4 large potatoes, peeled, chopped in large chunks
6 cups water
1/2 bunch kale, washed, hard stems removed and leaves thinly sliced (chiffonade)
Extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt to finish

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and the sausage; cook and stir until browned. Remove sausage onto a plate.

Add remaining olive oil to the pot; then add onion, garlic and a little salt to sweat the onions. Cook and stir until the onion and the garlic is lightly golden (taking care not to burn), about five minutes. Add the potatoes and toss for a minute. Add water and bring to a boil.

Lower heat, simmer until potatoes are soft about 15 minutes. Carefully mash potatoes in pot.

Add kale and cook five minutes until tender. Then add sausage and stir.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of EVOO. 

Top Foods We Ate In Hong Kong...

 

From the unapologetic speed and chaos of cha chaan tengs to the quiet magic of street-side bites, every dish carried its own kind of nostalgia. Comforting bowls of congee, silky rice noodles, crispy oil-slicked skin roasted goose, "seen teem" seafood sweet crabs, warm and crispy egg waffles and desserts that balance sweetness with just the right touch of restraint- just a short list round up of our best 🇭🇰😋🥢

What stayed with me most wasn’t just the flavours that are inexplicably HK, but the feeling. The rhythm of the city, the efficiency, the simplicity done exceptionally well. It’s the kind of food that doesn’t try too hard, yet lingers long after the last bite. 

So sit back and feast your eyes on our Triple Dragon Squad Operation Top HK foods compilation 🐲🐲🐲:

Top Mention Worthy- nothing says Hong Kong quite like a breakfast inspired by famous must-go cha chaan teng- Australia Dairy Company on Jordan in Yau Ma Tei. 

Daily peak morning queues are real!

It’s the kind of place where efficiency is everything, service is… minimal, and yet somehow, the food speaks louder than anything else. Silky scrambled eggs folded gently served over soft crustless white bread 🍳🍞, a humble bowl of macaroni soup topped with delicate slivers of ham 🥣, golden French toast with crisp edges and a centre melty square of butter 🍞 and that iconic milk tea, smooth, creamy, with just the right tannic finish ☕. So simple, but so magical 💫

Cramped booth seating for 3- faces a wall which screams just eat and go!

This past week, one school morning, I brought a little piece of that breakfast nostalgia for my boys… and watching them dig into those soft eggs and warm bowls of macaroni reminded me why these dishes endure. They’re simple, comforting, and quietly perfect. And that’s what makes it timeless.

 

And still, one of their favourite HK meal experience isn't listed here. It's not Chinese but it stayed. Recreated it homestyle last night with double thumbs up!! Stay tuned for next post 💥

Recipes Reimagined: Rethinking How We Cook in the Age of AI

It's been a minute ... on the heel of returning from Asia, I taught an online AI incorporated cooking class with families from a TDSB junior public school last week. It marked the first session of our two-part cooking workshop in Recipes Reimagined, and what a beautiful start it was 🥰.

Together, we explored how simple, everyday ingredients can come together in meaningful ways. We prepared a comforting one-pot lentil and rice soup paired with a vibrant pickled vegetable giardiniera- showing how one meal can be both nourishing and adaptable, and how a simple jar can extend flavour and reduce waste.

A large pot of lentils is inexpensive and stretchable.

It fosters the communal aspect that no one in the neighborhood should go hungry.

The giardiniera-style pickle is designed around using leftover vegetables, slightly soft produce, imperfect or discounted items. This reframes reduced-price food as resourceful and intentional, and as a practical way to salvage and extend the life of food at home.

I also introduced the thoughtful use of AI as a kitchen support tool. Families explored how it can help with menu planning, organizing recipes, and translating dishes across languages- all while keeping their own tastes, traditions, and judgment at the centre. 

Most of the stress isn’t cooking. It’s deciding. AI isn’t replacing your knowledge. It’s a planning helper. Think of AI as a highly organized kitchen helper who has read every cookbook in the world and remembers exactly what you have in your fridge. Just knowing a few simple AI tools can help us save recipes and food traditions.

Each participant was tasked to prepare a favourite recipe contribution from their family, including a story, food photo and artwork to culminate a cookbooklet for their school community 🔪📔

At the heart of it all was food sovereignty: having confidence and control over how we feed our families, using what we have, and honouring the foods that connect us to home.

AI isn’t here to replace what you know- it’s just there to make cooking a little easier and less stressful. Experience and judgment always come first, and like any tool, it’s not perfect. If we can teach our kids how to cook, think for themselves, and use tools wisely, we’re doing more than just making meals- we’re building stronger, more capable families for the future. And that’s what our project Recipes Reimagined is all about 👊💥

Grateful to everyone who joined, shared, and cooked along. This is just the beginning- looking forward to seeing these recipes and stories come to life in our upcoming cookbook and potluck celebration 🤗

If you would like to organize a cooking workshop, please contact me to arrange.

Mechado Filipino Beef Stew

Mechado is the kind of dish that tells a story the moment it hits the table. This beloved Filipino beef stew traces its roots to Spanish influence, taking its name from mecha, or “wick,” a nod to the old technique of threading pork fat through lean beef to keep it juicy during a long, slow braise. While modern versions skip the larding, the spirit of the dish remains the same. A rich tomato base, savoury soy sauce, bright pops of calamansi, and hearty potatoes and carrots come together in a deeply comforting one-pot stew that’s as soulful as it is satisfying. 

Once the beef is browned, everything else is wonderfully hands-off. It’s a true one-pot stew where simple pantry staples do the heavy lifting, and time becomes the most important ingredient. No fussy techniques, no constant stirring, just a slow simmer that rewards patience with depth and richness.

That ease is exactly what makes mechado such a natural cold-weather weeknight-friendly comfort dish. The kitchen fills with the gentle aroma of tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf, and soy sauce bubbling away, the kind of scent that feels like a warm hug for the senses. The beef turns meltingly tender, the sauce thickens into something spoon-clinging and savoury, and suddenly you have a meal that begs to be ladled over hot rice on a dark, chilly evening.

Mechado Filipino Beef Stew (adapted by Kitchn)

Serves 6

1 Tbsp. neutral oil, such as canola
3-pounds boneless beef chuck roast/stewing beef, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups water
1-3/4 cups prepared tomato sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce 
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 dried bay leaves
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 large or 4 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces 

lime or calamansi, juice for splashing (optional)

Steamed rice for serving

sliced green onions, red onions and hot sauce at the table

Note: This recipe can be made entirely on the stovetop, or you can do Steps 5 and 7 in the oven. If using the oven, arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F; make sure your pot is oven-safe.

Note: I made 1-1/2 times recipe for a big batch with leftovers!

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of the boneless beef chuck roast pieces and sear, stirring occasionally, until browned all over about six to eight mins. Transfer to a large plate. Add the remaining beef to the pot and repeat searing. Transfer all of the beef to the plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add onions and garlic to the pot. Cook until the onion is softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in water, tomato sauce, soy sauce, sugar, dried bay leaves, and ground black pepper. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Return the beef pieces and their juices to the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Cover and transfer the pot to the oven, or cover and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Stir in potatoes and carrots. Scatter the chopped bell pepper over the top.

Cover and return to the oven, or bring back to a simmer and cover again. Cook until the beef is very tender, about an hour more.

Remove and discard the bay leaves. Brighten with a splash of citrus (optional)

Serve hot with steamed rice. Sumptious!

Mechado is the kind of stew that develops even better overnight, when the flavours have had time to deepen and mingle. So make a large batch- double the recipe and enjoy it with effortless pleasure the next day!  It’s unfussy, deeply satisfying, and quietly generous, the sort of dish that makes winter cooking feel less like a chore and more like self-care.

Leftover mash potatoes and steamed rice make a great duo base.
I love serving this with Rude Mama's hot sauce 🌶

Full Recipe:

Mechado Filipino Beef Stew (adapted by Kitchn)

Serves 6

1 Tbsp. neutral oil, such as canola
3-pounds boneless beef chuck roast/stewing beef, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups water
1-3/4 cups prepared tomato sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce 
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 dried bay leaves
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 large or 4 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces 

lime or calamansi, juice for splashing (optional)

Steamed rice for serving

sliced green onions, red onions and hot sauce at the table

Note: This recipe can be made entirely on the stovetop, or you can do Steps 5 and 7 in the oven. If using the oven, arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F; make sure your pot is oven-safe.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of the boneless beef chuck roast pieces and sear, stirring occasionally, until browned all over about six to eight mins. Transfer to a large plate. Add the remaining beef to the pot and repeat searing. Transfer all of the beef to the plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add onions and garlic to the pot. Cook until the onion is softened. Stir in water, tomato sauce, soy sauce, sugar, dried bay leaves, and ground black pepper. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Return the beef chuck roast pieces and their juices to the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Cover and transfer the pot to the oven, or cover and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Stir in potatoes and carrots. Scatter the chopped bell pepper over the top.

Cover and return to the oven, or bring back to a simmer and cover again. Cook until the beef is very tender, about an hour more.

Remove and discard the bay leaves. Brighten flavour with a splash of citrus.

Serve hot with steamed rice and condiments at the table.