Portuguese & Gourmet Recipes

Welcome to Helena’s Recipes – restaurant-worthy Portuguese, Mediterranean and gourmet recipes you can make at home in under 1 hour, with step-by-step cooking videos and photos by Helena Lil.

Latest Recipes

Find out what’s hot in my kitchen.

Helena is holding a plate with golden Portuguese cod cakes on a white plate with tomato rice behind them.

Portuguese Cod Cakes – Pataniscas de Bacalhau

Spoonful of saucy Portuguese tomato rice

Portuguese Tomato Rice – Arroz de Tomate

Crispy fried cod with sautéed onions, yellow peppers, olives, and potato fries.

Crispy Fried Cod with Onions and Potatoes – Bacalhau à Minhota

Caramelized plum halves with syrup on a dark surface.

Madeira Caramelized Plums

Turkey roulades stuffed with mushrooms served on greens with bread.

Turkey Roulades with Mushrooms

Slice of moist Portuguese orange cake with syrup held above whole cake.

Portuguese Orange Cake – Bolo de Laranja

Portuguese Recipes

Bold flavors from Portugal’s table.

A coupe glass of Portuguese white sparkling sangria on a table

Portuguese White Sangria

A glass of the delicious Sparkling Strawberry Melon Sangria served on a special occasion

Sparkling Strawberry Melon Sangria

Garlic Butter Shrimp with a bowl of sauce.

Garlic Butter Shrimp

Helena is trying a creamy steak on a fork

Creamy Steak – Bife à Marrare

Helena is holding a beautifully cooked razor clam in left hand and drizzling lemon juice on top

Portuguese Razor Clams in Wine Sauce

Helena is holding a fork full of cod with potatoes over the plate with bacalhau a bras

Salt Cod with Potatoes and Eggs

Mediterranean Recipes

Sun-kissed fresh Mediterranean dishes.

Shrimp in Lemon Garlic Sauce in a skillet

Shrimp in Lemon Garlic Sauce

Mediterranean Salmon Tartare with chips on a plate.

Mediterranean Salmon Tartare

Helena is holding a spoon of green peas

Lemon Garlic Sautéed Green Peas

Helena is holding one piece of tart in the right hand

Tomato Tart with Ricotta

Tomato Salad on a plate and a fork full of salad.

Mediterranean Tomato Salad

A tray with Oven Baked Fries and a fork full of potatoes.

Simple Oven Baked Fries

Trending Recipes

Shrimp Omelette on a plate with green onion and a fork full of omelette.

The Best Shrimp Omelette

Octopus Salad

Portuguese Octopus Salad

Helena is holding one chorizo bread and a plate of freshly baked chorizo bread

Portuguese Chorizo Bread – Pão com Chouriço

Helena is holding one cracker with sardine pate on top and a spoon full of sardine pate

Portuguese Sardine Pate

Seafood Recipes

The finest treasures of the mar you need to try.

Delicious Portuguese Garlic Shrimp in a white bowl

Portuguese Garlic Shrimp

Ready baked octopus served with potatoes

Portuguese Octopus in Port Wine

Mussels in tomato sauce with parsley

Portuguese Mussels in Tomato Sauce

Octopus Salad

Portuguese Octopus Salad

Shrimp Salad in a bowl.

Super Awesome Shrimp Salad

Apricot Shrimp Carpaccio with two glasses of port wine

Apricot Shrimp Carpaccio with Avocado Cream Sauce

Meat Recipes

Cooking gourmet meals with your favorite protein.

Chorizo Asparagus Quiche on a plate.

Chorizo Asparagus Quiche

Mediterranean Peas with Bacon in a white bowl.

Peas with Bacon

Helena is holding a fork with sausage and cabbage

Portuguese Sausages with Cabbage

Portuguese Bitoque Steak with fried egg on a green plate

Portuguese Steak with Fried Egg – Bife com Ovo a Cavalo

Mediterranean Veal Cutlets with lemon and parsley.

Mediterranean Veal Cutlets

Beef Wellington with juicy meat inside the puff pastry.

Best Beef Wellington

Fish Recipes

Dive deep into a gourmet flavor wave.

Poached Salmon on a plate with salad.

Poached Salmon in White Wine

Whole baked tuna quiche on a white plate

Gourmet Tuna Quiche

Two pieces of cashew crusted salmon on a blue plate with baked cashew around

Cashew Crusted Salmon

Mouthwatering salmon kabobs on blue plate

Grilled Salmon Kabobs

Delicious baked Trout on a tray.

Mediterranean Baked Trout

Two whole baked rainbow trout on foil-lined tray with fork.

Baked Whole Rainbow Trout – Truta Salmonada

Dessert Recipes

Tender and pleasing gourmet desserts to make your loved ones happy.

Strawberry Blackberry Pavlova served

Strawberry Blackberry Pavlova

Mango Pavlova on a white plate

Super Tender Mango Pavlova

The most delicious Cherry Pavlova

Super Cute Cherry Pavlova

Ready Kiwi Pavlova on a plate

Kiwi Pavlova

Mouthwatering Chocolate Hazelnut Pavlova on a beautiful plate

Chocolate Hazelnut Pavlova

Raspberry pavlova on a black table with cocoa powder on a side.

Stunning Raspberry Pavlova

Updated Favorites

Favorite recipes, recently updated.

Black-eyed peas bread mash with fresh herbs and lemon wedges.

Black-eyed Peas Bread Mash – Migas de Feijao Frade

Poached Salmon on a plate with salad.

Poached Salmon in White Wine

Shrimp Omelette on a plate with green onion and a fork full of omelette.

The Best Shrimp Omelette

Mouthwatering olive oil mayo

Olive Oil Mayo

Flavorful Stories

Join me in bringing the world famous flavors home.

The view on Nazaré waves, a short ride from Hotel Miramar Sul

Hotel Miramar Sul in Nazaré and Restaurante Atlântico View

Small citrus tree with green leaves and some fruit in a sunny orchard.

Solar de Vila Meã and Barro Restaurante

The look out of the Douro Scala Hotel

Douro Scala Hotel & Spa and Restaurante do Paço

Helena holding an oyster and a glass of champagne on a red tablecloth.

Vila Foz Hotel & Spa Porto

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A big icon of an appetizer — Appetizers

A big icon of a dessert — Desserts

A big icon showing seafood — Seafood

A big icon showing meat — Meat

A big icon of a quiche — Quiches

A big icon of a bowl of salad — Salads