Category: Appetizers

Appetizers / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Asian Sweet & Spicy Chicken

Asian Sweet & Spicy Chicken is amazing! You simply let the chicken marinate for a couple of hours or overnight, bake and cover it with the yummy sweet & spicy sauce!

This is the kind of recipe that you experiment with to your own taste. Some people like these really spicy and some like them sweet like Teriyaki sauce.

I served it with Portuguese Rice and grilled Asparagus! It was a big hit! Try it and Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 pounds of chicken drumsticks and thighs or wings

1 cup of soy sauce

1/2 cup of red wine vinegar

1/4 cup of brown sugar

3 tablespoons of olive oil

6 cloves of garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons of fresh ginger (minced)

2 scallions (sliced)

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon of piri piri sauce

1 tablespoon Corn starch

Instructions:

Place the chicken in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl mix all of the remaining ingredients except cornstarch until very well incorporated.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and let it marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat oven to 400. Remove the chicken from the bowl and place in a very well greased flat tray. Reserve the marinade. Cook for 1 hour turning over once.

Cook the leftover marinade in a small pan on low heat for at least 10 minutes to reduce and cook. Taste and add more soy sauce and red pepper flakes if you like it spicier.

Note:

To create thicker sauce simply add the corn starch mixed with a little water to the sauce and let it reduce and thicken. You can also make this sweeter by adding a little honey or more brown sugar. The longer it cooks, the thicker it will get.

Asparagus is easy to cook in just a few minutes right in your skillet. Just add 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil, depending on how much asparagus you have. Add salt and pepper and cook on low – medium heat.

Cover the pan, and toss the asparagus gently as it cooks for about 5 minutes. Add a little more olive oil if needed.

Turn off the heat and leave it covered. It will continue to cook and keep warm.

Appetizers / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

Welcome Spring Cobb Salad

 

Welcome Spring!! Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

Baby Spinach

Green and Red Leaf Lettuce

Tomatoes

Sliced Turkey or Ham

Shredded Carrots

Chopped Cucumber

Cubed Cheese

Blue Cheese

Chopped Avocado

Sliced Pears

Black Olives

Hard Boiled Eggs

Add Your favorite dressing!

Appetizers / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

Piri Piri Deviled Eggs Recipe – Ovos Recheados

You’ll love this easy recipe for deviled eggs with a kick! I was pleasantly surprised how quickly they disappeared so I’ll be making them more often.

The word “devil” originally referred to the combination of spices, including mustard, with which the eggs are seasoned.

You may serve these as an appetizer, or a main dish. Serve them cold. Enjoy!

Makes 24

Ingredients:

12 eggs

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of Piri Piri or any hot sauce (optional) or (1/4 teaspoon piri piri powder)

Paprika for garnish

Instructions:

Place the eggs in a medium sauce pan and cover them with water. Boil for 7 minutes and let them sit in pan for 7 minutes.

Drain and add enough cold water to cover them.  Let sit for about 5 minutes to cool.

Gently tap the eggs cracking the shell all around the egg. This will make it easy to peel.

Slice the eggs length wise and place on a serving dish.

Remove the yolks and place them in a small bowl. Mix in all the ingredients except hot sauce and paprika until incorporated. Taste and add more seasoning if desired.

Scoop about a half tablespoon of the yolk mixture into the sliced egg whites.

Garnish with more hot sauce and paprika. Enjoy!

Appetizers / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Saladas de Atum – Tuna Fish Salads

I’ve been making salads to make it feel like Summer. Look at the beautiful colors in this salad! It says Summer doesn’t it?

Prepare the tuna salad and eat it over a bed of lettuce for a light lunch, or add the tuna salad to the cooked pasta for a main meal.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for Tuna & Tomato Salad:

1 or 2 cans of tuna fish in water

1 cup of grape or cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup of onion or scallions (finely minced)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar

Salt to taste

Pepper

Parsley flakes

 

Pasta Salad Ingredients:

8 ounces or 1/2 package of uncooked pasta (any you prefer)

1/2 cup of red, yellow or green pepper (chopped)

1/4 cup of onion (finely chopped)

1 cup of uncooked peas

2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

crushed black pepper

1 tablespoon of Italian salad dressing mix (optional)

 

Instructions:

Cut the tomatoes in half. Drain the tuna. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and stir gently to incorporate the flavors.

Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Pasta Salad Instructions:

Prepare pasta per package directions but add the peas, peppers and onions 5 minutes before the pasta is done cooking.

Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water to remove the starch.

Mix the pasta with the remaining ingredients of mayonnaise, pepper and dressing and stir gently. Add the prepared tuna salad mixing gently to incorporate the flavors.

Add more salt or crushed black pepper if desired.

Appetizers / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Beef Croquettes – Croquetes de Carne

 

 

The first time I made these beef croquetes was on a Christmas Eve with my Godmother who taught me this recipe.

She was very meticulous about which cut of beef to use in her recipe and would often shop at many grocery stores until she found that one special piece of beef!

The best beef to use is cooked, roast beef that has been cooled in the refrigerator since the meat will be firm and dry.

I would go to her house and help her cook the Rissois de Camarao and these Croquetes for many years.

My job was to to roll the beef mixture into egg shapes and then dip them into the egg and bread crumbs using the one hand wet, and one hand dry method.

My hands often got slapped because I would dip my wet hand into the bread crumbs making a mess.

I think of her every time I use that method now and I’m very careful not to get those bread crumbs into the egg!

Makes approximately 1-2 dozen

Ingredients:

1 pound of cooked roasted beef or any leftover cooked beef (finely minced)

2 tablespoons of butter

4 tablespoons of flour

1/2 cup milk

3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

½ small onion (finely chopped)

¼ cup of chouriça sausage (finely minced) (optional)

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon parsley (finely minced)

1 tsp of salt 

¼ teaspoon of paprika

Fresh ground black pepper

2 eggs

Flour for coating

1 or 2 cups fine bread crumbs for coating

Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

Saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaf in the butter in a medium skillet until translucent on medium low heat.

Add the flour and mix well until the flour is incorporated into the butter. Add the milk a little at a time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and thickened.

Add the beef, chouriça, and all remaining spices and cook for a few minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

Remove the beef from heat and add 1 beaten egg a little at a time to temper it. Put the pan back on the stove and cook the mixture until it becomes thick and easy to form into balls or egg shapes.

Cool the mixture for a few minutes and shape into croquettes. If you find the mix too soft, add a little more flour and cook for a minute.

To thicken the mix, you can also refrigerate the beef for a few hours or until the next day.

When ready to fry, dip each croquettes in the remaining beaten egg and then into bread crumbs.

Fry the croquettes in medium high vegetable oil until golden brown.* The oil must be hot or the croquettes will fall apart.

Drain onto paper towels before placing them on the serving platter.

Photo credit: http://deliciasdiarias.wordpress.com/tag/croquete/

 

Appetizers / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Side Dish / Soups

3 Bean Turkey Chili

This recipe makes a large pot of chili that can serve 10-12 people so you’ll have enough for the next day, or freeze it for next week!

For a vegetarian option, simply leave out the meat because it’s just as good.

Serve the chili with Blue Corn Tortilla Chips and my home made Corn Muffin recipe.

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey or beef

1 large onion (finely chopped)

1 large red bell pepper (finely chopped)

1 large green pepper (finely chopped)

3 cloves garlic

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp crushed black pepper

crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce to taste

3 tablespoons chili powder

1/2  tsp paprika

1 small can crushed tomatoes

1 (32 ounce) can red kidney beans

1 (32 ounce) can black beans

1 (32 ounce) can pinto or any favorite beans

Or use any favorite beans

 

Garnish Options:

Shredded Mexican or your favorite cheese

Tortilla Chips

Sour cream

Chopped Avocado

Chopped onions

Cilantro

Salsa

 

Instructions:

In a large dutch oven or heavy pan, brown the meat in the olive oil. Remove the meat and add the onions, garlic and both peppers to the pan.

Cook the vegetables in the pan drippings until translucent. Add the meat back into the pan and stir well.

Add all of the remaining ingredients, stir well, and let the chili come to a slow boil on medium heat.

Continue cooking for about 30 minutes on low heat stirring very often so it does not stick.

If you like a thicker chili mash about 1 cup of the beans with the back of your stirring spoon. If you like it thin, leave as is or add a little more tomato or a cup of stock.

Store in refrigerator after it cools and freeze in food safe plastic containers.

 

 

Appetizers / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Tremoços – Lupini Beans

 

Lupini beans – (Tremoços) are a good source of dietary fiber and protein and have many health benefits which you can read about here.

One cup of cooked lupini beans provides 200 calories, 5 grams of fiber and a whopping 26 grams of protein.

The only other beans with more protein than lupini beans are soybeans.

I love this snack but I find the ones that you find selling grocery stores are too salt so I made these at home instead.

This recipe is pretty simple but it takes about 5-10 days of soaking them in the refrigerator, before you get the final product.

 

Ingredients:

1 pound of dried lupini beans (picked over to remove any sand)

large pot of water

 

Seasonings for serving (optional):

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

 Olive oil

 Crushed black pepper to taste

 

Instructions:

Place the beans in a pot if water and soak overnight.  After 24 hours, add more water to the pot if needed. The water should completly cover the beans with at least 2-3 inches of water.

Boil the beans to a boil and cook simmering for about 2 hours.

Drain and rinse the beans and place them in a large container and cover with cold water.  Let them cool and place in the refrigerator.

Change the water once a day for 10-14 days. After 10 days, taste a bean for bitterness.

It may take more days to remove the bitterness from the beans.

When the bitterness is gone add ratio of about 1/4 cup of salt to 1 gallon of water with the beans.

They can be stored this way in the refrigerator. You may add more salt if desired.

Serving suggestion: 

Remove desired amount of beans from the jar and splash with olive oil. Add the a chopped garlic and black pepper!

Photo credit: http://www.christinascucina.com/2012/12/lupini-beans-and-olives-italian.html

Appetizers / Beverage / Photo Gallery

Scorpion Bowl Cooler

Cheer up your winter blues with a Scorpion Bowl Cooler & Chinese takeout!

All you need to do is buy the chop sticks, paper plates and napkins, and make the cooler!

One hour later, pick up the phone and call for delivery!

The best part of this party is no dishes to wash and easy clean up!

Scorpion Bowl Cooler

Ingredients:

3 oz light rum

3 oz of dark rum

3 oz of vodka

1 oz of brandy

1 can of Pineapple chunks

64 oz  carton of Orange Pineapple juice

1 can of Orange Sumol drink (optional)

8 oz of simple syrup

1 orange sliced

2 – cups of Ice cubes add needed


Instructions:

Reserve 1/2 of the pineapple chunks and the orange and set aside. Place all the remaining ingredients except ice in a large jar or bowl and mix well until all the juices and liquor is well incorporated.

Place the cooler in the refrigerator until ready to serve stirring once in a while.

When ready to serve, make pineapple and orange skewers with the chop sticks or wooden skewers and place them into the pitcher.

Pour the cooler into a serving pitcher and add ice cubes.

You’ll probably have some cooler left in the bowl, depending on the size of your serving pitcher.

Just keep refilling and adding more ice as needed.

Enjoy the party!

Appetizers / Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Bruschetta a Portuguesa

I’m reinventing the Papo Seco!

You’ll never waste any leftover Papo Secos again, once you make this easy recipe for Bruschetta; an antipasto from Italy whose origin dates back to the 15th century.

Bruschetta; is grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil. Many variations include toppings of tomatoes, grilled vegetables, beans and cured meats and cheese.

My Italian friend hates the English translation so he always makes us pronounce it correctly in Italian; (bru-sket-ta).

You can be creative with this recipe by adding your favorite variations of olives, cheeses and cured meats!

Don’t be afraid to make a double batch because there seems to never be enough of these little mouthwatering treats!

Ingredients:

3 – 4 Papo Secos – Portuguese Rolls or Baguette (day old or more)

2 medium ripe tomatoes (chopped very finely)

Or use 1/2 cup of my sun dried tomato recipe

1 slice of Presunto (finely diced)

1/4 cup finely chopped red onions

1/4 cup chopped black olives

1/4 cup roasted red pepper (finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (finely diced)

4  tablespoons of Portuguese Olive oil

1 teaspoon of finely chopped parsley

crushed black pepper

Instructions:

Slice the bread into very thin 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices and place each one flat down onto a large baking sheet.

Place one chopped garlic clove and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a very small microwave safe bowl and cook for about 30 seconds to infuse the oil with garlic flavor.

Brush the bread with the garlic infused oil, but leave half for the topping.

Place the tray with the slices of bread under the broiler to toast for about 2 minutes or until a light golden brown turning over to brown the other side.

*Caution: The bread will toast quickly. Always leave the oven door open when you toast bread in your oven broiler!

Drain the tomatoes to remove any moisture and place them in a plastic or ceramic bowl. Add the remaining ingredients including the remaining garlic clove and olive oil and mix.

Place 1 tablespoon of the topping onto each slice of toasted bread.