Category: Photo Gallery

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Mini Pecan Tarts

These mini pecan tarts are even better than Pecan Pie and easier to make. My daughter Lisa made these little tarts last weekend for Sunday dinner dessert and they were an absolute hit! Requests have already started for her to make them for our Christmas dessert table. In case you’re wondering pecan is translated to “noz-pecã” in Portuguese.

Enjoy!

Makes about 48 mini tarts

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter or margarine

6 ounces of soft cream cheese

2 cups flour

Filling:

2 eggs

1 and 1/2 cups of brown sugar

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup pecans (chopped)

pinch of salt

Mini tart pan (they hold 24 tarts)

Instructions:

Mix the margarine and cream cheese until creamy. Add the flour and mix very well. Scoop out dough into 48 portions using a teaspoon.

Roll into a ball and form small discs to fit the muffin tart pans. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides.

 

 

 

 

 

Make filling:

In a medium bowl, mix eggs slightly,  add sugar, margarine, salt, vanilla and pecans.

Mix the ingredients well and fill the tart shells about 3/4 full. Adjust the filling to fit all 48 tarts by scooping out those are too full.

Bake the tarts at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until they turn slightly browned.

 

Appetizers / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Spicy Hot Piri Piri Shrimp Dip

Piri Piri is a hot sauce with Portuguese origins since it was the explorers who introduced the peppers to Africa. The name of the pepper derives form Swahili for “pepper pepper”, also know as peri peri, African birdseye Chili, or African Devil.  Curry was created in India by the influence of the Portuguese who brought the peppers to the Goa region.

There are many recipes for the hot sauce but common ingredients are chilli peppers, olive oil, garlic, salt and lemon. It is a relative to the Tabasco chile. In this recipe, you can spice it up using either piri piri or tabasco sauce.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups of small cooked shrimp (finely chopped)

one 8 oz package cream cheese (soft)

1 small stalk of celery (chopped)

1 scallion  or 1/4 cup chopped onion (finely chopped)

2/3 cup of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 to 2  teaspoons piri piri sauce or any sauce

pinch of salt

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Preparation:

Place all ingredients except the cheese and the shrimp in a blender and pulse a few times until the vegetables are finely minced.

Add the shrimp, mix well, taste and add more hot sauce if desired.  Place in a small oven proof dish, spread cheese over the dip and cook at 375 for about 10-15 until the cheese is melted.

Serve with vegetables or any favorite crackers.

 


 

Events / Photo Gallery / Traditional customs / Video Collection

Bizarre Foods | Lisbon

Andrew Zimmern traveled to Lisbon, Portugal for Travel Channels Bizarre Foods episode called;  Lisbon | Snails | Sardines | Barnacles which aired on Monday. He went diving for Percebes ( Barnacles ), visited a spectacular market with blogger Andrea Smith and visited Lisbon’s dining scene.

Visit Andrew’s website for a great article where George Mendes Shares 5 Favorites in Lisbon – where to eat in Lisbon!

If you missed the show. you can catch you can see it next Monday, November 10 at 8 pm!

 

Image and video credit: Travelchanel.com

Photo Gallery / Soups

Kale Fall Vegetable Kielbasa Soup

Soup season is here and what better way to warm up than with this hearty, vitamin packed soup. I used fall root vegetables which are season now, and white northern beans which give the soup a flavorful base.

You may substitute the kielbasa with Portuguese Chourica sausage if you prefer for a spicy kick!

To make this soup vegetarian, leave out the kielbasa. Pick up some fresh rolls and dinner is served! Enjoy and stay warm!

Ingredients:

1 pound of fresh Kale ( finely chopped)

1/2 pound Kielbasa (chopped into desired pieces)

6-8 cups or more of water (depending on how thick you want the soup)

1 small onion (finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 large carrot (chopped into 1 inch cubes)

1 small rutabaga (nabo) chopped into 1/2 inch cubes)

1 cup butternut squash (finely chopped into 1/2 inch cubes)

1 large potato (cut into small cubes)

1 can of white northern beans

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

Black pepper to taste

Parsley for garnish

Instructions:

Place oil, vegetables and kielbasa in a large soup pan. Saute for 5 minutes until the onion and kielbase becomes slightly browned.

Add the water, stir and add the remaining ingredients except the kale and beans. Bring to a boil and cover.

Cook for 20 minutes on low medium heat. Continue cooking the vegetables to your desired consistency.

Leave the vegetables whole, or puree if you like a thicker soup.

Add the kale and beans, cover and cook on low for 10 minutes longer.

Add more seasonings as desired.

Photo Gallery / Recipes / Soups

Portuguese Kale Soup | Sopa de Couve com Chourico

 

This recipe for Kale Soup will take less than 30 minutes to prepare. This soup is very popular but it is often mistakenly called Caldo Verde Soup which is the most popular soup in Portugal. However, Kake Soup uses chunky potatoes and chopped kale rather than a potato puree. So the next time you see a restaurant menu offering these soups you’ll know the difference before you order.

There are many variations of this recipe. Some cooks use pasta instead of potatoes or add white beans or chick peas instead of the red kidney beans. Go ahead and experiment with your favorite ingredients! Enjoy!

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes (peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes)

4 cups chicken broth or (4 cups water and 1 chicken bouillon cube)

2 cups water or more

3–4 cups kale or collard greens (chopped)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 bay leaf

1 (32 oz.) can red kidney beans

1 teaspoon salt

½ tsp pepper

Olive oil for garnish

1 16 oz. can roma (or any ripe) tomatoes (chopped)

1/2 small chouriço or linguica sausage (cut into pieces)


Instructions:

In a large soup pot, cook onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent for a few minutes.

Add the chouriço, potatoes, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.  Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the water and broth and bring to a boil. Add the cabbage, beans, tomatoes, and bring to a second boil.

Cover, reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking, stirring once in a while until the potatoes are tender for about 20-30 minutes.

Taste, add water if needed to make a thinner broth and cook longer if you desire. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top if desired before serving.

Note: Substitute with any green leaf cabbage or red kidney beans with any type of beans for different variations.

 

chicken / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Easy Portuguese Baked Chicken


 Easy dinner in one hour! Portuguese Baked Chicken and Portuguese Punched Potatoes!

Cooking can be easy. I promise! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 small frying chickens (3 pounds each cut into halves)

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 cup white wine

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons Piri Piri or your favorite hot sauce (optional)

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and pat dry the chickens. Rub the chicken with the wine and hot sauce. Place the seasonings in a small bowl to mix and then rub over the chicken.

Place the chickens skin side up on a flat baking tray and drizzle the olive oil over the skin.

Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on your oven. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, drizzle the chicken with the pan drippings.

Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Pasteis de Gila

sao33.blogspot.com

Pasteis de Gila- Puff Pastry is made using a sweet jam filling made from the fiber of the spaghetti squash. You can make the jelly at home, or you can buy it in jars already made for you. Watch the video below for the demonstration of how to cook the squash! Enjoy!

Order online at Amazon

Ingredients:
Puff pastry sheets (get them at your local bakery or use Pepperidge Farm)
Gila
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon water
Powdered Sugar
Assemble Pastry:
Cut the defrosted but very cold pastry sheets into 3 x 6 inch rectangles. Place 2 teaspoons of the Gila into the center and fold the dough over forming a square. Pinch the sides of the pastry together. Beat the egg with the water and brush the tops of the pastry. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and place the pastries 2 inches apart on the sheet. Cook at 375  degrees for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown and cooked through.
Let cool and Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired and serve. Enjoy!
Ingredients for Gila:
1 spaghetti squash about 2 pounds
2 cups water
1 pound sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 piece of lemon peel

Directions:

Break the squash on the ground and break it up into pieces. Wash the squash, remove the seeds using you fingers. Place in a large pan and boil until the the skin falls apart from the fibers.

Drain the squash and place into an ice bath to cool. Separate any skin or seeds and discard them. Drain the remaining fibrous flesh and separate into threads. Rinse in cold water, drain and let it continue draining in colander for about 10 minutes.

image: tasteofbeirut.com

Cook the sugar and water in a medium pan until the sugar begins to thicken. Add the squash, cinnamon and lemon and cook for about 10 minutes until the squash mixture becomes very thick. Remove from pan and cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.

Watch this video for a demonstration on how to cook the gila:

Appetizers / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Chourico Omelet


Chourico and egg omelet is a classic Portuguese go to dish often served for breakfast, lunch, snack or even dinner. When my family and I arrived in America, lunch coolers and ice packs weren’t invented yet, so my mother would make my father omelets for his lunch break at work.  I can still smell the aroma of the chourico or presunto cooking at 6 O’clock on those mornings! It’s funny the things that remain in our memories.

I served my omelet with the Batatas a Rodelas. Here’s the easy recipe.

Video:

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 teaspoon water

1/2 small chourico (or about 1 cup) (sliced very thin)

2 tablespoons onion (finely minced optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 oz of your favorite shredded cheese (optional)

parsley for garnish

salt

pepper

Instructions:

Saute the onion in a medium skillet in the olive oil until golden brown. Add the Chourico sausage and cook for a few minutes until it becomes slightly crispy.

Beat the eggs with water until foamy and add to the chourio. Cook the eggs on low medium heat while slightly moving the edges toward the center.

Let the omelet cook for about 2 minutes. Place a flat plat over the omelet and flip it over uncooked side down into the pan.

Spread the tomato over the omelet followed by the cheese. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes on low heat.

Add parsley, salt and pepper as desired and garnish with parsley.

Appetizers / Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Batatas Bravas – Spicy Potatoes

It’s potato harvest season in New England! I made a trip to the local farm this past weekend and picked up a 50 lb sack of russet potatoes which is my usual custom every fall. The potatoes store well during the winter months in a cool basement or garage.  I only paid $11 for the sack. If I bought them at my supper market by the pound it would cost me over $50! I suggest you pick one up to. You’ll thank me in a few months when the potato prices go up for the Holidays.

My first dish using the russet potatoes is Batatas Bravas – Spicy Potatoes! This dish is often served warm with a spicy tomato sauce or aioli but just made them plain to go with the Chourico omelet. These potatoes aren’t fried and use very little olive oil, so they’re light on calories. Enjoy!

Batatas Bravas

2 pounds of potatoes (chopped into 1-2 inch cubes)

1 small onion (finely minced)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 – 2 teaspoons of hot sauce

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of parsley (finely chopped)

Instructions:

Cook the potatoes in the teaspoon of salt and boiling water for about 10-15 minutes until tender but not over cooked. Drain cover the pan and put them back on the stove on the warm burner.

Toss the potatoes in the pan gently for some of the moisture to evaporate for about 5 minutes.

While the potatoes sit for the 5 minutes, saute the onion in the olive oil in a medium non stick pan until golden brown.

Season the potatoes with the pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and piri piri, toss and gently place them in the pan with the onions.

Cook the potatoes on low medium heat turning them gently in the pan until they obtain a slight crisp on the edges.

Taste and add more piri piri or seasonings if desired. Top with parsley. Serve warm

Appetizers / Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Lisa’s Swirly Chourico and Pepperoni Bread

M

This Swirly Chourico/Pepperoni Bread was made by my daughter. This is one of those recipes that you’ll make very often! It’s great for an easy snack, as an appetizer or to serve for game day parties!

I have a recipe here on this blog for a perfect pizza dough although, some days I get my pizza dough at my supermarket since they make fresh pizza there and sell it by the pound. You can also use the frozen pizza dough or bread dough. Let dough thaw out completely. If you find your dough too elasticity add a little flour and it will roll better for you. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 pounds pizza or bread dough

1/2 to 1 pound pepperoni/chourico/linguica sausage (sliced thin) (use only chouriço or pepperoni if desired.

8 oz Mozzarella cheese (shredded depending how cheesy you like)

1 small onion (thin sliced) (optional) 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dry oregano

1  tablespoon fresh or dried basil leaves 

1 egg (for egg wash)

1 teaspoon water

Instructions:

Cook onions in oil until translucent and let cool

Roll pizza dough and place on floured surface.  Spread the onions evenly over the dough and brush the dough with the remaining oil left in pan.

Layer chourico or pepperoni evenly over the entire area of dough.


Top with the oregano, basil, and cheese.

Beginning at  the long end, gently roll the dough into a long cylinder shape. Pinch any open edges with your fingers.  Lightly flour a long sheet pan and the gently place the bread onto the middle of the pan.

Beat the egg with the water and brush over the bread. Make a few small slits on top of bread with a knife. Cook at 400 degrees F. for about 20 -30 minutes or until golden brown. Let sit for a few minutes to cool before slicing. Enjoy!