Category: Photo Gallery

Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Butternut Squash and Carrot Puree

 

Butternut Squash and Carrot Puree

My family has a tradition of visiting local farms in New England during harvest season where we buy our locally grown apples to make fresh apple pies, and to buy our winter vegetables and potatoes.

Butternut Squash Puree is one of the side dishes that I always have on my Thanksgiving table but I also make this recipe all winter long since my family loves it.

Some people bake the squash in the oven with brown sugar or maple syrup, but I’m not of fan of the sweet taste, so I came up with my recipe.

Did you know that you can store potatoes and butternut squash to last through the winter?

Just place them into a brown paper bag or cardboard box and store in a cool basement, or in your garage. (Be sure the temp doesn’t reach freezing.)

I also make Butternut Squash and Spinach Soup which is healthy and full of nutrients all year long.

Here’s some great information about butternut squash below. Enjoy!

Low in calories: One cup of raw butternut squash only has 63 calories.
Dietary Fiber: There are 3 gr. of dietary fiber in every serving.
Vitamin A: One serving has 298 %of your daily recommended value.
Vitamin C: One cup serving has 50 % of your daily recommended value.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Fights high cholesterol and high blood pressure
Minerals: One serving has 14 % of your daily recommended value of manganese, 12 % of magnesium and 14 % of potassium

Butternut Squash Puree

2 cups chopped Butternut Squash

2 cups chopped carrots

1/2 small onion chopped

1 small scallion

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter or margarine

1/4 cup of milk

2 cups of water

 

 

Instructions:

Place all ingredients except the butter and milk into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook on medium for about 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are fully cooked.

Remove the scallion and most of the water left in the pan leaving only about 1/4 cup. Add the butter and milk to the pan and puree the vegetables with a hand blender until very smooth and silky.

Taste and add more salt to your taste if needed. Keep in pan on low heat until ready to serve with your dinner or let it cool and store in the refrigerator.

The puree will last for 3 days or freeze in individual ice cube trays or containers.

* Note, this puree is great to serve your baby but leave out the onion and salt!

Butternut squash image credit:  http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/17/how-to-peel-a-butternut-squash-without-also-peeling-your-fingers/

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / rice / Side Dish

Carmelina’s Chicken and Rice Casserole

 A Rebel Rooster

During my teenage years, when my siblings and I were still living at home on a small dead end street in a small town in New England, my father brought home a little yellow chick for Easter given to him by his friend who raised chickens.

My father thought it was a great idea because we had raised chickens back in Portugal and soon, we’d be eating fresh eggs every morning. He made the little chick, a coop under our back porch and eventually the chick became our family’s pet.

My parents couldn’t tell whether the chick was a rooster or a hen that would lay eggs. Apparently sexing chicks is difficult and it is said that only professionals know how to determine it.

The chick grew bigger week by week, and we soon realized that the little chick had turned into a white Leghorn Rooster!But he was no ordinary rooster; he was very temperamental and quite a rebel who often escaped his coop, terrorizing our family and the neighborhood.

My rooster was a traffic cop.

He designated himself that position by stopping any car that drove into the street by parking himself right in front of it! Honking would ensue, followed by a loud screams of; “get the damn rooster off the road”!

Our rooster also had an aversion to anything with wheels; my father’s wheel barrel, my brother’s bicycle and especially one particular pink bicycle owned by one of my sister’s teenage friends who lived up the street!

The poor girl tried to speed by our house to elude his assaults, but the rooster was too fast for her. He terrorized her daily to the point that she eventually stopped riding by our house. She opted to use the opposite side of the street instead but unfortunately, the poor girl’s strategy didn’t work and he always found her.

My rooster was a leg man.

The females in my family lived in fear of having our legs pecked and scratched every time we walked outside our front door. Many pairs of pantyhose were torn up every weekday morning when my sister left for work that summer.

It reached the point where she’d have to ask one of us to be her lookout so she could make a run for her car. “Where’s the Galo” “Where’s the Galo” shouted my sister as she headed out the door.

If you’ve ever been pecked by a wild tempered rooster’s beak and clawed in your bare legs you know what I mean. If you haven’t, I can tell you it really hurts, because I was also attacked all summer long myself.

As that summer went on, the rooster grew bigger and his early morning “cock-a-doodle-doo” made it impossible for my family, or any one in the neighborhood to sleep past sunrise. Soon, the neighbors began knocking on our front door to complain and something had to be done about it.

My mother was a very resourceful woman and a great cook! I’ll let you figure out the rest of the story.

Meanwhile here’s her recipe for chicken and rice.

 

Ingredients:

1 small fryer chicken 3-4 lbs (cut into about 10 pieces)

2 cups of long grain rice

1 small onion chopped

1 small garlic clove chopped

1 bay leaf

2 large carrots chopped

1 small very ripe tomato

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp salt

1 pinch of black pepper

1/2 cup of white wine

2 cups of chicken broth

4 cups of boiling water

 

Instructions:

Wash, and pat dry the chicken. Marinate with the salt, pepper, paprika, wine, and let sit for at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a heavy stove top casserole pan or deep skillet until translucent.

Add the chicken, carrots, tomato, and bay leaf.

Cook on medium heat until the chicken gets browned stirring once in a while. Add the wine, chicken broth and any remaining marinade.

Let the chicken cook on medium-low for a few minutes and then cover and cook for at least 30 minutes stirring once in a while.

After the 30 minutes add the 4 cups of boiling water, let it come to a boil and add the rice.

Stir, wait for the rice to come to a boil, stir, cover, and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat. Leave covered and let the rice sit for about 10 minutes. (The rice will continue to cook)

Uncover, stir and test rice. Add seasonings to your desired taste. *(I like a firm rice, but you may let it cook longer if you choose)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Triple Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Triple Chocolate Raspberry Cake

This recipe is for the chocolate lovers in your family!

Last week after I posted the recipe for Birthday Pistachio cake it had over 10,000 views and received a great response so I decided to post this cake recipe.

I created this recipe after I saw an amazing Chocolate Raspberry Cake in a Gourmet Pastry Shop and I knew that I had to try to replicate it.

Happy Birthday Chocolate lovers. I hope you enjoy it!

 

Ingredients:

 

1 package of Chocolate cake mix

1 small package fresh or frozen raspberries

6 oz raspberry Jelly

1 package semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

Fresh raspberries for garnish

1 can of Chocolate frosting

1 cup finely Chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds

 

Instructions:

Prepare the round cake as per package directions and let cool down completely.

Meanwhile, cook the raspberries with the Jelly in a small saucepan letting the raspberries reduce to a thick puree and let cool.

Slice the cooled cakes into 2 layers layers.

Spread the raspberry sauce between layers. Frost the cake with the Chocolate frosting.

Sprinkle the nuts on the sides of cake and pat them into the frosting with the palm of your hand.

Prepare the chocolate sauce by placing the chocolate chips and cream in a double boiler and mix until creamy.

Let the melted chocolate cool down a minute and pour the chocolate sauce over the cake. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Place in the refrigerator for about 1 hour or more to let the cake get firm. Enjoy!

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Spicy Sweet Piri – Piri Chicken Barbeque Sauce

While I was growing up, my mother cooked chicken for our family so many times, that my father would often say;

“We eat so much chicken, that soon we’re going to grow wings and start flying around.”

Today, I find myself cooking chicken most of the time just like my mother, so I repeat my father’s quote to my family. They laugh, but they don’t mind that we eat chicken so often, especially when I make this recipe!

This recipe will cure your craving for that outdoor barbeque flavor all year long especially in the winter! Serve this chicken with Portuguese Chick Pea Rice or Portuguese Style Potato Salad for a real barbeque feel!

*Note: If you live in a warm climate where you can cook outdoors all year long. Cook the chicken completely on the grill using this method for Frango Churrasco- Chicken on a brick, but use the basic seasonings in this barbeque recipe. Once the chicken is cooked, brush on the sauce and cook for about 5-10 minutes.

You may choose to add more spices or ingredients to the sauce, but I say to use the KISS method. Keep It Simple….. Don’t spoil a good thing!

By the way this sauce is amazing on barbeque ribs too!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 Chickens (small fryers)

1 tbsp Olive oil

1 tbsp Salt

1 tbsp Paprika

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tbsp Garlic Powder

Sauce:

1 cup Ketchup

3 tbsp Brown sugar

1 tsp Granulated sugar

1 tbsp Soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp Piri Piri or Tabasco sauce

1 tbsp White Vinegar

Instructions:

Heat oven to 400 F. Wash and dry the chickens with a paper towel. Place them skin side up in a large try that has been greased with cooking spray.

In a small bowl mix the seasoning; salt, pepper, garlic powder. Rub the chicken with the olive oil and then the spice mix.

Cook the chicken skin side up, for about 1 hour or until they get golden brown. *(Check after 45 minutes since ovens may vary)

Meanwhile, put all the sauce ingredients in a small pan, stir and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes.

At this point, you can add more piri piri if you like the sauce spicy or add more sugar for a sweeter sauce. Stir and cook longer to blend in added ingredients.

Remove the chickens from the oven. Brush the sauce over the chickens and coat them evenly.

Place the chicken back in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes for the sauce to absorb into the chicken. The longer it cooks the thicker and sweeter the sauce will become.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

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

Portuguese Style Antipasti – Aperitivo

When I serve Antipasti before diner, I make an easy and colorful presentation of cheeses and cured meats for my guests.

What’s great about this easy appetizer is that is requires no cooking, and it’s easy cleanup since you just through away the parchment paper when you finish this wonderful sampler.

My family loves both varieties of Portuguese and Italian meats so I use both and call it a “PortItalian” platter.

You can improvise and use your family favorites.

How to set up your Antipasti tray:

1. Use a big wooden cutting board (this gives it a rustic look) and place a large piece of parchment paper over the board.

2. Next, place the meats in small piles around the edge. Pile the cheeses in the middle of the meats. Arrange the sliced bread on the tray.

3. Add color with olives, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers, pickled vegetables, or any of your favorites.

I also serve fruit along this platter to balance the saltiness with the sweet fruits.

Ingredient Ideas: 

Presunto – Prosciutto cured pork (Sliced very thin)

Salpicao – A spicy cured meat, made from Pork, wine garlic and salt  (Sliced very thin)

Chourico  – A spicy, pork cured sausage (Sliced very thin)

Queijo Fresco – A soft fresh cheese made from fresh milk – (Recipe for Queijo Fresco)

Queijo da ilha – São Jorge cheese – A hard, sharp, spicy taste is a famous cheese that comes from the island of St. Jorge in the Azores.

Queijo Casteloes –  Casteloes Cheese –  A semi-hard cheese and has a lovely mild and buttery flavor

Mortadela – Optional

Pepperoni – Optional 

Salami – Optional 

Azetitonas – Portuguese olives

Cherry Tomatoes

Dried figs

Shelled Nuts

Fresh ground pepper – For fresh cheese

Salt – For fresh cheese

Crushed red pepper paste – For the fresh cheese

Pao Caseiro Recipe – Or any Homestyle crusty bread sliced into thin slices.

Find more Pao –  bread recipes in search bar at the right top of this page.

 

There is an art to slicing Presunto very thinly. Watch this video it will make your mouth water!


There are many varieties of Portuguese cheeses which you can use. If you want to learn all about these cheeses, here’s a great resource at;  Catavino – The Ultimate Guide to Portuguese Cheeses!

You can also visit one of my favorite Pintrest Page – Portuguese Cheeses.

 

Here are some English translations of Portuguese cheese descriptions for your search.

DOP- Like DOC in wine, designated to cheeses produced in their traditional area Velho- Old, designation given to cheeses that have been aged at least 90 days or more
Curado, Semi-Curado- Cured, Semi-Cured Amanteigado- “Smooth Like Butter”, good for spreading on bread!
Mole/ de Pasta Mole, Semi-Mole- Soft, Semi-Soft Duro/ de Pasta Dura, Semi-Duro- Hard, Semi-Hard
Seco- Dry Leite – Milk
Leite de Vaca- Cow’s Milk Leite de Ovelha( “o-vayl-ya)- Sheep’s Milk
Leite de Cabra/Cabreiro- Goat’s Milk Cru- Raw
Gordura- Fat (in foods) Picante– Spicy
Casca- Casing, wrapping, shell Ligeiro/a- Light (in consistency and/or flavor)
Sabor Suave- Smooth Flavor Sabor Forte- Strong Flavor
Queijo em Barra- Block Cheese Queijo em Fatias- Sliced Cheese

( http://catavino.net/part-1-the-ultimate-user%E2%80%99s-guide-to-portuguese-cheese/)

 

 

 

 

 

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

Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms

stuffed-mushroomsThis stuffed mushroom recipe is perfect for a special occasion appetizer. It’s deliciously decadent, and full of flavor.

The mushrooms come out moist, and the crunchy topping adds texture creating a perfect bite! Enjoy!

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Ingredients

2 packages of white mushrooms

1 can finely chopped clams

1/2 cup of finely chopped raw shrimp

2 tbsp of finely chopped onion

2 tbsp of butter or margarine

1/4  tsp of Paprika

1 tsp very finely chopped parsley

1/2 cup of bread crumbs

1 cup of garlic flavored salad croutons

1 cup of ritz crackers

1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

 

Shrimp Sauce (optional)

1 can of shrimp soup

1/4 cup of milk

 

Instructions:

Prep mushrooms by removing the stems. Save stems to use in a different recipe in the refrigerator.

Rinse and pat dry. Place the mushrooms in a lightly greased medium baking pan. Saute the onion in the butter for about 1 minute in a small skillet.

Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute and set aside off heat. Drain the clams but save the juice for later.  Add the clams and paprika to the cooked shrimp.

Place the crackers and croutons in a food safe plastic bag and crush with your kitchen mallet until very crumbly.

Place 1/2 of the cracker mix, and bread crumbs in a medium bowl. Add the seafood mix, and parsley, and mix well.

Slowly add a little of the clam juice until your stuffing is moist but not mushy. *If you find it to dry, add a few tbsp s of water.

Fill the mushroom caps with the stuffing. Top each mushroom with 1 tsp of the remaining cracker mix. *Don’t be afraid to use all of the topping mix.

Coat each mushroom cap with a little melted butter.

Cook at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until the stuffing is golden brown and slightly crispy.

Mix the shrimp soup with the milk and heat in a small skillet.*The soup should be smooth but not runny.

Place the mushrooms onto your serving platter and spoon the shrimp sauce around them.

*You can make these mushrooms ahead of time, store in the refrigerator, and heat them in the oven with the shrimp sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appetizers / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

Flaming Grilled Chourica – Chouriço Bombeiro

Chouriço Bombeiro

This appetizer creates a memorable cooking experience for your guests. The flaming chouriço creates a crispy browned skin and savory flavor. Chourico sausage is cured so don’t worry if think you haven’t cooked it long enough. Chourico sausage is cured so don’t worry if think you haven’t cooked it long enough. Serve with fresh crusty bread.

Recipe Ingredients:

1    Whole Linquica or Chourica Sausage

2 – 4 oz Whole grain – Alcohol (Preferably Portuguese)

1 Cooking Vessel – Assa Chourica Cookware

Long fireplace matches

Instructions:

Wash and dry the Chourica with paper towels. Place 2 oz of Alcohol in the bottom of the dish.

Make a few cuts into the top of the Chourica and place on cooking dish.

Light a match and slowly light the alcohol.

Let the flames cook the Chourica until crispy. *Caution* Do not touch flames

Turn the Chourica over to cook the other side if desired.

If the flames die out before the Chourica is cooked, start the process over!

Remove the Chourica onto a serving plate and serve in slices.

Serve with Portuguese bread such as Papo Seco, Caseiro, or Milho!

Enjoy!

Flaming chourico image credit: golisbon.com

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

Rose’s Stuffed Cabbage – Golumpki

It’s become a tradition of mine to make Polish Golumpki every September during the harvest season in New England.

Visiting the local farm stands you’ll find large cabbage heads selling at ridiculous low prices ranging from .99 cents to $1.49 each.

This recipe is adapted from my sister Rose’s recipe who got her recipe from her Polish Mother in Law!

Rose is the designated Golumpki maker for every family party and there is never enough!

Every time I make these I think of a nick name;  PortaPole (Being of Portuguese and Polish decent)!

I hope I have a pot big enough to cook this cabbage head that I bought at my local farmers market!

Enjoy!

Stuffed Cabbage

Makes: 18- 20 rolls

Ingredients:

1 large head of cabbage

2 lbs of ground turkey or lean ground beef

1 large onion finely chopped

2 tbsp of olive oil

4 cups of cooked rice (room temp or cold)

1 stick of margarine

3 eggs

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of pepper

1 chicken bouillon  cube

1 tsp garlic powder

1 Jar of marinara sauce or (* 1 can of Tomato soup)

1 cup of water

1 small onion sliced

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°. Core the end of the cabbage but keep it a whole head, and boil for about 10 minutes (or until leaves are soft) in a large pot of water.

Remove from the water, drain and let the cabbage cool on a large tray.

Saute the diced onion in a small skillet in the olive oil and 1/2 if the stick of margarine on medium-low heat.

Add the chicken bouillon cube do dissolve it and set the onion mixture aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the rice, eggs, ground meat, onion and spices and mix well to incorporate all the ingredients as you would a meatloaf.

Pull the leaves of the cabbage apart. *Slowly and try not to tear them. With a small carving knife, remove the thick rib part from the leaves.

Coat the bottom of a large deep dish baking pan or lasagna dish with 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce.

Fill each cabbage leaf with about 1/2 cup of equal portions, roll each leaf like a wrap and slowly place them in the baking pan.

Slice the remaining cabbage into shreds.

Saute the small sliced onion and the shredded cabbage in a skillet with a couple of tbsp of the margarine until the onion is translucent.

Pour the cooked onion and cabbage over the rolls filling in the sides and open spaces.

Add the 1 cup of water to the remaining marinara sauce and pour it over the cabbage rolls and into the sides.

Shake the pan to incorporate the sauce evenly.

Dot the top of the cabbage rolls with the remaining margarine.

Cover with foil and cook for 1 – 1/2 to 2 hours or longer until the cabbage is tender. *Test by piercing with a fork.

Remove from oven and let the rolls sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.

You can freeze the rolls covered in any type of tomato sauce in a plastic food safe container.

Defrost them overnight in refrigerator and heat in the oven or microwave.

Serve with Rye bread or Pao caseiro. Enjoy!

 

Appetizers / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

Broccolli Rabe with Presunto

Grellos (Broccoli Rabe) with Presunto

Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh Broccoli Rabe

1/4 cup of minced onion

3 slices of chopped presunto

1/4 cup of Olive oil

Instructions:

In a large pan bring water to a boil. Add the Broccoli Rabe and cook for about 5 minutes. Take out the Broccoli Rabe and strain in colander to remove excess water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onions and Presunto until crispy. Add the Broccoli Rabe and continue sauteing for about 5 – 10 minutes until the Broccoli is tender.

Drizzle some olive oil over the top when ready to serve. Enjoy!