Category: Holiday Recipes

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery

How to Brew French Press Coffee

I like my coffee to simply taste like coffee and the best way to make great coffee, is with a French Press! This also known as a Press Pot or Plunger Pot. Make this coffee for your friends right at the dinner table and they’ll surely be impressed with your coffee making skills.

I’m a plain Jane when it comes to coffee.  This drives my “Coffeeholic” family crazy! Currently we have 4 coffee makers at home; Keurig, Tossimo, Mr Coffee, and a Cuisinart drip coffee maker! They buy all of the new flavored coffees but, hopelessly get me to drink them.

I think the reason is because many years ago I managed a gourmet coffee shop similar to today’s Starbucks where I smelled flavored brewed coffee all day long!

I still remember the nauseating aroma’s from the flavored coffee beans such as, “Peppermint” and the my most hated; “Amaretto” UGH!

We served and sold coffee beans from around the world from the basic,  Colombian to the more expensive Hawiian – Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain.

Today’s most expensive coffee is from Indonesia. But, this isn’t a lesson on coffee so I won’t go into the details unless you’re daring enough to click on the link and find out why!

 

Here are 2 coffee tips: 

Number 1. You’ll never get your coffee to taste as good as Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts or your favorite coffee shop.

The temperature for perfect brewed coffee should be 200 degrees Fahrenheit which is 93-94C. Most home coffee makers will not maintain a temperature that high especially the cheaper models.

Number 2. Never pour away any leftover coffee! Did you know that the longer coffee sits in the refrigerator, the stronger and more robust it gets? Simple let it cool completely and store for up to 1 week!

Ingredients to make perfect coffee press coffee:

Medium or coarse ground coffee

Boiling water

Sugar (optional)

Cream (optional)

Preparation:

Use 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every cup of (8 oz) coffee. (use less if you enjoy milder coffee)

My press takes 32 oz, so I used 5 tablespoons because I like a milder taste but you can experiment until you find the perfect balance.

Place the grounds in the pot and slowly pour 32 oz of boiling water that has cooled for about 20 seconds. Stir the coffee gently and place the plunger with the lid over the coffee but don’t press down on the plunger yet. Some of the coffee grounds will float to the bottom.

Let the coffee sit for about 5  minutes to brew.  Press down on the plunger slowly and firmly.

Your coffee is now ready to serve. Note: The coffee will continue to brew if you leave it in the press. You may find grounds at the bottom of your coffee cup, this is normal but you may not want to drink the last sip.

 

Perfect coffee every time! Enjoy!

fish / Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Portuguese Christmas / Recipes

Baked Octopus with Potatoes – Polvo Assado com Batatas

 

 

Baked Octopus is a must have at Christmas Eve at my home. Don’t be intimidated by the thought of cooking octopus because it’s relatively easy to prepare.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

2 -3 pounds of octopus

1 large onion

1 large onion (chopped)

2 pounds of small round potatoes (washed and dry)

1 large red bell pepper (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (chopped)

½ cup of olive oil

¼ cup of olive oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

Parsley for garnish

Olive oil and vinegar for garnish

1 bunch of Broccoli Rabe

Preparation:

If our octopus is frozen, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator in a big bowl. It has a lot of water, so have a bowl big enough to hold the water. 

1. Bring enough water in large pan to a boil with 1 large onion. When ready to cook, rinse the octopus with very cold water and remove the beak. You can just cut the head off and discard it. I use the head by chopping into little pieces and use it in omelets, rice, seafood dishes or as a salad.

2. Grab the octopus by the head and dip the tentacles slightly into the boiling water, remove and dip again in the water 2 more times.

3. Put the octopus into the boiling water and let cook on medium heat for 30 minutes or longer until the octopus is tender. (test by cutting a little piece off the tentacle)

      Note: You don’t want to over cook since it will be too mushy.

4. Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a deep baking dish and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with ½ of the raw chopped onion and ½ cup olive oil and cook at 400 F for about 30 minutes shaking the pan once in a while.

5. Saute remaining chopped onion, red pepper, garlic, and bay leaf in ¼ cup olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook for a minute. Set aside.

6. When octopus is cooked, drain and place in the pan with the potatoes and cover with pan juices. Add the cooked onions. Cook at 350 degrees F until the potatoes are fully cooked and the  flavors are well incorporated.

To serve, cut the tentacles into serving portions of about 1 or 2 to each person. Serve with the potatoes, onions and peppers. Garnish with parsley, olive oil and vinegar if desired.

Broccoli Rabe: Rinse, cut off thick stems and cook in boiling salted water for at least 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain and serve with more chopped onions garlic and olive oil. Serve over the octopus or on the side.

fish / Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Bacalhau a Maria – Salt Cod Maria

There are 365 ways to eat Bacalhau, one for each day of the year!

This dish is customarily served with Portuguese Tomato Rice,  french fries and a side salad.  Enjoy!


Bacalhau a Maria

Ingredients:

2 pounds uncooked bacalhau (cut into 1/2 inch thick fillets)

2 eggs (for dredging)

1 tbsp water

flour (for dredging)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

 Oil for frying (preferably corn or vegetable – about 1  and 1/2 cup)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper (optional)

Garnish: Lemon wedges and olives

 

Onions:

2 large onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine

Salt and pepper

Onion Instructions:

Saute the onions in the oil until golden colored. Add the salt, pepper to taste and the wine. Let cook for a minute to evaporate the wine.

Leave in the pan to keep warm and serve over the bacalhau.

 

Bacalhau Instructions:

Beat the eggs with the water in a medium bowl and set aside. Place the flour in a bowl large enough to coat the bacalhau.

You don’t need to use salt in this recipe since the cod is salty but you can add a pinch of salt and pepper if you like it saltier.

Pat the cod with paper towels to remove any excess moisture and coat with the garlic powder if desired. Dredge in the egg, shaking off excess, then dredge in the four. Shake off excess flour and put aside on a plate until ready to fry.

Place enough oil in a heavy frying pan to reach 1/4 inches deep. Add the olive oil and stir to incorporate both oils. Turn the heat on med-high.

*Test the oil by placing one tip of the fillet into the oil. It should sizzle.  The oil should not be smoky, turn down the heat if necessary and adjust accordingly as needed while frying.

Place about 4-6 pieces of the bacalhau into the hot oil and cook for about 4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Place on paper towels to absorb any grease. Leave in a warm oven until ready to serve. Garnish, with lemon wedges, olives and the onions.

Serve with the tomato rice, french french fries and salad if desired.

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Portuguese Christmas / Recipes / Traditional customs

Coscorões – Angel Wings Fried Pastry

photo credits: narwencuisine.blogspot.com

Coscorões are fried dough often referred  to as Angel wings, and similar to filhos. However, no yeast or other leavening agents are used to make the dough. They are usually made during the Christmas season.

This recipe is from the SaborIntenso.com website which has many Portuguese recipes in video. It’s a good resource for those of you that like to watch the process of cooking recipes. Watch the video below.

Ingredients:

5 cups  flour (600 gr flour)
4 eggs
zest of 1 orange
juice of 1 orange
4 tablespoons melted butter (60 gr)
 4 tablespoons sugar ( 60 gr)
2 oz. of whiskey (50 ml aguardente)
cinnamon
sugar
pinch of salt
oil for frying

Instructions:

Beat the sugar, eggs and butter. Add the pinch of salt, orange rind, orange juice, aguardente, and the flour and continue beating until the batter is smooth. Cover the bowl and set aside for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, pour the batter onto a very floured counter. Knead the dough with enough flour until the batter is no longer sticky.

Roll out the dough into 3×5 inch rectangles 1/4 inch thick. Make cuts lengthwise  in center of the rectangles.

Fry in hot oil until golden brown. Place on paper towels to absorb any grease.

Blend sugar with cinnamin in a bowl and coat each Coscorões.

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.

 


 

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!

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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:

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery

Bolo de Bolacha Maria – Maria Cookie Cake

This easy recipe requires not baking and makes an elegant dessert. Bolo de Bolacha Maria is traditionally made with butter, or sweetened condensed milk, but my version uses home made pastry cream which makes it lighter and uses less sugar. You’ll find that you have all the ingredients for this recipe in your pantry. If you don’t have Portuguese Maria Cookies, you can use the Mexican Maria Cookies found in most grocery stores as an option. Enjoy!

Makes 1 small cake or approximately 4 parfaits

Ingredients:

1 package of Bolacha Maria (Maria Cookies any brand)

1 or 2 cups of warm strong black coffee

2 cups of whole milk

3 large egg yolks

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of corn starch

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 tablespoons of butter

pinch of salt

Whipped cream

Instructions for Pastry Cream:

In a small saucepan heat the milk, 1/4 cup of the sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt until scalding but not boiling and set aside.

Meanwhile mix the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and corn starch until smooth and creamy.

Slowly add the yolks to the milk beating as you pour. Cook the mixture on medium heat for two minutes until it thickens stirring constantly.

Pour the cream into a bowl and add the butter. Beat with a mixer for about 5 minutes until very smooth and creamy.

Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to cool completely and thicken.

Dip 1 cookie into the coffee for about 5 seconds and place into the bottom of parfait glass. The cookie shouldn’t fall apart, if you find it gets too soft dip the cookie for only a few seconds.

Spread pastry cream on top of the cookie and continuing layer to your desired height leaving the last layer with the cream on top.

Crumble a few cookies in a plastic bag and sprinkle on top.

If you want to make the cookie mold with ribbon it’s very easy to do.

Place whole cookies around the sides to form an even square. Wrap a ribbon around and make a bow. Add tiny flowers for a nice effect.

Store in the refrigerator for a few hours to set. When ready to serve top with fresh whipped cream and cookie crumbles.

You can also make this recipe as individual parfaits but don’t top with the cream until ready to serve.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

 

 

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery

Flourless Chocolate Cake


This flourless chocolate cake is very simple to make. It’s very light and moist and I promise your guests will love it!

I adapted it from Sarah Carvey. Here’s the link to the video which is part of the Martha Stewart video collection. My daughter Lisa and I made it yesterday and we were very pleasantly surprised at how easy this is to make. We served with fresh strawberries and real whipped cream.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons of unsalted butter

8 ounces dark chocolate chips (at least 50% cacao, the more the better)

6 large eggs (room temp and separated)

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1 tablespoon of instant espresso (optional)

Pinch of salt

Sweetened whipped cream for serving

Chocolate shavings (optional)

strawberries (optional)

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan and set it aside.

Place the butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of water on your stove on medium heat. Don’t let the water touch the bottom of the bowl.

Reduce the heat to simmer making sure the water does not boil. This is a slow process but be patient and keep stirring until completely melted.

Let the chocolate cool slightly and then whisk in egg yolks until completely absorbed into the chocolate.

Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until semi hard peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over beat.

Whisk some of the egg whites into the chocolate and then fold in the remaining egg whites very gently.

You may notice some white streaks in the batter but that’s OK since you don’t want to over mix the egg whites which may make them collapse.

 

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake 50 minutes on the center oven rack until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan.

 

 

Cool the cake completely and remove the sides of the spingform pan.

 

Let the cake sit for a few hours before serving because the chocolate gets richer as it sits. Serve with either dusted confectioners’ sugar or with whipped cream and strawberries as pictured below.

Beverage / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery

Portuguese Sangria

Sangria is a perfect drink to quench your thirst on a hot day. It’s beautiful fruity color makes it a great crowd pleaser for your next picnic or a party.

The use of the word sangria in labels is now restricted under European law. Only sangria made in Spain and Portugal will be allowed to be sold under that name after the European Parliament green-lighted new wine labeling in January 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangria

I served my Sangria with a Portuguese Antipasti Platter of cold meats, cheese, olives, roasted red peppers and breads but you can make up your party platter with your favorites.

My recipe is easy because you don’t have to spend time making a simple syrup to sweeten it, you simply add orange Sumol which has a sweet orange flavor.

Cheers! Saude!


 

Ingredients:

1 liter bottle of Portuguese Red Wine

1 liter of Sumol or any Orange soda

1/2 cup of 1920 Brandy

2 oranges (sliced)

1 lemon (sliced) optional

2 cups of ice cubes

Grapes

Strawberries

Instructions:

Place the ice in a large pitcher and add the wine. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and place in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavor to intensify and to chill.

Decorate serving glasses with a slice of orange and a strawberry. Add ice and serve cold.

Look at the beautiful color!