Category: Holiday Recipes

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!

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Portuguese Christmas

Chocolate Flan Cake – Bolo de Chocolate e Pudim Flan

You won’t believe the magic that happens when you make this cake! It’s very easy to make and perfect for a party.

This cake is a Mexican recipe, but it has become very popular in the last few years because it’s like having two desserts; chocolate cake and caramel flan all in one bite!

You can use any cake batter such as vanilla, lemon etc. so be creative if you want!

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 Package of Devil’s Food chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup of water

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

 

Caramel sauce glaze:

1 cup of any jarred caramel sauce or make your own sauce (recipe below)

 

Flan:

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk 

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1/2 cup of cream or half and half
 
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Note: You will need an extra large bundt pan for this recipe

Preparation:

Prepare Caramel glaze first:

Place 1 to 2 cups sugar in a large heavy skillet. Continue stirring while cooking on med heat until the sugar melts and begins to turn caramel colored and thickens like corn syrup (probably 5-8 min depending on your burners). Note: if you smell a burnt smell, start over because the sauce has burned. 

Pour 1/2 cup of the caramel topping evenly in bottom of bundt pan gently rotate the pan to coat bottom and up 1 to inches up the sides.

Flan preparation:

Mix all flan ingredients in a blender or in a mixer at high speed for about 45 seconds.

Cake Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heavily grease a large 12 cup bunt pan with cooking spray or margarine.

Mix cake mix with water, oil and 3 eggs in a large bowl, with electric mixer for about 3 minutes on medium speed. Pour cake mix gently and evenly into the bundt pan covering the caramel sauce.

Slowly pour the flan mixture over the chocolate batter.

Note: The flan mixture will be very runny over the chocolate batter. Don’t worry if you think this is not right. Magic happens as the cake cooks the flan sinks to the bottom and the chocolate cake rises to the top.

Cover the cake with heavy foil that has been coated with cooking spray and  place in a deep roasting pan big enough to hold the cake pan in 2 inches of water.

Special Note: I used my large Turkey roasting pan which was big enough to hold and cover the cake pan and it came out perfect! This is optional and you can use any deep roasting pan but be sure to cover the cake pan very tightly with the foil if you don’t use a roasting pan cover.

Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Here is what the cake will look like after it’s baked.

Place the cake still in the roasting pan on the counter and let it cool for at least 2 hours or more to completely cool.

When the cake is completely cooled gently loosen the sides with a thin knife. Place a large serving platter over the pan and invert the cake.

When you invert the cake, it will come out with the chocolate cake on the bottom and the flan on top.

Pour any remaining caramel from the pan over the flan.

If you want to serve the cake the next day, place it in the refrigerator overnight and invert the next day since this will keep the cake moister.

Add the remaining 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce and whipped cream before serving if desired.

 

Find this recipe in my new cookbook!

 

 

 

 

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

Arroz de Marisco – Seafood Rice Casserole

The bountiful seafood in the oceans of Portugal’s sea coast inspires this flavorful Seafood rice that is perfect for a celebration or anytime.

This recipe is inspired from a recipe that I learned many years ago from a Portuguese chef that worked at my brothers Portuguese restaurant!

You can improvise the recipe by adding more of your favorite seafood or omitting some ingredients. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

1 whole fresh lobster (cut into pieces)

1 pound of uncooked medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)

1 pound of scallops

1 pound of little neck clams (washed)

1 pound of mussels (washed and cleaned)

1 small onion (finely chopped)

1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)

1/2 cup of ripe tomatoes (crushed)

½ of a small, red bell pepper (chopped)

1 cup of uncooked peas

Pinch of Saffron

1 teaspoon paprika  

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups of chicken broth

2 cups of long grain uncooked rice

½ cup of Vinho Verde or white wine

Fresh chopped Cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute the onion, red peppers and garlic in a large deep heavy oven proof skillet or Cataplana pan until translucent.

Add the lobster pieces and brown for a few minutes.

Add the wine, tomatoes, paprika, and salt, and cook for about 5 minutes until reduced.

Add the broth and bring to a boil.

Add the rice and saffron and stir while cooking for about 5 minutes on high heat.

Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Remove the pan from the burner and stir in the peas.

Arrange the shrimp, scallops, clams, and mussels, evenly submerged on top of the rice.

Bake in the oven uncovered for about 30 minutes until the rice and seafood is cooked.

Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Notes:

You may need to cook the rice longer if you find it’s not fully cooked.

Add more broth if you find the rice too dry and bake or cook for a few minutes longer however Paella rice is typically dry.

Serves 4-6

 

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery

Rabanadas – Portuguese Style French Toast

Order these beautiful ceramic mugs and glass cutting boards here Lisbon Blue shop

When I was a little girl, I would wake up on Christmas Eve mornings smelling the aroma of the sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on the warm Rabanadas that my mother had made for our Christmas Eve dessert table.

This classic old time dessert is delicious and has become one of my favorites which I make very often for my own family any time of the year. I think about my dear mother every time I make them, and that’s a good thought!

The traditional way to make them is by frying them in hot oil, but I grill them with margarine for a lighter version.

Ingredients:

1 loaf day old crusty bread

2 cups milk

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

butter for cooking

sugar and cinnamon for topping

 

Instructions:

Slice the bread into 1inch slices and place in a deep dish pan. Beat all the other ingredients in a bowl.

Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. Let the bread slices sit in the egg for about 30 seconds and then flip them over to absorb into the other side 

Meanwhile on medium high heat, melt butter in a large flat skillet or griddle. When the skillet is hot, lower the heat to medium and gently place the slices of bread on the grill greasing the pan as needed.

Cook both sides of the bread until golden brown and it becomes firm to the touch. If you find the bread still soggy, continue cooking them on low heat for longer.

Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon while still hot. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Portuguese Christmas / soup / Soups

Caldo de Camarao – Shrimp & Vegetable Bisque

 

I learned this recipe for Caldo de Camarao, many years ago from a Portuguese Chef named Jose.

He was a great chef, with a wonderful soul, but like many chefs, he was quite temperamental in the kitchen!

Although the recipe is simple, it requires many steps in the preparation, but trust me it’s worth it.

My family likes it pretty hot and spicy so be sure to use the Piri Piri to your taste.

The broth is made from the Shrimp shells which gives this soup a rich flavor.

Please note that some people use a tomato based broth, but I don’t use them in my recipe.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 pounds raw shrimp (30 to 40) per pound

1 large onion (chopped)

4 large carrots (peeled)

2 stacks of celery (peeled)

8 cups of water

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 shrimp bouillon cubes

2 tablespoons of butter

2 teaspoons of paprika

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of white pepper

1 to 2 teaspoons of Piri Piri or Tabasco sauce

½ cup of Vinho Verde or white wine

3 Portuguese rolls to make croutons for garnish

1/2 cup of cream (optional)

2 tablespoons of flour (optional)

Chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Peel and devein the shrimp and save the shells. Rinse the shells and put the shrimp aside. 

In a large stock pot add the 8 cups of water, the shrimp shells, ½ of the onion, celery, carrots, salt, pepper, and the shrimp shells and cook for 30 minutes.

Strain the broth, and throw away the cooked shrimp shells. Put the carrots, onions and celery back into the broth.  

Puree the soup with a hand blender until the soup is creamy.  Strain the soup through a fine strainer to catch any shells, or vegetable threads.

Place the soup on stove on low heat.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, saute the remaining onion in the olive oil and butter until translucent.

Add the shrimp, the bouillon, wine, paprika, Piri Piri or Tabasco and cook for a few minutes. 

Remove ½ of the cooked shrimp and set aside.

Add the remaining shrimp and sauce to the soup pan and puree until you get a creamy consistency.

Cook soup for on low for 10 minutes.

Chop the reserved cooked shrimp into 2 pieces and add to the soup. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes.

Taste the soup and add more salt and white pepper to taste.

If you like a creamy style soup, make a slurry by mixing the cream and flour in a small bowl.

Temper the cream with a few tablespoons of the soup and add it during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Make the croutons:

Slice the Portuguese rolls into small ¼ inch slices.

Coat with butter and garlic. Toast in broiler until golden brown.

Sprinkle with desired seasonings and set aside for garnish.

Serve the soup in bowls with one slice of the toasted Portuguese croutons in the center.

Add a few pieces of shrimp in each bow. Add the cilantro or parsley as garnish if desired.

Notes:

Always save your shrimp shells that you have left over from your recipes for this soup. Rinse the shells, pat dry and place them into freezer bags to make shrimp and seafood stock.

Serves 8-10

Photo credit: http://receitasfantasticas.net

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/

 

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Biscoitos de Natal – Christmas Biscuit Cookies

Christmas Biscuit Cookies are easy to make since they require no cookie cutters to shape them and they don’t break apart.

Anis liquor, gives them a unique taste but you can also add lemon zest if you prefer.

These cookies are perfect  to make with your kids because they can get their little hands into the dough and make all kinds of shapes!

If you want to give these little treats as gifts you can find food save gift bags at craft stores. My bags have 12 cookies. Simply tie a ribbon around the bag and you’ve created a beautiful home made cookie gift!

Ingredients:

3 cups of flour

1 cup of sugar

3 eggs (room temp)

6 tbsp of salted butter (softened)

2 tsp of baking powder

1 tbsp of Anis Liquor or 1 teaspoon lemon zest

 

Icing:

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

2 tsp of milk

1 drop of vanilla flavoring

Christmas sprinkles, colored sugars to decorate

 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Soften the butter and mix with the sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy

Add the eggs and Anis and beat for about 1 minute. Add the flour and baking powder to the sugar and mix with a dough hook for about 3 minutes until the batter forms into a ball.

You may need to a little flour if you find the dough too soft depending on your butter or the size of your eggs. The batter will be soft but firm enough to handle.

You can also spoon the batter and make balls and roll instead of cutting it into logs.

 

Place the smooth dough onto a lightly floured cutting board and shape into a flat disc with 1/2 inch in height.

Cut the dough evenly into 1/2″ by 5″ strips. Roll each strip into a round snake like form and shape into desired shapes such as candy canes, wreaths, letters, etc.

Slightly grease a cookie sheet and place the biscuits evenly on the pan.

Cook for about 15-18  minutes or until slightly golden brown.

Lift one and look under neath to find a golden crust bottom.

Let them cool slightly before decorating.

Make icing by mixing the confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla until very smooth and creamy.

Brush icing on cookies and dip into the decorations or sprinkle onto the sugar before it hardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Leite de Creme – Portuguese Egg Custard

Leite Creme is a Portuguese Egg Custard similar to French Cream Brulee but cooked on the stove top instead of baked.

It’s rich, creamy texture is perfect as a light dessert.

The first time I ate this custard was when I was a only twelve years old and on my family’s first trip back to Portugal after coming to America.

We arrived in Lisbon and then took the long cab ride to Coimbra to stay at my Aunts house for a week.

She prepared this delicious creamy dessert for us when we arrived and I’ve been hooked ever since!

 

Leite de Creme – Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of Corn starch

5 tablespoons of sugar

3 egg yolks

2 cups whole milk

1/2  stick of cinnamon

1 slice lemon peel

 

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and the milk with a whisk until well incorporated.

Add the cornflour and sugar and mix well.

Add the lemon peel and cinnamon stick and heat in a saucepan on low – medium heat stirring continuously.

Do not let the custard boil. If it begins to boil remove from heat to cool down while stirring.

The custard should be thick enough to coat the spoon like pudding.

Pour into a serving platter or individual ramekins and let cool to room temperature.

Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

When the custard has cooled, sprinkle sugar on top and brown slightly in oven broiler or with a cooking torch.

Serve! Enjoy!

 

 

 

  • Beat the egg yolks in a large pan and mix with a little milk. Gradually add the rest of the milk whilst whisking.
  • Add the lemon zest (ideally, grate the lemon with a Micro-plane or very fine grater over the pan). Add the cornflour and sugar and mix well.
  • Heat over low to medium heat, stirring gently at all time. It should take 10 to 15 minutes for the mixture to thicken and reach a custard consistency.
  • Pour the mix into individual or a large terracotta ramequin(s). Sprinkle the top with sugar and caramelise under the grill or with the blow-torch. Chill before serving.

Read more at http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/537728/erin-satterly-s-leite-creme#zGgOPrK8Dh6KrRxO.99

 

  • Beat the egg yolks in a large pan and mix with a little milk. Gradually add the rest of the milk whilst whisking.
  • Add the lemon zest (ideally, grate the lemon with a Micro-plane or very fine grater over the pan). Add the cornflour and sugar and mix well.
  • Heat over low to medium heat, stirring gently at all time. It should take 10 to 15 minutes for the mixture to thicken and reach a custard consistency.
  • Pour the mix into individual or a large terracotta ramequin(s). Sprinkle the top with sugar and caramelise under the grill or with the blow-torch. Chill before serving.

Read more at http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/537728/erin-satterly-s-leite-creme#zGgOPrK8Dh6KrRxO.99

Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Bacalhau Assado – Baked Salt Cod

bacalhau assado

Bacalhau Assado – Baked Salt Cod has the classic Portuguese flavors of olive oil, onion and garlic. It is served with roasted potatoes.

It’s easy to prepare since it uses minimal ingredients and takes less than 1 hour to prep and cook.

It is often served on Christmas Eve but also popular all year long. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4  (6-8 oz) portions of Bacalhau with bone (desalted)

12 – 20 small round potatoes slightly peeled or unpeeled (depending on # of guests)

2 large onions (sliced)

8 cloves of garlic (whole)

1/2 to 1 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons of chopped parsley

Black olives for garnish

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry the potatoes, poke with a fork in a few spots, sprinkle with a little salt and set aside.

Coat the bottom of a large baking pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil.

Place the bacalhau in the pan surrounded by the potatoes and cover with the sliced onions.

Place 2 garlic cloves on top of each bacalhau.

Coat the ingredients with the remaining olive oil.

Cook in oven for 35 minutes. Pierce potatoes for doneness, if they are not fully cooked remove the bacalhau from the pan and continue to cook the potatoes longer.

When ready to serve sprinkle with the parsley.

 

 

 

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

Portuguese Lemon Rice Pudding – Arroz Doce com Limao

This recipe for Arroz Doce is a variation from the original that uses milk. This recipe is made using condensed milk and lemon pudding. This dessert comes out very rich, creamy and lemony.

Thanks to Leonor Santos for the recipe and photos! I love the Acores tablecloth! Enjoy!

Arroz Doce (Rice Pudding) by Leonor Santos


Ingredients:

1 pound Carolina rice


4 cups whole milk


4 cups water


2 cans condensed milk


1 stick Margarine


Zest of 1 lemon


2 boxes of instant lemon pudding


Cinnamon


Directions:

In a heavy pot place rice, milk, water, margarine, condensed milk and lemon zest. Stir from time to time.

When the liquid starts to boil, lower flame and keep stirring from time to time.

When the rice is cooked and all the liquid is absorbed turn off burner, remove from flame. Add the instant lemon pudding and stir fast until everything is incorporated.

Place in serving plates and decorate with cinnamon.

 

Photos credit: Leonor Santos