Category: Main Dish

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

Chick Pea & Egg Giardiniera

This Chick Pea & Egg Salad with  crunchy pickled vegetables called Giardiniera, can be served as a main dish on your meatless days, a side dish or as an appetizer. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 or 2 cans of cooked Chick Peas’

3 hard boiled eggs

1 cup of Gardeneira – pickled vegetables (finely chopped)

1/4 cup olive oil

salt

pepper

parsley flakes

Ingredients:

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix. Cut the eggs into chunks and add them to the chick peas. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with parsley if desired. Store in the refrigerator.

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

Black Eyed Peas & Corn Succotash – Sopa de Feijao Frade com Milho

Black-eyed peas are very popular in Portugal and typically served with Bacalhau (dried salt Cod), stews, soups and in cold salads.

In the southern region of the Unites States, the dish “Hoppin John” is made with the peas, rice and pork.

This recipe for Succotash, (Narragansett language meaning; broken corn kernels) originates in the southern New England States.

This is a hearty chowder for your meatless days or perfect as a dip! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 large potatoes (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)

1 and 1/2 cups of frozen corn

1 and 1/2 cups of cooked Black Eyed Peas

1 medium onion (finely chopped)

1 stalk of celery (finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (finely minced)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter or margarine

1/2 gallon of milk

1 pint of cream

2 bay leafs

2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

2 tablespoons of flour

Instructions:

In a large heavy soup pan, saute the onion, garlic, celery,  and potatoes in the the olive oil and butter for about 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, bay leaf, and the broth and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the black eyed peas and corn and cook for 5 minutes.

 

In a small bowl mix the flour with the cream until it is dissolved. Add the milk and the cream to the soup and cook on low heat for at least 20 minutes stirring continuously until the soup is creamy and thick.

Add more milk for a lighter soup or add more flour for a thicker chowder. You can also use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables into smaller pieces.

If you want a thick style chowder for a dip, mash some of the beans and let it cook on low until it reaches your desired consistency.

Serve with Blue Corn chips, pita chips or crackers.

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.

Main Dish / Photo Gallery

Crispy Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Topped with Barbeque Sauce

Since Barbeque season has been delayed due to this cold weather my daughter made this bacon and barbeque sauce topped meatloaf this weekend to give us that summer barbeque taste. The bacon comes out crispy and the barbeque sauce’s sticky sweet flavor is amazing!

She also  made my Portuguese Style Potato Salad as a side for a real cook out theme!

By the way, it’s March 31st and it’s snowing and sleeting outside in New England! UGH!

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 pounds of ground beef or turkey

1 small onion (minced)

3 eggs

2 slices of wheat bread

1 cup of milk

1 cup of seasoned  dry bread crumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix

2 tablespoons of ketchup

1/2 package of sliced bacon (about 10 slices)

Barbeque Sauce ingredients:

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

Instructions:

Dissolve the bread in the milk in a small bowl. Mix all of the remaining meatloaf ingredients in a medium bowl except the bacon and the barbeque sauce. Shape into a loaf and place on a broiling pan which let the meatloaf cook faster and achieve a crispy texture. You may also cook the meatloaf in a medium tray lined with foil for easy cleanup.

Cover the meatloaf with the bacon.

Prepare the sauce by mixing the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and the sugar dissolves. Spread the sauce over the bacon.

Cook the meatloaf at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the meat reaches 165 degrees.

Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

 

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / rice

Lemon Chicken & Jasmine Rice – Galinha com Limão e Arroz de Jasmim

 

This Lemon Chicken recipe can be ready in under 30 minutes which is just perfect for your busy days. It pairs perfectly with the Jasmine rice recipe that I shared below.

The secret to making a light and fluffy Jasmine rice is too add as little water as possible and not let the rice cook to long.

You also never use a spoon to stir the rice, use a fork to obtain a light and airy texture.

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of butter or margarine

1/4 cup of flour

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel

1/4 cup of Vinho Verde or dry white wine

1 cup of chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 scallion finely sliced

 

Jasmine Rice:

2 cups Jasmine rice

3 cups of water

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of butter or margarine

1 scallion (finely sliced)

Lemon wedges for garnish (optional)

 

Instructions:

Cut the chicken breasts in half. Place them between 2 pieces of saran wrap and pound to about 1/4 inch thick.

Season with salt and pepper and coat them lightly with the flour in a bowl.

Heat the olive oil and butter on high heat in a large saute pan. Cook the chicken on medium high heat for about 3 minutes or longer on each side until they turn a light golden brown, remove them from the pan and set them aside.

De-glaze the pan with wine, lemon juice and chicken broth and let it cook down for about 1 minute.

Return the chicken to the pan and let it cook in the lemon sauce for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat to incorporate the lemon flavor.

Turn heat to low, add the scallion, oregano and the lemon zest and cook for about 1 minute. The sauce will thicken as it cooks.

If you find the sauce too thick add a little more chicken broth.

 

Instructions for Jasmine rice:

If you want to serve the chicken with the Jasmine rice begin cooking the rice before you start the chicken.

Boil the 3 cups of water, butter and salt in a medium heavy saucepan.

Add the rice, stir, slightly cover, and cook on medium for about 15 minutes stirring with a fork once in a while.

After 15 minutes turn off the heat, stir the rice gently with a fork to make it light and flaky.

Cover and set aside until the chicken is ready. Add the scallions as a garnish before serving.

 

 

 

 

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Lazy Lasagna Casserole & Greek Salad With Tahini Dressing

 

This recipe tastes just like lasagna but with half of the work in the layering process. You may wonder why I made an Italian Lasagna with Greek Salad?

Well I  promise it goes very well together. The cool Tahini dressing is a perfect match to cool down the spice in the Lasagna. Enjoy!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef or turkey

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 medium onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of Italian herb seasoning mix

1 teaspoon pimenta moida  or (1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of oregano

 

Pasta

1 pound of large sized curly pasta such as cavatappi, or ziti

1 15 oz container of low fat ricotta cheese

1 – 8 oz package of shredded cheese

1 egg

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of oregano

 

Salad

4 cups green leaf lettuce (chopped)

2 cups baby spinach

shredded carrots

1 cucumber (chopped)

1/2 small red onion (finely sliced)

1 cup Feta Cheese (crumbled)

Greek Olives (optional)

Croutons (any)

 

Tahini Dressing

1 cup light sour cream

1/2  of a cucumber (chopped)

pinch of dill

1 teaspoon lemon juice

pinch of salt

pinch of black pepper

 

Garlic Bread (optional)

l large french bread or italian loaf

1/2 stick of soft butter or margarine

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of paprika

 

Meat Sauce Cooking Instructions:

Prepare the grown the ground meat by cooking it on medium  heat in a large saute pan and remove any excess fat.

Add the chopped onion, olive oil and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion and garlic is translucent.

Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low heat for at least 15-20 minutes to incorporate all of the flavors and the sauce has reduced slightly. Set aside until the pasta is prepared.

Pasta preparation:

Cook pasta in a large pot of water with the salt. Drain but do not rinse and set aside in a big bowl to slightly cool.

Mix the ricotta, 1/2 of the shredded cheese, egg, salt, pepper and oregano in a small bowl. When the pasta has cooled pour the cheese mixture into the pasta bowl and mix very well.

Prepare a large deep lasagna dish or casserole by adding a small amount of the meat sauce on the bottom.

Layer 1/2 of the pasta on the bottom of dish, then add 1/2 of the meat sauce. Top with 1/4 of the shredded cheese.

Continue layering. You’ll end up with the remaining remaining sauce on top. Add the rest of the shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered for about 30 – 40 minutes at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

 

Salad Preparation:

Mix all of the salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Prepare the dressing by mixing all ingredients in a blender or processor until very creamy.

Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving.

 

Garlic Bread Preparation:

Slice the bread in half and spread on the butter mixture.

Bake butter side down along with the lasagna until the bread is golden and crispy on the buttered side.

 

 

 

 

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!

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Easy Shepard’s Pie

Comforting Shepard’s Pie is one of my family’s favorite meals in the cold months of Winter. I love to make a big tray of it since usually I have enough leftover for another meal the next or the following day. I use ground turkey to save on calories but it’s up to you if you prefer ground beef. I serve the pie with easy buttermilk biscuits made with a simple buttermilk biscuit mix. Enjoy and stay warm!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 pounds of ground beef or turkey

1 package of frozen corn (or any of your favorite vegetables)

1 teaspoon of olive oil or margarine

1 small onion (chopped)

1/2 celery stalk (finely chopped)

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 cup of milk

2 tablespoons of flour

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon of salt

pepper

 

Crumb topping:

1 egg

1/2 cup of shredded cheese

1/2 cup of Panko bread crumbs or regular bread crumbs

 

Mashed potatoes

2 pounds of potatoes (peeled and sliced)

1 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of butter or margarine

1 cup of milk

pepper


 

Biscuits

Makes about 20 depending on size

4 cups of biscuit mix (or more)

1 and 1/2 cups of milk

 

Instructions:

Boil potatoes in salt, drain and mash with the butter and milk. Set aside until the meat filling is cooked.

In a medium saute pan, cook the onions and celery in the 1 teaspoon of olive oil for a few minutes.

Add the ground meat, salt, garlic powder, and pepper to taste. Cook until browned.

Add the corn, and cook on low heat for about 5 -8 minutes until the flavors have incorporated.

In a heavy small saucepan melt butter and mix in the flour. Add the milk and cook until slightly thickened for a few minutes.

Add the milk sauce and stock to the meat filling and cook for a few minutes. Add the parsley. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the meat and corn into a large deep dish square casserole pan. Make the mashed potatoes, and spread them evenly on top of the meat filling.

Beat the egg slightly and brush over the potatoes. Mix the cheese with the panko bread crumbs and spread over the potatoes.

Cook at 350 for at least 30-45 minutes depending on how browned you like the pie. Let sit for a few minutes before serving. Top with fresh parsley for garnish.

Make biscuits by following these instructions:

Gently fold the ingredients in a bowl until they are almost incorporated. Note: The batter will be sticky, but mold-able. If you find it too sticky add more mix.

Do not over mix! The secret to light and fluffy biscuits is not to over mix!

Pour the batter into a floured surface. Flour your hands very well and roll the dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into round biscuit shape with a cookie cutter or a small cup.

Cook at 450 for about 8-10 minutes or until very light golden brown.

Check one by lifting the bottom. Note: Do not overcook. Take them out immediately so the bottoms to not overcook!

 

 

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