Category: Main Dish

Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo – Codfish & Pototao Casserole

 

 

Salted Cod or Bacalhau as it is known in Portugal is a major ingredient in the Portuguese diet since the discovery of Newfoundland in 1497.

Fisherman began fishing its cod-rich Grand Banks and Bacalhau was nicknamed Fiel amigo (faithful friend).

The fish became popular in Portugal and other Catholic countries, when it was substituted on days of fasting from eating meat on Fridays, Lent, and other festivals.

Today, the legend is that the Portuguese have 365 or more recipes for bacalhau, one for each day of the year.

The recipe originates from the city of Porto, Portugal, and is named after its creator, Zé do Pipo, who owned a famous restaurant in that city during the 1960s. He won a national cooking contest with this dish. Since then, many restaurants have adopted it in their menus which has it made it extremely popular!

 

 

Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo

Ingredients:

1 lb Bacalhau (de salted – cut into 4 portion loins)

8 large potatoes

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 large sliced onion

1 diced garlic clove

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp butter

1 cup milk

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 small roasted red pepper

black olives

1 tsp salt

pepper

parsley

1/4 cup flour for frying codfish

 

Instructions:

Peel and cook potatoes in boiling salted water for about 25 minutes. Remove from heat, drain potatoes, add the milk, butter, egg yolk and pepper and mash. Set the potatoes aside.

Coat the codfish in flour and fry in the olive oil on medium – low heat until golden brown. Place on paper towels to soak off excess oil.

Saute the onions, garlic and bay leaf in the same olive oil that you cooked the fish in, until lightly browned. Remove the bay leaf.

Place the codfish portions in a large oven safe casserole dish or in individual serving size dishes.

Coat the codfish with the onions and surround with the mashed potatoes.

Coat the codfish with a few tablespoons of the mayonnaise, the top each with a slice of red pepper.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the mayonnaise is golden brown.

Garnish with olives and parsley.

Watch this video for the preparation instructions.

photo credits:http://chefdelucca.com/site/?p=487

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Soups

Lobster Corn Chowder

 

 

Don’t through away those lobster shells before making this delicious chowder with them!

I used my favorite wine; Vinho Verde to enhance the flavor of this soup instead of regular white wine. If this recipe seems difficult, believe me it’s easy.

This chowder is perfect for your Holiday celebrations! Your friends and family will go crazy and love you for it!

Save some Vinho Verde to serve along with it!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Lobster shells from 3 lobsters

Meat from 1 lobster or 1-2 cups

1 cup of Vinho Verde wine (or any dry white wine)

2 tbsp of Brandy (I used 1920 Portuguese Brandy)

2 cups fish or chicken stock

1 small onion cut in half

1 small onion finely diced

1 celery stalk

1/2 celery stalk finely diced

3 ears of corn

3 tbsp butter

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup of  flour

2 cups of light cream

1/2 gallon of whole or light milk

 

Instructions:

Remove any tomalley (green part) from inside the lobster.

Cut the kernels off the corn and reserve for later. Save the cob for the stock.

In a medium stock pot, place the lobster shells,corn cob, stock, Vinho Verde, Brandy, 1 celery, 1 small onion, and salt.

Cover, let the stock come to a boil, and continue cooking for 20 minutes on low  heat.


Remove the cooked onion and celery from the pan and discard. Add the milk and cook for another 10 minutes on low heat. Strain the broth through a fine stainer into a separate bowl to remove any lobster shells. Save the milk broth and discard the shells and corn cob.

In a separate heavy soup pan, saute the diced onion and celery in the butter until translucent.

Add the flour to the butter and cook for about 1 minute on low heat.

Add the reserved broth, cream, paprika, corn, and pepper to the soup.

 

Cook the chowder on low heat for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the diced lobster and cook for about 5 minutes longer.

Add more seasoning to taste if desired.

*If you want the soup thicker, mix 1 tbsp of flour with a little milk, add to the soup and let the soup cook for about 5 minutes.

 

 

 

 

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Onion Topped Turkey Meatloaf

 

There are many meatloaf recipes, but the secret to a moist meatloaf is using fresh bread crumbs in your mix and not over cooking it which tends to make it dry!

The onion and ketchup topping also gives the meatloaf a sweet taste and keeps it moist.

Since I began making this recipe with ground turkey, I have never used ground beef again but it’s up to you to use which one you prefer.

This recipe is easy and basic but my family can’t get enough of it!

No matter how much I make, I always regret not making more for the next day so I suggest you make 2 of these.

 

Ingredients:

2 pounds of ground turkey or beef

1 large finely diced onion

2 eggs

2 slices wheat bread (I use the ends)

3 tbsp ketchup

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning spice mix

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp minced parsley

 

Topping:

1/2 cup ketchup

 

Instructions:

Dice the onion and divide into 2 parts reserving 1 part for the topping.

Shred the slices of bread with a cheese shredder or chop into fine crumbs.

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl gently until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Form the loaf into your desired shape and place in a baking dish.

Top with ketchup and sprinkle the top with the diced onion.

Cook at 350 for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

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

 

 

chicken / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Lemon Rosemary Paprika Chicken

lemon rosemary chicken

Lemon Rosemary Chicken is typically not a Portuguese dish, but I add paprika to give it a smoky flavor and a beautiful golden crust!

I like my chicken very well done with a crispy skin so I let the chicken cook for about 2 hours. Serve with sweet potatoes or roasted potatoes.

Roast Potatoes recipe

Portuguese roast potatoes

I recommend you cook 2 chickens so you can have the leftovers all week. Just double the recipe and make my easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 roaster chicken

2 lemons

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon rosemary (finely chopped)

lemon rosemary chicken prep

Instructions:

Butterfly the chicken in half or cook whole if desired. Place in a roasting pan.

Slice the lemons in half and squeeze the juice from 1 lemon over the chicken. Cut remaining lemon into slices.

In a small bowl mix the salt, garlic powder, paprika and rosemary. Rub the seasoning mix over the chicken and add lemon slices.

Bake at 400 degrees for 1 + 1/2 – 2 hours until the chicken skin has become golden and crispy.

Note: You may notice your timer has popped up, but let the chicken continue to to cook longer to obtain a crispy golden color.

Remove the chicken from oven and cut into the thigh joint. If you find the juices clear, the chicken is cooked. If you have a meat thermometer, the temperature should read 180 – 190 degrees.

Let it rest for about 8  minutes before carving! Enjoy!

In this photo, I cooked the sweet potatoes along with chicken and left out the lemon slices. It was outstanding!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

Arroz de Bacalhau – Salt Cod Fish & Rice Casserole

 

Most of you know the Portuguese saying; “there are 365 recipes for bacalhau, one for each day of the year”!

This recipe is super easy and takes only 30 minutes to prepare! If you’re lucky enough to have a Portuguese market nearby, you can buy the Codfish already hydrated.

It’s perfect for a main dish, or to serve as a side dish with Portuguese Fish Fillets! Enjoy!

 

Serves 4-6  Prep 10 min Cook 20 min

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of Salt Cod (boneless & hydrated)

4 cups of cooked long grain rice (recipe here)

2 tbsp of Olive Oil

1 small onion diced

1/2 cup red & green pepper diced

2 small crushed ripe tomatoes (about 1 cup)

2 cloves of chopped garlic

2 tsp of chopped parsley

Salt & Pepper to taste

Black Olives for garnish

 

Instructions:

Cook the cod fish in boiling water for 10 minutes. Pat dry, shred into chunks and set aside.

In a medium heavy skillet on medium heat, saute the onions, garlic and peppers in the olive oil for about 2 minutes until translucent.

Add the tomatoes and cod fish, and cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes have concentrated.

Add the cooked rice and stir to incorporate. Cook on low heat for a few minutes until the rice is hot. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Add the parsley and olives as garnish when ready to serve.

 

Photo image credit: http://mdemulher.abril.com.br/culinaria/receitas/arroz-bacalhau-pimentao

Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Roast Pork Loin with Caramelized Onions and Carrots

This picture tells the story! You’re going to love the savory and sweetness from the Caramelized Onions and carrots. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

(1) 4 to 5 lb Boneless Pork Loin

1 1/2 tbsp Taste Portugal Seasoning 

2 large sliced onions

2 large carrots (cut into pieces)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

Season the pork and let it marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, top with the olive oil and 1/2 onions. Place remaining onions and  carrots around pork. Mix vegetables once in a while as they cook.

Roast the pork for about 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from the oven and marinate with the onions and cooking liquid that has formed. Cook for another 15 minutes. Test for doneness using a thermometer.

When the temperature reaches 155 degrees F, remove the roast from the oven. Allow it to sit for about 20 minutes before carving.

Serve with Portuguese Rice!

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

Oven Fried Pork Chops and Stir Fry Cabbage

If you’ve wondered why pork and other meats are so tender at an Asian restaurant, here’s the reason why.

The secret is that they use a technique called velveting to tenderize the meat.

Velveting;  is soaking meat in an egg white and corn starch wash before cooking.

I don’t use the exact technique, in this recipe, but I soak the pork in egg wash for a few minutes to tenderize it.

The pork always comes out tender and juicy. I’ve made this recipe many times and I have never fried a pork chop again!

The stir fry cabbage retains all it’s nutrients and it’s easy to make while your pork is in the oven.

Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

6 Pork chops (3/4″ center cut)

1 egg

1 + 1/2 cups of flavored bread crumbs

1/4 cup of all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp pepper

Cabbage Ingredients:

1/2 of a small head of cabbage (Shredded into 1 inch strips)

1 small onion (sliced)

1 tbsp of olive oil

1/2 tsp of salt

Pepper to taste

 

Instructions:

Season the pork chops with the salt, garlic, pepper and paprika and let them marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator or overnight.

When ready to cook, heat the oven at 350.

In a small bowl, beat the egg with a tbsp of water to make a light egg wash.

Place the bread crumbs and flour in a plastic bag or large bowl and mix well.

Dip each pork chop into the egg wash and let them sit for about 10 minutes.

Place them 2 at a time in the plastic bag with the breadcrumbs and shake well to generously coat.

Grease a medium flat baking sheet with a heavy coat of cooking spray or margarine and place the pork chops on pan.

Cook on the lower oven rack for 15-20 minutes until golden brown on the bottom.

Flip the pork chops over, and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

The pork should be golden brown but not over cooked or it will become dry.

 

Cabbage instructions:

While the pork chops are cooking the oven, place the olive oil and in a large skillet.

Add the onion and the cabbage, and cook on high heat for about 2 minutes stirring once in a while.

Lower the heat to medium and cook for about 5-10 minutes longer, depending on your preference for a well done or crunchy cabbage.

 

 

 

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)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 / 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!