Category: Recipes

Main Dish / Photo Gallery

Ziti and Sausage Bake

Dinner was never so easy! Your family will love this Ziti Sausage Bake so much that you’ll be making all year long. I used a combination of sweet and hot sausage, or Portuguese Chourica sausage for a variety of flavor in every bite. You can also make this dish ahead of time and pop it in the oven just 30 minutes before serving.

Sausage ingredients:

2 pounds combination of sweet and hot Italian sausage

1 large onion (sliced thinly)

1 medium red bell pepper (sliced thinly)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup red wine

Bake ingredients:

1 pound package of Ziti

1 and 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese

1 and 1/2 cups of shredded mozarella or your favorite cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2  teaspoons dry oregano

1 32 oz can of crushed tomatoes with garlic and Italian seasonings

1 t0 2 cups of marinara or your favorite pasta sauce ( depending on how much sauce you like)

Prepare Sausage:

Place the sausages in a large skillet and add the water and wine. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat turning them over and piercing with a fork to cook evenly. After 10 minutes, remove any excess liquid from the pan. Slice the sausages and add the onions and red bell pepper to the same pan. Cook for about 5 – 10 minutes until the sausages are cooked and the onions are golden stirring once in a while. Add the crushed tomatoes and sauce, cover and let simmer on low for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile cook pasta and set aside until ready to assemble.

Assemble Bake:

Place half the pasta in a large deep dish baking pan. Mix the Ricotta cheese with 1 tablespoon of basil and spread over pasta.

Spread 1/2 of the sausage mixture over pasta and top with 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese.

Pour the remaining pasta evenly over the sausage. Top with the remaining sausage and the rest of shredded cheese. Sprinkle with the basil, oregano and Parmesan cheese.

Bake slightly covered with foil for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees until the bake is hot and golden on top. Uncover during the last few minutes if you want a slightly crispy top.

Serve with crusty bread and a salad. Enjoy!

Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / rice

Maria’s Seafood Rice – Arroz com Marisco a Maria

I make this Seafood Rice dish for every family celebration since we are all seafood lovers! The recipe is very versatile so you can change up the seafood ingredients to what ever you prefer. Sometimes I also add lobster when it’s in season.

I like to cook the rice separate from the seafood because the rice comes out fluffier. Some people cook the rice in with the seafood but that may leave the seafood dry too. You can also use only regular long rice if you prefer,  but increase it to 3 and 1/2 cups.

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

Rice:

2 cups long grain rice

1 (8 oz) package of Goya Yellow Rice mix

1 medium onion (finely chopped)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of paprika

1 chicken bouillon cube

6 cups of boiling water

1 teaspoon salt

Seafood ingredients:

2 pounds of uncooked peeled shrimp

1 pound of little neck clams  (washed)

1 pound of mussels in or out of shell

1 pound of squid (chopped into rings and pieces)

1 pound of scallops

1 small onion (finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (finely minced)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup of vinho verde or dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

Dash of Piri Piri or hot sauce

2 cups frozen baby peas

2 tablespoons of chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish

Lemon wedges for garnish

Preparation:

Step 1:

Make the rice first by sauteing the onion in a heavy medium pan with the olive oil for a few minutes until translucent but not browned. Add the long grain rice to the onion and stir to coat with the olive oil. Let brown for 1 minute stirring often.

Add the boiling water, salt, paprika and bouillon cube. Let come to a boil and add the Yellow rice. Stir, cover and reduce heat to medium. Let cook for about 15 – 20 minutes stirring once in a while. Add more boiling water if you find the rice is getting to dry. Taste and add more salt if desired.

Step 2:

In a medium skillet, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until translucent. Add the clams, squid, and mussels and cook for one minute. Add the wine, butter, paprika, piri piri, salt, stock and shrimp.

Cook for about 5 minutes on high until the seafood is cooked and clams open. Taste and add more seasoning if desired. Add the peas and cook for 1 minute. Set seafood aside until rice is fully cooked.

Step 3:

Place the rice into a wide paella pan or oven proof serving tray. Pour the seafood over the rice spreading the seafood evenly. Place in the oven at 350  degrees f for a few minutes for the flavors to incorporate. Keep in the warm oven until ready to serve but not too long or the rice will become dry.

Step 4:

Garnish with lemon wedges and cilantro or parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Appetizers / Main Dish / Photo Gallery

Tomato and Basil Flat Bread

Tomato and Basil  Flat Bread

Tomato and Basil Flat Bread is my favorite style of pizza. Especially during the summer months when I have fresh tomatoes and basil growing in the garden. This is so easy to make and I bet you have all of the ingredients in your kitchen right now!

Pick up some st0re bought pizza dough for an easy pizza night! Enjoy!

Fresh Basil

Ingredients:

1 pound of home made (recipe below) or store bought pizza dough

1 cup of Ricotta cheese (use 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese for a lite version)

2 large ripe tomatoes (sliced thin 1/4 inch)

2 large ripe yellow tomatoes (sliced thin 1/4 inch)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Pinch of salt

Black pepper (to taste)

10-12 fresh basil leaves (tear slightly)

1 tablespoon of crushed garlic

1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

Fresh Tomatoes

Preparation for dough:

4 cups of all purpose flour

1 and 1/2 cups of warm water

2 packages of active dry yeast (1/4 oz each)

1 tablespoon of sugar

2 teaspoons of salt

1/4 cup of olive oil plus more for drizzling over top

Place the yeast into the warm water and let dissolve until foamy. Add the sugar, salt and olive oil. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and mix well until a sticky dough forms. Place the dough into an olive oiled large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for at least an hour or until doubled in size.

Prepare Flat Bread:
Stretch the dough into a rectangle and place on a sheet pan that has been coated with flour.
Brush on the olive oil. Spread the ricotta or cream cheese on the dough. Spread the garlic over the ricotta.
Place the tomato slices over the cheese creating your desired pattern. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little more olive oil.
Gently sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese. Place basil leaves in between the tomatoes. Top with crated Parmesan cheese.
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Cook pizza for about 15-20 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and crispy.

Photo Gallery / Recipes / Sauces and Jams

Compota de Figo com Vinho do Porto | Fig Jam with Port Wine

I’ve had many requests for Fig Jam so here’s a recipe for you in both English and Portuguese. I have never made fig jam because figs are hard to find in my town. I hope you enjoy the recipe and let me know how it turns out!

Recipe from Receitas de Portugal:

Find more jams, compotes, and jelly recipes here on their Facebook Page in Portuguese:

English Version:

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 pounds of figs

1 and 1/2 cups of granulated sugar

1 cup of Port wine

1 stick of cinnamon

1 slice of lemon zest

Preparation:

Wash and dry the figs and cut into quarter pieces. Place the figs into a heavy pan and add the sugar, wine, cinnamon stick and lemon zest.

Let come to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Stir once in a while as it cooks to a thick constituency. You should be able to make a clear line in the bottom of the pan with your spoon. Remove the lemon zest and cinnamon. Let cool slightly and place into sterilized jars. Flip the jars over for storing. This will create a natural seal for preserving the jam longer. Store in refrigerator.

Portuguese Version:

COMPOTA DE FIGO COM VINHO DO PORTO
Bom Apetite!

INGREDIENTES:
700 g de figos maduros
300 g de açúcar
1 chávena de café de vinho do porto
Casca de meio limão
1 pau de canela

PREPARAÇÃO – Tradicional:
Lave os figos, corte-os em quartos;
Coloque-os num tacho, adicione o açúcar, o vinho do porto, o pau de canela e a casca do limão;
Depois de levantar fervura, baixe o lume e deixe cozinhar lentamente mexendo de vez em quando para não pegar;
Quando estiver em ponto estrada ( quando depois de colocar um pouco de doce num prato e lhe passar a colher, se formar uma estrada);
Retire o pau de canela e as cascas do limão, coloque a compota em frascos esterilizados, feche os frascos e vire-os com a tampa para baixo – isto ajuda a criar um vácuo natural e ajuda a conservar o doce mais tempo.

 

 

Photo Gallery / Recipes / Sauces and Jams

Doce de Tomate – Tomato Jam

I love my Gallo de Barcelos sticker

I had a big tomato harvest this year so I decided to make tomato jam for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make and how delicious it turned out! I made some fresh home biscuits to serve with the jam and it was divine!

Recycle some of your old jelly jars. I wash and save them in my cupboard for later uses such as; spice mixes, jams, and to make salad dressings.

In case you’re not sure how to use the jam, here is a good reference below.

12 ways to use Tomato Jam

by Barbara Lynch
from Fine Cooking #130, p. 56

This Summer Tomato Jam is so good that I’ll eat it with a spoon right out of the jar while waiting for my bread to toast in the morning. It’s great on burgers in place of ketchup or served alongside grilled lamb or salmon. It also pairs exceptionally well with cheeses and cured meats. My spicy version complements sweeter flavors, such as corn (mix some into grilled corn stripped o the cob for a spectacular side) or caramelized onions (dab some on pizza, top with the onions and some blue cheese, and be wowed). For even more ways to use the jam, see the list below. If nothing there strikes your fancy, there’s always the spoon.

  1. Slather on a grilled cheese sandwich.
  2. Stir into a lentil or coconut curry soup.
  3. Dollop on a bowl of white beans.
  4. Serve with fried eggs and bacon.
  5. Garnish a crab cake.
  6. Use as the T in a BLT.
  7. Toss with avocado for a quick relish.
  8. Substitute for some of the molasses in baked beans.
  9. Smear on a biscuit or bruschetta with a creamy cheese.
  10. Whisk into a vinaigrette.
  11. Add red pepper flakes for a spicy jam and mix some into grilled corn stripped off the cob.
  12. Dab the spicy jam on a pizza, top with caramelized onions and some blue cheese.

 

Ingredients:

3 pounds of very ripe tomatoes (weight after peeled and seeded)

3 1/4 cups of granulated sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 stick cinnamon

What a beautiful color

How to peel tomatoes: Click on this site for a great tutorial

Preparation:

Place the tomatoes in a colander for about 30 minutes to drain any excess water. Don’t worry if you have a few seeds some people leave the seeds to make the jam. Place all ingredients into a large heavy saucepan or dutch oven, bring to a boil stirring often and reduce heat to simmer.

Let’s start the cooking process!

Let the tomatoes cook for at least 2 – 2 and 1/2  hours or until they thicken while stirring often. You should be able to make a clear line forming when you separate the jam in the bottom of the pan. This process time will depend on the water content of the tomatoes so be aware that it could take less than or more than the 2 hours to complete the cooking time.

It’s getting a great color!

Let cool slightly and remove the cinnamon stick. Puree the jam with an immersion blender to dissolve the bigger pieces of tomato to your desired consistency.

Let the jam cool down and place into jam jars. The jam will thicken more as it cools down. Store in refrigerator for 2 weeks. You can also freeze the jam in plastic containers and let them defrost in the refrigerator for later use.

It tasted divine! Enjoy everyone!

Appetizers / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Portuguese Panzanella with Chourico and Presunto

Never throw away your day old bread. Make this Panzanella salad. Simply cut the bread into 1 inch cubes, coat with a little olive oil and your favorite seasonings and cook in your oven for a few minutes until crispy. This salad is easy to make and you can substitute the meats with any you prefer. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Chourico sausage (thinly sliced)

Presunto (Prociutto * thinly sliced and chopped)

Tomatoes (cut into chunks)

Cucumbers (cut into chunks)

Apple (cut into chunks) This is optional

Cheese (cut into small cubes)

Red Onions (sliced thinly)

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar or Balsamic vinegar depending on your preference

Salt

Pepper

Basil (chopped)

Crusty Bread cut into cubes or store bought croutons

Preparation:

Place the tomatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, chourico, presunto, and onions in a deep salad bowl.

Make dressing by mixing equal parts oil and vinegar and then add salt and pepper to your taste in a small jar and shake well.

Pour dressing over the salad. Top with basil and the croutons.

Note: Make the salad ahead of time and store in the refrigerator before adding the dressing if you want to serve it later in the day.

Photo Gallery / sandwich / Sauces and Jams / Side Dish

Tzatziki Dressing

I made this last night using fresh cucumber, zucchini and tomatoes from my home garden, and fresh dill from a friends garden. The dressing is a perfect compliment to the vegetables because it’s light and doesn’t overpower them. Grill up some chicken and make chicken gyros, or make a Greek salad. Enjoy!

Tzatziki Dressing

1 cup low fat yogurt or light sour cream

1/2  of a cucumber (peeled, seeded and chopped)

1 or 2 teaspoons of minced dill (depending on your taste)

1/2  teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of black pepper

Preparation:

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and mix until creamy. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, and pepper if desired.

 

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Zucchini and Kale Frittata

My zucchini harvest is in full bloom which means that I cook a zucchini dish almost everyday! I added kale which gives the frittata for added texture and vitamins. This recipe makes a perfect lunch, side dish or a lite meal on your busy workdays! Enjoy!

If you love frittatas, try my Zucchini and Potato Omelet which is also deliciously savory!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

6 eggs (beaten)

2 medium zucchini (thinly sliced)

4 cups finely chopped kale

1/2 small onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1 teaspoon of vinegar

Preparation:

In a medium skillet, saute the kale in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 8 minutes, stirring often. The kale will wilt and reduce in size as you cook it. Add half of the salt and the teaspoon of vinegar and stir. Cook for another minute and set aside.

In a large skillet heat the remaining olive oil with the onion and saute for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Add the zucchini and saute for a few minutes until it is slightly cooked but not mushy. I like my zucchini slightly undercooked but this is up to you.

Season zucchini with salt and pepper and stir. Add the kale spreading it evenly over the zucchini. Add the eggs evenly to cover the vegetables. Let eggs cook for a few minutes releasing the sides from the pan.

Top the frittata evenly with the cottage cheese and shredded cheese. Cook at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes until the eggs set and are fully cooked. I flipped my frittata over to serve it to show the beautiful golden crust. Enjoy!

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Pão de Ló de Alfeizerão – Portuguese Sponge Cake Alfeizerão Style

This is a cake which was once served to a King of Portugal has become the traditional cake of AlfAlfeizerão and is famous throughout Portugal.

In Portuguese tradition, it is said that this cake has its origins from the Monastery of Stª. Maria de Cós, a nuns convent which was founded in the Twelfth century by Abott D. Fernando in Cós, Alcobaca, Portugal.

Around the Fourteenth century, the nuns of the monastery taught the Pão-de-ló , recipe to local women of the nearby town of AlfAlfeizerão which is a few miles from Alcobaca and was the home town of the Sir Knight Vitorino Froes, a close friend of the then King Don Carlos.

The King often visited Knight Froes estate S. Martinho do Porto, where the best delicacies and desserts where served. Pão-de-ló was a favorite and revered dessert at that time. The legend is that, on one occasion, the cake was served slightly unbaked which gave it a runny consistency in the middle upon slicing it. However, the king instantly fell in love with this cake and from then on insisted it be served in this same way.

The recipe below is in both English and Portuguese in (red) text. Enjoy!

Pão de Ló de Alfeizerão

Ingredients:

Ingredientes:

4 eggs – 4 ovos;

8 egg yolks – 8 gemas;

1 and 1/4 cup granulated sugar – 250 g de açúcar;

1 cup flour – 125 g de farinha;

1 teaspoon whiskey – 1 colher (chá) de aguardente; (optional)

Zest from 1/4 of 1 lemon – raspa de ¼ de limão; (optional)

Butter or margarine for greasing pan – manteiga (para untar)

Preparation:

Preparação:

Beat the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, with the lemon zest and the teaspoon of whiskey for about 10 minutes until light and fluffy and double the volume.

Bata as gemas, os ovos e o açúcar, com a raspa de limão e a colher de chá de aguardente, até obter um creme fofo e volumoso.

Fold in the flour gently until all incorporated.

Junte suavemente a farinha sem bater muito.

Grease a cake pan very well or use and bake the cake at 320 F. for about 15-20 minutes.

Unte uma forma com manteiga. Leve ao forno a 160ºC, durante cerca de 15 a 20 minutos.

Remove the cake slowly from the pan so it does not split open.

You may bake in a round cake pan which is lined with parchment paper.

Deve ser desenformado cuidadosamente para não abrir.

Nota: para o pão-de-ló de Alfeizerão há umas formas artesanais feitas propositadamente. Também o pode fazer em forma redonda lisa, forrada com papel.

 

Recipe credit:

https://www.facebook.com/deliciasdaestrela/app_160650480751745

https://artesviagensesabores.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/pao-de-lo-tipo-alfeizerao/

Main Dish / Photo Gallery

Chourico and Egg Flat Bread

Find this recipe in my Taste Portugal More easy Portuguese recipes cookbook.

When you take one bite of this flat bread you’ll taste the delicious savory flavor of the chourico and eggs breakfast that you enjoy on weekend mornings!

This flat bread is my husbands new favorite! He loves everything with chourico and, he’s also is a pizzaholic so its a perfect combination for his taste buds. He did request more eggs on top the next time I make it! Now he wants me to make a flat bread out of his other favorite dish, Carne Alentejana! I better get experimenting. Enjoy!

Find this recipe along with recipe for dough in my Taste Portugal More easy Portuguese recipes cookbook. 

  1.  

Ingredients

1 lb of pizza dough (find recipe on this blog)

1/2 to 1 whole chourico or linguisa sausage cut into spices 

eggs (as many as you want for topping pizza)

1 small onion (thinly sliced)

1 clove garlic (finely minced)

1 or more cups shredded cheese (any favorite)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons olive oil

Fresh cracked pepper

1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese

Flour and course corn meal for dusting pan

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Spread out pizza dough into a thin desired shape on a cookie sheet that has been dusted with flour an a little course corn meal.

In a small skillet add one teaspoon of olive oil and saute the onions and garlic for about 2 minutes on medium heat.

Add the sliced chourico and let brown for a few minutes. Set aside to cool.

When dough is cool, spread the chourico evenly on the dough. Sprinkle with the basil and the shredded cheeses.

Break the eggs gently and place evenly spaced on top. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the eggs and chourico.

Top with fresh cracked pepper. Cook for about 15-20 minutes until the dough is golden brown.