Category: Recipes

Photo Gallery / Recipes / Traditional customs

Bacalhau in Food Predictions for 2015 – Bon Appetit Magazine

 Bacalhau listed as one of 13 top World Predictions for 2015 in Bon Appetit Magazine!

 The national dish of Portugal, is “bacalhau,” dried, salted cod. The Portuguese have been obsessed with it since the early 16th century, when their fishing boats reached Newfoundland.

The sailors salted and sun-dried their catch to make it last the long journey home, and today there are said to be 365 different ways of preparing it, one for each day of the year.

Search for Bacalhau on the search bar to find many recipes here on this site!

 

 

13 Food World Predictions for 2015 From Andrew Knowlton – Bon Appétit.

Photo credit: Bon Appetit Magazine

fish / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Salada de Bacalhau com Feijão Frade – Salt Cod and Black Eyed Pea Salad

This is a perfect dish to prepare for a quick lunch or dinner. Cod is considered on of the world’s healthiest foods with; omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins and it has low calorie protein.

You can serve this dish cold in the summer, or as a hot dish in the colder months. Sometimes I also add 2 boiled potatoes cut into chunks to the recipe to make the dish heartier. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

8 oz Bacalhau (Salt Cod)

1 can black eyed peas (drained and rinsed)

1/2 small onion (finely minced)

2 cloves garlic (finely minced)

2 eggs (hard boiled)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Chopped parsley (garnish)

2 boiled potatoes (optional)

Instructions:

Cook the cod in boiling water for about 8 minutes until flaky. Drain, let cool, shred into pieces and place in a medium bowl.

Make the vinaigrette by mixing together the onion, garlic, oil, and vinegar.

Add the peas to codfish and mix. Add the vinaigrette and mix gently.

Top with the eggs and parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.

Note:

If you want to serve this dish hot, heat the peas and add it to the warm cod along with the other ingredients.

Image credit: http://comidasreais.blogspot.com

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.

Cook Books / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Taste Portugal | 101 easy Portuguese recipes

Introducing!

Taste Portugal | 101 easy Portuguese recipes

What began for my daughter Lisa and I as a challenging labor of love by simply sharing recipes on this Blog, has now transformed into a commitment of preserving the rich Portuguese food culture, promoting the nation’s cuisine, and inspiring people to learn how to cook these recipes so they can pass them on to the next generation.

A heartfelt thank you to all of our fans for your encouragement and support!

Obrigado!

Maria and Lisa

 

Order print version here!

Download my e cookbook to your computers, laptops, kindle,
iPad and iPhone, Android phones and other electronic devices!
Order here!

The 101 recipes contained in our cookbook have many recipes from Tia Maria’s Blog along with other classics dishes in Portuguese cuisine. The recipes are easy for the everyday home cook to prepare, they’re made with simple ingredients, and they require basic equipment that most home cooks have in their kitchen.

Recipes include; Soups, Appetizers, Side Dishes, Breads, Main Dishes and Desserts!

Come along, let us show you how to cook 101 easy Portuguese recipes so you can taste Portugal!

 

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

Lisa’s Portuguese Pot Roast

My daughter Lisa made Portuguese Pot Roast dinner on Sunday. It came out fabulous! This perfect pot roast is pure comfort food for the cold months. The sauce is so flavorful that you’ll want soak it all up, be sure you have a lot of fresh crusty bread on hand for dipping. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 (4) Pound Pot Roast

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon flour

4 tablespoons  olive oil

4 large carrots (cut into chunks)

4 stalks of celery(chopped)

2 onions (chopped)

5 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 and 1/2 cups beef broth

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 cup red wine

2 tablespoons Madeira wine or any Portuguese brandy

1 sprig rosemary

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon thyme

 

Instructions:

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season the beef with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and sear both sides in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an oven proof dutch oven. Remove meat and set aside.

To the same pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, onions, celery, garlic and carrots and let cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, wine and brandy and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the broth, bouillion, remaining herbs and bring to a boil.

Add the meat back into the pan, cover and cook in oven for 2 hours.

Uncover, and cook for another 1 and 1/2 to  2 hours longer until meat is tender and falls apart.

Remove bay leaf and rosemary stem before serving.

Place the potatoes in the oven during the last 1 hour of pot roast cooking.

 

 

Rosemary Potatoes:

2 pounds of potatoes (washed, scrubbed, and cut into cubes)

1 small onion

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon rosemary (chopped)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon pepper

 

Instructions:

Place all ingredients into a bowl and toss to coat well. Place the potatoes in a nonstick baking casserole dish or pan coated with cooking spray.

Cook for 1 hour tossing potatoes every 15 minutes.

 

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.

 


 

Photo Gallery / Soups

Kale Fall Vegetable Kielbasa Soup

Soup season is here and what better way to warm up than with this hearty, vitamin packed soup. I used fall root vegetables which are season now, and white northern beans which give the soup a flavorful base.

You may substitute the kielbasa with Portuguese Chourica sausage if you prefer for a spicy kick!

To make this soup vegetarian, leave out the kielbasa. Pick up some fresh rolls and dinner is served! Enjoy and stay warm!

Ingredients:

1 pound of fresh Kale ( finely chopped)

1/2 pound Kielbasa (chopped into desired pieces)

6-8 cups or more of water (depending on how thick you want the soup)

1 small onion (finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 large carrot (chopped into 1 inch cubes)

1 small rutabaga (nabo) chopped into 1/2 inch cubes)

1 cup butternut squash (finely chopped into 1/2 inch cubes)

1 large potato (cut into small cubes)

1 can of white northern beans

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

Black pepper to taste

Parsley for garnish

Instructions:

Place oil, vegetables and kielbasa in a large soup pan. Saute for 5 minutes until the onion and kielbase becomes slightly browned.

Add the water, stir and add the remaining ingredients except the kale and beans. Bring to a boil and cover.

Cook for 20 minutes on low medium heat. Continue cooking the vegetables to your desired consistency.

Leave the vegetables whole, or puree if you like a thicker soup.

Add the kale and beans, cover and cook on low for 10 minutes longer.

Add more seasonings as desired.

Photo Gallery / Recipes / Soups

Portuguese Kale Soup | Sopa de Couve com Chourico

 

This recipe for Kale Soup will take less than 30 minutes to prepare. This soup is very popular but it is often mistakenly called Caldo Verde Soup which is the most popular soup in Portugal. However, Kake Soup uses chunky potatoes and chopped kale rather than a potato puree. So the next time you see a restaurant menu offering these soups you’ll know the difference before you order.

There are many variations of this recipe. Some cooks use pasta instead of potatoes or add white beans or chick peas instead of the red kidney beans. Go ahead and experiment with your favorite ingredients! Enjoy!

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes (peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes)

4 cups chicken broth or (4 cups water and 1 chicken bouillon cube)

2 cups water or more

3–4 cups kale or collard greens (chopped)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 bay leaf

1 (32 oz.) can red kidney beans

1 teaspoon salt

½ tsp pepper

Olive oil for garnish

1 16 oz. can roma (or any ripe) tomatoes (chopped)

1/2 small chouriço or linguica sausage (cut into pieces)


Instructions:

In a large soup pot, cook onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent for a few minutes.

Add the chouriço, potatoes, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.  Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the water and broth and bring to a boil. Add the cabbage, beans, tomatoes, and bring to a second boil.

Cover, reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking, stirring once in a while until the potatoes are tender for about 20-30 minutes.

Taste, add water if needed to make a thinner broth and cook longer if you desire. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top if desired before serving.

Note: Substitute with any green leaf cabbage or red kidney beans with any type of beans for different variations.

 

Recipes

Correia Chestnut Farm Brings Fall Tradtion to Your Table

Chestnut – Castanha season is here!

Warm your family’s and friends heart with fresh chestnuts this fall. See the recipe for cooking chestnuts at the bottom of this article.

Harvey Correia is a third-generation farmer of Portuguese decent from the Sacramento River Delta.  His grandfather first immigrated from Madeira Island, in the Azores in 1907 and returned twice to his homeland. On his second visit back to Madeira he married Harvey s grandmother.  Harvey ponders at how in 1920, his grandfather and then pregnant grandmother sailed the long journey across the Atlantic, and traveled that long train ride across the country to reach California. Harvey’s father, is the second of 10 children and recently celebrated his 90th birthday.

His grandfather worked at the docks in the San Francisco Bay Area and then began farming near Isleton, California where he eventually purchased farmland and settled.  Harvey began growing chestnuts at the since 1998 after transitioning the farm from growing Bartlett pears. Growing pears required the use of many pesticides which left Harvey with concerns about the risks of using large amounts of pesticides on his farm. However, chestnuts in the Central Valley of California are relatively pest free.

Warm and just out of the oven! They came out delicious!

Correia Chestnut Farm has experimented with growing many different varieties of chestnuts and began offering a limited quantity of Italian marroni-type chestnuts in 2005 which received rave reviews from customers.

The rest of the farm’s orchard was grafted to these varieties in 2007 and they are now the only varieties grown in significant quantity.  While some varieties of chestnuts will produce larger chestnuts, most customers have agreed that none match the taste and quality of the Italian marroni. Visit them on their website for more information and visit them on their Facebook page for updates.

Order your chestnuts here just in time for Dia de Sao Martinho (St. Martins Day) and the upcoming Holidays!

Medium Size – 1.125 to 1.25 inches in diameter, averaging 30 nuts per pound.  $5.50 per pound

Large Size – 1.25 or more inches in diameter, averaging 20 nuts per pound.  $7.00 per pound

 Minimum Order – 5 pounds

Don’t forget to order the chestnut knife and roasting pans as well !

Look at these beautiful chestnut trees on the Correia farm!

Chestnust should normally be able to be stored for at least a month in your refrigerator at home following the instructions supplied with your order.

“Chestnuts are unlike other “nuts” in that they have a high moisture content and are low in fat.  Therefore, it is important to store chestnuts in refrigeration until a few days before you intend to enjoy them.

We have found that a majority of grocery stores do not properly refrigerate chestnuts or do not refrigerate them at all!  As a result, chestnuts purchased from a store are often spoiled or dried out.  The industry is attempting to educate retailers but this has been a slow process.  To ensure the chestnuts you purchase are of the highest quality, we suggest that you make your chestnut purchase directly from us, the grower, so that we can rush them directly to you from our refrigerated storage.” www.chestnuts.us

Corriea Chestnut Farm video


How to roast chestnuts recipe:

1. Using sharp knife, make an incision about 1/8-inch deep through the top of chestnut.

2. After slitting place the chestnuts on roasting pan and roast them 400  degrees for about 20 – 30  minutes. To check for doneness, squeeze one holding a dish towel and it should be soft.
Note: Optional – Portuguese custom is to sprinkle the chestnuts with salt before roasting for a salty kick.
3. Place a damp towel over the chestnuts to retain the heat and moisture. While they are still hot and cool enough to handle squeeze them gently with a towel to peel the shell and then remove the inner skin.