Category: Recipes

Appetizers / Side Dish

Arugula Beet Salad with Fresh Farmers Cheese – Salada de Rúcula com Beterraba e Queijo Fresco


Arugula, Beet, Cherry Tomato and Fresh Farmer’s cheese salad. This healthy salad is full of antioxidants and tastes delicious. Both savory and sweet! Loving the Portuguese flag colors.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups Arugula (washed)
  • 1 cup small or chopped jarred Beets with juice (save the juice for dressing!)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 small red onion, sliced very thin
  • 1/2 cup Farmer/Goat cheese
  • Crushed black pepper

Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup of beet juice
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1tsp lemon or lime juice

Mix ingredients in a jar or bowl. Set aside.

Preparation:

Mix all salad ingredients in a bowl, except Farmer’s cheese. Add desired amount of dressing. Top with Farmer’s cheese and sprinkle with crushed black pepper.

Enjoy!

fish / Main Dish

Codfish Fisherman Style – Peixe à Pescador

This fresh codfish recipe is simple and delicious! Perfect for lent, meatless Mondays or any day of the week. Feel free to use salt cod if you prefer. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh boneless cod
  • 1 28oz can chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 roasted red pepper (sliced)
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • Lemon Juice (1/2 of a lemon)
  • Parsley (chopped) for garnish

Preparation:

Cut codfish into 4 sections. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Set aside to marinate for a few minutes.

In a skillet, add tomatoes, sliced roasted pepper, butter, chicken stock, wine and let simmer on medium heat for around 5-10 minutes, stirring often, to absorb flavors.

Arrange fish evenly in skillet. Cover the fish with the tomatoes/sauce. Cook for 5 minutes, stir (gently to not break up the fish) and cover with lid. Cook on medium heat for an additional 8-10 minutes or until codfish is flaky and white.

Garnish with Parsley and serve.

Easy and delicious – enjoy!

Recipes

Codfish, Chick Pea and Brussel Sprouts Bake

 

bacalhau brussels 4

I made this easy recipe last week and it was delicious! Don’t let the simple ingredients fool you because it’s delicious! A perfect side dish or main dish.

Make it ahead and heat up the next day! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless salt cod (hydrated)

1 32 oz can cooked chick peas

1 to 2 pounds pound of fresh brussel sprouts (sliced in half)

5 eggs (hard boiled and sliced)

1 small onion (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste 

1/2 cup olive oil

olives for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Saute the onions, garlic and brussel sprouts in 2 tablespoon of the olive oil until tender. Mix in the chick peas salt and pepper.

bacalhau brussels 5

Meanwhile cook the cod for about ten minutes. Let cool and flake into desired pieces.

Coat a deep dish baking pan with a little olive oil. Begin alternate layering with brussel sprouts first, then cod. Top with eggs and olives

Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 to 20 minutes to heat. Serve as a main

 

bacalhau brussels

Recipes

Lisbon Blue Shop

                                  

Lisbon Blue Shop – Unique handmade crafts and other gifts inspired by Portugal

 

Hi Everyone! Join me, and my daughter Lisa at our new Lisbon Blue Etsy Shop which we just launched this week. We love to cook, and we love everything Portuguese!

Our shop has unique gifts with Portuguese influences! We’re working on new items to add every week so be sure to stop by and favorite our shop so you get updates on new items. Visit and like our Facebook page where we’ll be posting new items. Here are some of our creations.

 

Desserts / Photo Gallery

Blueberry Muffins – Bolos de Mirtilo

blue berry muffins

Home made Blueberry Muffins are the best and with blueberry season here they will taste even better. I make a crumb topping for my muffins but his is optional to your taste.

“Mirtilo”, is the name for blueberries in Portuguese, but the fruit is barely known there. In fact, most countries around the world have never ever seen or heard of the fruit.

The biggest producers of blueberries are the US and Chile but, blueberry production has exploded around the world since the benefits of blueberries as antioxidants. was discovered a few years ago.

Here’s the easy recipe for 12 large muffins

Ingredients:

4 cups Bisquick or any other generic buttermilk biscuit mix

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 stick melted butter

1 cup milk

1 package fresh blueberries (1 pint or about 2 cups) (washed and dried)

 

Crumb topping:

2 tablespoons  flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons cup quick cooking oats (if desired)

2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

 

Instructions for batter:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs for 1 minute until foamy. Add the remaining ingredients except toppings and mix on low for about 1 minute. The batter will be slightly lumpy.

Grease muffin tins very generously with

Rinse and dry berries. Coat them with a dusting of the biscuit mix or flour and gently fold into the batter. Pour evenly into the tins.

Cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Instructions for crumb topping:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and mix with your fingers until you get a crumbly mix. If it’s too wet, add more flour and sugar. If too dry add more melted butter.

 

chicken / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Copy Cat Shake and Bake

shake and bake chicken

After experimenting with my own Copy Cat – Shake and Bake recipes, I finally came up a winner using some spicy Piri Piri sauce to give it a Portuguese kick! It’s very simple to make using most items you probably already have in your pantry.

I’ve made this recipe many times and it’s one of those recipes that you’ll keep going making again and again. It’s a perfect pot lock take along dish for your next picnic, since the chicken tastes great cold too! I made a batch of the coating which was enough for about 18 pieces of chicken. It left me with a left over so I placed it in a jar for the next time and stored it in the refrigerator.

I served the chicken with my Beet, Mandarin Orange, and Apple Salad. It’s a perfect summer dish!

Beet, Mandarin Orange, and Apple Salad

4 cups garden salad mix

1/2 cup pickled beets (sliced)

1/2 cup mandarin orange segments

1 small apple (chopped)

1/4 small red onion (sliced thin)

Balsamic dressing

shake and bake chicken 3

Ingredients:

12 – 18 pieces of chicken legs or thighs

Baking Mix ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon coriander

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning mix

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon piri piri hot sauce (or use any hot sauce)

1/4 cup white wine

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place chicken in a large bowl. Season with a little salt and splash with the wine. Mix and let sit to room temperature to marinade.

Mix the oil with the piri piri in a small bowl. Place all coating mix all dry ingredients in a plastic zip lock bag. Add the oil. Shake bag thoroughly and mix with you fingers outside the bag incorporating the mix until crumbly.

Spray a large sheet pan or 2 with cooking spray.

When chicken is ready, place 2 pieces at a time into the bag with mix and shake to coat chicken. Shake of excess coating and arrange on pans. Spray chicken with cooking spray. This will create a crispy crust.

Cook at 400 degrees for 45 – 50 minutes. Not need to turn chicken. it will come out crispy and golden brown.

Note that every oven cook temperature various. You may need to cook longer.

You can use the coating mix on boneless chicken or pork but the cooking time will be 20-25 minutes.

shake and bake chicken 2

Recipes

Pão Caseiro – Portuguese Home style Bread

pao caseiroLet’s make Homestyle bread – Pao Caseiro together!

 

Romeo and Juliet Sandwich is a combination of Portuguese Sao Jorge Cheese and Marmelada


Ingredients:

4 cups flour

3 teaspoons dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/4 cup warm water

1/4 teaspoon sugar

pao caseiro ingredients

Preparation:

Place four in a bowl and make a well. Add yeast to warm water and sugar and let sit for 10 minutes to activate yeast. Add yeast to flour, mix slightly.

pao caseiro 5   

Add salt, 4 more tablespoons water, and mix until a round ball of dough forms. Knead on floured surface for a few minutes.

Place in floured bowl, cover and let rise until double.

pao caseiro2

After rise, shape into bread rolls shapes. Cut a cross slit on top, cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Set oven at 395 degrees F., Sprinkle with a little flour and bake for about 30 min or until a light golden crust forms.

Note: Cooking times may vary depending on your oven.

pao caseiro

Appetizers / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Sauces and Jams / Side Dish

Portuguese Shrimp Mozambique | Camarão a Moçambique


 

Shrimp Mozambique

This shrimp dish is a party in a pan!

 All you need is some good Vinho Verde, fresh crusty bread for dipping into to sauce, and friends to share it with!


Although the reicpe is called a Mozambique, it’s a favorite Portuguese dish served in many Portuguese restaurants. It’s given the name because of the spiciness from the piri piri hot sauce which contains the red hot peppers originating in Africa. Piri Piri means “pepper” in Swahili.

“Piri piri is a cultivar of Capsicum frutescens, a chili pepper that grows both wild and as a crop. It is a small member of the genus Capsicum. The cultivar was developed from the malagueta pepper in southeastern Africa and was spread by the Portuguese to their Indian territories of Gujarat and Goa.” Wikipedia

My favorite wine to serve with this dish is the classic Vinho Verde, but you can substitute with a good dry wine!

Let’s eat! Take one shrimp by tail, and suck the sauce from it. Then peel and eat. Dip crusty bread into the sauce and enjoy it’s savory flavor.

Note: I recommend leaving the shells on because it creates a more intense flavor.  The recipe can be made with shell off shrimp and then served with rice or pasta for a main dish.

 

 


Ingredients:

 

2 pounds of medium size shrimp (with shells on)

1 small onion ( finely minced)

4 cloves of garlic (minced finely )

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 to 1 tablespoon paprika

1 cup of white wine or Vinho Verde

1 chicken bouillon cube

1/2 to 1 tablespoon of Piri Piri or your favorite hot sauce if you don’t have it available

1 tablespoon parsley (finely minced for garnish)

Preparation

In a medium skillet, add the olive oil, heat to medium and add the onion. Cook onion for about 2 minutes until it becomes translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and let cook for 1 minute. Add the butter, bouillon and paprika. Stir well and cook for 1 minute.

Add the wine, stir and let come to a boil on medium heat. Add salt. Simmer for a few minutes longer until the shrimp turns pink. Add the piri piri hot sauce.

Cook for a few minutes for the wine to evaporate. Add more piri piri if desired. Garnish with parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

 

chicken / Recipes / rice

Portuguese Dirty Rice – Arroz de Figado

Arroz de Mohelas Dirty Rice

Arroz de Figado – Portuguese Style Dirty Rice

This old classic recipe is on the comeback at upscale restaurants but I’ve been enjoying this dish since my mother taught me the recipe when I was a young girl. Who knew that a peasants dish would end up on the menu these trendy upscale high priced restaurants! It’s simple to prepare, full of flavor and very impressive to serve as a side dish. The “dirty” name comes from the dark sauce from the chicken livers which when cooked, create a brownish appearance to the rice resembling dirt. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken livers (washed and chopped into 1 inch pieces)

2 cups rice

1/2 small onion (minced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups water

1 chicken boullion cube

2 tablespoons white wine

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons salt

Parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Saute half of the onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook until translucent. Bring water to boil and set aside. Add the rice to onion stir to coat the oil and cook for about 30 seconds. Add paprika, stir, and add the water and 1 teaspoon salt. Let come to a boil, cover and let cook for 15 minutes. Set aside until you prepare the liver.

Meanwhile add 2 tablespoons olive to a skillet. Add the remaining onion and the garlic and cook for about 1 minute on low heat until cooked. Add the chicken livers and let brown on all sides. Add the wine and chicken bouillon cube. Stir and cook for a few minutes until liver is fully cooked. Add liver to cooked rice. Mix well, simmer and let simmer for a few minutes to incorporate flavors. Serve with parsley as a garnish if desired.

Photo Gallery / Recipes / shrimp

Shrimp and Pork Picadinho

Shrimp and Pork Picadinho
shrimp and pork picadinho final
shrimp and pork picadinho final

The combination of pork and shrimp in a savory yet slightly spicy sauce can be served as an appetizer with crusty Portuguese rolls, or as a main dish with rice or potatoes. It’s a variation on the classic Carne de Porco à Alentejana with a milder flavor. This is one of those dishes can be adapted to your taste so go ahead and experiment. Those of you that love both pork and shrimp will fall in love with this dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork loin (more or less) (cut into 1-2 inch cubes)

1 pound or more peeled medium shrimp

1 small onion chopped

4 cloves chopped garlic

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup white wine or Vinho Verde

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons Piri Piri or Tabasco hot sauce

1 cup chicken broth or (1 cup water and 1 cube bouillon )

1 teaspoon corn starch

chopped parsley

1 large lemon

Preparation:

In a large bowl, season pork with; salt, garlic, paprika, piri piri and wine. Mix well and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or leave overnight.

Preheat large skillet or wok on high heat with 1/4 cup olive oil and add onions.

Cook for about 2 minutes then add pork.  Let meat brown on all sides and cook for about 5 – 8 minutes. Add the chicken broth and shrimp and cook for another 5 – 8 minutes until meat is cooked. Mix corn starch with a little water and add to the pork. Mix well and let cook until sauce is thickened. Taste and add more hot sauce to your desired spiciness. Cut lemon in  half and squeeze juice of one half over pork. Slice the other half as garnish. Top with parsley and serve. *Note that the pork cooks quickly but depending on your heat setting it may need longer to cook.

*You can make this dish ahead of time and serve later. Let cool and store in refrigerator.

lemon