Tia Maria's Blog – Page 16 – Sharing Portuguese recipes around the world

September 6, 2016

Sopa de FeijãoVerde da Horta – Garden Green Bean Soup

The cool weather is here. Let the soup cooking start. This soup is a bowl of healthy eating. Just serve with some crusty bread and dinner is served!

Ingredients:

2 pounds garden green beans (cut into 1 inch pieces)

2 large carrots (chopped)

1 large carrot (sliced)

1 large onion (minced)

1 clove garlic (minced)

1 large chopped tomato (seeded and skinned)

2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked)

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

2 large sprigs parsley (chopped)

1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation:

Saute onions, garlic and bay leaf in olive oil for few minutes. Add the tomato and chopped carrots and cook for about 3 minutes stirring often.

Add the all of the remaining ingredients except pasta sliced carrots and parsley. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the macaroni and sliced carrots and cook on medium for about 15 – 20 minutes until pasta is cooked.

Taste the soup for saltiness and add more if desired. Take soup off heat and let it sit to thicken. Add more broth if you like your soup thinner. Garnish with parsley and a little drizzle of olive oil.

Photo Gallery / Recipes / Sauces and Jams / Side Dish

September 6, 2016

Cebolada – Onion Sauce

This Cebolada (Onion Sauce) is great to put on steak, pork chops or as a base for baking fish. I like to make large batch and freeze into portions for later use.

To defrost simply leave the sauce defrosting overnight in the refrigerator or heat on low heat in a heavy saucepan.

Ingredients:

3 – 4 pounds ripe tomatoes (skinned, and partially seeded)

3 large onions (sliced)

1 large red bell peppers (sliced) optional

5 cloves garlic (minced)

2 large sprigs parsley (chopped)

1/2 cup white wine

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 chicken or vegetable bouillon cube

Preparation:

Saute the onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low medium heat for about 20 -30 minutes stirring often.

The sauce will thicken as it cooks. Taste for saltiness and add more to your taste. If you like the sauce thicker, simply add a tablespoon of tomato paste to thicken and let cook for a few minutes longer.

Let sauce cool and place into portions in freezer safe Tupperware or plastic. Store in freezer for a later use.

Appetizers / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

September 6, 2016

Peixinhos da Horta – (Little Fish from the Garden)) Tempura Fried Green Beans

Did you know that the cooking method used in Japanese cooking “tempura” was taught to the Japanese by the Portuguese Explorers? So the next time you order anything tempura at a restaurant you can thank your Portuguese ancestors.

Peixinhos da Horta means fish from the garden because these lightly tempura fried green beans resemble small fried fish. I grow my own Portuguese heirloom green beans in my garden, but you can substitute the recipe with any green beans. I took this picture below of one from my garden which measured 11 inches long. As you can see, the green beans resemble Italian flat green beans.

The beans are silky and nutty flavored which are perfect for soups, salads and as add ins to stir fry, rice and pasta dishes as well.

Ingredients:

2 pounds green beans

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup beer or seltzer soda

Oil for frying

Preparation:

Cut of stems and wash the green beans and cook for about 3-5 minutes until tender. Drain put aside and let dry. (Note: I cut my green beans in half since they were long and wide, but it’s up to your taste.)

Meanwhile, mix all of the ingredients except green beans and mix to form a slightly thick pancake like batter. Let the batter sit for a few minutes to thicken. If you find the batter is too thick add more liquid.

Heat the oil on medium high heat. Dredge the green beans in the batter. Test the oil for readiness by dipping a green bean into the oil. If the batter sizzles, the oil is ready.

Begin frying each green bean by shaking off excess batter and dip into the hot oil one by one. Flip the beans onto the other side as they become golden. Drain on paper towels. Watch this video: for frying technique.

Appetizers / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Sauces and Jams

September 6, 2016

Sun Dried Tomatoes in Portuguese Olive Oil

I had a very bountiful tomato harvest this year so I had to use the tomatoes in many different recipes. These sun dried tomatoes came out perfect! This was the first time I made the recipe and I was pleasantly surprised at the results. These tomatoes last up to 1 – 2 months in the refrigerator and are great on pizza, bruschetta, served on toast or crackers as appetizers, as a garnish or as an add on to sauces and soups!

Ingredients:

Ripe tomatoes (3 pounds or more)

(small red tomatoes sliced in half and seeded, or thin sliced larger tomatoes mostly seeds removed)

Sea Salt

Portuguese Virgin Olive Oil (2 cups or more)

Garlic (about 8 cloves or more)

Basil (optional)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place the tomatoes slices and haves on lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little drizzle of olive oil and salt.

Cook for about 6-10 hours depending on how much moisture your tomatoes have. Check after the 6 hours to see it they are dried.

While the tomatoes dry, mix 1 cup olive oil with the garlic and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes or until the oil is infused with the garlic and let cool. Chop basil if desired and add to the olive oil and garlic blend.

When tomatoes are done, let cool and mix in the olive oil blend. Place the tomatoes into very clean mason jars or clean lidded jars. Add more olive oil to cover and store in the refrigerator.

They’ll stay edible for up 1 month in the oil. Check for signs of mold or a rancid smell before using them. If you find mold discard them.

If you find the oil has thickened and turned a whitish color, just remove your desired amount of tomatoes and let the oil reach room temperature for about 30 minutes. It will thin out.

Try my brushcetta recipe:

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Recipes

August 18, 2016

Cranberry Lemon Scones

Invite your friends over for these Cranberry Lemon Scones and enjoy the company! They’re a perfect breakfast or anytime treat.

I served mine with Lemon Balm Tea (Cha de Cidreira) which is my favorite tea. My mother made this tea just about every day and grew her own lemon balm in her garden. She dried the leaves to make tea all year long. I also grow my own now and make tea on a regular basis. It’s a soothing calming tea and good for when you have an upset stomach as well.

“A member of the mint family, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) has a lovely lemon flavor and the ability to gently calm the nerves and lift one’s mood. Native to the Mediterranean, lemon balm’s medicinal and culinary use dates back over 2,000 years. Avicenna, the 11th-century Arab physician, wrote that lemon balm “causeth the mind and heart to become merry.” http://www.thekitchn.com

How to dry the lemon balm leaves for tea:

Cut the branches and trim off the larger stems. Wash and dry them and lay them out on paper towels or newspapers. Place in a dry place for about 1 week or more until the leaves are dry and brittle. Break the stems and leaves into small pieces and place in ziploc bags or a jar. Store in your cupboard.

When ready to make tea, boil 1 tablespoon of the dry tea leaves per 1 – 2 cups of tea for about 5 minutes. Let seep for another 5 minutes or longer depending on how strong you like it

Cranberry Lemon Scones

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 stick cut into chunks (8 tablespoons of very cold butter)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon of coarse natural sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix all dry ingredients and cold butter food processor or mixer until well blended.

(do not over mix)

Add remaining egg and sour cream to mixture and pulse until well blended and crumbly.

Add the cranberries and lemon zest and give the processor a few pulses just to mix slightly.

Shape into a circle of 3/4 inch thickness on a slightly floured surface.

Sprinkle with the coarse sugar.

Cut into 8 equal pieces. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Look at that beautiful golden color.

Light and flaky!

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

August 18, 2016

Mexican Lasagna

Your family will love this Mexican Lasagna. You’ll love that’s its easy to make and it tastes better the next day!

8 – 10 Burrito shells

Meat filling:

1 pound of ground beef or turkey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion (minced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1/2 cup of jarred roasted red peppers (diced)

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup salsa (any flavor)

salt and pepper to taste

Bean filling:

1 32 oz can of black beans

1/2 cup salsa (any flavor))

Layers:

1 (8oz) package shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 cup salsa (any flavor)

Hot sauce to taste

Cilantro or parsley for garnish

Note: You can also add some cooked rice to the bean layer.

Preparation:

Make meat filling by sauteing the onion and garlic in olive oil until golden. Add the meat and brown. Add salt and pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 10-15 minutes until thickened. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Place the beans in a saucepan and add the salsa. Cook and stir often until the beans thicken. Set aside.

Begin layering the lasagna. First coat the bottom of deep dish with a little sauce. Place 2 or 3 burritos on the bottom followed by 1/3 of the sauce. Spread with 2 oz. of cheese. Add a layer of shells, then the beans. Top the beans with 2 oz. of the cheese and spread a few tablespoons of sour cream and salsa on top. Continue layering followed by a final layer of shells with a little sauce on top. Cover with cheese. Cook for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Note: If you like it spicy add a few drops of hot sauce into each layer.

Cool slightly before cutting so it doesn’t fall apart. Garnish with sour cream, hot sauce and cilantro when serving if desired.

Let cool and store in refrigerator. It tastes better the next day! YUM!!

Desserts / Photo Gallery

August 3, 2016

Plum Crisp – Bolo de Ameixa

Delicious plums are in season. This easy dessert is sweet and tart. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to complete the dish! I make this all the time because it’s so simple. Enjoy!

Plum Crisp Ingredients:

8 – 10 large plums (pitted and sliced into 1/2 inch)

1 tablespoon flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

Crisp topping

1 package or 8 graham crackers (coarsely crushed)

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup instant oatmeal

12 Biscoff cookies (coarsely crushed)

5 – 6 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the plums with flour, sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt in bowl. Set aside.

Mix the crisp ingredients in a bowl and stir with a fork until crumbly and butter is incorporated.

Spread the plums in an ungreased deep baking dish. Top with the crisp mixture and cook for 20 minutes or until golden.

Let cool slightly before serving. Serve with Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Desserts / Photo Gallery

July 30, 2016

Lemon Bars with Maria Cookie Crust – Torta de Limão com Bolacha Maria

What an light and easy dessert for summer! I know most of you probably have the needed ingredients right in your kitchen pantry so go ahead and try it this weekend!

I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like lemon bars and I know everyone, will love these! Enjoy!

Filling:
6 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup flour

zest and juice of 4 or 5 large lemons

powdered sugar (for decoration)

Crust:
1 package 7.05 oz Maria Cookies (coarsely ground) (I placed them in a ziplock and pounded with a kitchen mallet for a coarser ground)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

5 tablespoons butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.

Mix the crust mixture in a bowl using a fork until well incorporated. Press the crust mixture into bottom of a ceramic or glass deep baking dish approximately 7 x 11 inches and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, sugar and eggs in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Add the lemon zest and juice and mix until well blended.

Pour the mixture over the slightly cooled crust and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until set. Let cool and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Dust with powdered sugar and cut into desired squares. Enjoy!

Appetizers / chicken / Photo Gallery

July 27, 2016

Asian Chicken Salad

A perfect summer lunch!

Asian Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken (cut into cubes)

6 cups Spring salad mix or any favorite salad mix

1 cup fresh bean sprouts (rinse and drain)

1/2 small red onion (sliced into thin strips)

1 cup grapes

1 carrot (sliced into thin strips)

1/2 cup peanuts

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Asian Dressing:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 clove garlic (finely minced)

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce (optional)

Cook Books / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Traditional customs

July 21, 2016

Giveaway: The Portuguese Travel Cookbook by Nelson Carvalheiro

If you long to visit Portugal, taste the foods, learn some history, learn about the cuisine, and mingle with the locals, I suggest you pick up a copy of The Portuguese Travel Cookbook. It’s the next best thing to physically traveling there. If you’re planning a trip, take the book along with you because it’s a great guide to plan your journey!

“This book shows you the Portuguese way of saying; I love you through food.” (The Portuguese Travel Cookbook)

Nelson Carvalheiro, the author, is a travel writer, award winning blogger (FITUR 2014/2015) and a photographer. Visit Nelson’s award winning blog nelsoncarvalheiro.com. Visit his webpage to order the cookbook in Portuguese.

The cookbook has won the award the Portuguese Gourmand Winner of World Book Awards 2016, the author tells us; “My love for Portuguese cuisine knows no boundaries or limits, is something that is in my soul, in my skin and in my heart. It is the Portuguese identity that matters the most and something I strive to preserve for future generations.” He also says that since he was a little boy, his favorite hobby is and always has been “eating.”

Like most of us who grew up with the comforting meals made by our Portuguese mother’s, grandmothers, and relatives, the passion for our cuisine is deep in our soul, because it brings back joyous memories of home.

ORDER HERE
Leave a comment on this post, Instagram or the Facebook feed mentioning the contest to be entered to win a free signed copy of the English version! Good luck everyone! ****This contest has ended. Thank you for participating.******

The author put his heart and soul into this cookbook which reflects the love between this man and his beloved country. Nelson and his photographer, Emanuele take us on a journey around Portugal spanning 300 cities, towns and villages from the beaches of Algarve to the mountains of the North. They visited almost 90 restaurants and tasted over 250 dishes. Stunning photography by Emanuele brings us up close to heartwarming simplicity of the old landscape, villages and rusticity of the many faces of Portugal’s inhabitants. It also includes 50 traditional authentic Portuguese dishes from the places he visited.

I read his book these past few weeks while on my vacation on the shore of the Rhode Island, nicknamed; “The Ocean State” which has a vast coastline like Portugal. I sat on my beach chair with my toes digging into soft sand often looking up at the sunny landscape where the ocean meet the clear blue sky. I said to myself, that if I sailed off into that ocean, in a straight horizontal line, I would place my feet on the very distant shores of Portugal. Although the distance between Nelson and I, is far and wide, as I read the book, I felt a bond and a connection to him because we have the same love for the food of Portugal, it’s cultural identity and it’s heritage.

The cookbook took me on a spiritual, inspirational, and educational journey. Reading each page I felt as if was there traveling right alongside him, meeting the locals, listening to the stories from those faces that bring me back to the past. I could and taste the dishes so lovingly prepared by fisherman, farmers, chefs and locals he introduced me to. The familiar names which are so recognizable, the faces in the photographs that remind me of my ancestors and the foods that brought me sweet memories of family, love and home.

Portugal is a part of me. I have often longed to travel the paths which Nelson so lovingly paved for me and this book brings me to the same rustic tables he dined in the forgotten countryside of the north, I can taste the wine from the vineyards that grow in the mountains and valleys of the Douro. I see the Algarve with it’s beautiful beaches, cliffs and amazing seafood dishes. In the Alentejo I taste the wines, savor the rich foods from the land, and listen to the Cante Alentejo, (Alentejo popular singing) from those that love the land and sing about the joys and sorrows of life. Here’s the sample Nelson put in his book below.

“I am indebted to the earth, the earth is in debt to me. the land pays me with life; I pay the earth by dying.”

Although I left Portugal as a young girl, this cookbook made me feel as if I never left. Happy travel to Portugal everyone!

The food and the 50 authentic recipes had me at hello.