Tia Maria's Blog Blog

Photo Gallery / Recipes / soup / Soups

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup – Canja Simples

A perfect remedy for a Spring cold. This Chicken Noodle Soup will be ready in under 60 minutes. I used stars, but you can use rice or any favorite small pasta.

Ingredients:

6-8 cups of water

1 Chicken leg quarter

1 cup of star or any small soup pasta

1/2 small onion (chopped into small pieces)

1 garlic clove

2 medium carrots (thinly sliced)

2 stalks celery (Chopped into small pieces)

2 chicken boullion cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Bring water to a boil in a medium pan. Add the chicken, onion, garlic, 1 celery, salt, and bouillon cubes. Let come back to a boil, cover and let cook for 45 minutes on medium heat.

After the 45 minutes remover the chicken from pan. When cool,  remove the meat from the bone and chop into small pieces.

Add the chicken back into the soup along with the pasta, remaining carrot, celery, pepper flakes, and black pepper. Cook on medium uncovered for about 10 minutes.

If you want a thinner soup, add more water and let it come to a boil. Taste and add seasonings to your taste.

Serve with parsley flakes and more red pepper flakes if desired.

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

Portuguese Style Baby Back Ribs

 

These ribs are fall off the bone with my spice mix recipe. You can bake them or cook out on the grill using the same technique. Enjoy!

Watch my Portuguese Rib video recipe on Youtube below. Subscribe and follow for the latest videos added.

 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons my Taste Portugal Spice Mix (regular or spicy blend)

2 racks baby back ribs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup white wine

My Barbecue Sauce: Optional

1 cup Ketchup

3 tablespoons Brown sugar

1 tablespoon Soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon White Vinegar

Note: If you want to cover with barbecue sauce, mix ingredients in a small bowl and spread over the ribs 15 minutes before end of total cooking time.

Preparation:

Mix seasoning and rub over ribs on both sides. Drizzle with wine and olive oil. Cook at 325 for 2 hours covered with foil.  Cook uncovered for the last 30 minutes to create a crispy top.

When done, cover with foil and place in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve.

Appetizers / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

Asparagus Tart – Pastel de Aspargo

This recipe isn’t a traditional Portuguese dish, but my daughter Lisa made it for our Easter appetizer and it was such a big hit, that I had to share it with you. Asparagus in season now so go ahead and try it.

We substituted the marscarpone cheese that is called for in the original recipe with low fat cottage cheese with chives. It was one the easiest appetizers we’ve ever made and so delicious that we’ll be making it more often now! Enjoy it for a light lunch with a salad.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon flour

1 sheet frozen puff pastry 9×9 (approximately)

1 cup low fat cottage cheese with chives

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 large egg, beaten

1 lemon, zest finely grated (about 1 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon chopped dried rosemary

1 pound asparagus

1 tablespoon olive oil

Black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the puff pastry to a 9- by 12-inch rectangle.

Combine the cottage cheese 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt, the flour, egg and lemon zest, and rosemary. Spread over the pastry leaving a border.

Make small cuts 1 inch apart with a knife.

Toss the asparagus with the olive oil. Lay half of the asparagus over the cheese.

Season with the salt and pepper.

Bake until golden brown and puffed for about 25 minutes. Let tart cool for 10 minutes.

Recipe was adapted from: courtesy Morgan Hass for Food Network Kitchens

Appetizers / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Garlicky Boneless Spare Ribs and Roast Potatoes

This one pan dinner is easy to prepare and easy cleanup for your busy weeknights. The sweet and savory carrots complete the dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 – 3 pounds of boneless spare ribs

2 pounds of potatoes (peeled and chopped)

3 or 4 large carrots (sliced into quarters)

1 large onion (chopped)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white wine

1 tablespoon salt

3 cloves of garlic

2 teaspoons of paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

2 tablespoons of butter or margarine

Preparation:

Rub the ribs with the wine, half of the salt, garlic and pepper, and let sit for about 10 minutes or you can marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Place the potatoes, carrots, onions and ribs in a roasting pan and pour the olive oil over them.

Sprinkle evenly with the remaining seasonings and toss well to incorporate. Arrange the potatoes and carrots on the bottom of the pan leaving the ribs on top. Cut up the margarine into small chunks and put over the ribs. Shake the pan slightly to spread ingredients evenly. Note: If your ribs are smaller, they may cook quicker, so test them for doneness.

Cook at 350 degrees for about 1 and 1/2 hour.  Shake the pan every 20 minutes and drizzle with pan juices, so the potatoes do not stick to pan. If you to need to toss the potatoes use a flat spatula. If you like the potatoes crispy, cook longer, but remove the ribs and set them aside.

Photo Gallery / Recipes / soup / Soups

Cabbage Vegetable Soup | Sopa de Vegetais com Couve

When I owned a small restaurant for many years, I made home made soup for the customers every day. When I add up all the soups I’ve made in my life, it numbers in the thousands and by now I can make soup with my eyes closed! This soup is full of flavor and good for you! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound pork or beef with bone

2 medium potatoes

1 small head of cabbage or savoy cabbage (chopped into  pieces)

2 large carrots

1 large onion

1 small rutabaga

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon crushed black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 beef or chicken bouillon cube

8 cups water or more

Preparation:

In a large soup pan, place half of the olive oil, and all vegetables except the cabbage and pork. Let come to a boil and add the meat. Cover and let cook on medium for 45 minutes.

Remove meat and 1 carrot. Chop the carrot and reserve for later. Puree the remaining vegetables with an immersion blender to your desired consistency. If you prefer the vegetables chunky you don’t have to puree them.

Add the meat bone and the cabbage to the soup, cover and cook for another 20 minutes.  Remove the meat from the bone and add it along with the reserved carrot back into the soup. Stir, taste and add the remaining olive oil and more salt if desired.

Serve with crusty bread for a complete meal! Enjoy!

Appetizers / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

Presunto and Melon Salad | Presunto com Melão

This mouthwatering salad makes a perfect appetizer for your guests. So easy to prepare and the sweet melon flavors balance the saltiness of the presunto. If you don’t have Portuguese presunto on hand pick up some Prosciutto de Parma, at your local deli! It also makes a great lunch for 2 served with a bottle of Vinho Verde or dry white wine!

The serving platter is vintage Portuguese pottery which I love! Enjoy!

Presunto Melon Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups each of Cantaloupe and Honeydew Melon

1/2 – 1 cup of thinly sliced Presunto or (Prosciutto)

1/2 cup of your favorite shaved sharp cheese (I use Azorean Sao Jorge Cheese) 

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Crushed black pepper

Toss the melon with the lemon juice and pepper in a bowl. Arrange on serving platter and top with the presunto and cheese.

 

Desserts / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Pineapple Sumol and Coconut Poundcake

If you like pina coladas you’ll love this cake. The pineapple and coconut flavors really come through. I used Pineapple sumol, but you can substitute with pineapple juice.


Ingredients:

2 sticks butter (soft)

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup pineapple Sumol or pineapple juice

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 cup shredded coconut plus more for topping cake

Glaze Optional

Mix 2 cups of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat the sugar and butter until creamy and adding 1 egg at a time.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl mix together and pineapple sumol and lemon juice.

Mix the flour mixture and the milk into the eggs alternating with the sumol and beat until creamy.

Add the coconut and mix well. Pour into a well greased bundt pan. Cook for 50 – 55 minutes until tooth pick comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and top with shredded coconut.

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Bife a Portuguesa | Steak and Egg Portuguese Style

You’ll find this classic steak dish on just about every Portuguese restaurant’s menu. What makes this dish so flavorful is the combination of red wine, garlic and olive oil which creates a rich sauce that is poured over the steak and egg.

This recipe is from my Taste Portugal cook book! I had the book marks printed for my first book signing! The Galo de Barcelos brings good luck!

Ingredients: Serves 2

2 (8oz) sirloin steaks (½ or 1 inch thick)

 4 cloves garlic (sliced)

 Salt

 Pepper

 2 eggs

 1 tablespoon olive oil

 4 or 6 small potatoes (peeled and sliced into ¼ inch slices or regular cuts)

 Oil for frying potatoes

Wine reduction:

 2 tablespoons  olive oil

 2 tablespoon of butter

½ cup red wine

Preparation:

Season the steaks with salt and pepper and let marinade overnight or for at least 1 hour. Fry potatoes in hot oil, drain, and season with salt and keep warm in the oven.

Cook steaks with the garlic in hot skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and add wine reduction ingredients. Cook the reduction until reduced by half.

Place the steaks back in the pan on low heat with the reduction. Meanwhile, cook 2 eggs sunny side up in a separate small nonstick skillet.

Heat a large serving plate in the oven. Place steak in the center of the plate surrounded by the home fries.

Place one egg on top of each steak. Pour sauce from the pan over the steak and eggs. Season with more salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley if desired.

This dish is usually served with a serving of Portuguese rice as well, but optional. Enjoy!

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

Fava Bean and Chouriço Stew | Favas Guisadas com Chouriço

I’ve had many requests for this Fava recipe. Most of them have been from people who eat this dish at Portuguese festivals and want to make it at home. The dish is easy to make and if you prefer a vegetarian version of this recipe, simply leave out the meats and use vegetable broth.

Fava beans have been around since 6000 BC. They have a long tradition of cultivation in Old World agriculture, being among the most ancient plants in cultivation and also among the easiest to grow. Along with lentils, peas, and chickpeas, they are believed to have become part of the eastern Mediterranean diet around 6000 BC or earlier. They are still often grown as a cover crop to prevent erosion, because they can overwinter and because as a legume, they fix nitrogen in the soil. 

In ancient Greece and Rome, beans were used in voting; a white bean was used to cast a yes vote, and a black bean for no.credits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicia_faba

Ingredients:

2 pounds chouriço sausage (sliced)

2 (19 oz) cans cooked fava beans

1/2 pound of presunto (chopped into small chunks) optional

1/4 cup olive oil

3 large onions (chopped)

3 garlic cloves (finely minced)

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons crushed red pepper paste

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon salt or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup tomato sauce

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine

2 teaspoons parsley (finely minced for garnish)

Preparation:

In a heavy sauce pan, saute the onion, chourico and presunto  in olive oil on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes and add the fava beans. Cook on low heat for another 30 minutes stirring the pan often. Cook longer if you like the beans softer.

Serve with crusty bread for dipping.

 

Photos credit:

http://www.acarvalheira.com/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/portuguese-favas/

http://chocolateamais.com/favas-guisadas-com-chourico-e-ovos-escalfados/