Tia Maria's Blog Blog

Events / Traditional customs

Azorean Festival at The Langham, Boston

Azorean Festival at The Langham, Boston

EXPERIENCE THE AZORES AT THE LANGHAM, BOSTON

In collaboration with the Azores Promotion Board, SATA Airlines, and Escola de Formação Turística e Hoteleira (school of tourism and hospitality), The Langham, Boston is pleased to bring the color and flavor of the Azores to Boston. Join us throughout March for specially created Azorean menus served in The Reserve, Café Fleuri and BOND restaurant | lounge.

The series runs from March 3 through 30 and will officially kick-off when works of art from Ponta Delgada’s Fonseca Macedo – Arte Contemporanea are installed in the hotel lobby. The series will culminate into a four-course wine dinner March 28 featuring Portuguese entertainment.

Learn more about the Azores at visitazores.com

Credits and photo: http://boston.langhamhotels.com/restaurants/azorean-festival-boston.htm

Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Portuguese Christmas / Recipes / rice

Arroz de Marisco – Seafood Rice Casserole

The bountiful seafood in the oceans of Portugal’s sea coast inspires this flavorful Seafood rice that is perfect for a celebration or anytime.

This recipe is inspired from a recipe that I learned many years ago from a Portuguese chef that worked at my brothers Portuguese restaurant!

You can improvise the recipe by adding more of your favorite seafood or omitting some ingredients. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

1 whole fresh lobster (cut into pieces)

1 pound of uncooked medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)

1 pound of scallops

1 pound of little neck clams (washed)

1 pound of mussels (washed and cleaned)

1 small onion (finely chopped)

1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)

1/2 cup of ripe tomatoes (crushed)

½ of a small, red bell pepper (chopped)

1 cup of uncooked peas

Pinch of Saffron

1 teaspoon paprika  

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups of chicken broth

2 cups of long grain uncooked rice

½ cup of Vinho Verde or white wine

Fresh chopped Cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute the onion, red peppers and garlic in a large deep heavy oven proof skillet or Cataplana pan until translucent.

Add the lobster pieces and brown for a few minutes.

Add the wine, tomatoes, paprika, and salt, and cook for about 5 minutes until reduced.

Add the broth and bring to a boil.

Add the rice and saffron and stir while cooking for about 5 minutes on high heat.

Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Remove the pan from the burner and stir in the peas.

Arrange the shrimp, scallops, clams, and mussels, evenly submerged on top of the rice.

Bake in the oven uncovered for about 30 minutes until the rice and seafood is cooked.

Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Notes:

You may need to cook the rice longer if you find it’s not fully cooked.

Add more broth if you find the rice too dry and bake or cook for a few minutes longer however Paella rice is typically dry.

Serves 4-6

 

Main Dish / Photo Gallery

Oven Broiled Spicy Chicken Piri Piri

 

I am so tired of Winter! I bet many of you are too. I was craving some Chicken Piri Piri so I made this recipe using the broiler last night. Now you can get the char grilled chicken flavor all year long with this method!

The chicken comes out tender, juicy and flavorful.

Find the recipe for; Portuguese rice or  Sweet Potato Chile Fries as a side dish. What’s great about making the fries is that you can cook them along with the chicken saving cooking time. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 small fryer chickens

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon of paprika

1 or 2 tablespoons of piri piri sauce or Tabasco hot sauce

1/2 teaspoon of piri piri powder (optional)

1/4 cup of Vinho Verde or white wine

Instructions:

Marinate the chickens with all the ingredients and leave them overnight in the refrigerator or for at least 2 hours before cooking.

Arrange the chickens on a large baking tray and broil in your oven until the skin becomes golden brown for about 10 minutes.

Do you notice the bottle of Vinho Verde, and authentic Portuguese spices? I’m lucky that I have many stores in my town to buy them!

*Note: Leave the oven door open slightly so you can keep your eyes on the chicken and it does not burn or smoke.

Turn off broiler and set the oven at 400 degrees.

Place the chicken in the tray in the middle oven rack and cook and cook for 1 hour or until the chicken is fully cooked and crispy.

If you make the sweet potato fries place them in the oven along with the chicken.

Here it is! Look at that crispy golden color!

When the chicken is cooked drain off the pan drippings and strain it into a small pan. Skim off the fat on top of the drippings, add more piri piri sauce to your taste and cook on low heat for a few minutes.

Serve the sauce over the chicken or on the side for dipping!

 Here’s the photo of the sweet potato fries. They are so good and spicy! Enjoy

Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Hot and Spicy Sweet Potato Chili Fries

These Hot and Spicy Sweet Potato Chili Fries are amazing! Let me suggest you make a double batch because they will be gone fast! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of skin on sweet potatoes (washed, pat dry, and cut into 1 inch slices)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons hot sauce or piri piri (optional if you don’t want them spicy)

1/4 cup of bread crumbs

Cooking spray

Instructions:

Place the potatoes in a bowl. Add the olive oil and shake the pan to coat the potatoes with the oil.

Add the remaining ingredients and shake the bowl again until the potatoes are evenly coated with the seasonings.

Coat a sheet pan with a heavy coating of cooking spray. Place the potatoes evenly in the pan. Cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn each fry over and cook the other side for another 10 minutes or longer until the fries are cooked and crispy!

Appetizers / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Saladas de Atum – Tuna Fish Salads

I’ve been making salads to make it feel like Summer. Look at the beautiful colors in this salad! It says Summer doesn’t it?

Prepare the tuna salad and eat it over a bed of lettuce for a light lunch, or add the tuna salad to the cooked pasta for a main meal.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for Tuna & Tomato Salad:

1 or 2 cans of tuna fish in water

1 cup of grape or cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup of onion or scallions (finely minced)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar

Salt to taste

Pepper

Parsley flakes

 

Pasta Salad Ingredients:

8 ounces or 1/2 package of uncooked pasta (any you prefer)

1/2 cup of red, yellow or green pepper (chopped)

1/4 cup of onion (finely chopped)

1 cup of uncooked peas

2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

crushed black pepper

1 tablespoon of Italian salad dressing mix (optional)

 

Instructions:

Cut the tomatoes in half. Drain the tuna. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and stir gently to incorporate the flavors.

Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Pasta Salad Instructions:

Prepare pasta per package directions but add the peas, peppers and onions 5 minutes before the pasta is done cooking.

Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water to remove the starch.

Mix the pasta with the remaining ingredients of mayonnaise, pepper and dressing and stir gently. Add the prepared tuna salad mixing gently to incorporate the flavors.

Add more salt or crushed black pepper if desired.

Main Dish / Photo Gallery

Bacalhau com Grao – Codfish & Chick Peas with Herb Vinaigrette

Bacalhau com Grao is perfect for your meatless days. This recipe has slow digesting carbs that are good for your diet, fiber and packed with protein! For those of you that observe Lent and opt out of eating meat on Friday it’s an easy dish to prepare in less than 30 minutes.  If you can’t find salted cod in your grocery store, you can substitute it with any flaky white fish but add 1 teaspoon of salt to the poaching liquid.

Codfish & Chick Pea Salad with Herb Vinaigrette

Bacalhau com Grao

Ingredients:

1 pound of boneless re-hydrated salt cod (cut into (2) 8 ounce portions)

1 slice of onion

2 cups of water

2 cups of cooked chick peas

Vinaigrette:

¼ cup of olive oil (add more if desired)

½ cup of white wine vinegar

½ small onion (finely minced)

2 cloves of garlic (finely minced)

¼ teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of black pepper

2 tablespoons of Parsley (chopped)

Instructions:

Make the vinaigrette in a medium bowl by mixing the ingredients together and set aside to incorporate the flavors.

Meanwhile, poach the codfish in a medium pan filled with about 2 cups of water and the slice of onion. Cook in a slow boil for about 8-10 minutes on medium heat.

Remove the codfish from the pan, drain, and cover to keep warm. Add the chick peas to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes on low heat.

Drain the chick peas and place both the fish and chick peas on a serving dish.

Pour the vinaigrette on top and serve. Add more olive oil and seasoning if desired. Enjoy!

 

 Photo credit: http://www.cincoquartosdelaranja.com/2010/06/bacalhau-cozido-com-chicharos.html



Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Chopped BLT Apple Salad Wrap

Think Spring and Summer with this easy BLT salad in a wrap! I’ve had enough of winter this year!

I’ve decided to start cooking summer dishes early this year so I can make believe it’s hot and sunny outside!  Join me..:)

Ingredients:

2 cups of chopped salad

2 cups of chopped baby spinach

12 grape, cherry tomatoes or tomato pieces

4 slices of cooked bacon

4 ounces of chopped cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of chopped cucumber

shredded carrots (optional)

1 apple (chopped into small pieces)

2 Wraps

Dressing:

1 tablespoons of lite mayonnaise

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon of crushed pepper

salt optional since the bacon is salty

Croutons (optional)

Instructions:

Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small cup, mix well and set aside.

Spread half of dressing on each wrap. Place desired amount of salad on each wrap and fold over.

Enjoy this salad without the wrap its deliciously fresh and full of flavor!

 

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / soup / Soups

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

This recipe is very easy to make despite having a lot of different ingredients.

I adapted it from the Pioneer Woman. She used tortillas in the soup instead of rice. If your family loves Mexican, they’ll go crazy for this soup! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups of cooked boneless leftover chicken (shredded)

1 small onion (minced)

1 small red pepper (minced)

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 or 2 cups of crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup Hot Salsa

1 large can of black beans

1 cup of rice

10  cups of water

2 chicken bouillon cubes

2 tablespoons of corn flour (medium grind)

1 cup of corn (optional)

 

Topping suggestions:

Tortilla Chips

Shredded cheese

Sour cream

Salsa

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped onion

Avocado

 

Instructions:

Saute the onion, garlic, and peppers in the olive oil, in a large heavy soup pan.

Add the salt, pepper, spices, tomato paste, tomatoes, salsa, water and bouillon and let cook on medium for about 5 – 10 minutes for the spices to blend.

Add the beans, rice, corn flour and chicken and cook for about 20 minutes on medium low heat stirring once in a while so the corn flour does not stick.

Do you notice the Gonsalves brand of corn flour?

Taste the soup and add more seasonings to your taste. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes on low heat. The soup will thicken as it cooks so you may need to add more water if you like a thinner soup.

While the soup cooks, prep the toppings. You can add as many as you like to your taste.

The soup was a big hit last night! Enjoy the recipe!

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery

Rabanadas – Portuguese Style French Toast

Order these beautiful ceramic mugs and glass cutting boards here Lisbon Blue shop

When I was a little girl, I would wake up on Christmas Eve mornings smelling the aroma of the sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on the warm Rabanadas that my mother had made for our Christmas Eve dessert table.

This classic old time dessert is delicious and has become one of my favorites which I make very often for my own family any time of the year. I think about my dear mother every time I make them, and that’s a good thought!

The traditional way to make them is by frying them in hot oil, but I grill them with margarine for a lighter version.

Ingredients:

1 loaf day old crusty bread

2 cups milk

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

butter for cooking

sugar and cinnamon for topping

 

Instructions:

Slice the bread into 1inch slices and place in a deep dish pan. Beat all the other ingredients in a bowl.

Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. Let the bread slices sit in the egg for about 30 seconds and then flip them over to absorb into the other side 

Meanwhile on medium high heat, melt butter in a large flat skillet or griddle. When the skillet is hot, lower the heat to medium and gently place the slices of bread on the grill greasing the pan as needed.

Cook both sides of the bread until golden brown and it becomes firm to the touch. If you find the bread still soggy, continue cooking them on low heat for longer.

Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon while still hot. Enjoy!