Tia Maria's Blog – Page 36 – Sharing Portuguese recipes around the world

Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

November 27, 2013

Portuguese Style Roast Turkey Thanksgiving Menu

A Portuguese Thanksgiving menu – Enjoy!

Portuguese-sweet-bread

butternut-squash-carrot-puree

roast-potatoes

Portuguese-style stuffing

classic-Portuguese-rice

There are many variations to preparing at Thanksgiving Turkey. Some people brine the turkey for 48 hours while others simply rub the turkey with soft butter before baking.

I take this easy route. I marinate the turkey the day before Thanksgiving with basic Portuguese spices which enhance the turkey flavor but dot not overpower it.

Then I brush it with Olive oil, which will give the turkey a beautiful golden color when it’s cooked.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Ingredients:

2 -3 tablespoons of salt

1 lemon

1 large onion

1 large celery stalk

3 large sprigs of parsley

1 large carrot

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 to 2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup vinho verde or any white wine

Steps to prepping your turkey

Step 1

Remove packaging. Remove the neck and giblets from both cavities of the turkey.

Step 2

Wash the turkey, the neck and giblets in very cold water.

Step 3

Rub the inside and outside of the turkey evenly with the salt.

Step 4

Slice the lemon in half and rub the inside and outside of the turkey with the lemon half squeezing the juice as you rub.

Place the used lemon halves inside the cavity.

Step 5

Place the butter underneath the chicken skin over the breast

Step 6

Sprinkle the paprika, pepper and garlic powder evenly over the chicken leaving a small amount to marinate the cavity.

Step 7

Place the neck and gizzards inside the turkey. Add the wine and remaining spices into the cavity to marinate.

Step 8

Place the celery, onion and carrot inside the cavity.

Step 9

Drizzle and rub the Olive oil over the Turkey.

Step 10

Place in the refrigerator overnight or up to 48 hours before cooking.

Step 11

Take the turkey out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.

*Remove the neck and gizzards from the cavity and save in the refrigerator until you are ready to make stock for my Portuguese Stuffing.

Cook the turkey with the remaining vegetables inside the cavity to add flavor.

My roaster is over 50 years old and it makes a perfect turkey every time!

Cook in Roasting pan, or cover with heavy aluminum foil. An average turkey of about 15 pounds will take about 3 hours to cook at 350.

My tips:

*Even if your timer pops up, it may not mean its fully cooked, test the turkey with a thermometer which reach 165 degrees.

*Marinate the turkey with the pan juices every hour.

*If you like your turkey skin dark colored remove the foil during the last 30 minutes.

*My simple test to see if the turkey is cooked, is this; Try to pull the thigh away from the body, if the thigh bone doesn’t break off easy, then continue to cook the turkey longer.

*Let the turkey sit at least 20 minutes before carving.

*Warm the turkey with a little bit of hot chicken or turkey broth.

** Do not discard the cooking juices. Simply strain it, let it sit for a few minutes, remove any excess grease from the top and cook it in a few tablespoons of flour for at least 5 minutes on low heat.

** Save the remaining gravy to make Turkey Pot Pie!

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Recipes

November 25, 2013

Pumpkin Cake Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

Get your pumpkin on!

Pumpkin Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting is a delightful dessert for those of you that want something different instead of pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving.

This cake is moist and full of flavor! Perfect addition to your Thanksgiving pot luck dinner, or as an add on to your dessert table!

It uses no oil and only 2 tablespoons of margarine for those of you on a low fat diet.

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

1 + 1/2 cups of sugar

1 (15 oz can) of pumpkin

3 large eggs

5 oz of fat free vanilla yogurt

2 tbsp of butter or margarine (melted)

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 +1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Frosting:

3 oz cream cheese (soft)

1 + 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar

1 tbsp butter (soft)

1 tbsp milk

Instructions:

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and lemony colored.

Add the yogurt, butter and pumpkin and beat for a few minutes.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the pumpkin mixture and mix for about 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Combine the nuts if desired.

Pour into an into a greased (15 x 10 x 1) baking pan or a deeper cake pan if you want a cake like dessert.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting instructions:

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until creamy. Set aside until the cake is completely cooled and frost.

Pumpkins photo credit: http://www.koco.com

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Recipes

November 20, 2013

Crunchy Snickerdoodle Cookies

Last week I wanted to make a dessert but discovered that I was out of flour. I searched the pantry and found 1 box of yellow cake mix so this is what I came up with.

The cookies came out crunchy on the outside and chewing on the inside!

They were such a hit with my family that they insisted I have to put them on my Holiday baking list!

I posted a print out recipe for you…you’ll love it!

Crunchy Snickerdoodles Cookies

: Tia Maria's Blog

Print

Easy recipe!

Ingredients

1 package of yellow cake mix
1 large egg
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup fruit and nut granola
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp brown sugar
½ cup veg oil
Coating mix
2 tbsp granulated sugar 2 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions

Place all ingredients except coating mix of sugar and cinnamon, into a large bowl and mix well. Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of the dough and form into balls.
Make sugar coating by combining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip each ball into the mixture and place on cookie sheet.
*The dough will be dry when you make the balls just pack it firmly.
Flatten the cookies into a cookie shape about 2-3 inches wide.
Cook for about 8-10 minutes until the cookies are slightly browned on the bottom.
Let cool and enjoy!

Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

November 19, 2013

Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo – Codfish & Pototao Casserole

Salted Cod or Bacalhau as it is known in Portugal is a major ingredient in the Portuguese diet since the discovery of Newfoundland in 1497.

Fisherman began fishing its cod-rich Grand Banks and Bacalhau was nicknamed Fiel amigo (faithful friend).

The fish became popular in Portugal and other Catholic countries, when it was substituted on days of fasting from eating meat on Fridays, Lent, and other festivals.

Today, the legend is that the Portuguese have 365 or more recipes for bacalhau, one for each day of the year.

The recipe originates from the city of Porto, Portugal, and is named after its creator, Zé do Pipo, who owned a famous restaurant in that city during the 1960s. He won a national cooking contest with this dish. Since then, many restaurants have adopted it in their menus which has it made it extremely popular!

Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo

Ingredients:

1 lb Bacalhau (de salted – cut into 4 portion loins)

8 large potatoes

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 large sliced onion

1 diced garlic clove

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp butter

1 cup milk

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 small roasted red pepper

black olives

1 tsp salt

pepper

parsley

1/4 cup flour for frying codfish

Instructions:

Peel and cook potatoes in boiling salted water for about 25 minutes. Remove from heat, drain potatoes, add the milk, butter, egg yolk and pepper and mash. Set the potatoes aside.

Coat the codfish in flour and fry in the olive oil on medium – low heat until golden brown. Place on paper towels to soak off excess oil.

Saute the onions, garlic and bay leaf in the same olive oil that you cooked the fish in, until lightly browned. Remove the bay leaf.

Place the codfish portions in a large oven safe casserole dish or in individual serving size dishes.

Coat the codfish with the onions and surround with the mashed potatoes.

Coat the codfish with a few tablespoons of the mayonnaise, the top each with a slice of red pepper.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the mayonnaise is golden brown.

Garnish with olives and parsley.

Watch this video for the preparation instructions.

photo credits:http://chefdelucca.com/site/?p=487

Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Soups

November 15, 2013

Lobster Corn Chowder

Don’t through away those lobster shells before making this delicious chowder with them!

I used my favorite wine; Vinho Verde to enhance the flavor of this soup instead of regular white wine. If this recipe seems difficult, believe me it’s easy.

This chowder is perfect for your Holiday celebrations! Your friends and family will go crazy and love you for it!

Save some Vinho Verde to serve along with it!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Lobster shells from 3 lobsters

Meat from 1 lobster or 1-2 cups

1 cup of Vinho Verde wine (or any dry white wine)

2 tbsp of Brandy (I used 1920 Portuguese Brandy)

2 cups fish or chicken stock

1 small onion cut in half

1 small onion finely diced

1 celery stalk

1/2 celery stalk finely diced

3 ears of corn

3 tbsp butter

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup of flour

2 cups of light cream

1/2 gallon of whole or light milk

Instructions:

Remove any tomalley (green part) from inside the lobster.

Cut the kernels off the corn and reserve for later. Save the cob for the stock.

In a medium stock pot, place the lobster shells,corn cob, stock, Vinho Verde, Brandy, 1 celery, 1 small onion, and salt.

Cover, let the stock come to a boil, and continue cooking for 20 minutes on low heat.

Remove the cooked onion and celery from the pan and discard. Add the milk and cook for another 10 minutes on low heat. Strain the broth through a fine stainer into a separate bowl to remove any lobster shells. Save the milk broth and discard the shells and corn cob.

In a separate heavy soup pan, saute the diced onion and celery in the butter until translucent.

Add the flour to the butter and cook for about 1 minute on low heat.

Add the reserved broth, cream, paprika, corn, and pepper to the soup.

Cook the chowder on low heat for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the diced lobster and cook for about 5 minutes longer.

Add more seasoning to taste if desired.

*If you want the soup thicker, mix 1 tbsp of flour with a little milk, add to the soup and let the soup cook for about 5 minutes.

Photo Gallery

November 13, 2013

Eco Friendly Christmas Planters

This is an easy project that will cost you virtually nothing to make since they’re made from natural branches, evergreens and any decorations you have on hand from last year.

The best part is that you use solar lights so you don’t waste electricity!

My daughter and I felt crafty this weekend so we decided to make our own Christmas planters to decorate our front porch.

We went for a long country drive looking for evergreen trees that were easily accessible for us to be able to cut off branches for the planters.

We weren’t successful since most of the trees were either too far into the woods or on private property so we decided to head home and try again next weekend.

The next day, while visiting my sister we noticed that there were beautiful varieties of evergreen growing all along her backyard all along.

You can also find the branches for Free at Home Depot or Lowe’s garden centers which are leftovers from their Christmas tree trimmings.

You’ll need:

3 or more varieties of evergreen branches about 2 feet long.

Get enough foliage to fill your planters. You’ll need a lot so if you think you have enough, you don’t!

1 bunch of any fake poinsettias

I used my leftover flowers from previous years

6 or more dry cat tails, wheat branches or any dried flower stems that you prefer

12 long dried tree branches about 2- 3 feet long

Such as birch, small driftwood, or any you find

Solar outdoor lights (1 for each planter)

I found my Santa and candy cane lights at Home Depot but you can use any you prefer

Christmas bows (Optional)

Step 1.

Take your leftover outdoor potted plants and trim off any dead foliage, leaving the dirt inside the pot. If you don’t have leftover plants, simply use any dirt from your garden.

This will serve as anchor to hold the branches. My planters had foliage that was still green so I left it as a filler.

Don’t worry about using green foliage that you may have since if it dries out later it will only add depth and natural dried look to the planter.

Step 2.

Begin arranging the planter by sticking the larger pieces of evergreen into the dirt back edge of the pot. Add the larger pieces of wood in the back. Add more evergreen branches overhanging on the sides and the smaller ones in the front.

Stick poinsettias into the pots in the front. Fill any empty spots with dried flowers, sticks or branches. Place the solar light in the front where it will get sun to charge the battery every day. Add bows or ornaments if you desire.

This planter will last you all winter long. Just remove the Santa and the Poinsettias after Christmas and add regular solar lights!

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes

November 13, 2013

Onion Topped Turkey Meatloaf

There are many meatloaf recipes, but the secret to a moist meatloaf is using fresh bread crumbs in your mix and not over cooking it which tends to make it dry!

The onion and ketchup topping also gives the meatloaf a sweet taste and keeps it moist.

Since I began making this recipe with ground turkey, I have never used ground beef again but it’s up to you to use which one you prefer.

This recipe is easy and basic but my family can’t get enough of it!

No matter how much I make, I always regret not making more for the next day so I suggest you make 2 of these.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of ground turkey or beef

1 large finely diced onion

2 eggs

2 slices wheat bread (I use the ends)

3 tbsp ketchup

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning spice mix

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp minced parsley

Topping:

1/2 cup ketchup

Instructions:

Dice the onion and divide into 2 parts reserving 1 part for the topping.

Shred the slices of bread with a cheese shredder or chop into fine crumbs.

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl gently until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Form the loaf into your desired shape and place in a baking dish.

Top with ketchup and sprinkle the top with the diced onion.

Cook at 350 for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes before slicing.

Photo Gallery

November 11, 2013

Portuguese Chefs at 2013 International Gourmet Festival

Lusitanian Michelin Stars

The Portuguese Wave

International Gourmet Festival 2013 – Vila Joya, Algarve, Portugal Nov 7-16

“It wasn’t so long ago that Portugal only had one Michelin-starred restaurant outside of the Algarve, but today there are three 1-star restaurants in northern Portugal, two in the Lisbon region and one on the island of Madeira. And for the third year running, they all got together at Vila Joya last night to show just how far Portugal has come when it comes to great food.” source credit: (http://www.internationalgourmetfestival.com/index.php)

VILA JOYA is a boutique hotel and restaurant whose nickname “The Jewellery Box” perfectly describes the precious palace of joy on the Atlantic ocean. Within its Moorish and Portuguese architecture and peaceful gardens, it holds all the elements of pleasure for an indulgent retreat: luxury rooms and suites, a rejuvenating spa, heavenly gardens with access to the beach and internationally renowned haute cuisine.

VILA JOYA is a place where “forgetting” becomes a noble act.

LAST NIGHT’S MENU started with two dishes presented at once; a Gillardeau oyster with ponzu and tangerine from Madeira-based chef Benoît Sinthon, and octopus with lemon and potato by George Mendes. Next came cured Scottish salmon with imperial caviar from Algarve chef Henrique Leis. All three dishes were beautifully executed and presented, but flavour-wise, they were outshone by the following course from 2-star chef Hans Neuner of the Ocean at Vila Vita Parc here in the Algarve: Toro tuna rolled around a mousse of aubergine flavoured with miso and lime. It got a firm nod and Japanese bow of approval from the previous night’s chef Murakami who was seated next to me.

We were off to a great start with four superb cold dishes served in perfect sequence. The first hot course came next; red mullet with scallop and what chef Ricardo Costa of Vila Nova de Gaia’s The Yeatman restaurant dubbed as “carpaccio de cozido”, in fact a thin slice of sausage made with the ingredients of a traditional Portuguese cozido stew. The meatiness of the sausage was a good balance for the richly flavoured flesh of the red mullet and the sweetness of the scallop, another winning combination.

By this stage, looking down the menu with five more courses to come before dessert, we knew we were in for something of a gastronomic onslaught. Frenchman Vincent Farges of Fortaleza do Guincho in Cascais followed with more of that fabulous white alba truffle we had experienced the previous night, this time shaved no less generously on a dish of turbot with Jerusalem artichoke and hazelnut. We then went from white truffle to black with a cappuccino of black truffles concealing tender sot l’y laisse (chicken oysters) by Albano Lourenço of Quinta das Lágrimas in Coimbra, and then to Koschina’s venison saddle with smoked duck foie, Leonel Pereira‘s foie gras with onion and cauliflower, and finally a rich and succulent dish of stewed hare from Lisbon’s rising star José Avillez rounding off the savoury courses. Portugal’s northernmost Michelin star Vitor Matos of Casa da Calçada in Amarante had the final say with an immaculate dessert of chocolate and forest fruits served in a mock wine bottle.

Although a menu that may have been a little heavy for some tastes, it was well balanced, and the overall standard was certainly worthy of Vila Joya’s own 2-star Michelin rating. The Portuguese chefs have raised the bar.

Photo and article text source credit: http://www.internationalgourmetfestival.com/news.php?id=53

Desserts / Photo Gallery / Recipes

November 7, 2013

Apple Crumb Coffee Cake

I just can’t get enough of apple desserts during Apple Season.

This Apple Crumb Coffee Cake is a perfect morning treat for your family or for your guests during the Holidays.

You can also make Blueberry Coffee Cake with this same basic recipe.

*Substitute the apple topping with a can of any pie filling such as cherry, apple, blueberry or peach!

Enjoy!

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 cups Bisquick or any other biscuit mix

2 cups flour

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 stick melted margarine

1 cup milk

Apple Topping:

4 apples (peeled and cored and chopped into small chunks)

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1 tsp of butter or margarine

1/2 tsp of flour

Crumb topping:

1 tbsp flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup instant oatmeal (if desired)

1 tbsp melted butter or margarine

Instructions:

Step 1. Apple Topping:

Place all ingredients except the flour into a small saucepan and cook the apples until very well done. Mash with a fork to your desired consistency. Add the flour to absorb liquid and cook on low for about 1 minute. Let cool while the cake bakes.

Step 2. Cake:

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 a medium size deep baking pan approximately 13×9. Pour the batter into the pan.

Step 3. Crumb Topping:

Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl. Blend with a fork until it forms a sandy like texture.

Sprinkle the apple topping evenly spread over the batter. Top with the cake with the crumb topping.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes until lightly golden brown and tooth pick comes out clean.

Serve hot or cold. Enjoy!

Wake up and smell the goodness with your morning coffee!

Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Portuguese Christmas / Recipes / Traditional customs

November 5, 2013

Dia de Sao Martinho – Castanhas – Roasted Chestnuts

“É dia de São Martinho;comem-se castanhas, prova-se o vinho”

“It’s Saint Martin’s day; we eat chestnuts and drink the wine”

Dia de Sao Martinho – Saint Martin’s Day is celebrated each year on November 11.

Martinho, was a Roman soldier who encountered a bad storm on a winter day wearing only his cape to to keep him warm.

While riding through the storm, he was approached by a beggar who was shivering with the cold. Upon seeing the beggar, Martinho cut his cloak in half to share it with the beggar. When Martinho did this good deed, the clouds broke up, the storm ended and beams of sun shined in the sky.

That night, Martin had a dream of Jesus, who was wearing the half-cloak he had given away to the beggar. A voice spoke, saying; “’I tell you with certainty, since you did it for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.”

Martin became a changed man and became a patron of the poor.

From this day on, he began looking at and treating people differently and was later canonized as a saint.

St Martin’s day is celebrated in many countries of Europe, as signifying the end of Fall and beginning of winter.

In Portugal, the first wine of the season is tasted and the harvested chestnuts are eaten around a bonfire.

The weather in Portugal during this time of year is generally mild and summer like, thus called; Verão de São Martinho (St. Martin’s Summer).

As the storm dissipated by the good deed of Sao Martinho, we thank God for the good summer like weather on the saints feast!

Chestnuts

The scent of roasting chestnuts during the Holiday’s is an instant heart warming feeling!

The season for chestnuts is October through late December. Look for unwrinkled shells and a glossy brown shell.

Avoid dingy shells with small pin holes. They feel very firm to the touch. Smell them for a scent of mold which means that they are not good!