Tia Maria's Blog – Page 47 – Sharing Portuguese recipes around the world

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Portuguese Christmas / Recipes

July 24, 2012

Torta de Laranja – Orange Roll

Chef Vania prepares dessert at Bellota

I admire a chef that can bake, because I admit that I am not a good baker. Baking is a science, where precise measuring and timing is needed. I don’t have the patience for that, so I usually cook relying on my instincts and taste buds.

When I bake I usually go with my 4 basic desserts; Coffee Cake, Pao de Lo, Torta, and Brownies. That’s it! So, this is the reason that I only look for dessert recipes requiring very few ingredients and little measuring!

Portuguese Pastry Chef, Vania Soares creates some sweet “Portuguese” desserts such as the trio of Pasteis, Natas do ceu , and Sonhos de chocolate, among other treats as the Pastry Chef at 42 and Bellota at The Ritz Calton in Westchester NY.

When I asked her for an easy recipe for a Portuguese dessert, she gave this one for her Torta de Laranja. This looks amazing and it only requires 4 ingredients, has no oil or butter in the recipe.

Chef Vania, graduated from the “Escola Profissional de Leiria” a renowned cooking school in Portugal. She later worked at the Madeira (hotel CS) and at the Sheraton Hotel in Porto before coming to America four years ago.

She told me she loves living in America but she misses her family and friends back in Portugal. Congratulations to Chef Vania for her accomplishments both in Portugal and in the USA and we wish her much success!

You can see more amazing photos as some of these featured here with Vania preparing her sweet creations by visiting the Facebook page of Henrigue Mano – Journalist for the Luso Americano newspaper.

Chef Vania and Executive Chef Anthony Goncalves of 42 and Bellota

Torta de laranja Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup & 1 tablespoon corn starch

12 large eggs

3 Oranges (crated rind from 2 – juice from all 3 )

Instructions:

In a bowl mix sugar & corn starch. Add eggs one at a time and mix until foamy. Add the orange juice & rind and mix well.

Grease or Pam a sheet pan and cover with parchment paper (spray with pam)

Cook 20-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool for a few minutes and invert onto a lightly sugared parchment paper. Roll up the cake along the long side with the paper to form a roll.

Let it cool for a few minutes. Unroll and serve with desired fruit and whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Photo Gallery

July 19, 2012

Portuguese Chef Joe Rego Wins Food Network’s Chopped Episode

Chef Joe Rego Executive Chef at Atlanta Event Center at Opera in Midtown Atlanta, starred on Food Network’s Chopped episode on July 17, 2012.

The chef won the challenge against four other chefs from Atlanta.

His Portuguese culinary talent and hard work ethic was evident by the complex dishes he presented in such short a time. Relying on his heritage for the final dessert dish, the chef used chile peppers, a secret ingredient in a “Torta” (roulade) inspired by his grandmother’s recipe.

When asked what he was going to do with the $10,000 prize, the teary eyed chef responded by saying that he would be taking a trip to Portugal with his 3 year old daughter so that she could meet her Grandparents for the first time.

If you missed the episode, you catch it on July 26, 27, 28 when it will be rebroadcast again on The Food Network.

New: Here’s a link to watch the show online: http://www.allshowsdaily.com

Here is the bio from his website.

“For nearly two decades Chef Joe Rego has worked tirelessly to sharpen his skills at some of the finest restaurants in the country. A native of Portugal and a graduate of the prestigious Johnson and Wales University, Chef Rego began his illustrious career as a saucier in the acclaimed French restaurant The Union League Cafe of New Haven, Connecticut. After two years of professional growth at The Union League Cafe, Chef Joe Rego journeyed to Atlanta to widen his culinary palette.

Working alongside Chef Jay Swift at the trendy South City Kitchen, Chef Rego became acquainted with flavors of an authentic Southern cuisine. The result of his dedication and ingenuity led him to become the Chef de Cuisine of Sotto Sotto and Fritti, prominent restaurants located in the nostalgic Inman Park neighborhood of Atlanta. Managing both establishments for nearly 3 years, Chef Joe Rego made the decision to return to the familiarity of his hometown, Boston Massachusetts, to further his career at the innovative Not Your Average Joe’s restaurant. During this time he was instrumental in opening three different locations with Not Your Average Joe’s, as well as being voted Chef of the Year for 3 consecutive years between 10 different locations. (chefjoerego.com)

Read the recent articles about Chef Rego in South Coast Today – New Bedford High grad tops 3 other chefs on ‘Chopped

The chef will make a guest appearance in the parade at “The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament” on August 5, 2012 Madeira Field – 50 Madeira Ave New Bedford, MA. The parade will start at 2 p.m with over forty different organizations marching in the one mile route from Brooklawn Park to the Feast grounds at Madeira Field.

You may visit the chef’s Facebook page or his website to congratulate him on his success!

Appetizers / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

July 13, 2012

The Ultimate User’s Guide to Portuguese Cheese by Catavino

Part 1: The Ultimate User’s Guide to Portuguese Cheese | Catavino. July 20, 2009 | by Andrea Smith

Part 2. The Ultimate Guide to Portuguese Cheese/Catavino July 20, 2009 | by Andrea Smith

Part 3. The Ultimate Guide to Portuguese Cheese/Catavino July 20, 2009 | by Andrea Smith

Hi Everyone. I found a great blog to share with you. Catavino, is a wine blog run by husband wife team Ryan and Gabriella,who moved to Spain in 2004. “ Gabriella and Ryan combine their deep knowledge of Iberian wines and digital culture to develop a unique perspective on the wine industry.” (Catavino.net)

This amazing article written by one the blog’s writer’s Andrea Smith goes into detail about 15 Portuguese Cheeses given the designation: Denominação de Origem Protegida (DOP) – Protected Designation of Origin (PDO. The article has three parts so be sure to click on each of the links above.

“Andrea Smith moved to Campo de Ourique, Lisbon, in early 2008 with a dream to work and learn more about Portuguese wine. Born in Northern Virginia in 1983, Andrea’s Italian family taught her the importance of pairing fresh food with great wine, eventually motivating her to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), where she earned an Associates and Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts and Business Management, as well as her Introductory Certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2004. Andrea plans to use her love of culture, gastronomy and language to research the hidden recipes and wines of Portugal.” ( Catavino.net – http://catavino.net/part-1-the-ultimate-user%E2%80%99s-guide-to-portuguese-cheese/)

“Based in Barcelona, Spain, the two have founded Catavino, a comprehensive educational website covering Spanish and Portuguese wine through Iberian food, culture and travel. After years of exploring the Peninsula, they discovered that wine was the life blood and the common bond that unites this exceptionally diverse peninsula. And by sharing the stories that enhance, encompass and explain wine’s intricate relationship within the culture, we might better understand meaning and history of Spanish and Portuguese wine itself. However, Catavino wouldn’t be possible without our talented and passionate team of correspondent writers located across the globe in 5 different countries. Without their vast and profound knowledge of Iberian wine, food and culture, our content would lack significantly in both breadth and richness. If you are passionate about Iberian food, wine or culture and would like to become a correspondent writer for Catavino, please contact us.

In the past 6 years, Catavino has grown immensely, allowing us to not only expand our website to include Iberian wine content as it relates to food and culture, but also enhance the wine blogging community as a whole by committing our time to equally important side projects, such as:

Vrazon, our wine marketing and conversation agency. With our partner, Robert McIntosh, we’re finding ways to build “social” into the wine world through our events, blogs, podcasts, client projects, speaking engagements, workshops and consultancy. Under the Vrazon banner, you can join the conversation in 5 distinct ways: Wine Conversation (our blog), European Wine Bloggers Conference, Born Digital Wine Awards, Access Zone and Wineblogger. (Catavino.net – http://catavino.net/about-us/)

Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

June 25, 2012

Portuguese Fries & Piri-Piri Fries

Let’s make PORTUGUESE fries. The best part is you don’t fry these, they’re air fried or baked in the oven so they are a low fat option for french fries! Enjoy!

Piri – Piri Spicy Chile Fries or or regular fries.

Ingredients:

2 lbs potatoes cut into fries

2 tbsp TASTE PORTUGAL SEASONING

1 tsp Piri -Piri sauce (or any Tabasco sauce)

2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

Wash the potatoes and slice with skin on, into wedges about 1/2 inches wide. Rinse and dry with paper towels.

Place the potatoes into a large bowl or a large food safe plastic bag. Coat with the seasonings and oil, then add remaining ingredients. Shake well to coat.

AIR FRY METHOD:

Place 1/2 of fries into air fryer and spray with cooking spray. Cook at 400 f. for about 20 min. Shake pan half way.

OVEN BAKED METHOD:

Spray a large cookie sheet with Pam.

Spread potatoes evenly on pan so that each one is flat on the pan. Cook at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Turn the fries over and cook for another 15 minutes. Cook longer if you like a crispier fry.

Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery

June 22, 2012

Festa de Sao Joao – Old Traditions in Porto, Portugal

There’s an old saying in Portugal that says; “Porto works while Lisbon plays”. However during the Festa de Sao Joao – St John’s Festival, which is held on June 23-24th the city celebrates the birth of Saint John the Baptist.

On that day, the city of Porto comes alive and puts on one of Europe’s best summer festivals.

Porto is the second largest city in Portugal. It’s one of Europe’s’ oldest cities and in 1996 it was registered as an official UNESCO World Heritage site.

The name Porto is said to have originated by the Roman’s Latin world Portus Cale – meaning the name of a settlement along the river Douro “Port of Cale”. Some historians believe that it’s where the county’s name “Portugal” came from.

As many of you know, the infamous “Port Wine” derived it’s name from the area where it is produced.

Many traditional pagan rites connected with fire, water, and love are observed celebrating the “Summer Solstice”.

The festivities begin on the 23rd, the night of St. Johns Eve. In the afternoon the Avenida dos Aliados is filled with a parade of “Marchas” folk music, singing and dancing until the hour of midnight where there is a spectacular fireworks display on the “Ribeira” the coast along the Douro river. Visit Porto Tourism Official site for information on the planned events.

When the firework display finishes, singing, dancing, and the traditional marches continue as the people dance their way from Ribeira up to Foz on the Atlantic coast where they wait for the sun to rise.

Here they follow an ancient folklore tradition by bathing in the ocean before sunrise to ward off evil since it is believed that the water on St. John’s Eve has spirit healing quality.

Along the streets you’ll find cafes and booths offering the traditional foods such as the most favorite food, sardinas assadas as well as many souvenirs.

In old folklore it was custom to hit each other on the head with “garlic flowers” but in Porto these days they use plastic hammers. Potted basil plants (manjericos) with a short poem of four versus, are exchanged as a ritual.

On the 24th the Regatta of Rabelos Boats parade takes place along the mouth of the Douro river. These wooden boats have been used for centuries to transport the world renowned Port Wine.

I learned many things that I didn’t know about the “Festa de Sao Joao” which my mother had always reminded of every June. It amazes me how the Christian celebrations are closely tied into the old pagan rituals.

I know that’s how they were able to convert many people to Christianity by allowing them to observe the rituals of Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice for Christmas, Spring Equinox for Easter, and so forth…

I’m glad that I remembered this year and I was able to share with you some of the traditions of our native home- Portugal.

Listen to one of the classic songs of the celebration – “Sao Joao Bonito”

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

June 16, 2012

Spaghetti Pizza Pie!

Yes, it’s Spaghetti Pizza! You won’t believe how deliciously easy this recipe is.

You will never waste leftover spaghetti again, and best of all your family will love this.

I learned this recipe many many years ago from an Italian friend.

At first I was skeptical about making this because I had never heard of anything like before but I’ve been making it for many years.

This recipe is very versatile because you can use whole wheat pasta for a healthier crust, add your favorite toppings like pepperoni, chourica, cooked meats and variety of cheeses.

Great for your “Meatless Mondays” Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 cups leftover cold spaghetti (preferably capellini)

2 eggs

2 tsp dry oregano

1 tsp black pepper

1 cup any shredded cheese

1 – 2 cups any favorite spaghetti sauce

chopped fresh basil

Parmesan cheese (crated)

1/2 cup of thinly sliced chourica or pepperoni.

Instructions:

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the pepper and oregano. Add the pasta and mix well until coated. Heat the olive oil in a medium non stick skillet on high.

Add the pasta. Lower heat to medium and cook pasta until a crispy golden brown coating forms on the bottom. (check bottom regularly to make sure it does not burn).

Turn over pasta and cook until bottom also forms a crispy coating. Top with sauce, cheese and desired vegetables or chourica toppings and cover.

Lower heat to low, and cook until cheese melts. Add basil and shredded Parmesan before serving. Enjoy!

Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Recipes

June 11, 2012

Tia Maria’s No Oil Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is easy to make and I can bet that most of you have all of the ingredients in your pantry right now!

If shredding the carrots intimidates you, don’t kill yourself, or your arm, just shred them in your food processor!

I find that using oil in carrot cakes often leaves the cake greasy, so I use margarine and yogurt for moistness instead.

After you try this recipe and see how deliciously easy it is to make, you’ll never buy a store carrot cake again! Enjoy!

Oil – Less Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

3 eggs room temp

3 cups shredded carrots

1 stick margarine (soft)

1/2 cup Pineapple fruit on the bottom yogurt (or any you prefer)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 cup raisins (optional)

Frosting:

1 Package cream cheese (room temp)

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, sugar, and margarine until creamy. Add Carrots and yogurt. Combine all other ingredients except walnuts in a bowl. Add dry ingredients to the wet batter and mix for about 5 minutes. Add the walnuts and raisins if desired and fold into batter.

Poor into 2 greased 9 in round cake pans. Cook in 350 degree oven for 30 -40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and frost with desired amount of cream cheese frosting. Top with more walnuts!

(If you like lots of frosting, double the frosting recipe)

Perfect cake to have with some Organic Gorreanna Tea from the Azores, Portugal.

Watch this promotional video from Goreana Tea which uses my photo that I took of their tea last summer on my patio table.

Photo Gallery

June 7, 2012

Chef Luisa Fernandes Named Executive Chef – Robert Restaurant – Museum of Arts & Design NYC

Chef Luisa Fernandes continues her successful journey in the Culinary world by recently being named Executive Chef of Robert Restaurant atop The Museum of Arts and Design on Columbus Circle in NYC..

The restaurant offers diners beautiful and stunning views of Central Park, Broadway, Central Park West and Columbus Circle with window front dining. You can relax and enjoy your meal while sitting at a comfortable lounge like atmosphere with sofas. The next time you’re in New York City and find yourself in the mood for some great ART and good FOOD don’t forget to visit.

Read my past article about Chef Luisa for more information about this uniquely talented Portuguese Female chef. Good luck Chef Luisa!

Robert Restaurant

2 Columbus Circle, 9th Floor
Museum of Arts and Design
New York, NY 10019

212-299-7730

Lunch 11-3 M-F

Brunch 11-3 Sat & Sun

Diner 5:30 –

Wed – Sat 8-11 pm live pianist with diner

Jazz brunch on Sunday

Private dining, catering and special events

Make your reservations at Open Table

Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Traditional customs / Video Collection

May 21, 2012

Bacalhau à Brás – Cod Fish and Egg Scramble

image credit: http://bacalhautuga.blogs.sapo.pt/2004.html

This video for the recipe of Bacalhau à Brás, (Cod Fish with Potato Sticks) by Michelin Star Chef Jose Avillez is from Taste Portugal. The recipe for this dish is said to have originated hundreds of years ago in the Estremadura (meaning extremities), the coastline region of central Portugal known for its consistent wind and ocean waves. The Chef’s restaurant, Belcanto, Lisbon Portugal has been awarded a Michelin Star for 2013. Congratulations to the Chef!

This popular Euro windsurf and surf destination has great beaches which has hosted many surf championships including the IFCA wave championships.

It’s interesting to note that last month, The Guinness World Records confirmed that Garrett McNamara broke the record for the biggest wave ever, a 78-foot wave (23,7 metres) in Nazaré, Portugal by riding the wave in November of 2011. Read the article in Surfer Today.

Estremadura, Nazaré historical coastal province of central Portugal that contains Lisbon and the Tagus River estuary.

The landforms of Estremadura are geologically younger than other parts of the Iberian Peninsula, containing sandstone, limestone, and volcanic rock instead of granite and schist. The peninsulas of Lisbon and Setúbal are divided by the lower Tagus River valley. Land use north of the Tagus is diverse. Vineyards, olive groves, and cereal plots are found on the hilly slopes, and the Cartaxo and Torres areas are known for their wines. South of the Tagus the landscape is less tamed; much is still unproductive or in extensive estates of cork oak forest. Along the Tagus valley, corn (maize), grapes, rice, and wheat are cultivated, and some of Portugal’s finest horses and fighting bulls—both used in Portuguese bullfights—are raised there. A bullfighting museum is near Sintra.

Known as the Portuguese Riviera, the coastal region west of the city of Lisbon has important resort centres, including Estoril, Cascais, and Sintra. Apart from Lisbon, other chief towns include Setúbal, the main sardine port, with canneries; Barreiro and Almada, suburbs of Lisbon; and the fishing towns of Peniche and Nazaré.

“Estremadura”. Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 21 May. 2012

Now that I shared a little bit of Portugal’s geography with you let’s get back to the recipe for this centuries old, yet one of Portugal’s most popular dishes!

Recipe:

Bacalhau à Brás

Ingredients:

4 oz of hydrated salt cod finely shredded

1 small potato cut into small match stick size

1 egg + 2 yolks

1/4 cup thinly sliced onion

1 clove garlic

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp chopped parsley

5 olives

Salt & Pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

Fry the potato sticks in very hot oil and set aside. Saute onions Garlic and Bay leaf until translucent (about 2 minutes) in olive oil.

Stir the cod fish into the onions and cook for about 1 minute. Remove Bay Leaf. Add eggs on very low heat until cooked leaving a creamy texture.

Stir in the potato sticks and parsley. Reserve a few sticks to use as garnish.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with olives and parsley. Enjoy!

Photo Gallery / Recipes

May 1, 2012

No Reservations – Lisbon, Portugal

Anthony Bourdain taped his Travel Chanel show; “No Reservations” in Lisbon” last fall, but the episode finally aired on April 30, 2012. I enjoyed watching the variety of the rich cuisine, the culture, and I even learned a little bit of history. Portugal, as Anthony and I discovered is experiencing a culinary and cultural rebirth as it embraces it’s past tradition and culture. Here’s a link to the No Reservations Youtube Channel.

No Reservations Lisbon Episode

Anthony holds a press conference in Lisbon in Nov 2011.

No Reservations

Restaurants visited by Anthony in this episode:

O Ramiro

Tony meets with local chefs Henrique Sa Pessoa and Jose Avillez at O Ramiro. Specializing in seafood, O Ramiro has become one of the most popular spots for seafood in Lisbon. O Ramiro Av. Almirante Reis n_1 – H, 1150-007 Lisbon, Portugal

Both chef Avillez, and Pessoa, will be welcomed by Chef Anthony Goncalves, Executive Chef of 42 The Restaurant/Bellota at the Ritz Carlton Westchester NY ; this year where they will prepare a joint menu. Dates have not been specified yet but I will post them when finalized.