Tia Maria's Blog – Page 55 – Sharing Portuguese recipes around the world

Appetizers / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish / soup / Soups

April 21, 2010

Seafood Corn Chowder

This week, I was craving a clam bake at one of my favorite restaurants; Jasper White’s Summer Shack which makes the best Lobster in New England. His lobster bake is served with 1 whole lobster, steamers, potatoes, corn on the cob, a hard boiled egg, and Portuguese Linguica…. It’s a classic New England clam bake.

Since summer is still months away, I decided make Seafood Corn Chowder to satisfy my craving.

I’ve created this chowder by combing two soups; the classic corn chowder, with my favorite soup, Lobster Bisque. The first time I tried the bisque it was served with a sniffer of brandy on the side and from that day on, I was hocked!

So, I gave this soup a Portuguese ethnic twist by using the classic Portuguese Brandy, 1920 which tones down the sweetness and gives this soup a mellow…smooth taste! Save some brandy to have with an espresso for dessert.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 lb bay scallops

1 lb shrimp (cut into small pieces)

1 lb chopped clams ( canned if desired)

1 lb lobster cut into pieces (if desired)

1 med onion (chopped)

1 clove garlic (chopped)

1 stalk celery(chopped

2 scallions9 (chopped)

1 lb carrots (chopped

1 16 oz bag frozen corn

1/8 cup olive oil

2 tsp butter

4 cups chicken broth

6 cups 1% milk

1 cup cream

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp chopped parsley( garnish)

1/2 cup flour

1 oz 1920 brandy

Instructions:

In a large soup pan, saute onions, celery, scallions, garlic and carrots in olive oil for about 5 minutes until golden but not browned.

Add chicken broth and cook veg. for about 10 – 15 min, or until carrots are tender.

vegpuree

Puree all the vegetables with blender until it’s a smooth consistency. Then press the soup through a fine food strainer to catch the veg threads.

Add the cream and the milk (reserve one cup milk) Add the corn, butter salt & pepper and cook for 10 min on med heat (stir often not to stick).

milk&puree

corn

Add the scallops, shrimp, clams, & lobster and cook for 5 min.

Shrimpscall

Mix the 1 cup of milk with the flour and make a slurry. Then add a little of hot soup to the milk and flour mixture.

Stir until the flour is dissolved. Add the flour mixture to soup slowly and keep stirring.

Let the soup cook for about 10 minutes on low heat…keep stirring and don’t let it over boil which will cause it to burn.

(If soup is thin, mix a little more flour mixed with milk in a small bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon of the soup to the flour, then pour the mixture into the soup and let it cook 5 minutes or until thickened.)

Add the 1920… let it cook for a 5 more minutes… and remove from heat.

Let soup sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy the soup and hold on a few more months, summer will be here soon…

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Holiday Recipes / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish / Soups / Traditional customs

March 30, 2010

Feijoada à Transmontana – Portuguese Bean Stew

Feijoada, is Portugal’s version of Chili, perfect for your next big party!

It originated around the 14th century in the Northern region of Portugal. Generally, Feijoada is made with white beans but in the Tras os Montes region, red kidney beans are used.

During that time meat was scarce, so the poor peasants began using every part of the pig as a staple in their diets along with beans and cabbage which were easily available.

This dish is great served with classic Portuguese rice recipe and your favorite Portuguese Bread. If you want to get really adventurous try making home made Pao Caseiro!

It’s one of those dishes that taste even better the next day! Enjoy!

Makes 12 -15 servings

Ingredients:

Note: You can use all of the following ingredients or use only the meats that you like. You can omit the knuckles, ears etc.

2 lbs baby back ribs (cut into small riblets)

2 lbs chourica sausage (cut into slices)

1 lb blood sausage (if desired) (cut into slices)

1 lb ( presunto, smoked shoulder ham, or salted pork belly cut into 2 inch strips)

2 lbs pig hocks or knuckles, pig ears, (optional)

1 small regular cabbage, savoy cabbage or any green leafy cabbage (cut into quarters)

2 carrots (sliced)

1 large onion finely (chopped)

2 large cloves garlic (chopped)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon cumin powder

2 or 3 large 32 oz cans cooked kidney beans

1/2 cup crushed tomatoes

Instructions:

The night before cooking, salt the ribs, wash the knuckles in cold water, salt them, and store in fridge overnight to absorb the salt.

The next day, cook the knuckles in a large pot of unsalted water for at least 1 1/2 hours or until they’re easy to cut apart. Reserve the liquid for later.

Meanwhile, saute onions, garlic, and bay leaf in the olive oil for about 5 min. Add ribs, pork belly and paprika.

Let them cook for about 5 minutes stirring them so they don’t stick to pan.

Add 2 cups of cooking liquid from the knuckles and let the ribs cook for another 20 minutes, stirring once in a while.

Add the rest of the meats (chourica, presunto, ham, knuckles) chopped cabbage, carrots, and tomato sauce.

Stir gently and let them cook for about 30 minutes. Add the kidney beans, blood sausage and cabbage and cook for another 10 minutes.

Stir the pot gently so you don’t break up the beans or the cabbage. Taste, and add more salt if desired. Cook until the cabbage is tender. Leave pan on low heat until ready to serve

Here’s a video the acclaimed Portuguese Chef from Tras os Montes – Marco Gomes executive chef at Fox Velha, Porto, Portugal – preparing Feijoada à transmontana on RTP – Praça da Alegria.

Marco Gomes is passionate about using farm to table ingredients in the traditional recipes.

“I was born in the interior of Portugal where cooking was part of everything,” he said. And its these roots that he goes back to in the kitchen. “I give the food a different look but I keep the traditional flavors. It’s important to be innovative without losing the traditional flavors.” Marco Gomes

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / rice / Side Dish

March 30, 2010

Portuguese Rice – Arroz a Portuguesa

Cooking rice is easy with my easy recipe.

Uncategorized

March 25, 2010

Portuguese Restaurant on Fox News

Portuguese cuisine is the up and coming new trend in gourmet food. Elite diners have gone from Spanish to Portuguese cuisine and now you’ll find recipes, cookbooks, and restaurants featured on T.V.. I’ve linked a few for your viewing enjoyment. If you have other sites let me know and I’ll post them for my readers.

Bye

Tia Maria

Here is the new Aldea Restaurant on Fox news

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4108236/from-the-heart-of-portugal/?playlist_id=87491

Check out The New Portuguese Table on The Today show.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/35983496#35983496

Recipes / Side Dish / Soups

March 5, 2010

Broccoli & Cauliflower Corn Chowder

Dear friends,
Get your family to eat their veggies with this sweet and savory soup. I put some chopped red pepper to brighten up the colors. I used low fat dairy to reduce calories, but if you want to use whole milk and cream you’ll get the same great flavor. This will give you about 10 bowls of soup,if you want to make less just cut the recipe in half. I came up with this recipe for my mom, who had undergone surgery, leaving no appetite. This soup brought her strength back. It’s packed with iron, calcium and vitamin C. Enjoy!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 lb bag chopped frozen broccoli (use fresh if you desire)
1 lb bag frozen cauliflower
1 lb bag frozen corn
1 large onion chopped fine
1 clove chopped garlic
1/2 small red pepper
1 tbn salt
1/2 tsp blk pepper
4 cups chicken or veg broth
1/2 gallon low fat milk
1 cup low fat half & half
1/2 cup shredded cheese( any kind)
1/2 cup shredded sharp Parmesan, or Pecorino cheese
1/4 stick margarine
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup flour

In your nonstick or heavy soup pan, saute onions & garlic in the olive oil and margarine for about 5 minutes until the onions are cooked but not browned.

Add chicken broth, broccoli, cauliflower & salt. Cook for about 8 minutes until veg are cooked and remove pan from heat.

Remove about 2 cups of the veg florets, chop them coarsely and set them aside.

With an immersion blender puree the veg until they are mashed but not too dissolved.

Set aside 1 cup of the milk. Add remaining milk, cream, chopped pepper, blk pepper, and corn. Cook on med heat for about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl mix flour with the one cup of milk untill creamy, then slowly add 1 cup of the warm milk to the flour mixure.

Slowly add the flour mixture( slurry) to the soup and stir well. Add the chopped flowerets to the soup and mix.

Reduce the heat to low heat and let the soup simmer for about 1/2 hour stirring the soup regularly.

Try not to turn the heat up past med, or the soup will overspill and burn. Add more salt or pepper to taste.

Let the soup cool and store it in the fridge.If it thickens too much just add a little warm milk, or cream when you heat it up.

Recipes

February 10, 2010

365 Days of Soups

Hi everyone, I’m so excited to share with you what I’ve been working on for this year. It’s my new blog:

My new soup blog!

365daysofsoups.blogspot.com

My Mother always taught me that nothing warms your soul, like a bowl of homemade soup.

So, beginning on Valentine’s Day, February 14th 2010, I’m going to share a soup recipe with you, every day, for the next 365 days.

I’ve decided to post the very same 365 recipes for soups that I’ve cooked over the last 33 years. Some of these recipes I learned from my mother who always had a warm pot of soup simmering on the stove for her family. Others were created by me, on a whim early at 6 o’clock in the morning when I challenged myself to come up with something new for the lunch special at our family’s Hometown Deli where I lovingly made two home made soups everyday for almost three years.

My recipes are easy to prepare, economical, and you can find the ingredients in most local supermarkets so don’t worry about having to drive all over the city or ordering them through expensive online retailers.

Are you ready to take the challenge and try all of them?

I’ll post your name on my soup kettle wall of fame each time you contact me that’s you’ve tried one.

Here’s a pic of the first classic……….mmmm

P.S. I’m still working on the site, so be patient and the soup will come.

Classic Chicken Noodle soup

Appetizers / Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish

February 2, 2010

Carne-a-Portuguesa from Tia Maria!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Spring is just around the corner so stay warm where ever you are and show your love this month with this easy and delicious classic that will warm everyone’s heart.

Carne a Portuguesa

Ingredients:

2 lbs pork loin

1 small onion chopped

2 cloves chopped garlic

1- tsp salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 cup Vinho Verde or white dry wine

1 tbs smoked paprika

1 chicken boullion cube or 2 cups chicken broth

2 tsp corn starch

1 cup water

2 tsp tabasco or any hot sauce

Preparation:

Cut pork into 1 inch cubes and place into deep mixing bowl. Add salt, garlic, Tabasco, olive oil, bay leaf 1/2 cup of the wine.

Stir well and let marinate for about one hour. Leave overnight if time allows.Fry potatoes and set aside.

Preheat large skillet or wok on high heat with 1/4 cup olive oil and add onions.

Cook for about 1 minute then add the marinaded pork mixture, (do not add any liquid yet).Let meat brown on all sides and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients: Chicken cube, water, wine and add more Tabasco to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes longer.

In small bowl mix 1/2 cup water with the corn starch and stir until the corn starch is dissolved.

Add the cornstarch to the pork and let cook for another 5 minutes until the liguid is thickened.

At this point taste the pork and add more salt or Tabasco if you like more spice.

Add the potatoes and let them absorb the hot sauce for about 2 minutes until hot.Add the olives, cilantro, pickled veg for garnish.

Serve with a salad & fresh Portuguese rolls. Enjoy!

Cook Books / Recipes

January 26, 2010

The New Portuguese Table by David Leite

This new cook book by David Leite will inspire you to try the classic dishes and he also shares his own unique take on the originals.

His nostalgic trip back to his roots in Portugal will remind you of your own family’s traditions. As I prepared one of my favorite dishes, “Cod Fish Cakes” , I became slightly teary eyed as I saw the vision of my dear mother standing beside me, and showing me, almost the identical recipe as his when I was about twelve so many years ago.

Don’t be afraid! Go back, explore your cultural roots and carry on the traditions of our Portuguese cuisine into the melting pot of what we call “America”.

Bye

Tia Maria

The New Portuguese Table by David Leite

Recipes

January 22, 2010

Welcome Portuguese food lovers!

Dear readers,

Welcome to my first blog……..Today I’ll share with you my favorite “Portuguese Spicy Shrimp” recipe.

I’ll wait for your comments…and share it only with those who are worthy! (just kidding).

Goodbye for now …..Tia Maria.

DSCN0043

Todays Recipe

Portuguese Style Spicy Shrimp

2 pounds uncooked shrimp(30-40 size, unpeeled, defrosted )

1 small onion (minced)

3 tbsp Olive Oil

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 Chicken Bouillon cube

1/4 cup Vinho Verde or white wine

1/4 teas salt

1 tbsp corn starch

2-3 tbsp hot sauce or Tabasco(or more id you like it hot)

1/2 cup water.

In a large skillet sauté onions in olive oil onhigh heat for one minute until translucent.

2. Add the shrimp, cook them for one minuteand turn them over to cook the other side .

3. Add the paprika, salt, wine, & chicken cube.Cook for about two  minutes.

4. Make a slurry of the water and corn starch-(mix together in small cup until the cornstarchis dissolved) then stir into the shrimp.

5. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens and the shrimp are pink.

Do not over cook!

Serve in deep platter with Portuguese Bread on the side for dipping.*

Add more hot sauce or Tabasco, Or Jalapeno peppers, if you like it really hot!

Enjoy!

Main Dish / Photo Gallery / Recipes / Side Dish / soup / Soups

January 15, 2010

Caldo Verde – Portuguese Green Soup

FIRST POST 1-15-2010

Classic Caldo Verde Soup

Today we’re going on a journey to Portugal were the classic green soup, “Caldo Verde” is probably the most loved and well known soup in the country.

Caldo Verde, originated in the northern Minho region of Portugal and is made with basic ingredients of potato and onion puree, and collard greens. There are many variations to this basic recipe in every Portuguese kitchen where ingredients are added such as red or white beans, ham hocks and meat bones to flavor the broth.

Sometimes Caldo Verde is mistaken for another classic known as “Kale Soup” which is very popular in the New England. The Kale version uses cubed potatoes, chopped chourico, tomatoes, and chopped Kale and looks nothing like Caldo Verde.

This is a very healthy soup because collard greens are considered to be one of the healthiest foods in world since they’re loaded with vitamin.

I learned to make this soup at a Portuguese Restaurant named “The Matador” which my brothers owned for almost 15 years. This soup was made fresh every day and sold out by the dinner rush.

We used hand crank processor imported from Portugal to Chiffonade (translates to “made of rags” in French) to cut the collard greens into thin strips.

My recipe is for a large pot of soup that will last you for a few days but don’t worry if it seems to much because this soup keeps well and it’s even better the next day.

It you find that it seems to thicken the next day, just add a little amount of boiled water to make to make it thinner. This will be your family’s favorite especially on cold winter days. Enjoy!

This is recipe number 1; in my Taste Portugal | 101 easy Portuguese recipes cookbook! Download this recipe and 100 other recipes to your computer, kindle, ipad and iphone on my new electronic cookbook!

Click here to buy: Taste Portugal | 101 easy Portuguese recipes

Ingredients:

10 potatoes (peeled & cut into 1 inch slices)
2 large onions
2 cloves garlic
1 large bay leaf
1/4 cup olive oil (or more to taste)
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 whole medium Chourico (Portuguese) sausage (rinsed and dried)
6 cups of washed collard greens (sliced very thin)
10 cups water or more

Instructions:

In large soup stock pot, place water, broth, potatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, and bay leaf. Cook on high for 20 – 30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked.

Remove from heat, remove bay leaf and puree the soup with hand blender until it turns into a creamy like base. If you find the soup is too thick, add a little boiling water.

Place the pot on medium heat and add the Chourico sausage. Cook for about 10 minutes.

You may cook Chourico in separate pan in boiling water if you don’t want a smokiness taste in the soup.

Remove Chourico and slice into 1/4 inch slices and set aside for garnish.