Tia Maria's Blog Blog

Recipes

Chicken and Matzo Ball Soup

A perfect soup on a cold day. I make a regular chicken noodle soup and then add the matzo balls to it. The secret to make light and fluffy matzo balls are to add a little seltzer to the batter. Here’s the photo of best matzo mix that I’ve tried but you can also use your favorite brand.

Matzo Ball Ingredients:

3 eggs (separated)

1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons club soda (seltzer)

1 package Matzo Ball soup mix (I use Streitz)

Soup ingredients:

1 bone in chicken breast

2 stalks celery (chopped)

1 small onion (chopped

2 large carrots (sliced)

8 cups chicken broth or more

4 oz egg noddles (optional)

salt to taste

crushed black pepper

parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Prepare the matzo balls by beating egg whites in a small bowl. In a separate bowl beat yolks, add olive oil, matzo, and seltzer and mix slightly. Fold in egg whites gently until incorporated. Don’t over mix. Place mix in refrigerator to set for at least 20 minutes while you cook the soup.

Soup:

Place broth, onion, celery, 1/2 of carrots and soup mix seasoning in a medium soup pan and bring to a boil. Add chicken breast, cover and cook for about 20 minutes on medium heat. Remove chicken and remove any bone, skin and cartilage. Shred chicken and add back into soup.

Make matzo balls:

Spoon 1 teaspoon of mix onto your slightly greased palm and shape gently into balls. *Do not compress. Add to simmering soup.

Add remaining carrots and noodles to soup and let cook along with the matzo balls for about 20 minutes. Stir gently once in a while.
Taste for saltiness and add more salt if desired. Garnish with crushed black pepper and parsley.

chicken / Main Dish

Lemon Roasted Chicken in Cast Iron Pan

Spend time with your family not in your kitchen on the weekends. This savory lemon flavored chicken cooks right in the cast pan and you can serve it the same pan, making it an easy recipe for any day of the week. I make 2 chickens with this recipe early on Saturday mornings so I can have leftovers all weekend. Make sandwiches, quesadillas, or add to salads and soups. Serve with my Portuguese Tomato Rice recipe here.

Find this recipe in my new Taste Portugal More Easy Portuguese recipes cookbook!

Ingredients:

1 (3 to 4) pound roasting chicken (butterflied)

2 lemons (sliced)

1 large onion (chopped) (optional)

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons paprika

1 tablespoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cast iron grill pan if available

Preparation:

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix salt, paprika, garlic and pepper in a bowl and grind in a mortar and pestle. Marinade chicken and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a grill pan with half of the olive oil.

Top chicken with olive oil and butter and brown skin side down for 5 minutes. Turn over and grill for another 5 minutes.

Add onions under and around the chicken.

Top with lemon slices evenly.

Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the chicken gets golden brown and crispy. Chicken should reach 190 F.

Cut into pieces and serve in the pan with the onions and lemons slices on top.

Cook Books / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Live Virtual Book Signing: Taste Portugal More Easy Portuguese Recipes

Thank you so much to all of you for supporting my blog and my cookbooks! I’m so proud of all of you for continuing our Portuguese traditions, our heritage and the love of our cuisine. Happy Portuguese cooking everyone!


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Recipes

Taste Portugal More Easy Portuguese Recipes cookbooks

Click on image to order

Introducing my second cookbook; TASTE PORTUGAL MORE EASY PORTUGUESE RECIPES. This cookbook has 121 recipes. Including my spice and sauces, soups and how-to’s like “how to cook sardinhas” “how to cook polvo” and “how to hydrate salt cod”. From the beginner to the busy experienced home cook who wants to learn some new, easy, simple recipes. Order a copy on Amazon.com (USA) Amazon.ca(Canada) or any Amazon around the world.

Taste Portugal MORE easy Portuguese recipes cookbook
Recipes from Tia Maria’s Blog by Maria Dias and Lisa Dias


Introducing my second cookbook in the series of Taste Portugal is now
available for pre-order! Visit Lisbon Blue Shop to pre-order.


Tia Maria’s blog was recently featured in the Luso Americano newpaper article by Henrique Mano. Find the full article here.


Recipes

Chouriça Sandwiches da Festa

Every Portuguese Festa has these delicious Chouriça Sandwiches. You can make 2 sandwiches or dozens. Just double the recipe for every 2 sandwiches. Pick up some Portuguese beers or make my recipe for Sangrias and drinks at this link. https://tiamariasblog.com/portuguese-coolers/

Happy Festa everyone




Ingredients:

Ingredients:

2-4 papo seco rolls (recipe makes 2 or 4 sandwiches)

1-pound whole chouriço (sliced in half and through the middle into 2-4 pieces)

1 large onion (sliced)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon white wine

Preparation:

Place chouriço halves on hot grill and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until a crispy char forms, or to your desired taste.

You can also grill stove top in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil or on tabletop “Chourico Bombeiro”. https://tiamariasblog.com/flaming-chourica-chourica-bombeiro/

Place each half into the roll. Top with onions if desired

Recipes

Carnitas Tia Maria’s Style

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This is the best recipe that’s I ever made for carnitas. The recipe is easy and cooks for about 3 hours in the oven making the meat moist, succulent and very tender which falls apart with a fork. I recommend cooking it in a large cast iron dutch pan for best results. I also browned the top of the meat in the broiler for a few minutes creating crispy edges.

Ingredients:

4 or 5 pound pork but (outer fat trimmed, cut into 2 inch cubes)

1 large onion (chopped)

1 large orange or tangerine (chopped)

3 tablespoons my TASTE PORTUGAL- TIA MARIA’S PORTUGUESE SEASONING

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon Portuguese red pepper paste or 2 red chili peppers (finely minced)

1 and 1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons olive oil

Ingredients to make tortillas: These are optional. You can use your favorite ingredients; small soft warmed tortillas, corn, black beans, chopped red onion, lime wedges, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. The pork takes 3 hours to cook in oven. You remove the lid from pan half way into cooking.

Season pork with my spice mix and chili powder. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or best overnight.

In a large cast iron pan, saute meat in olive oil on all sides. Add the onions, orange, red pepper paste and broth and stir.

Place pan in the oven and cook with lid on for 1 and 1/2 hours. After 1 and 1/2 hours remove lid and cook for remaining time.

Browning the meat in broiler:

Heat a cast iron pan or large tray in the oven. Strain meat from pan and place in cast iron skillet. Broil meat for about 5-8 minutes or until crispy on top to your desired taste.


Appetizers / Main Dish / Recipes / Side Dish

Bacalhau and Zucchini Quiche Pie

This savory quiche will be your favorite way to use all that summer zucchini that’s in season right now. I bet you have all the ingredients in your pantry too. That’s what makes this dish easy to prepare. It’s a great lunch, dinner, snack or serve as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

3 to four cups (finely diced zucchini with skin on)

8 oz cooked bacalhau (finely shredded)

1 small onion (diced)

4 eggs

1 cup any biscuit mix

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 to 1/2 cup pecorino or Parmesan cheese

cherry tomatoes as a garnish (if desired)

1 tablespoon minced parsley

Preparation:

Set oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a pie plate with cooking spray or butter.

Saute onion in olive oil for a few minutes until translucent. Add bacalhau and cook for a few minutes to absorb flavors. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile beat eggs until foamy. Add zucchini, cheeses and biscuit mix. Add the cooled onion and bacalhau and mix thoroughly.

Top with sliced cherry tomatoes and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with a salad and white wine.


Desserts / Holiday Recipes / Recipes / Traditional customs

Festa Food – Filhos da Festa – Portuguese Fried Dough

Festa food recipes continue this month with these Filhos da Festa. This popular dessert is a favorite at every festa. Some people call them “Malasadas” some call them “Filhos”. Call them any name you want. Enjoy the recipe.

Ingredients:

9 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 and ½ teaspoon salt

6 eggs

1 stick butter or margarine (8 tbsp)

1 teaspoon lemon or orange extract

2 cups milk

¼ cup fresh orange juice

oil for frying (corn oil or vegetable oil works best)

granulated sugar

cinnamon for dusting (optional)

 Ingredients to make the starter yeast:

3 tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon sugar

2 packages of dry yeast or 1 small cube yeast (0.6 oz, 17g)

½ cup warm water

 First step:

Mix the ingredients in the starter yeast and set aside until bubbles form.

Second step:

Put the milk and butter in a pan on low until butter is melted

In a large bowl, mix eggs, salt, sugar, lemon zest, and orange juice. Beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.

Add the milk and butter and mix for 30 seconds. Add yeast mix and flour and knead well until the dough is elastic and smooth.

Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Doughfolarerise

Punch down the dough, cover and let it rise until doubled.

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Your dough will look light, airy and elasticy .

bread dough

In a deep fryer heat the oil to 375 degrees. Using your hands lightly greased with olive oil, stretch pieces of the dough into thin strips of desired sizes of about 3 by 4 inches.

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Fry until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels. Dust with granulated sugar while still warm. Note: You can also dust with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

Main Dish / Recipes / sandwich

Portuguese Festa Food: Bifanas da Festa |Pork Sandwich

Bifanas are a must have at any Portuguese Festa but you can have them any day of the year. The savory pork with sauteed onions melt in your mouth on the crusty Papo Seco Portuguese roll. Cook them on the grill and serve as a main dish with potatoes, rice or vegetables. I make this recipe at least once every few weeks because it’s so easy!

Taste Portugal Seasoning

Ingredients:

2 pounds of boneless pork loin (cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch strips)

2 to 3 tbsp TASTE PORTUGAL SEASONING REGULAR OR SPICY

1/2 cup white wine

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

Piri Piri or Tabasco sauce (optional)

Preparation:

Marinate let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, remove the pork from the refrigerator and let reach room temperature.

Cooking on the grill:

Rub a little olive oil on each bifana and place on the hot grill (or grill in 2 tbsp olive oil in heavy stove top skillet). Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side until browned and place in a heat prof tray. Place the butter evenly over the pork. Add your desired amount of piri piri if desired. Top with cooked onions (recipe below). Cover with foil, and store in a warm place until you’re ready to serve.

Onions:

2 – 3 large onions (sliced)

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preparation:

Saute onions in olive oil until translucent and tender. Add paprika, garlic powder and salt and vinegar. Stir well and cook for another few minutes to incorporate spices. Keep in pan until ready to serve over the pork.

Main Dish / Recipes / rice / shrimp

Shrimp and Cauliflower Fried Rice

You’ll love this easy, low carb, low calorie version of the classic Portuguese Shrimp and Rice dish that’s one my favorite recipes on this blog. This recipe only takes about 20 minutes to fully prepare and cook. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 12-16 oz. package frozen cauliflower rice ( I used Trader Joe’s)

1 small onion (minced)

1/2 to 1 pound raw medium shrimp de-veined and shelled

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cube chicken bouillon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

parsley (minced for garnish)

Preparation:

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent in a non stick skillet. Add bouillon and and let dissolve. Season shrimp with salt and paprika. Add cauliflower to onion and garlic, stir to dissolve frozen pieces, and cook for about 5 minutes while stirring often.

Add shrimp to cauliflower, mix well and let cook for about 5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink and fully cooked.

Garnish with parsley.

Perfect pairing with Portuguese Vinho Verde wine.