Mom’s Amazing Chouriço & Peppers (Chouriço com Pimenta)

August 12, 2015August 16, 201514 Comments

My Mom makes the most amazing Chouriço & Peppers sandwiches. We just celebrated my son’s 3rd birthday and of course I asked my Mom to make this delightful treat. I also asked that she be sure I was there to document her exact steps with my trusty camera, so you get the recipe right from the source.

Five easy ingredients, one pot, and three simple steps make for a new favorite week night meal, pot luck contribution, tail gating staple or party request time and time again. I don’t think I can ever recall a Portuguese party that did not have some version of this sandwich piled up on a platter. But, I have to say every time I bring these little sandwiches with this specific recipe to a party, I hear nothing but compliments and requests for the recipe. This past weekend was no exception. People ate them right up and kept coming back for more! So here it is…

Here is the start.

This is ground chouriço… Most recipes involving chouriço that I have shared thus far have involved chouriço in its original form… but this is a version sold without the skin and ground up.

It’s the same price as regular chouriço and for this recipe we are starting with 3 lbs. because this is for a party.

A lot of people like to use green bell peppers for this recipe, but I am not a fan of the green, I prefer the sweeter red, orange and yellow. This is total personal preference. If you want to go the traditional route, go ahead and use green.

Three small cans of tomato sauce. We like to use plain Hunt’s… not ‘no salt added’ not ‘italian seasoning’ …just plain.

My mom likes to dice her onions pretty finely, she is not a fan of chunky onions in anything.

The peppers however, are diced up pretty big, each piece is roughly chopped to the size of between a nickel and a quarter. Saute both onions and peppers in a bit of olive oil for just a few minutes.

Add in all the tomato sauce and stir.

Now you want to add in about 8 oz. of beer per pound of chouriço.

Add in chouriço.

Stir. Notice how thick the consistency is when you start out.

Cover, lower heat to medium/low and allow to simmer.

As the cooking process goes on some of the fat is released from the chouriço and it becomes much more liquidy. Continue to cook until that liquid gets reduced by about half. In the end, you still want it moist.

Each brand of chouriço has a different level of fat, this recipe is based on Michael’s Provisions Chouriço which has a low fat content and so it produces less liquid when cooking… If you are using a chouriço with a higher fat content, you may need to cook longer to cook off some of the liquid.

Recipe for Mom’s Amazing Chouriço & Peppers:

(makes 30 party size sandwiches)

3 lbs. ground chouriço

3 bell peppers, large dice

3 onions, small dice

3 small cans tomato sauce

24 oz. beer

olive oil

30 mini portuguese sandwich rolls (or lg. rolls cut in half)

Directions:

Saute onions and peppers in olive oil. Add in chouriço, tomato sauce and beer. Cover and simmer over medium/low heat for about 1 hour. When liquid is reduced by about half, turn off heat and stuff sandwiches. (The meat should be very moist, but not soupy.)

Enjoy!

***NOTE: this recipe is a one to one ratio throughout, so if you want to cut it down or increase the amount, just do so in kind… for example to make for a family dinner use 1 lb. chouriço, 1 small can tomato sauce, one pepper, one onion and 8 oz. of beer 🙂

Chicken & White Bean Casserole

August 10, 2015

Sometimes you just need to look into your cabinets and freezer and find a meal with what you have on hand. That was the inspiration for this yummy casserole. As a matter of fact, I think that is the inspiration for most casseroles! When you haven’t had a chance to make it out to the market, it’s nice to be able to depend on a well stocked freezer and pantry! This Chicken & White Bean Casserole is something that I made a few weeks ago for precisely that reason.

It’s got all the elements of making everything separately, but you get to just saute and throw it all in a pot. The best part is, it’s ready in under an hour. Every food group is represented here as well… Healthy brown rice for your grain; carrots, onions and kale for your veggies; chicken, white beans and cheese for your protein; and a touch of butter and olive oil for your fat. You also have a warm creamy body to this dish and what every good casserole needs, a crispy crunchy topping!

Start by getting your rice going:

I’m starting with my frozen chicken stock… if you have canned or fresh you can use that too… just be sure you have at least 3 cups.

Once warm add in 2 more cups of warm water to make 5 cups of liquid. Add in rice.

To this add a pinch of salt. Cover and allow to boil while you prepare all your ingredients. This allows time for the rice to cook before you add in ingredients.

Now prepare all your ingredients:

I LOVE these individually wrapped organic chicken breasts and I keep them in my freezer all the time. So great to have on hand. So, I need to defrost before I get going with my veggies… and in warm water, they defrost in about 10 minutes!

Chop an onion.

Slice up some garlic.

Then mince your garlic

Peel and slice up two carrots.

When that chicken has defrosted, dice it up.

Then let it sit with some salt while you saute the veggies.

Now get that non-stick skillet (or cast iron skillet) out:

Start sauteing by adding your onion to some olive oil in a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat.

Add in your garlic.

Next add in your carrots. Continue to saute a couple of minutes.

Once they are all lightly browned, add them right into the cooking liquid and rice.

Now add your chicken to that same non-stick skillet, no rinsing of the pan is needed… the chicken will pick up the flavors of that onion and garlic.

Add in a Tbs. of butter and continue to saute.

Lightly brown.

Add chicken to rice when rice is nearly done cooking.

Rinse your Cannellini beans.

Add in beans.

Grab 1 Tbs. Italian seasoning mix, rub between your fingers to be sure to activate all the oils in the dried herbs. Also add in another pinch of salt and some fresh cracked black pepper (or white pepper if you prefer)

When your mixture is still wet, but just about all cooked through, get your casserole out.

This is a large casserole dish… No need to butter or anything.

Taste your rice for flavor (add in more salt and pepper if needed) then pour your mixture in and start your topping.

Now, start your topping on that same non-stick skillet:

Again to the un-rinsed skillet, add in kale. Remember, this is about what you have on hand, so if you have spinach, use that (fresh or frozen), if you have escarole use that etc any leafy green will do.

To the kale add in some butter.

Add in cream.

Saute until wilted.

Shred some cheddar cheese. I have white sharp cheddar, you can use whatever cheese you have on hand. A mild cheddar, a parmesan or even a pepper jack would be great here if you don’t mind the heat. Also, if you have extra cheese on hand, an additional cup of cheese would be really great added right into the rice when it gets transferred to the casserole dish.

Add in your cheese.

Melt in all that cheese.

Add your creamy kale to the top of your casserole.

Now cover the top with panko bread crumbs, a light sprinkle of salt and some dabs of butter. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes at 350°F.

Recipe for Chicken & White Bean Casserole:

(serves 6-8)

1 1/2 cups brown rice

3 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

2 chicken breasts, diced and lightly salted

2 carrots, sliced

1 onion. diced

2 lg. cloves of garlic, minced

1 can Cannellini beans, rinsed

3 cups kale, chopped

4 Tbs. butter, divided

1/2 cup light cream (or 1/2 & 1/2)

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 Tbs. italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Before preparing ingredients, start by boiling chicken stock and water adding a pinch of salt and adding in rice. (Doing this first allows time for the rice to cook before adding in ingredients – as we are using brown rice, it takes about 20 minutes longer than white rice to fully cook through – adjust this time accordingly if you decide to use white rice) Next, start your dicing and mincing of veggies, chicken and shredding of cheese.

Once all your prep is complete, saute onions with olive oil over medium heat in a non-stick skillet. Add in garlic and carrots. Saute until lightly browned. Add to pot with rice.

Without rinsing the skillet, saute the chicken. Add in 1 Tbs. butter, continue to saute until lightly browned. Add in to pot with rice.

Add in beans and seasoning to pot of rice.

In the same un-rinsed skillet add in kale. Saute with butter, add in cream and cheese.

Once the liquid is almost all incorporated to the rice in the pot (but not quite) add to a casserole dish. Top with kale topping. Then add panko and dabs of butter to the top of that.

Bake 20 mins until top is golden.

Enjoy!

Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles

August 7, 2015

Ahhh Snickerdoodles, one of life’s great gifts to cookie jars across the nation! With it’s crispy edges, it’s chewy inside and that snap of cinnamon flavor, who could possibly resist something so utterly yummy? But, wait… To kick it up to the next level, we have converted the ever delicious Snickerdoodle into a “Sand Dollar” by simply adding 5 little sliced almonds to adorn the top… Now, they are set for my son’s “Surf’s Up” Beach Themed party this weekend!

On top of being a family favorite around here… they are super simple as cookies go. They require no refrigeration after the dough is mixed. They are fun for the kid’s to help with. And they keep for days and days (if you can keep them around that long!)

Let’s start with the basic dough ingredients… Sugar, butter, flour, cream of tartar, eggs, salt and baking soda…

Now, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar. I use unsalted butter. If you only have regular butter or margarine, cut the salt you are adding to 1/4 tsp.

Now take your baking soda, cream of tartar and salt and mix them together into one little bowl and then into the four.

Right in.

Be sure your butter is at room temperature.

Cream.

Now add in your flour mixture in two separate times.

Blend the flour

Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times throughout the mixing process.

Once your dough is complete, set it aside and mix your cinnamon and sugar.

Sugar and cinnamon… This is a bit more cinnamon than I really would use in a cinnamon sugar mix… However, our goal today is to make what will look like a sea creature that will be covered in sand.

Just a small cereal bowl is fine for this. It would also be great if you had a small to medium cookie scoop so that your Sand Dollars are all the same size, you also avoid getting your hands messy with one of these. I am using the medium scoop today. If you don’t have one, just use a spool and roll with your hands.

This is a very cinnamony mix… If you aren’t making actual Sand Dollars, you could use half the amount of cinnamon if you prefer. I happen to like a lot of cinnamon, so I’m good with it.

Now scoop out your dough.

Place it in the bowl

Roll around in the cinnamon sugar.

And this is what you get.

Place them all neatly on your parchment lined cookie sheet

Gently flaten each one slightly

Add 5 almonds to each cookie in sort of a flower pattern with the small end of the almond pointing in.

As you can see I didn’t press down too too much, the oven takes care of most of the spreading, the point is to have a surface in which to apply your almonds.

Add 5 almonds to each cookie in sort of a flower pattern with the small end of the almond pointing in.

Aren’t they pretty? Bake these at 325°F for 8-10 minutes.

And here they are. Allow them to sit on the cookie sheet for about 2-3 minutes when they come out of the oven… Then transfer them to a wire rack for cooling.

And there you have it… Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles… Enjoy!

Recipe for Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles:

(makes 32 3″ cookies)

1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 XL eggs

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 small bag of sliced almonds

For dusting:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cinnamon

(sugar and cinnamon can be cut in half if you want less waste)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325°F.

Prepare ingredients: Mix together soda, salt and tartar, add that to flour and wisk to mix. In the bowl of an electric mixed fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter and sugar for about 2 minutes. Add in one egg at a time until each is fully incorporated. Then add in flour mixture in two additions. Be sure to scrape down the sides of your bowl a few times throughout this process.

Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a cereal bowl. Scoop out dough in with a medium scoop. Roll dough ball in cinnamon sugar. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet allow at least 1″ between each ball. Slightly flatten each ball. Apply 5 almond slices to the top of each cookie.

Bake for 8-9 minutes. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling.

Enjoy!

“Frozen” Birthday Party

August 6, 2015August 6, 2015

My God daughter turned 6 this summer and my girlfriend, Jennifer (who happens to be the single working mom of my two beautiful God children), put together a really great party for her. Kinga, my God daughter, like most little girls these days, loves the Disney movie Frozen. So everything you will see here is centered around the characters and story line of the movie. I thought she did such a great job that I decided to share it with you all!

Elsa stood by for whom ever wanted to take a picture with the popular princess.

In the dining room…

A simple white fur Christmas Tree skirt was a perfect table covering with a footed silver bowl used as a chalice.

The bowl filled with fun “Frozen” themed chocolates.

Here is the cake that I made for the birthday girl… It’s a chocolate cake with chocolate fudge butter cream filling… then a butter cream exterior that has been air brushed a blue ombre. And on top, I made “ice” candy and dusted it with powdered sugar for the frosty look. I then adorned the cake with all the Frozen characters.

In the kitchen, up on the kitchen island was an elaborate snack table! Take a look…

Blue jello was “Kristoff’s Ice”.

Rock Candy Pops were used as “Elsa’s Ice Crystals”

Some pre-packaged powdered donuts were “Olaf’s Snowballs”

Some chocolate covered peanuts were “Frost Bites”

Super cute string cheese was turned into little “Olaf’s” by just using a Sharpie permanent marker to draw him on the white canvas!

Ring pops made for the perfect “Coronation Rings”

There were “Arendelle’s Snow Capped Mountains”

“A kiss to melt a frozen heart”

This was by far my favorite part of the snack table… A build your own snow man treat tray! Kids (ahem, and adults) got to use the pretzel sticks as the snow man anchor to hold the marshmallows and then the raisins and cheese snacks got to adorn the little snow men! Labeled, “Do you want to build a snowman?” …Too cute!

Here is my little Olaf!

Outside, the drink station was super cute too…

Outside there were two choices for drinks… The first was “Elsa’s Punch”

Then there was a “melted snowman” which consisted of water, with a carrot (“nose”) and two blue berries (“eyes”) and the sign reads “Some people are worth melting for”

Sandwiches… “We finish each other’s sandwiches”

“Coronation Salad”

Hawaiian meatballs… “Troll’s Rocks”

The food table on top of a Frozen table cloth… Waiting for the pizza…

On the kitchen table…

Fun centerpieces were on the main table in the kitchen.

Fun centerpieces were on the main table and scattered Frozen confetti.

The favors were super cute and clever too! A Frozen cup was stuffed with a non-frozen popsicle… Guests could also take along a Frozen Necklace and a Frozen Tiara…

“Thank you snow much for coming”

My daughter loved her tiara and necklace!

In the back yard…

Under a back yard deck was “Oken’s Trading Post”. The beams look like a real trading post in the woods and the little Christmas Trees, snow men and ice skates are a cute touch.

Snow in summer… A kiddie pool filled with a kneaded mixture of baking soda and shaving cream!

The kids had a blast playing in the snow in summer!

And here is the beautiful birthday girl!

Portuguese Baked Pork and Beans (Feijão Assado)

August 5, 20158 Comments

If ever there was a Portuguese comfort food, Feijão Assado is it for me! This recipe has been passed down in my family for generations and it is something that I come back to time and time again. I have memories throughout my whole life of my Vavó and my Mom making Feijão Assado and Soupa de Feijão (Bean Soup) for family dinners, parties and holiday celebrations. Because the time to initially soak and cook the beans can take some time they would always cook the two together reserving half the beans for the soup and the other half for the baked beans. The Soupa de Feijão recipe is coming this fall, but for now we will focus on this warm, creamy savory comfort food.

I’ve called it Portuguese Baked Pork and Beans instead of just Portuguese Baked Beans because I have made this into the main course for our supper tonight by adding not only salt pork and a little bit of chouriço, but a whole pound of chouriço. My grandmother would never have put an entire pound of chouriço in anything, she always said that chouriço was just added to recipes for the taste. So, as I write out the recipe tutorial I will note the adjustment should you chose to go the traditional route.

This dish and a nice fresh portuguese roll is a filling, balanced and super nutritious meal. However, as I mentioned, you can also bring it as a great party food or pot luck contribution and really get people talking! Often times, if I am throwing a dinner party where I am serving roast pork or pork chops I will make this to go along side. I’ve also known Feijão Assado to make a great breakfast food. Whichever way you decide to make it, try it out soon because it really is a very different way to eat your beans.

I use while nave beans for this recipe because my Vavó always said the smaller the white bean the better. This is your basic one pound package.

Fill a 6 cup bowl about 3/4 of the way with water… this may seem a bit big, but these beans absorb almost all this water over night.

As you can see the beans are way down at the bottom of the bowl. You may be tempted to add salt at this point, avoid that temptation! White beans actually absorb water without salt, not sure why, but they do. You’ll have plenty of time to flavor later.

Cover it up and let stand over night at least 6-8 hours or up to 12 hours.

And there it is… look how they have plumped up!

Now you will want to start this next step with fresh water. So drain off the beans, this also gets rid of any residual dirt… if you want to rinse your beans and pick through, now would be a good time for that as well.

Then, cut a medium onion in half and add it into the water.

Peel three garlic cloves and add those in too… The onions and garlic really flavor the beans while they are cooking, but you are still not adding in salt.

Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once you have a boil going, lower the heat and continue to boil until beans are tender (about an hour and a half).

When beans are tender, shut off the flame. NOW you can finally add in a pinch of salt… not too much, just a pinch.

This is a good view of how tender the beans are. You want them naturally breaking up a bit.

Drain most of the water from the beans. Don’t worry about the onions and garlic, those will melt right into the dish.

You will want to reserve about one cup of the cooking liquid. This will help with keeping the beans moist while baking and it also helps to create the creamy texture.

Add in one small can of tomato sauce.

Salt… Be careful here, my Vavó always said salt adds flavor and it takes it away. So, start with 1/2 tsp and taste after you mix everything together. Both chouriço and the wet red pepper both have salt in them, so you don’t want to over do it. And remember you already added in a pinch.

One good chunk of salt pork or a couple of slices of thick cut bacon (not too smoky) or even pancetta would be nice here. I am adding mine in whole, my grandmother would chop it up, it’s up to you which you would like to do. I think it’s pretty in the center when it comes out of the oven.

One heaping tablespoon of wet red crushed pepper is next… if you only have dry, they just add in half as much.

Now just a pinch of Portuguese All Spice… If you don’t have access to this spice just add in a pinch of sweet paprika and you’ll be ok here.

Mix all together.

I like to peel the skin off my chouriço for easier eating, personal preference.

Slice it up. As I mentioned above, my grandmother would only have added half as much, this is totally up to you. Also, I should note that I am using hot chouriço, you can also use mild and be just fine. The flavor profile is the same save the heat factor.

Add your chourço into your bean mixture.

I bought a set of these beautiful baking dishes the last time I was in Portugal and pain stakingly brought them back to the states with me. It’s made of a traditional Azorean pottery. If you don’t have this dish, you can either use a 9×12″ stoneware dish or any regular baking dish will work.

Pour directly into your baking dish.

As you can see, it still looks pretty soupy, that's perfect.

As you can see, it still looks pretty soupy (like a thick soup), that’s perfect.

Be sure chouriço is evenly distributed. Bake at 375°F for 90 minutes.

Recipe for Portuguese Baked Pork and Beans (Feijão Assado):

(serves 4-6)

1 lb. dry Navy beans, soaked 8-12 hrs.

1 lb. chouriço, peeled and sliced

1 small can tomato sauce

1 onion, peeled and chopped in half.

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 heaping Tbs. wet crushed red pepper (or half the amount of dry)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp. Portuguese All Spice or paprika

1″ cut of salt pork (or three slices of thick cut bacon, non-smoky flavor)

Directions:

Soak beans over night in plain water.

Drain beans. Cook beans in a soup pot with fresh water, onion and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce heat. Cook for 90 minutes or until beans are very tender. After cooking is complete, shut off flame add in a pinch of salt and allow to sit covered for about 20 mins.

Drain beans reserving one cup cooking water. Add in tomato sauce, salt, pepper, pork and chouriço. Mix together. Pour into a 9×12″ baking dish and bake at 375°F for 90 minutes.

Enjoy!

*note – this is a gluten-free recipe.

Crock-Pot Country Style Ribs – Asian Edition

August 2, 2015August 3, 2015

Today was a beach day in our house… Went grocery shopping this morning and picked up cold cuts, cheese, fruit and drinks for the beach. But, I also picked something up so that dinner would be waiting for us when we got home from the beach. Because, I don’t know about your family, but in my family with two toddlers running around in the sand and splashing about in the surf, Mommy and Daddy are plumb pooped when we get home! So, the last thing I want to do is think about putting a healthy dinner on the table. That usually means a stop at some greasy place for an unhealthy and costly dinner. And although it might be tasty, it usually leaves us all feeling blah. But, not today. Today I found country-style ribs on sale at the market.

Country-style ribs are usually pretty inexpensive, but how could I pass them up at $1.69 per pound? Not to mention, they are one of my favorite things to cook in a cock-pot. Timing for this recipe is kind of perfect not only for the rest of the beach days summer has to offer, but it is perfect for low stress football party eats and for busy moms and dads on the go come the school year!

This asian edition of country-style ribs will be my first recipe to share with you on this inexpensive cut of meat, stay tuned for more…

At under $6 for over 3lbs. of meat, how could I pass it by?

Country-Style ribs have small bones in comparison to the great amount of meat on them.

Start off by sprinkling the meat with a little kosher salt.

Then add on a sprinkle of garlic powder.

I decided that in interest in saving myself both time and dishes, I would just mix up my braising liquid right in the crock pot bowl.

I start with about one cup of ginger ale… Ginger is a pretty common ingredient in most Asian foods, this is a quicky version.

Next add in about 1/2 cup of low sodium soy sauce… Normally I like regular soy sauce for dipping and adding on top of foods, but to add regular to a liquid that will concentrate down into the meat would be a bit too salty.

Next add in some Rice Vinegar. This adds a bit of tart to off set the sweet we are about to add in.

Add in 1/2 a jar of Ah-So (1/2 cup)

Then just a couple tablespoons of oyster sauce.

Lastly add in about 1 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes.

Add in a bit of brown sugar to sweeten things up.

Get all the ribs nice and cozy into their cooking liquid. Turn on to high for about 5-6 hours.

Here is what your meat should look like when through cooking… It should be fall off the bone delicious at this point.

The meat falls right off the bone at this stage!

Now to finish it off, just whip up a quick sauce. Add in the other half of the Ah-So sauce to a clean bowl.

To thin it out, add in 2 Tbls. of Rice Vinegar.

Slice up a scallion or two.

Add in about 1/2 cup of orange soda or orange juice if you have it.

Mix it all up.

Remove from the crock pot avoiding bones.

And add it over your readied meat.

Be sure to pick out bones.

Shred meat into big or little pieces and place into your serving bowl.

Recipe for Crock-Pot Country-Style Ribs – Asian Edition:

(serves 4)

3 lbs. Country-Style pork ribs

For the cooking liquid:

1 cup ginger ale

1/2 cup Ah-So sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 Tbs. Rice Vinegar

1 Tbs. Oyster Sauce

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

For the sauce:

1/2 cup Ah-So sauce

1/4 cup Orange soda or orange juice

1 Tbs. Rice Vinegar

2 scallions, sliced

Top with chopped cilantro

Directions:

Sprinkle meat with salt and garlic powder.

Then in the bowl of a large crock-pot add in the ginger ale, Ah-So sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce, low sodium soy and red pepper flakes. Stir. Add the meat in to the bowl of your crock-pot, cover and set to high for 5-6 hours.

Then mix up the sauce. Mix together the Ah-So, orange soda (or juice), Rice Vinegar and scallions.

Remove meat from the cooking liquid and place in a serving dish. Add sauce over top and endure that all bones have been removed while shredding the meat.

Top with chopped cilantro. Serve over jasmine rice as pictured or in a sandwich or over an asian salad… Any way you serve it, enjoy!

Our day at the beach 🙂