Roasted Paprika Chicken and Gravy

August 31, 2015

Have you ever been to the grocery store and found chicken on a “Manager’s Special”? It usually means they want to move the chicken out of store because they have a sell by date that is that day or the next, so they mark it way down… That was the case with today’s Sunday dinner. I went to the market and found a big family size package of chicken drum sticks (10 in all) for $4.11. I mean, how do you pass up a price like that? That’s like a $1.50 per pound.

So, I decided to take it home and make it into a lovely meal. This dish is simple to put together with just 7 ingredients you probably have in your pantry already. This recipe will work with any cut of chicken… if you find thighs at a good price, use those, breast, use those… But, I have to warn you, you may start making this meal even if the chicken isn’t on sale because aside from being inexpensive, it’s also super yummy! With Crispy roasted skin that is pan seared first and a lush gravy over the top combined with melt in your mouth onions, mmmm. I chose to plate my chicken on a platter of plain white rice, but you could certainly whip up some mashed potatoes or cous cous, or even buttered noodles. I put it right on the platter mainly so it could soak up some of the silky gravy.

I should also mention that this chicken is on the table in under an hour and uses only one pan! Let me show you what I did…

Look at all this chicken!

Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Then sprinkle with Hungarian Paprika. Hungarian Paprika is one of my most favorite ingredients, it’s got a nice heat to it that isn’t overwhelming. However, if you don’t have Hungarian Paprika handy, just take some plain, run of the mill, sweet paprika and add a little cayenne pepper to it and you’ve got something pretty similar. (1 Tbs paprika + 1/4 tsp. cayenne)

In a heated skillet with about 1/8 cup of olive oil, place chicken seasoned side down.

Then repeat the seasoning process on the other side of the chicken as the first side is cooking.

Slice up a large onion… I have to tell you, I only used one onion, but you could definitely use two if you prefer, yum.

Slice up some garlic… My garlic was on some kind of steroids I think, so I just used one clove, but if you are using normal size garlic, you can use 3 cloves.

Turn the chicken in the skillet until each side looks lovely and golden brown just so.

Then add in your onions.

And your garlic.

Then just before you are ready to put it in the oven, drizzle with a bit more olive oil.

This is what you should see.

Now place a lid on it and place in an oven heated to 350°F for 35-40 mins. (I should note that if your skillet is not oven safe, you may want to transfer to a baking dish at this point, cover with foil)

When it comes out of the oven, you should see that the meat is ready to fall off the bone.

On a family sized platter, make a bed of rice (or mashed potatoes or cous cous or buttered noodles)

Place chicken on rice and tent with foil while you make the gravy.

When you remove the chicken from the skillet, you will have a good amount of liquid left… this will be the base for your gravy.

There is one additional ingredient needed for the gravy… a heaping spoonful of corn starch. That’s it.

Be sure the heat has been off and wisk the cornstarch in to incorporate into your drippings until there are no lumps left.

You should see a nice smooth liquid. Now turn the heat to medium and constantly wisk.

When your gravy gets to this consistency, you could either thin out with a bit of water or if its thickened to your liking, then serve.

I like to pour the gravy right onto the platter.

Recipe for Roasted Paprika Chicken and Gravy:

(Serves 5-6)

3-4 lbs. chicken drum sticks (or thighs)

1/8 cup olive oil

1 large onion, thickly sliced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tsp. Hungarian Paprika

kosher salt

For gravy:

pan drippings

1 heaping Tbs. corn starch

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Sprinkle one side of raw chicken with kosher salt and paprika. In a heated skillet add in 1/8 cup olive oil. Next add in chicken, seasoned side down. Once chicken is in the pan, season the other side that should be facing up. Allow chicken to crisp up and become golden brown on all sides turning as needed, but not too often.

To the browned chicken add onions and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover and roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes.

Once the chicken comes out of the oven, set aside and tent with foil.

Drippings will remain in your skillet. With the heat off, add in 1 heaping Tbs. corn starch. Wisk in until there are no lumps. Turn heat on to medium and continue to wisk until thickened. If too thick, add in water. Wisk another few seconds. Pour over chicken.

*note: This is a gluten-free recipe.

Sausage Stuffed Peppers

August 21, 2015August 21, 2015

Bell peppers and I have had a tumultuous past. As a kid I hated all of them, but someone once told me that every 7 years your taste buds change. In my case this is definitely true. I still don’t care much for the green bell peppers, but the red, orange and yellow ones are super sweet and really lovely. I think one of the reasons for my aversion to bell peppers started when I would try to eat the traditional stuffed bell pepper, over cooked mushy green bell pepper with some pretty bland ground beef, rice and tomato sauce… Now that I have an appreciation for this fine vegetable and we are in the time of year that they are popping out of people’s gardens across the nation, I decided to give the bell pepper the status it deserves. So, I created the Sausage Stuffed Pepper!

In this beautiful little pepper you will find not only lean ground beef, but hot Italian sausage, brown rice, onions, tomato sauce and my secret ingredient… Swiss cheese. I decided to keep the ingredients super simple and let the sausage do most of the work for me. It’s a super simple and delicious dinner to get on the table to spice things up. And as a mom, I have to tell ya, I love it when a fully balanced meal is all in one tidy package like this.

Now, my husband is still at odds with the poor little bell pepper, so I simply took some of the filling and placed it in an individual casserole dish for him. If you have pepper haters in your life or just want to try something different, this filling can be placed in a hollowed out zucchini, eggplant or ooooo spaghetti squash, yum. It’s super versatile and easy to work with. Give it a try!

The recipe I am going to go through with you is for my small family, so I am only making three peppers and a small casserole as I mentioned… but, you can absolutely double or triple without a problem… You could even double and freeze half if you like…

Start with some lean ground beef, the sausage will provide plenty of fat. I use half a pound. Start this sauteing in a large skillet over medium heat.

Then I used three hot Italian sausages… If you don’t care for spicy food, you could certainly use mild, it will be super yummy too!

I cut down the side to remove the casing.

Give one medium onion a medium dice.

This is a small can of plain tomato sauce. You will use half now and half when you bake and serve.

You’ll want to shred up about a cup for the filling.

then you’ll want to shred up some more for the topping.

Brown up your ground beef while breaking up and browning your sausage meat.

Add your onions right in while you are doing this.

Let them get all nice and brown and lovely in the pan.

Add in about a cup and a half of cooked brown rice. (this is great to do when you have left over rice from dinner the night before… you might even cook a bit extra if you know this is your plan… saves you a step)

Once all combined, I like to transfer to a bowl to cool it a bit. If you want to stick to the pan, that’s fine too, less dishes.

Add in half a small can of tomato sauce.

Combine.

Then add in your cup of cheese and mix in… if your mixture is super hot, you will have to work quickly here so that the cheese doesn’t all clump together.

Once combined, just taste for salt and add a pinch of salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Here are my peppers, aren’t they pretty? Notice, I left out the green 🙂

You’ll want to cut off the top and remove the seeds from both top and bottom. I try and cut just the very top so there is lots of room for stuffing.

They are all ready, you don’t need to do anything to the insides other than remove those seeds.

Now to prepare the baking dish, I put in some olive oil. (This baking dish I am using is stone, if you are using a metal baking dish, be sure to really coat with a non-stick cooking spray or a bit more oil)

And about half of what is remaining in that small can of tomato sauce… I like to reserve some for serving.

Place the peppers in the pan standing up.

Fill each one evenly.

It’s great if you over stuff a bit.

Then top with your remaining cheese. Pile it on, don’t be shy.

Pop the top back on and it’s ready to go into your preheated 350°F oven for about half an hour. (I like my pepper a bit on the firm side and the filling is fully cooked so that’s just really getting heated through. If you like a softer pepper, go for 45 minutes, etc, until you get the pepper to the consistency you like)

And this is what you get when they come out of the oven… Still firm enough to stand up and hold the filling and heated to perfection.

Recipe for Sausage Stuffed Peppers:

(serves 3-4)

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

3 Hot Italian Sausage links, removed from casing

1 medium onion, diced

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

1 small can tomato sauce, divided

1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded

3 bell peppers, seeded

kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

1 Tbs. olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a skillet brown the ground beef, sausage and onion over medium heat. Once fully browned and onions are soft, add in cooked brown rice. Combine and transfer to a mixing bowl for easier handling. Add in 1/2 can of tomato sauce. Combine. Add in 1 cup of shredded cheese. Combine.

Prepare peppers by cutting off the top and removing the seeds from the top and bottom. Prepare a baking dish by adding in the olive oil and 1/2 of the remaining tomato sauce. Spread.

Add filling to each pepper, overstuffing if possible. Top with remaining cheese. Add on the top of each pepper. Bake for 30-45 minutes uncovered.

Serve with remaining tomato sauce, Enjoy!

*This is a gluten-free recipe.

Beef Burrito Casserole with Pico de Gallo

August 17, 2015August 17, 2015

I love a good burrito, but I must confess, I don’t always have the time to make each one out separately. Sometimes, it’s just easier to throw it all together and make what is essentially one giant burrito… A Beef Burrito Casserole!

Filled with fresh veggies, lean ground beef, protein packed beans, cheese, brown rice and whole wheat flour tortilla, you’ve got everything thing you need to make a balanced meal in one 9×13″ casserole dish! And all in under 30 minutes from start to finish!

Top this plate off with a dollop of sour cream and a nice fresh Pico de Gallo. I like to start with the Pico de Gallo so the flavors have time to hang out together a bit while I prepare the rest.

This meal is perfect for hungry families, company and pot lucks! Once you make it once, it is sure to become a family favorite that you will find yourself making time and time again!

I start by dicing half a large red onion.

Then I like to soak it in water to take the bite out of the onion.

While your onions are soaking, gather up about a dozen grape tomatoes… if you only have cherry that’s fine too…

Chop them up to a medium dice… I like grape tomatoes because aside from them being super sweet, they are also low in liquid.

Drain water from the tomatoes and start building your Pico de Gallo.

Add the tomatoes in with your onions.

Chop up a good handful of cilantro.

Chop up a good handful of cilantro

Add in with onions and tomatoes.

Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Now my little surprise add in is some pickled hot peppers.

Chop them up and add them in to your mixture.

To finish it off grab a lime.

Add the juice of half a lime.

And here you have it, fresh Pico de Gallo. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until it’s time to top your plate.

Now we can start building our spice mix:

You can make a spice mix big enough for this one casserole or multiply the amounts in the recipe below and keep your burrito spice mix in a mason jar. It can then be used for burritos, tacos and any manner of Tex-mex and Mexican dishes. And, if you can’t have time or all of the necessary spices, you can always pick up a burrito seasoning packet from the supermarket (I won’t tell anybody).

Mix it all up and it’s ready to add in to your casserole.

Now start prepping your ingredients for your filling:

Start off by dicing one medium onion.

Grab a red bell pepper. Halve and seed it.

Slice it up.

Dice it.

Now bring a large skillet to a medium/high heat.

Brown up some ground beef.

To the meat, add in about half the seasoning mix.

Once browned, move the meat to one side of the pan… You can always remove from the pan, but to me this is easier than getting another bowl dirty.

Add the onions and peppers into the other half of the pan and start to saute.

Open up a can of pickled jalapeno. These are not only easier to use than dealing with chopping up fresh jalapeno, but I like the brine that comes along with it.

Add in a big spoon full of the jalapenos, reserving the rest with the liquid in the can.

Stir it all in together.

Rinse off some canned or frozen black beans.

Add in the black beans.

Rinse off some pinto beans.

Add them in.

I would normally use corn on the cob, but I didn’t have any on hand, so I opened up a can of corn to add in.

Add in about half a bottle of beer. This is a light Mexican beer.

Open up the tomato sauce. Add it into your mixture.

Add in about 2 cups of cooked brown rice. (any rice will do)

Mix everything together and let simmer for about 10 minutes to cook out the alcohol and allow the flavors to mingle a bit.

Once the filling is all set, it’s time to build your casserole:

Grab some medium whole wheat tortillas. I normally really like plain flour tortillas, but I find that these hold up well in this dish and you really can’t taste the flavor difference, so why not go with the healthier option?

Pour about 1/4 cup of olive oil into your casserole dish. Be sure to coat the bottom and sides of your dish.

Now line your pan, bottom and sides with the tortillas.

Pour in your filling.

Add on a layer of shredded cheddar cheese.

Now gently start folding in the edges of the tortillas all the way around.

Add a layer of tortillas to the top being sure to cover all the mixture.

What you essentially have now is a giant burritos in your casserole dish.

You should find that coming up around the edges is some pools of olive oil, use that to brush right on top of your burritos.

Once that is all set, you will need to make a quick sauce and top it:

Take what is remaining of your tomato sauce and add it into a bowl.

Then add in the remainder of the peppers in with that.

To that add in a pinch of kosher salt.

Then some fresh cracked black pepper and that’s it! Just stir together and top your casserole.

Spread the sauce all over the top.

Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes.

When it’s time to serve, top with some sour cream and your freshly made Pico de Gallo! Enjoy!

Recipe for Beef Burrito Casserole:

(serves 6-8)

1 1/4 ground beef, browned

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 can pinto beans, rinsed

1 can corn, drained

1 onion, diced (small dice)

1 red bell pepper, diced (small dice)

2 cups brown rice, cooked

1 can chiles, divided

1 can tomato sauce, divided

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

9-10 medium tortilla wraps (whole wheat or plain flour)

Taco spice mix (recipe to follow)

For sauce topping:

1/2 can of tomato sauce

1/2 can of jalapeno

pinch of salt

fresh cracked black pepper

For Taco spice mix:

1 Tbs. cumin

1 Tbs. paprika

1 Tbs. kosher salt

1 Tbs. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. Hungarian paprika

For Pico de Gallo:

1/2 red onion, diced and soaked

12 grape tomatoes, diced

handful of cilantro, chopped

3 Tbs. hot pepper rings, chopped finely

Juice of half a lime

kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prepare Pico de Gallo: Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Cover and set aside.

Prepare spice mix: Add all spices into a bowl, stir and set aside.

Prepare filling: Saute ground beef and brown. Add in half the spice mix and stir. Once browned and seasoned, push to one side of the pan. On the other side of the pan, add a little olive oil and saute the onions and peppers until tender. Add in one spoon full of canned jalapeno. Combine with the meat.

Add in beans, corn and rice. Then add in half a can of tomato sauce and half a bottle of beer. Add in the remaining spice mix. Once the filling is prepared, set aside and prepare the casserole dish.

In a 9″x13″ casserole dish, add in about 1/4 cup of olive oil. Line the dish with tortillas being sure to go up the sides of the pan. Add in filling and top with cheese. Fold the tortilla sides in and cover the top with tortillas. Brush with olive oil.

Prepare the sauce: To a small bowl add in the remainder of the tomato sauce, the remainder of the jalapenos, a pinch of salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Stir.

Top the casserole with the sauce. Bake for 45 minutes.

Serve with sour cream and Pico de Gallo.

Enjoy!

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!

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.

Lobster Risotto

July 20, 2015March 13, 2016

This summer we had the pleasure of attending my sister’s wedding in Negril, Jamaica! During our time there lobster was not in season and banned from being caught. So, when we went to a specialty restaurant at the resort we stayed at, I ordered the shrimp risotto. And I have to say it was absolutely delicious! Even though I was the one to order this wonderful dish, my husband fell in love with it! So, when we returned, I had the inclination to make my own risotto using our very own Northeast caught cold water lobster.

A disclaimer before I start is that risotto is a simple dish, but it is food of love as it takes a good amount of time and it can not be rushed.

First thing to do is prepare some stock. I had some frozen homemade chicken stock, so I used that (about 6 cups). If you have seafood stock, great, use that… But, I do love the flavor a homemade chicken stock brings to this dish. You want to keep this stock warm without boiling as boiling will evaporate the stock before you can use it.

Use one large shallot or two smaller ones… If you don’t have shallots available you can use one medium onion. Shallots are just a bit milder in flavor.

Cut the shallot in half to stabilize your cutting surface.

You’ll want a small to medium dice.

Warm a non-stick (if you have one) pot over medium heat. Add in a few tablespoons of olive oil.

Next add in a couple tablespoons of butter to the olive oil for flavor.

Add your diced shallots to the fat in the pot.

Saute over medium heat until golden brown.

Chop up a couple cloves of garlic and add in to your already golden shallots.

This is aborio rice… It is widely known as one of the best rices to use for making a good risotto. This particular one is just my store brand, but it is a long grain Italian rice imported from Italy.

Each grain is fatter than your run of the mill rice.

Add your raw unwashed rice to your pot with your shallots and onions. You want to toast your rice grains before you start adding in liquid.

The trick to a good risotto is to add in your liquid slowly.

Add your warmed stock to your pot one ladle full at a time.

You want to make sure each ladle gets completely soaked in before you add the next ladle. Stir continuously.

I have a left over lobster from this past weekend. So this baby is getting cut up and put in my pot.

I start off by removing the legs and popping them in my pot. This helps me achieve two things. Since I am using chicken stock, the legs help to introduce a seafood stock flavor… They are also pretty yummy to add to each individual dish.

Remove the meat.

Chop it up into medium sized chunks.

Add your meat into your pot when you only have a couple ladles of stock left to go. As the lobster is already cooked, your goal here is just to heat the meat through, not to over cook your meat. This is a good time to add in 1/2 cup of dry white wine as well.

At this point I like to finish with a few more tablespoons of butter and top with some reserved lobster meat. Then I top with some chopped up scallions or parsley. You also want to taste for salt and pepper now as well.

Lobster Risotto

Serves 4

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken or seafood stock

2 cups aborio rice

1 large shallot, diced medium

3 Tbs. olive oil

6 Tbs. butter, divided

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 scallion, chopped

1 lobster, shelled and chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Warm 6 cups stock in a medium sauce pan. In a large non-stick pot saute shallot over medium heat in olive oil and 3 Tbs. butter until golden brown. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Add in raw rice and toast for a few minutes, stirring constantly. One ladle at a time add in stock, making sure each ladle has been absorbed before adding in the next. Add in lobster legs. When there are only a couple of ladles of stock to go, add in white wine and lobster meat. Finish ladling in stock. Check for salt and pepper and add if needed. Also check for rice tenderness. (If more liquid is needed either add more warmed stock or warmed water. Add in a remaining butter.

Top with reserved lobster if desired and scallions or parsley. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

*note – This is a gluten-free recipe.

Grilled Shrimp Scampi

July 13, 2015July 13, 20154 Comments

Easy entertaining is all about good preparation. I have a book club with my mom, sisters and some very close friends. Last month was my turn to host and I am just getting around to sharing with you all my menu…

Dinner for 8: All Grilled Menu… 1st Course – Grilled Romaine Salad topped with bacon, avocado and a homemade buttermilk ranch dressing. 2nd Course – Grilled Shrimp Scampi over linguine Fini and a Grilled Tostada. 3rd Course – Grilled Pound Cake with strawberries and grilled peaches dressed with a simple syrup and topped with homemade whipped cream. Um… yum.

Grilling food is a great way to take a classic menu and give it a smoky twist. Grilling your fruit helps to bring out natural sugars in the caramelization process. And grilling things like your lettuce, keep your guests on their toes! And if you have everything prepared ahead of time, grilling keeps you out of the kitchen and outside with your guests!

Today we will start with the main course. I didn’t focus on cooking the linguine fini, just follow the package instructions for that. We will cover the Grilled Shrimp, the scampi sauce and the Grilled Tostada.

Start with your marinade:

Add in about 1-2 cups of dry white wine. This depends on your prep bowl, you need enough to cover the shrimp.

Add in a few slices of lemon and the juice of about 1 lemon.

Add in some dried red ground pepper.

Add in a healthy pinch of kosher salt.

Stir all together and let marinade for about 20-30 minutes tops

Just before your guests arrive, skewer your shrimp and set aside. Having the shrimp on skewers helps to portion it all out. Be sure to reserve the marinade liquid, it will be used in the next step.

For the scampi sauce:

Start off by melting one stick of butter into a large skillet… Remember, this is going to feed 8 people! (Be sure your skillet is really big, because all your pasta is coming in here a little later)

Thinly slice one whole onion.

Saute the onion until translucent over medium heat.

For the scampi, you will want about 8 cloves of garlic roughly chopped… I like one per guest.

Chop up some parsley and add in to your skillet.

Add about one cup of the reserved shrimp marinade in to the skillet. Allow this to come to a simmer for about 5 minutes… you want to cook off both the alcohol from the marinade and the raw shrimp juices that made their way into that marinade. To this add in your drained pasta. Allow it to cook together for a few minutes.

Place all your pasta in a large serving bowl and shave some parmesan cheese and some torn parsley over it.

Continue with the shrimp:

Grill your shrimp until you get nice grill marks on them and they turn pink. Don’t over cook them, that’s easy to do. Just 3-4 minutes on each side should do the trick. Also add lemons to your grill… I do one half a lemon for each guest… so I did 4 lemons.

For the Tostada:

For your Tostada, start with one loaf of french bread. (Italian is ok too)

Slice your loaf of bread on a bias.

Melt in a stick of butter into about a half cup of olive oil. remember this is going to feed 8 people!

You will need three cloves of garlic.

Using your garlic press. Press all three cloves of garlic into your warmed butter and oil.

Last step in your garlic butter oil is to add about one teaspoon of kosher salt.

Brush one side of the bread liberally with garlic butter oil… I only do one side because I really like the flavor of the unbrushed side as much as the brushed side… If you want to do both sides, go for it.

Set aside the bread until your guests arrive.

When you place your shrimp on the grill, you can place the bread oil side down on the grill.

From here people can either serve themselves… or you can plate each. To plate:

On each person’s plate be sure to place pasta, a grilled lemon and a tostada. The shimp doesn’t take long to cook at all.

Recipe for Grilled Shrimp Scampi with Garlic Tostada:

(serves 8)

Shrimp:

4 lbs. shrimp

2 lbs. linguine fini, cooked to al-dente

2 cups dry white wine

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

8 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 stick salted butter

5 lemons, divided

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shaved

Tostada:

1 loaf french bread, sliced on bias

1 stick salted butter

1/2 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, through press

1 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

For the shrimp:

Marinade – Combine wine, juice of one lemon, lemon slices, salt, red pepper flakes and shrimp. Allow to marinade for about 20-30 minutes. skewer. Set aside. Reserve marinade.

Scampi sauce – Melt 1 stick of butter into a large skillet. Saute onion until translucent. Add in garlic, saute another minute or so. Add in parsley. Add in 1 cup of marinade liquid. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add in drained pasta. Allow to cook together for a few minutes. Transfer to serving bowl and top with torn parsley and parmesan cheese.

Shrimp – Grill on each side for a couple minutes until pink on either side.

Tostada:

Thickly slice french bread on the bias, set aside.

In a small sauce pan melt butter with olive oil. Add in garlic that has been run through a press. Add in salt. Simmer for about a minute over medium heat. Turn off and allow to cool for a few minutes. Brush one side of each slice of bread liberally with garlic butter oil.

Place oiled side down on the grill for about 3-4 minutes per side.

Serve along side pasta.

Enjoy!

Blackened Ahi Tuna

July 3, 2015June 24, 2015

Blackened food is often thought to be something you can only get in a restaurant. The mysterious nature of how it can be blackened yet not burned perplexes many. I am here to take some of that mystery away. It’s not all that hard if you follow a few very easy steps.

A traditional blackening mixture involves mayonnaise with spices slathered on and grilled. This is a Greek style Blackening mixture. I have lightened things up a bit by switching out the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt which also adds a nice tang that when paired with the tuna and combined with a bit of lemon really makes this dish special.

Because of the switch from mayonnaise to yogurt, I find it best to use a stove top grill pan. If you don’t have one of these handy dandy pans, just use a non-stick pan… the only difference will be that you won’t get those pretty grill marks… the flavor profile will remain, yum.

Start with a good quality, wild caught, Ahi Tuna steak. Season with kosher salt.

Dish out about a cup of Greek yogurt.

Zest a whole lemon.

These are coriander seeds. If you only have ground coriander, that’s o.k., just rub between your fingers as you add in to release some of the oils.

Since I do have the whole seeds, I crush them up a bit with my mortar and pestle.

Add in coriander, lemon zest and fresh cracked black pepper.

Chop up some fresh thyme and add to the mixture.

Add in the thyme along with about a teaspoon of kosher salt.

Add in the juice of half a lemon.

Set aside about 1/4 cup of yogurt mixture, then slather about 2 Tbs. onto one side of the steak. (If you wanted to marinade this for about an hour before cooking in the fridge, that would work nicely too… just be sure to remove from fridge about 20 minutes before cook time)

Heat up a grill pan (or a regular non-stick pan or cast iron skillet) with a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and place the steak yogurt side down.

Before you flip the steak, season with kosher salt and slather with yogurt mixture.

This steak is cut to about an inch and a half to two inches thick. Allow steak to cook on each side around 5 mins for a well done steak. If you know and trust your fish monger and you know the fish is fresh, you could go more rare here and do 3-4 mins on each side. The more well done the fish gets, the more “fishy” it will taste.

Top with reserved yogurt and serve. Enjoy! (shown here with brown rice and quinoa and Greek cucumber, tomato salad with feta)

Blackened Ahi Tuna Recipe:

(serves 2)

2 Ahi Tuna steaks

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 tsp. thyme, chopped

1 tsp. coriander, crushed

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Prepare tuna steak by lightly salting. Then mix together yogurt, corriander, lemon zest, 1/2 lemon juice, salt, fresh cracked pepper and thyme. Reserve about 1/4 c. mixture. Slather 2-3 T. yogurt onto one side of fish. In a very hot grill pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil, place tuna steak, slather side down. Repeat process of salting and slathering. Cook 5 mins. on each side for well done steak. Allow to rest and top with some of the reserved yogurt sauce.

Enjoy!

Pan Seared Sea Scallops

June 29, 2015June 22, 2015

Growing up in New England, a person is hard pressed to find anything more culinarily superior than fresh sea food right off the boat. Large sea scallops are the star of this dish and definitely among one of my favorites. I have found over the years that the more simple the preparation with sea scallops the better. Fresh seafood doesn’t need all that much help, the best thing you can really do is let it shine.

In this recipe I take a hint of the ever popular scallops wrapped in bacon and lighten it up a bit. Using the flavor of the bacon in preparation and then finishing with a sprinkle of its crispy goodness. I also find that the more simple the side, the more your seafood is allowed to shine through. Here, I have paired with a brown rice quinoa.

Add two tablespoons to a large non-stick skillet.

Slice two cloves of garlic.

Gently saute the garlic in the butter over medium heat.

I reserved two strips of bacon from breakfast that I par-cooked. Chop.

Add bacon into the butter (this helps with flavor, but also adds bacon grease to the butter so it won’t burn when scallops are added)

A dozen and a half of big fresh sea scallops.

Salt the scallops with kosher salt.

Remove the garlic and the bacon and reserve. The purpose here is to get the flavors of the garlic and bacon, but when the heat gets turned up to sear the scallops, you don’t want to burn the garlic and bacon.

Place each scallop in the skillet over medium/high heat. The goal is to get color on the scallops, but you also want to almost cook it all the way through.

Turn each scallop with tongs… I don’t like to puncture with a fork.

Sprinkle the reserved bacon and garlic over top. Serve with a plain wild rice and quinoa.

Recipe for Seared Sea Scallops:

(Serves 3)

18 large sea scallops

2 strips of bacon, chopped

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2 Tbls. butter

kosher salt

Directions:

Melt butter over medium heat on a non-stick skillet. Add in sliced garlic, turn heat to medium/low. Add in chipped bacon. Continue to saute until bacon is crispy and garlic is lightly browned. Remove garlic and bacon and reserve.

Prepare scallops by taking out of the fridge 20 minutes before you plan to cook to bring to room temperature. Lightly salt with kosher salt.

Turn up the burner heat to medium/high. Place scallops in skillet with room around each, do not over crowd. Allow scallops to caramelize without moving. Let sear about 2-3 minutes. Turn with a pair of tongs so as not to puncture with a fork. Sear on second side 2-3 minutes. Careful not to over-cook. You want the scallop to have a bit of a spring back when you touch it. They will continue to cook a bit once you remove from the skillet.

Once both sides have deep golden brown edges, sprinkle with garlic and bacon. Serve. Enjoy!

* This recipe is gluten-free.

French Toast Waffles

June 22, 2015June 22, 2015

With 4th of July right around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate to start this week off with a patriotic breakfast idea! Maybe you have a waffle iron and have no clue what to do with it. Maybe you do, but haven’t dusted it off in a while. Maybe you don’t like the hassle of mixing up the waffle batter… No mind, these are the simplest no muss, no fuss waffles you will ever make and they are super sumptuous too! Are they waffles or is it french toast? Why, it’s both! French toast and waffles all in one, pretty clever, huh?

With this recipe, you heat up your waffle iron, then go about making french toast as you normally would. Then instead of pouring batter into your waffle iron, you just place your egg soaked bread in! Talk about easy and talk about yum!

Pre-heat your waffle iron.

Then start preparing your egg mixture:

Start with two eggs.

Scramble up the eggs with a fork.

Add in some light cream for richness.

Add in some pure vanilla extract for depth of flavor.

Add in a pinch of cinnamon for added french toast flavor.

Scramble it all up forming your dredging liquid.

Now prepare your waffle iron because as you dredge your bread, you need to immediately place into your waffle iron, this step doesn’t take long at all.

Spray your waffle iron, I like to use a butter flavored non-stick spray for this, but any regular non-stick spray.

Ready about 3 – 4 slices of your favorite sliced bread. I am using whole wheat bread here.

Individually dredge each piece of bread.

Place your egg soaked bread right on your iron and close like you normally would. Give it about 2 minutes.

You will know your french toast waffles are done when they are golden brown just like regular waffles.

Recipe for French Toast Waffles:

(Serves 2)

4 slices of wheat bread (or your favorite sliced bread)

2 eggs

1/4 cup light cream (whole milk to substitute)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 pinch cinnamon

non-stick cooking spray

berries, butter and syrup to top

Directions:

Pre-heat waffle iron.

Prepare eggs. Crack two eggs into a bowl. Scramble with fork. Add in cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Scramble with fork.

Dredge each slice of bread in liquid one at a time. Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray, covering both top and bottom. As you finish the individual dredging, place each slice in the iron. Close iron and wait about two minutes. Waffles will be ready when golden brown.

Top with fresh berries, butter and syrup. Enjoy!

the portuguese american mom

stay awhile… have a cup of tea, let's get creative!

Category: Main Courses

Roasted Paprika Chicken and Gravy

Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Beef Burrito Casserole with Pico de Gallo

Chicken & White Bean Casserole

Portuguese Baked Pork and Beans (Feijão Assado)

Lobster Risotto

Lobster Risotto

Grilled Shrimp Scampi

Blackened Ahi Tuna

Pan Seared Sea Scallops

French Toast Waffles