Category: Recipes

Codfish Omelet Sandwich (Torta de Bacalhau)

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There are some foods that are wonderful and then there are some foods that are made exponentially more wonderful when they are transformed into a left over dish.  With the base main meal being Baked Codfish Casserole (Bacalhau Assado), Torta de Bacalhau is one of those foods.  Much like how people quite often calculate their Thanksgiving dinner to not only include enough turkey and stuffing for the dinner itself, but to also account for a sufficient amount of leftovers, most Portuguese people do the same with their Bacalhau Assado.  On Thanksgiving night or the next morning there is really nothing like biting into that Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing sandwich topped with just a bit of cranberry… Well, with Bacalhau Assado, there is nothing like frying up some left over casserole into an omelet and adding in a nice slice of cheese and serving it up on a nice fresh pop-seco roll.

In Portuguese Torta is meant to mean any leftover food that has been folded into egg and fried up and then stuffed into a sandwich.  In my opinion, Torta de Bacalhau is the king of that particular type of sandwich.  Not to say that a turkey dinner is not grande and wonderful, but that sandwich the next day is a meal all on its own.  The same is true for the Codfish Omelet Sandwich!

You will need to start by gathering about 2 cups of leftover codfish casserole.

Place that on a cutting board.

Dice it up a bit into even smaller pieces.

Get 10″ non-stick skillet ready with a fair amount of olive oil. Heat over med/high heat.

Place 1/2 your chopped casserole into the preheated skillet. This recipe will yield 4 sandwiches, but to keep it manageable, it needs to be done in two stages.

While the codfish is reheating in the pan… Crack 6 eggs into a bowl. Normally I like to add cream or milk to an omelet, not here.

Vigorously beat eggs.

Move the contents around a bit until you have some caramelazation.

Add in a small pinch of salt, just enough to season the egg… remember the cod is salty itself.

When it gets to this stage, its time for the flip. “Have courage” as Julia Child would say. The reason we used so much olive oil was so this step would not overwhelm you.

Once flipped, cook for another minute and remove from pan.

Add on two slices of whatever cheese suits your fancy, I prefer good old-fashioned melty American cheese.

Split down the middle.

You need to act quickly because we want the cheese to melt in while the egg is still hot.

Gently fold the egg up and over the cheese.

Once you’ve done this on both, they are ready for bread.

A pop-seco (Portuguese bread roll) is the best choice here. You want a medium bodied bread with a crispy crust.

Slice open while leaving it still attached.

Add the omelet right onto the bread.

Serve immediately!

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Recipe for Torta de Bacalhau:

(serves 4)

2 cups prepared Baked Codfish Casserole

1/4 cup olive oil

4 slices American cheese

pinch of salt

4 Portuguese pop-seco bread rolls

Directions:

Chop prepared codfish casserole.  Add 1/2 to a preheated 10″ non-stick skillet with olive oil.  Fry codfish casserole over medium heat. Beat 6 eggs.  Once codfish casserole is heated through and starting to caramelize, add in 1/2 egg mixture, sprinkle with a small pinch of salt.  Cook 3/4 way through, then flip.  Remove from skillet.  Add two slices of cheese to one side of the round omelet.  Divide in half and gently fold cooked egg over the cheese.  Serve in fresh bread roll. Serve hot.  Enjoy!

Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

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My son started pre-school last week. I can hardly believe that children are starting school as little as 3 years old! So we picked out his cool Superman back pack with matching Superman lunch box with a cute little cape.  But, I couldn’t let my little super man go in to school without something extra special from Mommy.  So, inside that little lunch box was a little pack of homemade Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

There are lots of varieties of oatmeal cookies.  Some people add chocolate chips, some nuts, some nothing extra at all… but there can only really be one Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookie.  A hearty mixture of rolled oats and sweet raisins, this cookie is filling and delicious all at the same time. The Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookie is time-tested and adored by generation after generation.  My children are part of that next generation that have fallen in love with this wholesome treat.

Let me show you how I made these…

You'll need two sticks of softened butter. (If you have cold butter right out of the fridge with no time to let it come to room temperature, you can do one of two things 1. dice the butter and wait about 20 minutes or my preferred method 2. pop both sticks in the microwave for 30 seconds, stopping to flip every 6-7 seconds until all 4 sides have been exposed to the microwaves face up)

You’ll need two sticks of softened butter. (If you have cold butter right out of the fridge with no time to let it come to room temperature, you can do one of two things 1. dice the butter and wait about 20 minutes or my preferred method 2. pop both sticks in the microwave for 30 seconds, stopping to flip every 6-7 seconds until all 4 sides have been exposed to the microwaves face up)

Add your butter into the bowl of an electric mixer… Notice how nice and soft it is.

Add light brown sugar to the butter.

Beat on medium/high for a minute or two until it’s looking a bit fluffy.

Always crack egg into a small bowl before adding in to a batter.

Add in egg. Beat thoroughly.

One more thing before mixing in your dry ingredients, add in your vanilla. Beat for 10 seconds.

Now start on combining your dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, add flour.

Add in a shallow teaspoon of baking soda.

Add in your salt… Traditionally people like using table salt or a fine salt in cookies, but in these, I prefer a slightly more coarse kosher salt. I like the little bite of salt here and there. So, I will leave that up to you.

Wisk your dry ingredients together.

Into the bowl you used to measure out your dry ingredients, add your oatmeal… A lot of people like to use quick oats in their cookies, I however, am partial to old-fashioned rolled oats. I like how they don’t break down as much and hold their shape and bite a bit better. If you prefer a softer more smooth cookie, then use the quick oats.

Add in your raisins to the oats. Then add this to your dough and beat for 5-7 seconds until combined. Don’t go crazy here, you could even fold them in by hand.

Here is what your result should look like.

 

Using a 1 teaspoon cookie scoop, scoop out your dough. But, first be sure to have scraped down the sides of your bowl and incorporate fully.

Plop each scoop out onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

be sure to leave about an inch and a half between balls of dough.

Bake at 340°F for 10 minutes until you see the edges start to turn golden.

Allow the cookies to start cooling on the cookie sheet for about 2-3 minutes.

Transfer to a wired rack for cooling completely.

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Recipe for Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies:

(yields 4 dozen)

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 egg, cracked into a small bowl

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup raisins

1 tsp baking soda, shallow

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 340°F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar and egg. Once done, add in vanilla.

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and wisk together.  Add into the creamed butter mixture.  Beat until combined.  Do not over beat at this stage as you will make the cookie tough.

In the same medium bowl measure out your oats and raisins.  Add in to the mixture. Beat for 5-7 seconds.

Using a 1 tsp. cookie scoop, measure out each cookie dough ball and keep them 1 1/2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.

Enjoy!

 

Easy 3 Layer Dip

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Are you ready for some footballlllll????  We are! With the start of football season kicking off this weekend, I thought it only appropriate to post a fun, quick, tasty and super easy dip to take along to any football party or tailgating you might be doing! I have been making this dip for years and I can tell you from personal experience, it is almost addicting!  Just three simple layers, this is a no-bake recipe that will have them asking for more each time you come out to a party!

Ready in under 5 minutes, this dip is perfect for the busy mom or dad on the run!  It also keeps really well and can be made hours before the party and kept covered in the fridge!  Take it out about an hour before you are ready to serve, grab a bag of tortilla chips and you’re good to go!

Add one bar of softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl.

To the cream cheese, add in a half a cup of sour cream. I used to do this recipe without this ingredient, so if you don’t have any on hand, don’t worry about it, but I find that it really helps with texture and softens this layer up a bit, which in turn helps get the dip on the chip.

I have put taco seasoning recipes up in different posts before, if you have some of that already made, then just add in 3 Tbs. of that, if not, just grab a packet of pre-made taco seasoning and add it in. I told you this would be quick and easy!

With these three ingredients in the bowl, whip together. I used my electric mixer, about 45 seconds on high did it just perfect. If you don’t have a mixer, it may take you a minute and a half to mix with a wooden spoon.

Once your mix is complete, scoop it out into your serving dish.

I usually use a pie plate for this, but today I had a pretty blue casserole dish at the ready, so I used that. I spread an even layer at the bottom.

Again, I told you this would be quick and easy. Grab your favorite salsa, hot and spicy, medium or mild, you know your crowd, use what you like… We like medium. I also like the body that the chunky variety gives. And hey if you already have a saucy salsa home-made and ready, go ahead and use it! Spread your salsa evenly to create your second layer.

Now add on some cheese, spread evenly to create your third and final layer. If you are a regular on this blog, you know that I almost always shred my own cheese, but quick and easy is the name of the game here today, so some pre-shredded is how I’m going today. Plus I find that when leaving the pre-shredded stuff exposed to air it holds up a bit better than freshly shredded. Please note that if you are trying to keep this gluten-free, you really need to check your labels because some company’s coat the cheese in flour to preserve.

Spread your cheese over your layer of salsa.

I like to add a couple of toppings to this dip. This is completely optional, so I don’t count it as a layer. The first topping I add is a small can of drained pre-sliced black olives.

The second and final topping I like to add is jalapeno. Again, this is totally optional.

I slice it up super thin.

Then spread about half a pepper’s worth of slices around the top.

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Serve with tortilla chips.

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Recipe for Easy 3 Layer Dip:

(serves 10-12)

1 bar cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 packet taco seasoning

1 1/2 cups ready-made salsa

1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 diced jalapeno (optional)

10 black olives, sliced (optional)

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, whip together cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning.  Spread mixture into a pie plate or small casserole dish.  Add an even layer of jarred salsa.  Add an even layer of shredded cheese.  Top with olives and jalapeno.

*Note – This recipe is Gluten-free as long as the specific brands used are gluten-free.

Baked Salt Cod Casserole (Bacalhau Assado)

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The Italians have lasagna, the Greeks have moussaka, the Mexicans have enchiladas and the Portuguese have Bacalhau Assado.  Whatever the country, a time consuming casserole dish filled with beautiful food is a cherished part of family gatherings and family dinners alike. I truly believe these dishes are where the phrase “Food of Love” was started. We Portuguese love our salt cod, so it is only natural that our most loved casserole has salt cod as the star.  Derived from a country that has deep seeded roots as sea-faring navigators and fisherman, the Portuguese introduced Salt Cod to most of Europe.  We have dozens upon dozens, perhaps even hundreds of recipes for salt cod and not any that I can think of for fresh cod.  I suppose we wouldn’t need any recipes for fresh cod as salt cod is not only more delicious, but also considered a great comfort food.  As a matter of fact, as I write this now, I can recall it has always just been naturally assumed in my family that when speaking of “cod fish” we think salt cod, not fresh.  This became apparent to me later in life when at an American sea food restaurant where Atlantic Cod was served topped with little buttery cracker crumbs… I was almost confused to think of it fresh like some might be confused to think of bacon as fresh pork.

Portuguese Baked Salt Cod Casserole (Bacalhau Assado) is a serious dish for serious food lovers.  Layers of carefully constructed sliced potatoes, salt cod and sautéed onions (Cebolada)  all baked together and topped with boiled eggs and olives and infused with good olive oil to form the perfect balance of flavors, this dish has it all.

In my family, as I am quite sure in many Portuguese families, this wonderful creation is enjoyed at many a social gathering… but, most especially the holidays.  A nice tray or casserole dish of Bacalhau Assado sits right near the Shrimp Mozambique and the Polvo (Octopus) each year at Christmas!  A more delicious site has yet to be created!

Many of the recipes I post here on thePortugueseAmericanMom.com are easy, simple, inexpensive and quick. This is not one of those recipes.  Although this dish is not at all complicated, it does require the coordination of several different steps and so is definitely not something that can get done in under a half hour.  It is a labor of love and worth every minute!

Let’s start with the star ingredient… the cod fish…

Salt Cod at Portugalia Marketplace in Fall River, MA

With so much to choose from, it can be difficult to select just the right cut. I like to make my life a little bit easier, so I usually go for something without bones! 2 lbs. please 🙂

Here is what I brought home.

Just look at all that salt! Most of that will need to be removed for the cod to be edible.

Some people like to soak the fish overnight, which works well too… accept you will need to change the water a few times as it does tend to need more than just a soak… Me, I like to boil the salt out.

Boil and drain, this process will need to happen 2-3 times depending on just how salty the fish is and what your taste is… I like the fish to have a good amount of salt flavor, because otherwise what’s the point right? So, I try to keep the boiling process down to twice… Don’t forget this fish needs to stand up to potatoes and onions.

Gently with your hand, flake off chunks of fish to separate.

This is the broken up cod… you don’t want to mash it, you want it chunky.

Now that the cod is prepared, lets move onto the potatoes…

These are Yukon Gold potatoes... Any kind of all-purpose white potato will work as well.

These are Yukon Gold potatoes… Any kind of all-purpose white potato will work as well.

Peel the potatoes and place them in a cold pot, then fill with cold water and a nice pinch of salt.

Look how golden these turned when cooked.

You want to thinly slice your potatoes, but you also want them to not fall apart… Just find a happy medium and whatever you are comfortable with will work.

Now lets work with the onions… this part of the preparation is very similar to my Cebolada post less the tomatoes.

Start by slicing some onions, I like a varying slice, some thick some super thin.

Add onions to a hot pan with olive oil and add just a small pinch of salt… Saute over medium heat until tender.

One the onions have become tender, add in ground red pepper, minced garlic and Portuguese Allspice.

When your onions get to this stage, they are ready to go. (They should no longer be stiff at all, but not mushy either… you are looking for a medium bodied onion that is very flexible, this still needs to be baked once incorporated into the dish)

Now that all three elements of the recipe are ready, we can start to build…

Now start building the final product in your casserole dish… This recipe will fill a 9″x13″ pan.  Add in a drizzle of olive oil to coat the bottom of the baking dish. I prefer either glass or stone as seen here… If using a metal pan, be sure to coat bottom and sides well. (I would even spread it around with a paper towel if using metal)

This is a simple layering process. Start with one even layer of potatoes. You will use about 1/3 of your sliced potatoes.

Now add in an even layer of onions. You should use about 1/3 of your onions.

Now for the cod fish. You will need about 1/2 of your fish now… I don’t like to put too much cod on top as I feel like it gets dried out, so sometimes I reserve a few pieces for the top, but I didn’t do that today.

Spread evenly atop the onions. I like to drizzle just a little olive oil at this point.

In the middle is when you want to use any potatoes that are not perfectly round due to falling apart in the cutting process… you want the bottom to be solid and the top to be pretty… So here they are.

Keep layering in that order… Potatoes, onions, cod…

Once you reach the top, finish you should have onions on top… Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a 350°F oven for one hour. Then bake uncovered for about 15 minutes.

When it comes out of the oven, grab some olive oil, drizzle… grab some olives and sliced hard-boiled eggs (2) and decorate the top.

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Serve hot… but, it’s still yummy when cooled a bit!

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Recipe for Baked Salt Cod Casserole (Bacalhau Assado):

(serves 8-10)

2 lbs. salt cod, deboned

4 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled

5 large onions, sliced

1 heaping Tbs. ground red pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup olive oil, divided

12 olives

2 eggs, hard-boiled and sliced

1/2 tsp. Portuguese Allspice

kosher salt

Directions:

Start by washing and then boiling the cod fish.  Drain and boil again.  Drain and flake into chunks.  Set aside.

In a large pot, boil (in lightly salted water)peeled potatoes.  Allow to cool a bit and slice.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, saute onions until tender.  Add in garlic, red pepper and Allspice.  Add in a small pinch of salt.  Saute until very flexible, but not mushy.

In a 9″x13″ casserole dish, layer ingredients.  Start with olive oil, then 1/3 potatoes, then 1/3 onions, then 1/2 the cod, then drizzle with olive oil and repeat using the next 1/3 potatoes, the next 1/3 onions and the remaining cod.  To finish add the remaining potatoes then the remaining onions.  Drizzle with olive oil again, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for one hour.  Remove foil and continue to bake for 15 minutes.

Top with sliced hard-boiled egg and olives.

Enjoy!

*Note: This is a gluten-free recipe.

Ratatouille with Shrimp & Buttered Egg Noodles

 

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I truly love to garden. My father and my grandfathers always kept beautiful gardens.  More than the gardening itself though, I love the produce that comes out of the garden… But, I must confess since I have had my two little cherubs, I haven’t really found the time needed to keep up a good garden… I used to produce beautiful tomatoes, hearty cucumber plants, shiny purple egg plants, and squash that would last right through to Thanksgiving! That was pre-kids though…  I have had a couple of half-hearted attempts since then, but there is something about being 7,8 and 9 months pregnant in the summer heat that does not really endorse the sweat that goes into maintaining a good garden.  And so that started it off… I will do little project with my kids, like planting peas or digging up potatoes, clipping fresh mint… but next year I am determined to have my full fledged garden once again!

Luckily, I live in an area where there is no shortage of farm stands or Farmer’s Markets! Yay me!  So, although it’s not quite as satisfying as growing something yourself and turning it into a delicious life-sustaining meal… it’s still pretty great and I get to support the local farming community along the way.  This meal is a prime example of how to turn gorgeous in season produce into something really quite amazing.  If you have never tried Ratatouille, I suggest you do!  Chock full of 5 different veggies that are all in season right now, Ratatouille is great way to either put those home grown goodies to good use or to support your local economy and eat a healthy and nutritious meal at the same time!

A traditional dish developed in the French country side, Ratatouille is meant to use up whatever vegetables a farmer might have on hand.  I prefer to limit that to these 5… eggplant, zucchini, pepper (bell), onions and tomatoes (EZ-POT).   It is great as a side dish or a main dish if you are a vegetarian, but my most favorite way to enjoy this dish is over a bed of buttered egg noodles and topped with some beautifully grilled shrimp.  Let me show you how I do it…

Start off by preparing your vegetables. I am chopping these onions pretty large, about the size of a half dollar... so you will either need one large onion as I have here or two medium.

Start off by preparing your vegetables. I am chopping these onions pretty large, about the size of a half-dollar… so you will either need one large onion as I have here or two medium.

One sweet bell pepper will do it and be sure to keep the size relatively the same as you did the onions.

Keeping the veggies all around the same size, chop your zucchini.

Aren’t these mini egg plants just beautiful? I found these at a local Farmer’s Market and I knew I needed to figure out some way to use them!

They are so small that most of them, I simply cut in half, but the larger ones, I quarter.

Grabbed these beautiful Roma tomatoes at the Farmer’s Market too.

That’s it for prepping your veggies, now let’s move on to the cooking… You will need one medium heavy bottom pot, I am using a enamel coated cast iron pot. You will also need a bowl used to keep the sautéed veggies as you go through each step.

Start with some olive oil in a nice heavy bottomed pot… You will continue to add in just a tablespoon or so of olive oil before each sauteing each vegetable.

Saute vegetables one at a time and remove from pot when through with each one, reserving them for the end. I start with my onions.

Next I move on to my zucchini. I have removed the perfectly cooked onions so they don’t get over cooked.

After removing my zucchini, I add in a bit more olive oil and saute my mini egg plants. I continue this process next with the peppers and the tomatoes.

Once the tomatoes have been sautéed, add in all the reserved veggies… Then add in the fresh herbs and taste for salt and pepper… add if needed. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve hot. (at this point you could also add 1 clove of garlic, minced)

Add in a couple sprigs of thyme. Mine is young thyme from a little plant I have in my kitchen, so no need to remove the leaves, if you have a heartier plant, just remove the leaves and chop a bit.

My Rosemary is also from a plant in my kitchen, but is a bit more hearty, so I removed the leaves from about half a sprig and chopped them before adding into my pot.

After simmering for 10 minutes, this should be your end result.

Now to get some quick shrimp going…

Simply sprinkle some Hungarian Paprika (if you don’t have the Hungarian variety, just add about a 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper to 1 Tbs. of plain paprika). Add on a sprinkle of kosher salt and your prep is done. These are easy peel, deveined shrimp.

Lay them out on a hot grill pan that has been drizzled with a bit of olive oil.

When they start to get pink, after about a minute, flip each one and cook another minute or so.

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Recipe for Ratatouille with Shrimp & Buttered Egg Noodles:

(serves 6-8)

For the Ratatouille:

1 large onion, large diced

1 medium zucchini, sliced and halved

1 small eggplant (or 8 mini eggplants), large diced

2-3 Roma tomatoes, sliced and halved

1 sweet bell pepper, large diced

2 sprigs fresh Thyme, chopped

1/2 sprig Rosemary, chopped

kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

10 Tbs. olive oil

For the Shrimp:

1 dozen large shrimp, deveined and easy peel

2 tsp. Hungarian paprika

kosher salt to taste

1 Tbs. olive oil

For the Egg Noodles:

1/2 package broad egg noodles

6 cups salted water

1/4 stick butter

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

Directions:

In a medium heavy bottomed pot set over medium heat, saute each vegetable in 2 Tbs. of olive oil separately keeping the tomatoes for last.  After each vegetable is sautéed, set aside and reserve.  After the last vegetable is sautéed, the tomatoes, add in all the reserved vegetables.  Add in herbs and salt and pepper and simmer for ten minutes.

Add Hungarian Paprika and salt to shrimp in a small bowl.  Then, in a hot grill pan drizzled with 1 Tbs. olive oil, grill shrimp on both sides until pink throughout.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Add in noodles.  Cook to package specifications.  Drain… Add in butter salt and pepper.

On a platter… Lay out egg noodles first, then layer on the Ratatouille and then top with shrimp.  Serve, enjoy!

*Note: Ratatouille itself along with the shrimp are gluten-free… use rice noodles in keeping with the set up of the dish or serve without noodles.

Shrimp Mozambique (Camarão Moçambique)

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Although this meal can feed a number of people, I decided to make this dish for my husband as a surprise dinner at home after the kids were tucked into bed.  It was our Engage-aversary, 9 years since he popped the question, what better time for an elegant meal?  But, it was a Tuesday night, he was working and I had charge of two toddlers all day and evening… so needless to say my energy was not at its peek.  I needed a quick meal that was just fancy enough for my little candle lit affair… I had some shrimp in the freezer and everything else in the pantry… so, I thought why not?  The dish was delish as always and we got to celebrate and have an adult date night right in our own dining room.

I grew up eating Shrimp Mozambique.  And to eat Shrimp Mozambique is to love Shrimp Mozambique. In my family and in my little area of New England, Shrimp Mozambique is a mainstay.  We serve it every Christmas and several times throughout the year for different gatherings and parties.  Elegant in its presentation, exotic in its flavor and almost magical in its ability to transform a dinner into a party!  All this and you might think this is going to be a long drawn out and expensive recipe that is hard to understand and even harder to follow… but you would be all wrong on all counts.  In fact, Shrimp Mozambique is not only quick and easy, but pretty reasonable to make at home especially if you can pick up this size shrimp on sale for $6.99 for a 2 lb. bag like I did in the freezer section!

With under 10 ingredients, most of which you will be able to find in your pantry… onions, garlic, salt etc. it’s super easy to throw together. And from start to finish you can have this meal on the table in under 30 minutes. The two ingredients that are key in this dish are the Azafran (but this can be easily subbed out with saffron) and the crushed red pepper.  Crushed red pepper is a wet jarred pepper that is usually ground and cured with salt.  You should be able to find it in your Portuguese or Spanish section of your market.

Melt one stick of butter into a pot.

Finely dice 1/2 a large onion or one whole medium onion.

Add onions into your melted butter… you will want to get these started before you add in the garlic as they have a longer cook time than garlic and the last thing you want is burnt garlic!

You will need about 6 cloves of garlic.

Smash your garlic before mincing, it helps to release lots of the flavors on everyone.

Mince garlic.

Once the onions have started to soften, add in your garlic.

You will want to be sure to stir frequently.

Azafran seasoning is similar to saffron, but only about 1/5 the price.4

You will need one packet per pound and so in this case we are making two pounds, so we will need to add two packets.

Add in two packets of the Azafran seasoning.

Add in one heaping Tbs. crushed red pepper. (I think this photo is so cool… my pepper was in the fridge and the pot is really hot causing that white smoke you see around the pepper)

I’ve always been partial to this size shrimp for this recipe. If you like bigger shrimp, go ahead and use it, but this works well for parties, family dinner or anytime.

You can put them in the pot straight from the freezer, no need to pre-soak. I should mention that I leave the peel on, I feel like half the flavor of this dish comes from that peel… I know it can be a bit of a pain to peel while you eat, but it is sooo worth it… and hey, it will slow you down too! Take some time to enjoy your meal!

Stir to coat the shrimp with all the spices and color.

Add in one bottle of beer any run of the mill domestic will do. (If you are allergic to gluten, you could substitute about 1 1/2 cups of dry white wine or just a gluten-free beer)

Be sure the shrimp are coated. Add in a pinch of kosher salt.

Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, when it comes to a boil lower heat to a simmer and cook for 8-12 minutes and then immediately remove from heat.

The last thing you want is overcooked, mushy and mealy shrimp. Do not over cook this. Shrimp cook really quickly, the smaller the shrimp the faster the cook… I am allowing 8-12 minutes for larger shrimp and to cook off the alcohol in the beer.

There… perfectly cooked shrimp! Now, don’t forget to taste for salt, add another pinch if needed.

For a party, I like to keep white rice separate, but for a dinner party or meal at home, I like to plate my shrimp right onto a bed of cooked white rice.

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Recipe for Shrimp Mozambique (Camarão Moçambique):

(serves 4-6, dinner —- serves 10-15 party)

2 lbs frozen, deveined, easy peel shrimp (do not remove peel)

1 stick butter

1/2 lg. onion, finely diced

6 garlic cloves, smashed and minced

1 Tbs. crushed red pepper, heaping

1 beer (12 oz)

2 packets Goya Azafran Seasoning

kosher salt to taste

Directions:

In a medium pot, melt one stick of butter.  Add in onions, saute for about 5 minutes.  Add in garlic, saute an additional 5 minutes.  Add in a pinch of salt.  Add in Azafran, stir.  Add in crushed red pepper, stir.  Add in frozen shrimp, stir to coat shrimp in sauce.  Add in beer, stir, cover and bring to a boil.  Once it comes to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 8-12 minutes. Taste for salt, add if needed.  Serve over a bed of white rice.

Enjoy!

*note – Gluten-free adjustment, use gluten-free beer or white wine in place of beer.

Roasted Paprika Chicken and Gravy

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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.

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.

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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.

Stacy’s Blueberry Mojitos

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There is no more refreshing summer cocktail than a Mojito… Not too sweet, just a little tang and just the right amount of alcohol to, well, to not taste like alcohol.  This blueberry Mojito was inspired by a local restaurant that was right on the water and charged me $10.50 for one drink… I had to try to recreate it… What I did was take the inspiration and ran with it adding in little touches that appealed to me.  I love blueberries and this time of year is a great time to pick some up at farm stands everywhere.  And an entire pitcher doesn’t come near $10.50!

Soon, I was serving it at parties and gatherings with friends and it became a frequently requested treat!  My friend Jennifer recently hosted a girlfriend of ours, Virginie, from Paris and we had a little get together, so I made a fresh pitcher right at her house!  Take a look…

I started off by making a simple syrup. Just one cup of white sugar and one cup of water.

Bring it to a boil and let it cool.

I brought over some freshly cut mint from my garden. Tear up about half of these leaves and save some for garnishing individual glasses.

Three fresh limes.

Three fresh limes.

I cut up two of them into 8 chunks each… I saved one lime to slice into individual glasses as garnish.

This is my favorite Mojito pitcher! Isn't it pretty with all the blue and green running through it? I gave it a quick wash and it's ready... I mix everything right in the pitcher, no need to dirty a bowl... If you are making this for a party, i would suggest a large bowl so that you can refill... but, we are just having a small get together.

This is my favorite Mojito pitcher! Isn’t it pretty with all the blue and green running through it? I gave it a quick wash and it’s ready… I mix everything right in the pitcher, no need to dirty a bowl… If you are making this for a party, i would suggest a large bowl so that you can refill… but, we are just having a small get together.

Plop the limes into the pitcher, squeezing them as they go in.

Jen didn’t have a wooden spoon handy, so I used a regular utility spoon to start the muddling process. To muddle, you are basically just squishing everything down.

Add in mint and continue to muddle everything together

Add in one quart of freshly washed blueberries and continue to muddle. You want to work it so that about half the blueberries are popped open.

Add in mint and continue to muddle everything together.

Add in about half of the simple syrup and continue to muddle.

Add the rum in with what you have muddled so far and stir. At this point, refrigerate for about an hour or so.  Make sure you are using white rum, no spiced rum in these babies.

To finish off your mixture, add in sparkling water and stir.

To this mixture, add in a few cups of ice.

To this mixture, add in a few cups of ice.

Add some ice to the glass and pour.

Add some ice to the glass and pour.

Recipe for Stacy’s Blueberry Mojitos:

(serves 6-10)

1/2 cup simple syrup

1 quart blueberries, washed

3 limes

1 bunch fresh mint, about 8-10 sprigs

1 liter lime sparkling water

1 cup white rum

Directions:

Prepare the simple syrup by bringing one cup of sugar and one cup of water to a boil and cooling.  Also, keep sparkling water refrigerated until it is time to add in.

Cut 2 limes into 8 chunks each.  Slice the remaining lime into circles for garnishing. Strip 3-4 sprigs of mint and tear the leaves.  Reserve the remaining mint sprigs for garnishing.

In a pitcher muddle all the fruit and mint together with a wooden spoon.  Add in simple syrup and rum, stir.  refrigerate mixture for at least one hour or up to a day.

When ready to serve, add in sparkling water.  Add 3-4 cups of ice and serve.  Garnish with lime circles and mint and add in ice to each glass.

*This is a gluten-free recipe if using Cruzan rum.

 

Farmer’s Market Chicken & White Bean Soup

done2I simply love this time of year.  Harvest is starting to come in, we are nearing the end of the hot days and looking into Indian Summer.  The farm stands are all stocked and Farmer’s Markets are booming!  I had the occasion to visit a local Farmer’s Market today and I feel like I struck gold with the beautiful vegetables that made their way to my kitchen..

I love going to a Farmer’s Market with nothing in mind at all.  I let the freshness of the produce sweep me into a frenzy of creativity.  Today, I left the house with a fresh chicken stock cooling on the stove, so I did have a little bit of direction… cooked chicken and wonderful stock.  When I returned home, I found that I had some gorgeous native carrots some almost red in color, others purple!  I got some cool crisp green beans and a few other things that will be heading onto my dinner plate later this week.

As for today, both my son and my daughter each have a little case of the sniffles.  So, I thought it appropriate to come up with a sort of chicken soup.  They are both big fans of chicken, carrots and green beans and with a few more ingredients to include cannelloni beans for a little extra protein, yummy egg noodles for their velvety heartiness along with some onions, celery and some fresh and dried herbs and we were good to go.  Let me show you what I did…

Aren’t they beautiful? Orange, purple and a deep orangey red… all of them are super fresh and super sweet.

A fresh basket of green beans, yum.

Look how gorgeous these are.

Saute in a little touch of olive oil.

Add in a diced onion.

Chop up some celery.

Add your celery into the saute.

Cut a few sprigs of thyme.

Add your stock to the pot along with a few of these sprigs of thyme.

Here are my farm fresh green beans.

Chop them up... I do a pretty small chip for my kids, you can cerainly chop to whatever size suits you.

Chop them up… I do a pretty small chip for my kids, you can certainly chop to whatever size suits you.

These egg noodles are considered a nice smooth starch.

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Add in a pinch of salt, crack some fresh black pepper and add in your Herbs de Provence.

Add in your white beans.

Then cover.

Then cover.

I like to chop and then shred the chicken a bit.

Allow to simmer for a few minutes so all the flavors can really marry.

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Recipe for Farmer’s Market Chicken & White Bean Soup:

(serves 6-8)

1 cooked chicken breast

2 native carrots, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 cup green beans, chopped

3 cups dry extra wide egg noodles

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       8 cups prepared chicken stock

.1/2 tsp Herbs de Provence

3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil for sauteing

Directions:

Saute onions, carrots and celery in olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.  Add in a pinch of kosher salt.  Once tender, add in chicken stock.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Then add in green beans, beans, egg noodles, salt, pepper, thyme and Herbs de Provence, cover and reduce to med/low heat.  After about 10 minutes add in the chicken.  Continue to cook until noodles are tender and chicken is heated through. Taste for salt and pepper.

Sausage Stuffed Peppers

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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.

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.

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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.