Little Necks in Garlic Wine Sauce (Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato)

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One of the best parts of living in New England is the vast variety of cold water sea food we have available.  Interestingly enough, it actually mirrors that which is available in St. Michael, Azores.  How lucky am I?

Little Necks in Garlic Wine Sauce is a quintessential Portuguese starter.  9 times out of 10 when we sit down to dinner at a Portuguese restaurant with friends, this is the first thing we order.  It’s a two-part experience really.  First you get to eat the clams that are cooked in a garlic wine broth and then again drenched in garlic, white wine and olive oil.  But then, some may argue the best part of the dish is next… it’s the part when you get to sop up that delectable garlic wine sauce with a crusty piece of Portuguese bread… OMG, so good!

This dish is best served hot and brought right to the table.  A couple of things you will want to have ready before you start is  a good loaf of Portuguese bread, some hot sauce and a bowl to throw the emptied shells into (as you need to not crowd your plate with that so that you can get to the sauce with that bread!)

There are sooo many varieties of clams available in the world. These are called Little Necks, they are actually the second to smallest size clam that is legally harvestable in the U.S. Some people call these Northern Quohogs and some call them round clams or chowder clams. What makes these clams special is that, as it's name indicates, they have an itty bitty neck, unlike it's cousin the Steamer clam with it's long neck that sticks out of it's shell. Also, unlike the Steamer clam, Little Necks don't have much to speak of in their bellies. It's really mostly flesh, yum!

There are sooo many varieties of clams available in the world. These are called Little Necks, they are actually the second to smallest size clam that is legally harvestable in the U.S. Some people call these Northern Quohogs and some call them round clams or chowder clams. What makes these clams special is that, as it’s name indicates, they have an itty bitty neck, unlike it’s cousin the Steamer clam with it’s long neck that sticks out of it’s shell. Also, unlike the Steamer clam, Little Necks don’t have much to speak of in their bellies. It’s really mostly flesh, yum!

The first step, as with ANY clam you use, is to wash it inside and out. This may sound odd, but clams are generally sold with some sand and salt residue still remaining on the outside and there is nothing worst than biting into a clam and crunching on sand. Although, a sandy inside is not usually a huge issue with Little Necks, I still like to err on the side of caution. So, clams are zipped up pretty tightly... how do you get the inside clean you ask? Well, its simple, you need to provide them with an environment in which they might feel comfortable opening up their shells to take in some water. I do this with cold cold cold tap water and salt. And it works every time. Sometimes I throw some black pepper in there to make them sneaze, mostly I just do that with Steamer clams though.

The first step, as with ANY clam you use, is to wash it inside and out. This may sound odd, but clams are generally sold with some sand and salt residue still remaining on the outside and there is nothing worst than biting into a clam and crunching on sand. Although, a sandy inside is not usually a huge issue with Little Necks, I still like to err on the side of caution. So, clams are zipped up pretty tightly… how do you get the inside clean you ask? Well, its simple, you need to provide them with an environment in which they might feel comfortable opening up their shells to take in some water. I do this with cold cold cold tap water and salt. And it works every time. Sometimes I throw some black pepper in there to make them sneeze, mostly I just do that with Steamer clams though.

Here are the main ingredients you will need.

Here are the main ingredients you will need.

While the washing is taking place, it’s a good time to prep your ingredients. Chop an onion into thin quartered slices.

Saute in olive oil over medium heat.  Add in a pinch of kosher salt.

Next, you will need quite a bit of garlic for this recipe. Chop up about 6-8 cloves of garlic.

Next, you will need quite a bit of garlic for this recipe. Chop up about 6-8 cloves of garlic.

Add in to the onions once the onions have softened a bit.

Now add in the juice of half a lemon, the lemon half itself, some chopped flat leaf parsley and about 1 cup of dry white wine.

Simmer the ingredients together bringing to a boil over high heat.

Simmer the ingredients together bringing to a boil over high heat.

Drain your cleaning water from the clams and add the clams to your pot.

Cover. Keep your burner on high and do not remove your lid. The cooking process is a steam.

Cover. Keep your burner on high and do not remove your lid. The cooking process is a steam.

This is the pot 8 minutes into cooking. Do not remove lid!

This is the pot 10 minutes into cooking… If you look at the clams, some are starting to open, but not all. Do not remove the lid! But, start watching the pot, you don’t want to over cook shellfish, it will get tough.  Little Necks are tough to start off with, they don’t need any more help getting there.

Ah, 12 minutes in and finally! All the clams have opened up. Now, turn off your burner. Still, do not remove the lid! Give it about two minutes in the steam. Then they are ready!

Add in some lemon slices and more chopped parsley, and don't forget the broth!

Add in some lemon slices and more chopped parsley, and don’t forget the broth!

Recipe for Little Necks in Garlic Wine Sauce (Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato):

(serves 10 – 12) 

4 lbs. Little Neck Clams

4 Tbs. olive oil

1 c. dry white wine

1 lemon, 1/2 reserved and sliced for garnish

6-8 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 medium onions, quartered and thinly sliced

6 Tbs. parsley, chopped, 1/2 reserved for garnish

Kosher salt

Directions:

Wash clams with cold water and a good amount of kosher salt (1-2 Tbs.).  Let sit in salted water for about 15 mins.

Saute onions in olive oil over medium heat, add in a pinch of salt.  Add in garlic, continue to saute.  When softened add in the juice of half a lemon plus the lemon shell itself, parsley and about a cup of dry white wine.  Bring to a boil.

Drain clams from their cleaning salt water.  Add clams to boiling liquid. Cover immediately.  Check on them every few minutes until they are all open.  This is best done with a clear lid.  If you don’t have a clear lid, don’t bother checking until 10 minutes into the cooking time.  After about 12 minutes all the clams should be opened.  Keep lid on the pot and turn off the burner.

Serve and enjoy!

*note: this is a gluten-free dish.

It is nice to have either a separate pot at a party with sauce… But, I like to build my own… Here is what I do.

I like to put some olive oil in my plate.

Then I add in some of the cooked onions, garlic and parsley.

I personally like to add in some hot sauce. If you are doing this in a bowl for people to add themselves, I would leave the hot sauce on the side. Mix this together a bit.

Add some lemon, some more parsley and a nice piece of bread.

Add some broth, lemon, some more parsley and a nice piece of bread.

Patriotic Caterpillar Hair Bows

done1_edited-1It’s so much fun having a little girl!  I can’t wait to put these in my little Lainey-Bug’s hair this Memorial Day!  These little guys are easy peasy!  All you need are a couple of clips, 4 ribbons, two rhinestones, a pair of scissors and some hot glue!

Here, I’ll show ya:

Here are the clips I use… they are just simple clips. You can find them at your local craft supply.

Cover your clips with the red grosgrain ribbon.

Then, cut your three ribbons, red, blue and white, all the same size. This is important because you want to ensure you are making even sized circles. These are about 1 1/2″ long.

Make each of your little ribbon strips into circles. Secure with some hot glue.

Now, start securing each of the circles to the ribbon covered clip.

Now, start securing each of the circles to the ribbon covered clip. Start with the blue, tuck it in against where the clip starts to move up.

Now add in the white.

Now add in the white.

add antenas

Now cut about a two inch piece of metallic silver ribbon, fold and secure against the white ribbon.

Now, add in the red circle. Be sure to glue it all the way to the edge.

Next, pick up two little rhinestones.

Secure with some hot glue, be careful not to over glue here, you don't want gloppy eyes!

Secure with some hot glue, be careful not to over glue here, you don’t want gloppy eyes!

Look, they're racing!

Look, they’re racing!

Materials:

Red grosgrain ribbon, 3/8″

Navy blue grosgrain ribbon, 3/8″

White grosgrain ribbon, 3/8″

Metallic silver ribbon, 1/4″

rhinestones

hot glue

scissors

“Giggles and curls, ribbons and bows-
She’s so adorable from her head to her toes!”

Author: Unknown

 

 

The PA Mom Interview on “Britaini Armitage, the Blog”

So excited to let everyone know that I was interviewed by fellow blogger and friend, Britaini Armitage for her website, “Britaini Armitage, the Blog”.  Britaini is a talented new writer who has just published a novel (that we are reading this month in my book club) called Darkest Light (The Light of the Magi, Book 1).  She has also recently started this blog… Each week Britaini features a new up and coming writer/blogger.  This week she is featuring me!  Take a look!

The Portuguese American Mom Interview by Britaini Armitage

 

Stacy’s Best Potato Salad

AAAdone1My Dad LOVES potato salad.  I don’t ever remember a time when there would be a family gathering or a cook out without it.  So, years and years ago, I set out to make the very best potato salad there could ever be.  I must preface this by first stating that I was never a huge fan of potato salad to start off with.  This made my task a bit daunting, but I was up for the challenge!

Most potato salad you encounter consists of some bland boiled potatoes tossed with some cold mayo and if you’re lucky there will be some salt and pepper thrown in.  Well, get that image out of your mind… this is not that.

Once my quest to develop the “best” potato salad was complete, it was a regular request from friends, family and co-workers!  Everywhere I went, requests for this potato salad would follow. (So, be careful… because once you make it, it may be all people ask you to bring too! But, it’s so easy, that might be just fine with you.)  I often get the comment, “I don’t even like Potato Salad, but I love Stacy’s Potato Salad, it’s the only one I will eat.”  And quite honestly, it’s the only one I will eat too, as I mentioned, I am not a big fan of Potato Salad in general.

I think what makes it different is a combination of both ingredients and method.  If you follow along, you will get perfect results every time.  In the end, you will find this is a hybrid of potato salad and egg salad (the egg adds not only flavor, but an extra special creaminess.) The sauce itself lends some tartness from the mustard and crunch from the relish and an ever so slight backdrop of heat from the hot sauce and black pepper.

Let’s get started.

raw potatoes

I start with red bliss potatoes. For this recipe I am using about 3 lbs. of potatoes, which is enough for a regular night. If you are looking to bring this to a party or a cookout, you are going to want to double or even triple the recipe. This recipe doubles and triples very well.

fill pot water

Fill a pot with COLD water. Don’t turn the burner on until after you have placed your potatoes in.

potatoes in water

Dice to about the size of a quarter or slightly larger. Place in COLD salted water. This is necessary. If you place the potatoes in boiling water, you will change the consistency of the potato.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil until fork tender.

eggs in water

Once you get the potatoes going. Get your eggs started. Place the eggs in a pot and cover with COLD water. Bring the water to a boil and shut off the burner. Immediately cover the pot and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain water and cover with cold water to chill. Perfect hard-boiled egg every time!

hard boiled egg halfs

A perfect hard-boiled egg. (Sometimes I make an extra one and reserve for a sliced garnish, not today though)

chopped egg

Chop and set aside.

mayonaise

Start the sauce off with mayo. Your favorite jarred will be fine. But, be sure it is REAL mayonnaise, not dressing.

add hot sauce

To the real mayonnaise add mustard (just plain yellow), relish (i use dill) a pinch of salt, a couple swigs of your favorite hot sauce and lots and lots of fresh cracked black pepper. My Dad loves black pepper, so I put in close to a full teaspoon of it. You can adjust this to your taste.

add egg

Now, add in the chopped egg.

mix it up

Stir together to combine.

add mixture

When the potatoes are done cooking and you find that they are fork tender, drain the water, but do not run cold water over to cool. You want the potatoes to be warm, even hot for this next step. Pour the mixture over the potatoes in the pot you cooked them in (this way you aren’t messing up another bowl.)

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This is what you end up with. Sprinkle with paprika and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

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Once chilled, you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

Recipe for Stacy’s Best Potato Salad:

(serves 6)

3 lbs. red bliss potatoes, diced.

6 qts. cold salted water

3/4 cup real mayonnaise

2 Tbs. yellow mustard

2 Tbs. dill relish

1 tsp. hot sauce

1 tsp. cracked black pepper

pinch of kosher salt to taste

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

dash of paprika

Directions:
Prepare potatoes by placing diced potatoes in cold salted water.  Bring water to a boil and watch for potatoes to become fork tender.

In the meantime, prepare sauce for salad. Mix together the real mayonnaise, mustard, relish, hot sauce, black pepper and salt.  Add in the chopped eggs.  Mix to combine.

Drain the potatoes and keep drained potatoes in the cooking pot.  Add in the mayo mixture.  Stir to combine.  The potatoes and egg yolks will meld together.  Top with a sprinkle of paprika.  Let come to room temperature and chill for 2 hours.

Enjoy!

note: this recipe is gluten-free.

note: if you don’t like the taste of one of the ingredients, add a little less, but try not to eliminate it.  For example, my sister is not a big fan of mustard at all, so I add a little less when she is coming over, but I don’t eliminate it as each ingredient has a chemical reason for being in the recipe.  (and she loves it)

Starting a Charcoal Grill – no added chemicals

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There are a few types of grilling.  You can grill with gas, with charcoal or over an open fire, at least these are the most common ways.  Grilling over a campfire definitely has it’s fun side (when you are camping) and although I love the convenience of my gas grill, when I have the time, there is nothing like the flavor a hot charcoal grill.  That is, a chemical-free charcoal grill… so not a fan of lighter fluid chemicals seeping into my food.

In today’s tutorial, I will take you through my favorite method for lighting my charcoal grill.  There is a simple tool out there that I purchase about every other year for about $15 at my local hardware store, it’s called a Chimney Charcoal Starter.  There are a few different varieties, but the concept is the same with all of them.  Fill a canister with your brickets, pop in some newspaper underneath, light and wait… that’s it!  It’s that simple.

Let me show you:

This is a Chimney Charcoal Starter.

Start by stuffing some crumpled news paper in the bottom… Now, you don’t want to over stuff, you need air to circulate here.

This is what you will see when you turn it right side up.

Now fill it up with some charcoal brickets, whichever kind you like… but, I try and stay away from the light a bag kind, it’s more expensive and not needed. Just plain run of the mill charcoal will do fine.

It’s best to over fill a bit because as they begin to light, they will shrink down.

You’ll want to make sure your chimney is on the bottom rack of your grill. Then, take one of these handy stick lighters and light the newspaper.

Pretty immediately, this is what you will see.

Then the smoke clears up a bit once all the paper is burned off and this is what you see.

Then the smoke clears up a bit once all the paper is burned off and this is what you see.

As you can see they are starting to shrink down… These brickets are just about ready to turn out. I used to let them all turn white, but I found that I was losing too much of the charcoal to ash before I could start using it.

Be sure to use two pot holders at this point as this can be hot. With a pot holder you can use that stabilizing arm you see here. (That’s the thick metal bar thing.) One more tip for this part is to not stand down wind… this is very important as there will be cinders, lots and lots of cinders. I learned this the hard way when I got a cinder stuck in my shoe! Not fun.

And there you have it. Since I did not wait until everything was white, I give this another 5-10 minutes before I cook on it. But, at this point I do add the top grill grate on to start heating it up.

And there you have it.  You will want to be sure your brickets are more toward one side of the grill to create some temperature fluxuation… What you want to create is a “hot” side of the grill and a “cool” side.  This will aid in cooking. Since I did not wait until everything was white, I give this another 5-10 minutes before I cook on it (otherwise your food will get ashy). But, at this point I do add the top grill grate on to start heating it up.

This whole process takes some time, about 45 minutes or so, but definitely the best way to light a charcoal grill I have found thus far. Then you are ready to grill up some great recipes like my Portuguese Style Grilled Chicken or my Low-carb Grilled Veggies!  Give this simple way of lighting a grill without lighter fluid a try.  Let me know how you do!

Low-Carb Grilled Veggies

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Summer time is a great time for vegetables and grilling!  I love taking advantage of all that summer has to offer, the fresh air, the sunshine and the fresh produce!  Low-carb veggies are a delicious way to replace the old winter stand-by of canned corn or peas.  I would so much rather have a healthy ear of corn which has 15-net carbs next my protein and fill the rest of my plate with delicious freshly grilled veggies and I especially love it when my veggies are being grilled over charcoal!

Today’s tutorial is super simple and you can tailor it to your families tastes and preferences like with most recipes.  If you love summer squash, but hate zucchini, then swap it.  If you love onions, but don’t care for tomatoes, then by all means add more onions! If you want to get your kids to eat more veggies, then take them to the store and let them pick which they like and add that! This recipe is more about being a guide on the method of cooking your vegetables.

I have a bunch of low-carb veggies on hand these days and am always trying new things with them to keep things interesting… This, however, is an old stand-by.  The weather has been so beautiful lately that I have decided to do all my cooking outside today, including prep, it’s a great way to let the kids play while getting dinner on the table.

Start with placing some grape tomatoes in a medium sized metal bowl. I like grape tomatoes because they are small, so no cutting required, and they are sweet.

Start with placing some grape tomatoes in a medium sized metal bowl. I like grape tomatoes because they are small, so no cutting required, and they are sweet.

Cut one medium onion into 1/8 chuncks. The goal here will be to cut things about the same size. You don't want tiny onions and big giant peppers etc.

Cut one medium onion into 1/8 chuncks. The goal here will be to cut things about the same size. You don’t want tiny onions and big giant peppers etc.

pepper

Cut your bell pepper in half, remove the seeds. I like the orange, yellow and red as I find them to be sweeter than the green. If you prefer green or that’s all you have on hand, use the green.

Cut it up to about the same size as your onions. (I am keeping my zucchini in sliced discs, so the zucchini is really driving how large to cut all the other veggies)

Slice up a zucchini. Since this is being grilled, you will want to cut them pretty thickly as you don’t want the fire to break them down too much. You want them to hold their body.

Mix all your cut veggies together in your bowl.

Mix all your cut veggies together in your bowl.

Add a couple tsp. of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt.

I got this little pan at the dollar store of all places. So, I thought I would give it a try, and I love it!

Spray your pan with cooking spray before placing in veggies.

Pour your veggies in the pan.

Pour your veggies in the pan.

Place pan on over medium heat. You want the vegetables to char up a bit, but you don't want to burn.

Place pan on over medium heat. You want the vegetables to char up a bit, but you don’t want to burn.  You will want to tend to them every few minutes.

See the char they are getting? That's nice. Let it cook another 5-10 minutes once the reach this point.

See the char they are getting? That’s nice. Let it cook another 5-10 minutes once the reach this point.

Serve with your favorite low-carb dish. Here they are accompanying my Portuguese Grilled Chicken and an ear of corn.

Serve with your favorite low-carb dish. Here they are accompanying my Portuguese Grilled Chicken and an ear of corn.

Recipe for Low-carb Grilled Veggies:

(serves 4)

8-10 grape tomatoes

1 medium onion, chopped into 1/8 th chucks

1 orange bell pepper, chopped into similar sized chuncks as the onion

1 zucchini, thickly sliced

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  In an outdoor grill veggie pan, add in the veggies coated in oil.  Tend to the veggies every few minutes as they cook so they may cook evenly.

Enjoy!

note: this recipe is gluten-free

Portuguese Style Grilled Chicken (Frango Grelhado)

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Summer time is here and the grill is my main source of cooking all summer long!  Throughout the summer in Southcoastal MA as well as, I’m sure, in many other Portuguese dense communities across the country, it is feast season.  Feasts encompass so much of Portuguese culture not minimally the food.  It seems whenever we head to St. Michael, there is one feast or another going on and undoubtably there as well as in feasts across my region here in Massachusetts you will find men grilling chicken over an open pit filled with charcoal.

“Portuguese Style” Chicken depends largely on it’s marinade, but it also is greatly enhanced by it’s method of cooking.  This can of course be done with a gas grill, but if you have the time, charcoal is the best way to enjoy it.  This chicken does not need an sauce helping it to keep it’s low-carb status.

In this recipe tutorial I will take you through the marinade and show you how I place my coals, but a more extensive tutorial on working with a charcoal grill will come soon.  So, keep an eye out!

This marinade is best done 6-8 hours or better yet 24 hours ahead.  It’s an intense brine more than just a marinade really.  Take a look.

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Start by placing a gallon sized zip bag into a large bowl.

Pour a can of beer into the bag.

To that, add two heaping soup spoons worth of ground red pepper. If you don’t have ground red pepper available, finely dice a medium heat pepper such as a red Pablano pepper and add in.

To this add in about 4 cloves of fresh garlic, sliced.

Now, add two large soup spoons full of kosher salt.

Add in about 1/4 of a soup spoon (or 1 teaspoon) of Portuguese Allspice.

This is what your consentrated marinade should look like.

Add your chicken into your concentrated marinade.

Add enough luke warm water into the bag so that most of your chicken is covered in liquid.

Now, a trick to this is to try to remove as much air from your bag as you can. The less air in the bag, the more contact your chicken has with the spices.

Close up your bag and place in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Be sure your coals are hot and white and you burn off any actual fire as shown here.  Also, be sure you have a “hot” side of your grill and a “not so hot” side.  To achieve this just place your coals with the majority to one side.

Now, keep your chicken on your medium to not so hot side of your grill and don’t walk away. Chicken cooked over coals needs to be tended to.  This doesn’t mean constantly fuss with it, just watch that it doesn’t burn.

Some of your chicken skin will blacken and char… this is part of the flavor, it’s ok. Just be sure that when this starts to happen you move it to the not so hot side of the grill… you want the chicken to cook too… if it chars too quickly you may think it is ready before it really is. This process should take a good 45 minutes, but if you have concerns, just get a meat thermometer and when the fleshy part of your chicken registers 160°F, it is all set to be taken off the grill.

For a delicious low-carb meal, plate with some yummy grilled vegis and a grilled ear of corn.

For a delicious low-carb meal, plate with some yummy grilled veggies and a grilled ear of corn.

Recipe for Portuguese Style Grilled Chicken (Frango Grelhado):

(serves 4)

4 chicken leg quarters

For marinade:

1 8 oz. can beer

4 Tbls. ground red pepper

4 Tbls. kosher salt

1 tsp. Portuguese Allspice

4 cloves of fresh garlic, sliced

1 cup luke warm water.

Directions:

Place a zipper bag in a large bowl and combine all marinade ingredients.  Add chicken.  Marinate (brine) over night if possible, but at least 6-8 hrs.

Grill over charcoal if possible for about 45 minutes while tending.  If using a gas grill, grill on low for about 45 minutes.  Meat should register 160°F on a meat thermometer.

Enjoy!

note: to make this recipe gluten-free, just use a gluten-free beer, I would not suggest wine.  You could also use chicken stock, but add in 1 tsp of white vinegar if doing so.

Stacy’s Deviled Eggs

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My family is heading to Jamaica this summer to attend my little sister’s wedding.  It is a very exciting time.  It is also a time to think about putting on summer clothes and dreaded bathing suits!  So, my husband and I decided it was time to shape up a bit before the trip.  Over the years I have found the easiest, most efficient and most effective way to drop some pounds is with a low (not no) carb diet and some healthy exercise!  No fun right?  Ah, but it could be.  These yummy little deviled eggs just go to show ya that eating low-carb can be great.

I have always enjoyed a good deviled egg with its creamy spicy filling, so years ago I developed this recipe that I come back to time and time again whether on a low-carb diet or not.  They are quick, easy and inexpensive.  And they are great to serve at or bring to a party!  So why not bring back this classic American appetizer this summer?

Each of my entries this week will be focused on something especially yummy and low-carb so that you can enjoy eating with your family whether they are following along the low-carb route or not! Each recipe will be great for carb lovers and dieters alike.  And with summer BBQ’s starting all around the country, if you are watching those carbs, it’s always nice to have something to reach for other than those evil chips and brownies!

hb egg

Start with a hard-boiled egg. To achieve the perfect hard-boiled egg just place your eggs in the bottom of a pot, cover with just enough water to emerse all your eggs and turn on your burner to high… once you come to a full boil, shut off and cover pot. Then set your timer for 12-15 mins. Done.

crack egg

Crack your egg gently to try to avoid making divits in the egg… after all half the appeal of a deviled egg is its presentation.

peeled

For this recipe, I am using 8 hard-boiled eggs… but I always make one or two extra in case there is a casualty.

cut eggs

Empty out the yolks… (see there is a casualty, that will have to be the tester egg)

place on tray

Now place the eggs on the deviled egg plate you will be using… I have one that goes into the freezer for summer parties, but this was for a pink themed spread, so I thought this would be a pretty plate to use.

yolks

Place all your yolks in a medium sized mixing bowl.

mash yolk

Mash them up.

add mayo

I’ve always made this recipe by eye… but, I can give you some general guidelines… two heaping soup spoons of real mayonnaise (a scant 1/4 cup)

add mustard

One non-heaping soup spoon of yellow mustard. (about a tablespoon)

add relish

One soup spoon of relish. (one heaping tablespoon) This provides the vinegar that is in a typical deviled egg, but it also adds some crunch.

one squirt of Sriracha sauce or whatever hot sauce you like. (about one teaspoon)

One dash of cayenne pepper. (about 1/8 teaspoon) Be careful here, you can always add more, but cayenne pepper is hot hot hot.

salt and pepper

Mash all your ingredients together. Then taste for salt and pepper. I didn’t add too much salt here, just about 1/8 teaspoon and about 5-6 cracks of black pepper to balance the pepper flavor from the hot sauce and cayenne.

fill bag

Now, if you want to get fancy (and this was for a party, so I did want to) Place your mixture into a piping bag fitted with a pretty tip.

full bag

These are disposable piping bags that I use for my cake decorating… but, if you don’t have a piping bag handy, just use a quart sized freezer storage bag. Be sure it is freezer strength as the regular strength won’t hold up. Then just cut the tip of one corner off and you will still make a pretty design.

Now, fill your eggs. You want to come up just a bit higher than the egg itself.

Now add some garnish. I used a simple caper. I have also used a chopped up pickle in the past and that was yummy too.

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And there you have it, a beautiful tray of homemade deviled eggs. Zero carbs and lots of healthy protein.

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Enjoy!

Recipe for Stacy’s Deviled Eggs:

(serves 8)

8 hard-boiled eggs

1/4 cup real mayonnaise, scant

1 Tbls. yellow mustard

1 Tbls. dill relish, heaping

1 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

kosher salt to taste

cracked black pepper to taste

Garnish: either capers or sliced pickles

Directions:

Cut and separate egg whites from yolks.  Set whites aside. Mash yolks in a medium bowl. Add in all remaining ingredients and mash together.  Garnish with capers or sliced pickles.

Enjoy!

*note: This is a no-carb, gluten-free recipe

Lemon Dijon Chicken

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Sometimes you just need something quick and easy. It doesn’t get much quicker or easier than my Lemon Dijon Chicken!  This recipe has a 10 minute prep time and a 20 minute cook time! And if you have an oven safe skillet, this meal is a one pan meal making clean up time quick too, what more can you ask for right?

It’s also a very versatile dish.  My husband and I are living low carb these days so I didn’t pair it with anything.  But, at the end of preparation you are left with a little bit of a sauce that can be tossed with pasta or egg noodles.  You could also serve the chicken over wild rice or quinoa and top with gravy.  Or if you have a little more time on your hands you can mash up some potatoes or cauliflower (to keep it low-carb!) and use the gravy to top it off.

Start with two boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Pound them out a bit, not too much, but just enough to give you a consistent size throughout the breast.

cut

slice about an inch or so thick going against the grain of the meat.

salt and pepper

Salt and pepper. Set aside for a minute while you make the sauce.

dijon and oil

Mix together 3 Tbls. Dijon mustard and 3 Tbls. olive oil.

Add in the juice of half a lemon.

mix lemons_edited-1

Put the lemon you just squeezed in along with the rest of the lemon sliced up.

Add in 1 Tbls. Herbs de Provence, 1 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper. Mix together.

Now, I made some bacon for my salad earlier today, so I reserved the bacon fat to fry up my chicken. If you don’t happen to have reserved bacon fat around, you can just combine about 2 Tbs. of salted butter with 2 Tbls. of olive oil. Turn your burner to high heat. The goal here is not to cook through, but just to sear and get some browning.

After about a minute or two, turn chicken, this is what you should see. Give it just one more minute and turn off burner. As you can see, chicken is still pretty raw.

Now, just pour the sauce right over the chicken, stir together.

At this point, my skillet is both non-stick and oven-safe. If yours is not, transfer to a greased baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F. As soon as you take it out of the oven, sprinkle with Panko bread crumbs. Serve.

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Recipe for Lemon Dijon Chicken:

(serves 2)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 Tbs. Dijon mustard

3 Tbs. Olive oil

1 lemon

2 Tbs. Herbs de Provence

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to sprinkle on chicken

1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper, plus more to sprinkle on chicken

4 Tbs. bacon fat (or 2 Tbs. salted butter plus 2 Tbs. olive oil)

2 Tbs. Panko bread crumbs

Parsley

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Prepare chicken by lightly pounding and slicing to about 1″ pieces.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

For the sauce: Combine mustard, oil, the juice of half a lemon, sliced remainder of lemon, Herbs de Provence, salt and pepper.

Brown on pre-heated skillet with burner turned to high.  Only brown one to two minutes on either side.  Chicken is still raw when done with this step.  Pour sauce over chicken.  Mix together.  Place in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.  Immediately upon removing from oven sprinkle with Panko and some parsley. Serve hot.

Enjoy.

Pan Fried Sea Bass Portuguese Style (Garoupa Frita com Molho)

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Summers in a Portuguese household can be just about guaranteed to involve fried fish.  My mother and Vavó didn’t like the house smelling like fish, so we had this plug in electric skillet that they would take out into the back yard and do all the fish frying. Then they would dip the fish into a corn flour and the fish would sizzle away into deliciousness.  And always there would be a rich salty mohlo (sauce) to put over it.  It’s one of those culinary memories that just becomes engrained into who you are. (Come to think of it, I think I need to get one of those electric skillets so my kids can have the same type of memory!)

It wasn’t often that they would fry up Striped Sea Bass, the fish they would fry up usually included something with a head still attached.  But, Striped Sea Bass is my favorite fish and living in New England, we are lucky enough to have a vast variety of locally caught fish at our disposal.  If you aren’t quite as lucky, what you want to look for is a medium bodied fish (not as delicate as a Tilapia, but not as heavy as a Tuna or Swordfish… you want a Sea Bass or a fresh Codfish) that is descaled, but still has skin.

A couple of notes before we begin.  In this recipe, I have added a bit more crunch by using corn meal instead of flour, but if flour is what you have, use it, it will be delicious.  Also, I am using a homemade crushed red pepper that we make ourselves.  Our red pepper is not so much for spice, as in the grinding process we remove most of the seeds, but more for taste.  If you the crushed red pepper you have available to you has seeds, taste it to be sure of it’s heat level before you add quite as much I do here (unless you enjoy a bit of spice).  If you absolutely do not have Portuguese or even Spanish crushed red pepper at your disposal, you will want to get a red Pablano peppers (if you can find them, if not green will do).  Then grind or chop the pepper, place in a bowl preserving as much of the juice from the process as you can, salt it and let it sit

Let’s start with the Mohlo (sauce) as this can be made several days in advance if need be.

Dice up a medium onion.

Chop up a couple cloves of garlic.

pepper

This is the homemade ground red pepper.

Saute the onions for 3-4 minutes over medium/high heat in olive oil (this does not have to be extra virgin olive oil, any press will work fine). Then add in the garlic and saute another minute. Add in pepper.

Turn burner to medium/low heat and continue to saute another 3-4 minutes.

Add in flat leaf parsley.

Continue to saute another 1-2 minutes until it all comes together.

Now onto the fish:

This is Striped Sea Bass.  It’s big enough for about 3 portions.

Cut from skin side down.

cut4pieces

Although, as I stated, there is enough for three portions. My husband and I are eating with our two toddlers, so they each get a half portion.

Season the flesh side of the fish with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

This is yellow corn meal. As you can see, it is grainy in consistency.

meal in bowl

Add into a bowl.

season meal

Season the corn meal with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Be sure to nicely coat each side of the fish.

In a skillet heated to med/high heat and about a half a cup of veggie oil, place fish skin side down. Be sure pan is good and hot before you place fish in.  Then don’t touch it!  Wherever you place it, it stays! You don’t want to break the skin by fussing with it.

This will take some patience. Do not fuss with the fish. You are going to want to be sure each side has contact with the pan for at least 3-4 minutes until golden.

Once your fish looks like this, drain on a clean paper towel or brown paper bag.

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Plate and pour warm molho over the top. Serve with white rice or boiled white potatoes. Enjoy!

Recipe for Pan Fried Sea Bass (Garoupa Frita com Molho):

(serves 2-3)

For fish:

3/4 lb. Stiped Sea Bass

1 cup yellow corn meal

1 pinch kosher salt

1 pinch fresh cracked black pepper

1/2 cup vegetable oil

For Molho (sauce):

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/4 cup ground red pepper

1/4 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

For Molho: Heat Olive oil in a skillet over medium/high heat.  Saute onions 3-4 minutes. Add in garlic, saute 1-2 minutes.  Add in pepper.  Turn down heat to medium/low.  Continue to saute for 3-4 minutes.  Add in parsley.  Saute 3-4 minutes until all comes together.  Set aside.  (Can be refrigerated up to a week)

For Fish:

Portion out fish into 2-3 portions (or 4 if eating with toddlers).  Season with salt and pepper on flesh side of fish. Season corn meal with salt and pepper.  Coat fish in corn meal.  Heat skillet with vegetable oil over medium/high heat.  Start by placing fish, skin side down.  Do not touch for 3-4 minutes.  Repeat on all sides until golden.  Drain on paper.

Serve by pouring 2-3 Tbls. of Molho over fish. Enjoy!