Sausage Patties

May 2, 2016May 1, 2016

Spring is here and Mother’s Day is upon us. A Mother’s Day tradition in many a household is breakfast in bed for mom. Why not make it extra special this year by going that extra mile? Making homemade sausage may seem out of reach to many, but with this simple recipe, you will not only get a more delicious patty, but a healthier one!

Made from simple ingredients. It’s always nice to know exactly what goes into our food and be able to control the quality of what we put in our bodies. These little patties are without casing, which is just one more reason I love them.

These pork breakfast sausages are perfect for freezing and can be ready to go whenever you want to make a special breakfast or just have a quick breakfast ready to go in the morning. I enjoy them along side pancakes, but they go really well with eggs or waffles or whatever your favorite breakfast food is!

Slice up one small onion.

Place it in the food processor… I am using the Pampered Chef Manual Food Processor.

Process onions.

Process until finely minced.

Add some olive oil into small skillet.

Add onions into skillet.

Run a large garlic clove or two smaller ones through a garlic press and add in. This Pampered Chef Garlic Press is fantastic.

Add bacon into skillet.

Brown everything up and remove from heat to allow to cool a bit.

Start with a package of ground pork.

Use your favorite bacon.

Snip through some bacon. These Pampered Chef Sheers are perfect to get this job done!

Prepare your spices.

Add your spices into your meat.

Add in plain bread crumbs.

Add in one egg.

Add in cooled skillet mixture.

Stir together.

Form patties.

You can form regular circular patties… I like a 2″ patty.

Or you can make them into heart-shaped patties for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or a special anniversary breakfast.

Using a medium skillet, turn burner heat to medium.

Add patties into skillet.

Turn.

Cook all the way through.

Flash freeze the remaining raw patties for a half hour in freezer bag laying them flat and then remove as much air as possible from bag and place back in freezer for storage.

Sausage Patties

Makes 18 2 oz. patties

Ingredients:

1 lbs. ground pork

2 eggs

1 small onion, minced

1/2 cup bread crumbs

5 slices bacon, cut into 1/4″ pieces

2 cloves of garlic, run through press

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. sage

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

1 Tbs. olive oil

Directions:

In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in onions, bacon and garlic. Saute until golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a medium mixing bowl, add in ground pork, bread crumbs, spices and brown sugar. Stir together. Add in skillet mixture. Form into 2 oz. patties.

Heat a medium skillet and add patties without crowding. Brown patties on both sides (4-5 mins on each side). (Sugar will caramelize as pictured.)

Serve hot, enjoy!

*Recipe can easily be made gluten-free with the replacement of bread crumbs with gluten-free bread crumbs.

Pork Shoulder Boiled Dinner (Cozido)

February 24, 2016

Ah the Boiled Dinner…. I think God invented the boiled dinner just for Sundays. If you want to talk about an easy and delicious meal we need not say more than one simple word – “Cozido” (or Boiled Dinner). If you’ve never made a boiled dinner out of intimidation, let me set your mind at ease because there literally could not be a less complicated, less stress free and less time-consuming prep time.

Growing up a good Cozido was always an option for Sunday dinner and it was such a treat. My mother would always get her biggest pot on the stove and fill it with this amazing piece of smoked meat, onions, cabbage, potatoes and of course meat. She would set it going when we got home from church and a couple of hours later we would have a feast.

The one and only downside to this is the price of the meat, at an average of $3-$5 per pound this 10+ pound piece of meat can get quite pricey just due to the sheer size of it. What you need to do is look for a sale as I did! I found a great deal on this one for $1.69 per pound and fed 10 adults with it! Now that’s a great value!

One of the best parts of this meal is that you can add in anything you like really. I see this one pot meal as Portugal’s answer to Ireland’s Corned Beef. It’s got a great flavor that when boiled with other ingredients is enough to flavor the whole meal. You can keep it simple as we do with onions, cabbage, potatoes and chouriço or you can add in carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips any hearty vegetable you like really. Just be prepared for everything to take on that yummy smoky flavor.

I got a great deal on this smoked shoulder. Whatever you do make sure what you are buying for this recipe is a SMOKED shoulder, not a picnic ham, not a fresh shoulder, but a SMOKED one. The flavor is completely and totally different from fresh pork.

Cut open the packaging, drain and rinse under cold water.

You will likely find this mesh on the skin of your meat, this is meant to keep the meat all together and should be used in cooking. In their words, let it be (for now).

The great thing about this recipe is you can add or take away as many ingredients as you like. My family likes boiled onions, so we add in three good-sized onions. If you don’t care much for them, still add one in for flavor. If you would like more, go for it.

For this recipe, we want to be sure the onions stay in tact, so all that is required is peeling, don’t cut them up or they will melt right into the dish which is not the goal here.

To add in that Portuguese flavor, all you really need is one link of hot chouriço. I don’t peel for this recipe, I just add some slits along the bend of the chouriço.

Fill a very large pot with water. I am using my Pampered Chef Executive Stock Pot.

This may look funny, but some people in my family prefer potatoes with skins and some don’t. So, I do them both ways for this recipe.

Place your rinsed shoulder in the pot.

Now add in your onions and cabbage.

Add in the chouriço.

Cover the pot and boil. The shoulder is already pretty well cooked, so you are just really melting the fat a bit, heating it through and cooking the potatoes and other veggies… That being said, it is important to give the boil enough time to allow the flavors to infuse together. So, you will want this to come to a boil and then turn it down to a low boil for a minimum of 90 minutes.

Once done, remove the mesh from the pork.

And serve on a platter.

Pork Shoulder Boiled Dinner (Cozido)

Serves 10

Ingredients:

1 10 lb. Pork Shoulder

6-8 potatoes, peeled (or not)

3 large onions, peeled

1/2 cabbage

1/2 lb. hot Portuguese Chouriço

Directions:

Place potatoes in the pot and cover with water. Place pork shoulder in the pot and cover with water. Add in onions, cabbage and chouriço. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down and continue a low boil for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Remove mesh from the meat and discard. Enjoy!

*** Gluten-free

Greek Pork Roast Stuffed with Spinach & Feta

December 11, 2015December 11, 2015

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Christmas dinner can be an expensive proposition. It usually involves a pretty expensive protein, a turkey or a goose, a prime rib or a spiral honey ham carefully prepared with love and attention. It is savory and delicious and something that is a yearly treat! What if I told you you could have the same delicious flavor and careful preparation in this gorgeous pork roast for a fraction of the cost as some of those more expensive meats?

This Greek Pork Roast Stuffed with Spinach & Feta will not disappoint and at just around $12 for the entire thing, you could save some of that Christmas money to put under your tree this year! You can pick up a large 30″ pork tenderloin for anywhere between $13-$26 at my local wholesale shopping club (BJ’s) and in this recipe, I only use half of it to feed 8-10 people! Talk about inexpensive! (So inexpensive, you might even make it on other special occasions throughout the year! shhhh)

And did I forget to mention that this is one of my husband’s favorite meals? Bonus! This is a crowd pleaser for sure! Let me show you how I do it…

The pork loin I buy is about 30 inches long… I cut that in half to feed 8-10 people.

Sprinkle some kosher salt and fresh herbs… I am using rosemary and thyme. I also use a dry Pampered Chef Greek Rub.

Place the meat on a large skillet fat side down. I am using the Pampered Chef Executive Non-stick Skillet, which is my absolute most used pan! (It’s 12″ round and holds up to 5 qts!)

Be sure to sear on each side. You should be forming a nice crust all the way around.

Once you have seared all sides set aside in your roasting pan.

Cut into the meat about 3/4 of the way in. Be careful not to cut all the way through. This will be where you stuff the filling.

This is what you should be left with.

Spread salt and pepper in the cut meat.

This is now ready for the filling.

Add in a little more olive oil and sautée your onions in the rendered fat from the meat.

Mince up some garlic.

I use a large package of baby spinach. I have used fully grown spinach and it works out nicely as well.

Once your onions are tender, add in the garlic and then pile on the spinach. It will look like way too much spinach, but it will all shrink right down.

See… it melts right down. To this add in 1 tablespoon of the Pampered Chef Greek Rub and about 1 tsp. kosher salt.

Shut off heat and add in some crumbled feta.

Stuff the filling in the roast.

Sprinkle some more feta crumbles to the top.

The roast is ready for the oven. Roast for about 45 minutes until the meat reads 160°F with a meat thermometer.

Allow meat to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This will ensure you get nice juicy cuts of meat.

Greek Pork Roast Stuffed with Spinach and Feta

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

3-4 lb. boneless pork loin

6 cups baby spinach

3/4 cups crumbled feta, divided

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs. Pampered Chef Greek Rub

2 sprigs rosemary

2 sprigs thyme

3 tsp kosher salt, divided

fresh cracked black pepper

olive oil

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375°F.

Take meat out of the fridge about 1/2 hour before cooking. Prepare meat by rubbing on 1 Tbs. Greek Rub, 2 tsp. kosher salt and the rosemary and thyme.

Add olive oil to a large skillet set over high heat. Sear meat on all sides until a crust has formed around the entire roast. Set aside in the roasting pan. Prepare for stuffing by cutting down the length of the meat 3/4 of the way.

To prepare stuffing: Add more 3-4 Tbs. olive oil to the skillet (over medium heat) with the rendered drippings. Sautée the onion until tender, then add in garlic and spinach. When tender add in 1 Tbs. Greek Rub and 1 tsp kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Turn off heat and add in about 1/2 cup feta.

Stuff the meat with spinach filling. Sprinkle with remaining feta. Immediately place in oven and roast for about 45 minutes until the meat reads 160°F on a meat thermometer. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve hot. Enjoy!

*Gluten-free

Portuguese Baked Pork and Beans (Feijão Assado)

August 5, 20158 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Add in one small can of tomato sauce.

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

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

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

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

Mix all together.

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

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

Add your chourço into your bean mixture.

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

Pour directly into your baking dish.

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

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

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

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

(serves 4-6)

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

1 lb. chouriço, peeled and sliced

1 small can tomato sauce

1 onion, peeled and chopped in half.

2 cloves garlic, peeled

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

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

1/2 tsp. Portuguese All Spice or paprika

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

Directions:

Soak beans over night in plain water.

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

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

Enjoy!

*note – this is a gluten-free recipe.

Crock-Pot Country Style Ribs – Asian Edition

August 2, 2015August 3, 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then add on a sprinkle of garlic powder.

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

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

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

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

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

Then just a couple tablespoons of oyster sauce.

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

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

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

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

The meat falls right off the bone at this stage!

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

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

Slice up a scallion or two.

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

Mix it all up.

Remove from the crock pot avoiding bones.

And add it over your readied meat.

Be sure to pick out bones.

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

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

(serves 4)

3 lbs. Country-Style pork ribs

For the cooking liquid:

1 cup ginger ale

1/2 cup Ah-So sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 Tbs. Rice Vinegar

1 Tbs. Oyster Sauce

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

For the sauce:

1/2 cup Ah-So sauce

1/4 cup Orange soda or orange juice

1 Tbs. Rice Vinegar

2 scallions, sliced

Top with chopped cilantro

Directions:

Sprinkle meat with salt and garlic powder.

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

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

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

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

Our day at the beach 🙂