|  |  Chef Manny’s BlogArchive for January 2010
posted on January 31st, 2010 by Manny Lopes| Douradinha, is a popular fish throughout the world and very well liked in Portugal. Douradinha is the yonger version of the Dourada (Dorada) (Sea Bream)/ It is a white/flakey fish when cooked & doesn't taste very fishy. It can be prepared many ways, the most popular way in Portugal seems to be to barbecue it on a wood fired barbecue, almost every rural restaurant seems to have one outside barbeque to cook up this and other fish & meats. On this day in North America it's cold outside so we're steaming it.
Served with some fresh broccoli rabe and red potatoes. Drizzled with olive oil, vinegar and some lemon, this is a great healthy and delicious dinner.
Of course some Portuguese Pão (bread) rounds off this meal to soak up the olive oil in the plate.
Tags: Douradinha Cozida, Pão, steamed Sea Bream
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posted on January 30th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
This is a soup my avó (grandmother) used to make. My own mother made it last night & it brought back fond memories for her & me. It is a pure vegetarian soup. Many people don't realize that many of the older recipes popular in Portugal are in fact vegetarian based as the poorer communities didn't have a lot of meat or fish, but did have their fresh vegetable gardens and fruit orchards. My my avó and avo had many olive trees that fresh olive oil from & they would also brine they're own olives. My mother has fond memories of the community women & children getting together to hand pick olives from i the olive groves. This soup has both the olive oil and olives as garnish, and is made with white beans onions cabbage and kale. Very simlpe, very easy to make and delicious & nutritious.
I don't have the exact recipe for this but it is simple.
All you need to do is soak about 1 lb of dried white beans over night until they are rehydrated. (you can use canned as well).
In a large pot (8-10 qts) add one diced onion & 1/2 cup olive oil & dissolve the onions... Tags: sopa da minha avó
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posted on January 29th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
In keeping with the "Petisco" or tapas as they are called in Spain & popularized in the US. I'm making a shrimp or "camarão" petisco. Shrimp are popular world wide, this dish has it's roots in the Portuguese colony of Moçambique in Eastern Africa, and is proclaimed as they're national dish. What makes this dish unique the use of a hot pepper know in the region & popularized in Portugal called piri-piri.
Start by making some piri-piri hot sauce. In a bowl, add one cup olive oil, some crushed hot peppers, garlic & dried-smoked chouriço and add 2 tablespoons of aquardente (or any white spirits of choice) & let stand overnight or longer.
Place 1 lb medium to large (unfrozen) shrimp with shells in a dish with the piri-piri sauce for about 1/2 hour.
place the shrimp on a greased hot grill, let one side cook till shells are tanned & slightly crispy, flip & cook the other side as well.
Serve with lemon wedges, peel & eat.. fun & delicious
In Portugal & Moçambique, the shrimp is served whole, similar to the way crayfish is served. Tags: Moçambique, petisco de camarão
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posted on January 28th, 2010 by Manny Lopes| I like breakfast, omelets are quick easy & nutritious or a great lunch or brunch. Here is a step by step to make an easy omelet. An omelet made with some sliced chouriço (portuguese sausage) and some grated cheese (queijo) makes for a tasty omelet.
you can make an omelet with as many eggs as you like, but for one serving one or two eggs is sufficient, some thinly sliced chouriço or Lingüiça and some fresh grated cheese (queijo) of choice.
in a skillet, warm the chouriço in a drizzle of olive oil.
beat the eggs lightly
melt some butter in a HOT skillet
Pour the egg mixture into the Hot skillet (it's important to keep it hot) the eggs will cook up very fast.
move the pan around in circular motions to spread the eggs on the entire skillet so it is thin & allow to cook, as the eggs set up quickly jerk the pan from front to back to loosen the eggs from the pan (they should slide around the pan (this only takes a minute or so).
add the sliced chouriço or Lingüiça and some gratted cheese & flip or fold the eggs, (you may need to use a spatula to assist the folding).
Sprinkle more shredded cheese (queijo) served with... Tags: cheese, chouriço, omleta de chouriça com queijo, omlette, queijo
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posted on January 27th, 2010 by Manny Lopes| This may not seem like a traditional Portuguese recipe but pasta is also consumed through out Portugal, possibly influenced from when the Roman Empire inhabited much of Portugal, building roads, bridges & aqueducts that are still standing today. The tomato pastes may not be as thick but very tasty & fresh.
Start with some olive oil in a skillet or small pan, cut some peeled tomatoes & place in the pan with some bay leaves & salt to taste, (you may also add garlic or onion), I also added a little piri-piri (hot sauce) to give it just a little kick. Place the lid on the pan & let cook for 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes dissolve creating nice rich tomato sauce.
Cut up some broccoli (including the stems, thinly sliced) and place in the fresh tomato past, place the lid on the pan & cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
While the pasta is cooking up, heat some water in a pan with a dash of sea salt (to taste) and a drizzle of olive oil. In Portuguese spaghetti is called espargette & what we're cooking.
serve the paste (espargette) by pouring the tomato-broccoli paste over the pasta & sprinkle with your... Tags: espargette c broccoli e tomate & cheese, pasta with broccoli tomatoes & cheese
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posted on January 25th, 2010 by Manny Lopes| This weekend someone approached me & told me that his 7 year old son watches the show all the time, & "because of Cooking with Dad tv, he is now cooking with his 7 year old son." "That is what it's all About"
When they're young, make simple fun recipes & work up to other things. Tags: Cooking with your Kids
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posted on January 25th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
Some nights a little bom petisco is all you need.
In Portugal throughout the tascas & cafe's small appetizers called "petiscos" are served. In neighboring Spain they are called tapas.
A simple combination of flavors to keep the palette interesting.
Some sliced smoked & cured chouriço, black Portuguese olives, Portuguese cheese, slices of apple and crusty bread set on a sea of olive oil infused with hot peppers & aguardente for dipping
piri-piri, olive oil infused with hot peppers & aguardente for dipping.
of course a glass of vinho do porto (Port wine) is a must. Tags: Petisco, piri-piri
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posted on January 22nd, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
This morning I realized I didn't have fresh bread & the fridge was pretty bare. What to have for breakfast.. I found some old bread, eggs & some chourico, garlic & some cilantro.. The makings for a sopa Alentejana, but I wanted breakfast..
So, the creation of "Omleta Alentjana" is born..
cost, about .75 cents and made use of the old bread..
The cast,
2 eggs, old hard bread, chourico, garlic, and some milk and olive oil. (I forgot to put the cilantro in the picture). or you can use parsley as well.
In the skillet,
the garlic, chourico & some of the cilantro/parsley
cook just long enough to cook the garlic & take off the heat.
In a bowl,
beat the eggs with the milk 1/3 cup, & soak the bread in the mix.
remove the bread & place the egg mix in a greased skillet, (use olive oil or butter)
place the soaked bread, and the chourico garlic & parsley on one side of the eggs, & flip other side of egg over mix.
sprinkle with more diced cilantro/parsley
Tags: Alentejana Omlet, Omleta Alentejana
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posted on January 20th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
I stopped by my mother's around lunch time & found her busy at the stove frying up some chicken wings in a saute pan with olive oil & garlic.
I jumped in to help her finish the meal (a sure way to get a free lunch) & realized we were creating something interesting & inexpensive, quick & easy. We made enough for 3-4 people for around $10.00
1 small package of chicken wings $6.00
1 small bunch of broccoli rabe' 1.50
2 small tomatoes .50
1 small garlic .50
1/2 cup rice .20
1 cup (or can) white beans .50
2 tblsp olive oil .50
6 slices chourico (optional) 1.00
Total $10.70
Can't get better than that.... prices may vary at your local market. I used an estimated costs & not actual.
add some olive oil into a pan or skillet with a couple garlic cloves and a tomato and a dash of sea salt. (she also added a couple dashed of piri-piri (hot sauce) when I wasn't looking ; ) ha-ha
add the chicken wings & chourico and cover with lid & let cook for 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally.
Looks good just like this for a snack, great for watching the game on Sunday!!!
or over some linguine.
boil or steam the vegetable of choice... Tags: asas da minha mae, chicken wings
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posted on January 19th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
pan seared steak with peppers & onions, broccoli & mushrooms and unique mashed potatoes and some "Morcela de arroz"
saute' some peppers & onions in some olive oil
and some mushrooms & broccoli
sautéing mushrooms & broccoli in olive oil & garlic
a nice looking steak & Portuguese "morcela de arroz" sizzling in some olive oil.
"Morcela de arroz", is a blood & rice sausage that is popular in the Estremadura region of Portugal
deglazing the pan with a little "mini" Portuguese beer.
potatoes, chick peas, broccoli rabe' and an egg.
(these were actually leftovers that I couldn't resist to turn into tasty unique mashed potatoes) to round off the meal.
The morcela de arroz, the potatoes & broccoli and the mashed potatoes. Tags: Morcela de arroz, peppers & onions, steak
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