|  |  Chef Manny’s BlogArchive for February 2010
posted on February 28th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
I grew up with a standard ritual every Sunday. Sundays were family day and the whole family would get up in the morning get dress in Sunday's best, and make the walk (and later the drive) to church.
But before we left, my mother was busy in the kitchen preparing Sunday's meal. One of the meals was a delicious oven roasted chicken dinner that slow roasted in the oven while we went to church. When we got back home, the house had an aroma of a delicious meal, and we were all pretty hungry. The ingredients and the process are pretty simple and just require a little pre planning.
This is a variation of that meal & served up in a nest of spaghetti.
Start with a whole chicken (size to meet your family needs), if frozen, be sure it's thawed. To thaw it, place in the refrigerator over night. Wash in cold water, sprinkle with sea salt, some paprika, and pepper. Drizzle a little olive oil, I also drizzled a little hot pepper sauce (piri-piri) and about 1/4 cup white wine. Place in a covered backing dish with some bay leaves garlic on top of the chicken and some halved onions. You... Tags: Frango no ninho, roast chicken
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posted on February 26th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
Salmon is a vert nutritious & tasty fish, here is an easy way to make it, Portuguese style.
Served with sweet sauted onion, chick peas, boiled potatoes broccoli & boiled eggs.
All the makings that you might get with a healthy Portuguese dish.
First, saute the onions in a little olive oil until they start softening up, add the salmon filets, a sprinkle of sea salt & paprika, just about 10 minutes, turn then over & cook another 5-10 minutes.
The potatoes, broccoli and eggs can be boiled together in the same pan. But, start with the eggs & potatoes, adding the broccoli later. Posted in General Info | No Comments » |
posted on February 24th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
Looks and kind of tastes like green tea. sweeten with some honey, goes great with some bolacha maria & some light Portuguese cheese.
Something so simple as the leaves of a lemon tree, makes a warm tasting soothing tea.
Simply boil some leaves and a slice of lemon and some lime, if you like.
Pour through a screen, sweeten with honey and enjoy this great little treat. Tags: chá, lemon tea, tea
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posted on February 23rd, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
A very traditional dish served in a very traditional dish, the bowl although old and worn, belonged to my avo Felicidade, (grandmother).
Açorda (pronounced assorda) is very popular dish made through out Portugal. It's a meal made hearty by the addition of crusty bread. Açorda has it's roots in the poorer communities and homes and hold a strong and meaningful tradition that is passed on.
Açorda de marisco can be very common & not so common would be the addition of meatballs. The sauce or broth for this concoction is made with shrimp broth (made by boiling shrimp & the shells) and blending with homemade tomato sauce with oregano and a little piri-piri (hot sauce). The result, is a tomato/shrimp bisque flavor, and topped with fresh cilantro and basil.
"The Portuguese Meatballs",
Meatball are made & served in areas of Portugal, and they are fun to make with your kids.
I borrowed the meatball recipe from a food blog I like to follow called "Fullbellies, Happy Kids" get the recipe here, Tags: Açorda de marisco with Portuguese meatballs
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posted on February 20th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
Chocolate on Chocolate
What could be better to celebrate Valentines week, or a birthday?
In this case, mine.....
As I was playing with chocolate recipes I thought, why not blend the ever popular Portuguese tarts "Pasteis pastry" and mouse de Chocolate into one dessert you can pick up & eat with your hands. The result, delicious..
A rich chewy chocolate "pastel" makes up the cup, filled with a rich creamy chocolate mousse, and why not top off with a chocolate covered strawberry..
The recipe for the cup,
1.5 cups pastry flour
1.5 cup confectioners sugar
3 Tablespoons butter
3 egg yolks
5 oz dark chocolate
melt the chocolate in a bain-marie
mix the ingredients together in a bowl and blend together with your hands as if making bread.
Place mix in the refrigerator for 20 minutes
Them roll or flatten with hands & make cup.
Bake In the oven for 15 minutes @ 300.
Fill with chocolate mousse & refrigerate again (See chocolate mousse recipe) Tags: chocolate mousse cup, pastel de mousse chocolate
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posted on February 16th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
If you like chocolate, You will love this....
mousse de chocolate should have a rich chocolate taste yet smooth and fluffy, this has all of that..
8 oz 100% cacao unsweetened baking chocolate, 1 TBSP butter, 2 TBSP coffee, 1 TBSP lemon juice, 1/2 lemon zest, 5 eggs, 2 cups confectioners sugar.
Break up the chocolate in to pieces & melt in a banho-maria (bain-marie) along with the butter, lemon juice and coffee.
mix the sugar, lemon zest & egg yolks with a mixer & add in the egg whites (continue beating & mixing with the blender at high speed, gradually add the chocolate into the mix while mixing until the mixture is light & fluffy.
Pour into individual servings or a single bowl & refrigerate to cool. Posted in General Info | 1 Comment » |
posted on February 14th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
crepes with strawberries, blueberries, chocolate covered strawberries and ice cream a great way to start a day with your sweetheart.
be sure to make extra chocolate covered strawberries for later,
To make the strawberry filler, cut the strawberries and heat them slowly with some butter, sugar and some port wine.
Tags: crepes, strawberries & blueberries
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posted on February 14th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
A blueberry muffin cut in half & toasted with butter on a griddle, some fresh blueberries warmed & sugar glazed in the skillet to create a warm blueberry syrup, slices of orange and a cold glass of orange juice or better still, make a mimosa (orange juice mixed champagne)
melt a little butter into a skillet & add the blueberries
sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of sugar, and pour over the blueberries.
Happy Valentines Day Tags: Blueberries, blueberry muffins, breakfast, Valentines Day
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posted on February 12th, 2010 by Manny Lopes
posted on February 11th, 2010 by Manny Lopes| Chicken Breast with mushrooms & spaghetti special
This meal is quick & easy and the spaghetti is made with a combination of beans and cabbage for tasty alternative for your pasta taste.
most of the meal is cooked in the same pan for less clean-up
in a low pan or crock, add some olive oil, the chicken breasts, some onions and bay leaves, season with some sea salt to taste and paprika. Add a hot red pepper of choice for a little kick if you like. Place the lid on the pan & cook for 25 minutes at medium to high heat.
Add in the potatoes & mushrooms & finish cooking for another 20-25 minutes with the lid on, add 1/2 cup white wine.
The spaghetti was made using the soup broth and ingredients from a soup I had made a couple days ago. It adds a nice flavor and some ingredients to the spaghetti. Simply heat up the soup, add the spaghetti & let simmer. Tags: chicken, frango, galinha
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