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posted on April 21st, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
Many Portuguese dishes mix seafood with meats, usually pork. This tradition is mainly from the southern part of Portugal, the "Alentejo". The result is an original "surf & turf" as is called in the USA when both sea and meats are combined into one meal.
This dish, steak parred of with some small New England clams gives the great tastes of both combined with onions, peppers, garlic and olive oil, potatoes and choice of vegetable.
In a large skillet, heat saute´ some olive oil, garlic and sliced peppers, add in the steak and clams with high heat, they can cook up together, flip the steak to cook on the other side. Takes about 20 minutes. The vegetables can be added to this skillet & steamed with the lid on.
In the mean time in a separate skillet, add a layer of vegetable or olive oil, add sliced potatoes to fry, fry one and carefully turn them over to fry on the other side. Tags: Bife e Amejoas, Steak & Clams
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posted on April 15th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
Lamb and penne casserole, inspired by Portuguese miga or açorda recipes where hard bread is used to create a tasty & filling peasant dish.
Sometimes creativity takes over by browsing recipes on the web, and this recipe came about in that way.
Both "migas" & "açorda" (asortha) use hardened bread and as is traditional with many peasant dishes, some leftovers will be used as well in creating a new dish.
This dish does just that, some leftover lamb was used and old bread was used by making it into bread crumbs and mixing it into the stew. Some stock was also needed and I used some leftover vegetable soup for that.
New ingredients to the dish were, green beans, penne and some potatoes.
In a shallow pan, heat about 2 cups of the stock or soup, add the penne and 1 cubed potato and let cook, add the cut up green beans, cover to cook both about 10 more minutes.
Add the cubed lamb (you can use other meats as well, I like to add a few slices of chouriço for added flavor)
Make about 1 cup bread crumbs from old bread (or plain store bought) and stir into the pan with the lamb cover for a... Posted in General Info | No Comments » |
posted on April 12th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
"Grelos", are one of the most favorite vegetables consumed in Portugal, sometimes they are confused with young turnip greens (nabos), but in reality they are young sprouts of broccoli rabe. They are best picked right away and are usually the first vegetable in the spring. They will come up every year with out replanting, making them ideal and fairly easy to keep in a garden. They are tender and tasty and go well with just about anything as a side dish, and are very nutritious.
Here we are making a very tradidional meal with "grelos" and Portuguese chouriça sausage and Portuguese "presunto" (smoked ham)/ I actually have two types of chouriço regular and a dark variety.
To make simply slice and boil the sausages and ham in water with the potatoes about 15 minutes, remove them and add the grelos to the same water and boil or steam for about 10 minutes.
Arrange on a dish and drizzle some olive oil over them. They are ready to eat.. Tags: Grelos with Chouriça and Presunto
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posted on April 10th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
I love vegetables and fish, but sometimes it doesn't get better than a good grilled steak..
I'm pairing this steak with the dandelion greens and spaghetti squash from the previous post to round of a balanced and ntricious meal.
Grilling a steak is simple, I don't like adding sauces, just sprinkle some sea salt, pepper and maybe some hot pepper seeds, place the steak on a hot grill until it starts juicing up (5-10 minutes), and then flip it& let grill on the other side for about another 5-10 minutes, depending on how you like your steak. Tags: Grilled Steak
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posted on April 3rd, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
Dandelion greens are the leaves of the common dandelion plant, which many people think of as a weed. Dandelions are edible and highly nutritious. The leaves are the most frequently eaten section of the plant, and they are edible in both raw and cooked form. The flowers and roots may also be eaten, however, typically cooked to mitigate their more bitter flavor.
I heated up some garlic in olive oil and drizzled it over the dandelions and spaghetti squash along with a little white wine vinegar.
The dandelions are firm & have a bitterness to them, and the squash is a little sweet, the garlic and olive oil and vinegar bring them together
spaghetti squash is very interesting. to look at it it looks like a typical squash but oval & yellow in color. When cooked, it breaks up into strands the look just like spaghetti. A great vegetable to introduce to your kids. It can be served plain or with a sauce.
You can cook it it just about any way, the most popular is to bake it in the oven (about 45 min.) cut it open, remove the seeds & remove the strands with a spoon. I'm boiling it, to boil it,... Tags: Dandelion greens, spaghetti squash
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posted on March 31st, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
"tempura style vegetables", "Peixinhos da horta", Tempura was introduced to Japan in the mid-sixteenth century by early Portuguese missionaries and traders. Tokugawa Leyasu, founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, reportedly loved tempura.
In Portugal, a very popular dish called "Peixinhos da horta" or "little fishies from the garden" are still made. They are called that because they usually fry large green string beans that when dipped & fried look like little batter dipped green fish. A popular dish in the summer months when the green beens are plentiful.
The ingredients..
1 cup flour
1 cup cold water or beer
1 egg
mix all ingredients into a creamy consistancy
Cut your choice of vegetables into small thinish pieces & dip into the batter.
I'm using broccoli, onions and mushrooms (only because that is what I had available. You can use peppers, carrots, string beans, just about anything.
heat some vegetable oil in a skillet & place the vegetables in cooking one side, (a few minutes) and then turning them to cook the other side.
Place on paper towel to drain. Tags: Peixinhos da horta, tempura style vegetables
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posted on March 24th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
Hearts of Palm are very traditional in Brazil and served many different ways. They are very nutritious & have no cholesterol. They are an excellent choice as to add to any meal. They are available packed in cans or jars & can be eaten right out as is, or cooked. When cooked they soften up a little, I finished them off in the same saute pan that I used to make these great marinated Pork Chops and fried potato chips & onions.
The marinade for the pork chops is a take-off of the traditional Portuguese marinade Vinho-de alho, (wine & garlic). Place the pork chops in a bowl or dish & cover with some olive oil blended with a little hot sauce of your choice, sprinkle some sea salt, paprika and some diced garlic and a bay leave. Cover with plastic or lid and place in the refrigerator for a few hours. (Note: I didn't add any wine, instead I'll be using it to deglaze the pan)
The cooking process is simple, in a covered skillet add the marinade and the Pork Chops into the skillet on medium- high heat and cover, let cook for about 10 minutes with the lid on,... Tags: Hearts of Palm & Pork Chops
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posted on March 22nd, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
If you've been to Portugal or to a Portuguese restaurant, you've had the pleasure of tasting delicious thinly sliced potatoes that are deep fried. A thick fresh potato chip , that is served with so many meals. They are fairly easy to make & always a hit. Included in this dish are some thinly sliced & crispy fried onion and mushrooms.
Serve this as a side with just about any dish, steak, pork, or fish.
You don't need a deep fryer to make these, I put a thin layer of oil in a large skillet and add the potato slices frying them on one side & turning them over to do the other side. You do the same with the onions, but they take a little longer to get to the crispy stage. Place them on a paper towel to absorb some of the excess Tags: batatas fritas, Portuguese potato chips
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posted on March 21st, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
I thought I'd try another Portuguese omelet, with bacalhau (salt cod) with some Portuguese cheese & mushrooms.
dice up a little bachalhau (pick some without any bones), a couple mushrooms, and a little cheese of your choice and a couple eggs. I'm having it in a croissant this morning.
saute' the mushrooms & the bacalhau in a drizzle of olive oil, (just a couple of minutes)
remove them from the skillet & add the eggs into the skillet. The skillet needs to be hot, swirl the eggs around the pan to make a thin layer of egg around the whole pan.
add the cheese, the mushrooms & bacalhau and gently fold the ends over the mixture.
serve with or without the croissant, makes an egg-cellent breakfast sandwich.. Tags: bacalhau, cheese & Mushroom omelet
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posted on March 17th, 2010 by Manny Lopes|
What do Portuguese & Irish have in common?
Muscles,,, of course...
2 Ibs of mussels
light olive oil
6 cloves diced garlic
chives
cilantro
2 bay leaves
Guinness
Add the olive oil into a skillet along with the diced chives, garlic and bay leaves & get it hot,
add the muscles & cover for about 5 minutes to get the muscles to open.
add about 1/3 bottle of Guinness and cover again for another 5 minutes.
add the cilantro and some uncooked chives,, enjoy,, St Patrick surel be smilin new..
Tags: Irish Muscles, Muscles, mussels
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