Caldo Verde

Caldo Verde

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup of good olive oil 
3 garlic cloves minced or chopped 
4 medium or 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
8 cups of water, or half homemade chicken stock and half water 
1/2 pound kale or collard greens, stems removed, cut into very, very fine julienne (i end up putting half in the food processor)
Good salt:  kosher, sea salt or rock sea salt                                                                                                              Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chouriço and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove the chouriço to a plate. 

 2. Add the onions into the pot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until they’re translucent and very soft. Add garlic after to prevent them from burning and cook for 2 minutes more. 

3. Add your 8 cups of liquid (I always have my electric kettle full of hot water on standby). Then drop in the potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are almost done, 15 to 20 minutes. 

4. When potatoes are almost done lower heat so that you can puree with an immersion blender. Do not puree completely. Leave them a little chunky for a more rustic comfort feel. You can also add the chouriço here to blend as well. Since I do not eat meat I add the cooked chouriço at the end and my husband gets to eat the chunks of chouriço that way.

5. Add the shredded greens and bring everything back to a boil and cook down greens for 15-20 minutes. Season with more salt, if needed, and pepper.

6. Ladle the caldo verde into bowls and enjoy.

Keep in mind when I make soup I'm only cooking for my husband and I. I always make enough for seconds with leftovers for each of us the next day. I don't make enough for a feast and left over soup in the fridge for a week. We all know our mothers are good for that. So keep that in mind with the amount of ingredients I use for soup. If you are a family of 6 and you want seconds, then double this recipe :) 

Enjoy!

Creme Torrado

It's early on a Sunday morning, and as usual we are heading to my parents house for lunch.  Sundays, just like when I was a child, is the day the entire family gets together.  Last week we showed up, ate, and then my mom pulled out my FAVORITE dessert ever.  I took a couple pictures and wanted to share the recipe with you today :)

Creme Torrado

1 cup of sugar
4 tablespoons of Maizena Corn Starch
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
4 cups of milk
Vanilla to taste
1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice

Put your sugar in a sauce pan and heat on low, make sure you watch it so it doesn't burn..  Continue to cook it until its almost a caramel.  Add 3 cups of the milk and let it come to a low boil add about a teaspoon of vanilla.  While that comes to a boil take the remaining milk and add the corn starch and egg yolks to the cold milk and whisk until dissolved and well blended.  Add that to the hot milk on the stove top and let it cook for about 5 minutes.  Once you see it come together like a pudding, it's ready for the pyrex.  We have always used a round 2 qt. casserole. Set that aside.  Take your egg whites and add the lemon juice and beat until you have peaks.  Once you reach the peaks, place the egg whites on top of the pudding.  Cover and place in the fridge overnight.

Enjoy a little sobremesa somtimes!

Pasteis de Bacalhau

In my family we eat a variety of fish throughout the week, but the one fish that is sure to be made more than once a week is bacalhau. So bare with me with all these bacalhou recipes :P Here is a special treat that is usually made for big parties and special events. It's cod fish fritters. Crunchy on the outside and warm and smooth inside filled with potato and fish. Check it out! 

Pasteis de Bacalhau

Ingredients:

1 lb salted cod fillets
1 lb of potatoes
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
3 eggs, lightly beaten
s+p

Start by soaking the cod for 24 hours. I usually change the water a couple times to help rid the salt.

The next day, clean the fish by removing the skin and bones and boil in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain well and put the fish on a clean dish towel. Dry and rub it hard with the dish towel to shred it very thin. You can shred with fork if you'd like. 

Boil the potatoes in their skins, so they do not absorb water. Peel them and mash or sieve.
Put the chopped onion, garlic and parsley in a bowl. Add the shredded cod and mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lightly beaten eggs and mix well.

Shape the pasteis using 2 spoons to the shape of a large egg. Like so. 

Carefully place in the hot oil (370°F), turning them to get nicely browned all over. When cooked, lift them with slotted spoon and place them on paper towels. 

Hope you enjoy!

Fatias Douradas

When I was a kid these were a special treat that we got maybe 4 times a year.  They were the best!  My job was the cinnamon and sugar at the end.  I felt like such a helper :)  These are part of what I would consider my comfort food.  They are so easy and taste amazing.

Fatias Douradas

1 loaf of day old bread, sliced into 1-2 inch pieces (we used french because it's a good heavy bread that will hold the batter well)
2 cups of milk
10 eggs, whisked
1 Cup of sugar
1 Tablespoon of cinnamon
Vegetable Oil

all your ingredients ready to go!

Take the oil and fill a dutch oven with about 3-4 inches of oil.  Keep the oil nice and heat.  You can test to see if the oil is ready by putting a little bit of flour in and seeing if it starts to fry.
While the oil heats combine your sugar and cinnamon together in a deep plate (I use pie plates).  Place the beaten eggs in another one, and then the milk in another.  Set up the station to make it as easy as possible for you.

Here is our stations all set up

My cooking assistant tonight...he makes my apron look good :)

Once the oil is ready dip your bread in the milk on both sides, let it drip an excess off, then go to the eggs  and drench the slices in that.  let the excess drip off of it again.  

Then CAREFULLY place it into the oil.  Let it get nice and lightly golden brown on both side.  

Remove from oil and place into the cinnamon and sugar mixture and cover all sides.  

Place on platter that is covered with paper towels to catch any left over oil.

Hope you make them and enjoy them!

Cacoila

You can't go to a Portuguese Festa without seeing this Portuguese version of Pulled Pork on the menu. It really is a great sandwich.  There are many ways to make this, but this is how my dad makes it :)
Serve this with a Portuguese Papo Seco!

Cacoila

5 lbs of Pork Butt-chopped into workable chunks
12 oz of beer
12 oz of water
4-5 Tablespoons of Portuguese Crushed Red Pepper
3 Tablespoons of paprika
1 whole head of garlic-chopped
1 onion chopped
Olive oil
Salt to taste

Place all ingredients expect the Olive Oil and the onion. in a bowl to create a marinate.  Add the meat to it and let it sit over night.
The following day, coat the bottom of a large dutch oil with olive oil and add onions. Saute onions until almost cooked.  Once the onion is soft add in meat chucks so that you can sear them on all sides.  Once you've done that, add the marinate to the pot.  if the marinate doesn't cover all of your meat, feel free to add more water until it does.  Just make sure to test the salt when it's almost done cooking.  Bring this to a boil mixing occasionally.  Then lower the flame and let it simmer, still stirring occasionally, until the meat falls apart and the sauce thickens.

**You could also do this in a crockpot, but make sure you sear the meat and cook the onions first, then transfer it all to the crock and go low and slow**

Bacalhau Ao Forno Com Batatas

Bacalhau Ao Forno Com Batatas

Ingredients: 

1lb of Bacalhau/dried cod

1/2 cup of good olive oil

1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley

2 plum tomatoes

1 whole onion

1 large baking dish

4 cloves of minced garlic

4 medium potatoes sliced thin

3 tablespoons of water

1 teaspoon of smoked paprika 

s + p

Start off by boiling the bacalhau for 30 minutes. Remove from water and drain. When cooled remove all bones. Bones are fairly large and easy to remove. 

Next layer the bottom of the baking dish with half of your sliced onions. Followed by a layer of all the potatoes. Remember to salt and pepper each layer. Then layer your tomatoes.

Top the tomatoes with the boneless bacalhau and minced garlic. You can break apart the bacalhau into small pieces or keep in large chunks. Over the bacalhau layer the rest of your onions. Pour 3 tablespoons of water.  Sprinkle paprika all over. Finally chopped parsley and olive oil to coat. 

Bake at 375 degrees 

for 25 minutes covered and the last 5 minutes uncovered. 

Arroz Doce

Arroz Doce, or Sweet Rice, is a staple in many Azorean, (and Portuguese) homes.  It's one of those first things you learn to make since it's so easy.  I made some last night and had my husband document it for you :)

Arroz Doce
3 cups of milk
1 cup of sugar
lemon peels
pinch of salt
1 cup of rice (Medium grain works best)
3 eggs
Cinnamon 

Pull out everything you need first, it makes it easier than trying to read and grab things out of cabinets after you've started.

Pour your milk into your large stock pot. Peel half of the lemon (less if lemon isn't your favorite) and put the skin in the milk

I'm using a homemade "spoon" that my dad made :)  Just an extra little piece of love

Add in your sugar and a pinch of salt.

Stir to help the sugar dissolve

Bring the mixture to a boil

Pull out the Lemon Peels, my mom never did and someone would always end up with a big piece of lemon in their plate....it was like a surprise :)

Add in your rice and lower the heat

My husband insisted on taking a picture of my apron, "Rainha Do Forno"

While you let your rice cook crack 3 eggs into a bowl and whisk.  These are what give the rice the yellow color, if you want more color you can use a drop of yellow food coloring.

Add some of the rice once it's almost done cooking to the eggs so that they don't scramble when you put them into the rice.

Stir and get it all mixed in.

Put the egg and rice mix back into your pot and let the rice continue to cook and thicken.

Once the constancy looks like this, it's done!  If you get to this point and the rice isn't done cooking, take another cup of milk and heat it in a sauce pan and then add it to your rice.  Do not add cold milk to the rice and it will stop the cooking process.

Spread it out on a plate and start to decorate with cinnamon

Ta-da!

Enjoy!  If you  make this recipe, please share your photos with us on our Facebook page! :)