Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Chicken Fricassee!

There are some meals that instantly transport you to your childhood and this one is definitely one of those. I can remember sitting at the table with my family and enjoying this amazing chicken dish with all the yummy gravy.

I was yearning for some comfort food and this for me is it!

And now I kick myself because I took all the photos without realizing that I didn't have my memory card in the camera...which is a huge thing for me because I lost the cable and can't for the life of me get those photos LOL


Image courtesy: thegourmetproject

CHICKEN FRICASSEE

Butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cooked chicken cut into pieces (I used chicken tenders)
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper
parsley

Melt the butter in the frying pan, add the onion and saute until soft but not brown. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 2 - 3 minutes OR longer if the chicken is uncooked. Beat the egg yolks with the lemon juice and stock.

Add to the chicken, season, and then simmer over a very low heat for just long enough to cook the egg yolks without curdling them. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve at once with plain white rice or mashed potatoes.

Serves 4 to 6.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Menu Plan Monday!

Hello everyone, I'm a little late with the Menu Plan post this morning, this is what I get for living in the west coast LOL

Anyway, without further ado, here's what's planned.If you want to join in with your own menu or take a look at all the other ladies participating, I suggest you grab a cup of coffee....a HUGE one LOL and then head over to Laura's blog "I'm an Organizing Junkie", there's so much yummy stuff being shared I'm sure you'll find inspiration for your next week's menus too.



Monday 23rd

Chicken Fricasse with Rice




Tuesday 24th

Portuguese Pork Chops and Potatoes


Wednesday 25th




Thursday 26th

Fettucine Alfredo



Friday 27th

Homemade Pizza



Saturday 28th

Arroz de Salsichas - Sausage Rice


Sunday 29th

Caldo Verde - Portuguese Soup




Friday, June 20, 2008

Bife Trinchado - Portuguese Steak

If you have ever been to a portuguese restaurant, you will know that one of the things on the menu is usually the "Trinchado" which is a steak cut into cubes, served with this really yummy gravy and surrounded by homemade fries. It's delicious!

This is how I make mine, you'll see that it's not hard at all and your family will love you for it.



BIFE TRINCHADO

1 lb cubed beef (I used eye round steak and cut it into cubes)
3 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
white wine
crushed garlic
bay leaf
salt and pepper
paprika
flour
1 medium onion sliced thinly
Homemade Fries

In a bowl combine the beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaf, wine, salt and pepper and paprika. Place in the refrigerator for an hour or two so the flavors can really sink into the meat. The best way is to leave it overnight, the longer you leave the marinade, the better it tastes and the more tender the beef will become.

In a skillet, add some olive oil and a little butter. Grab the steak out of the refrigerator, add some flour and using your hands toss well to coat the beef. Pour into the skillet!

Brown the beef well on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the beef cubes and reduce heat. Add the sliced onions and some more olive oil and butter. I usually keep some water next to me and add a little at a time, just enough to keep a good amount of sauce in the skillet.

Cook the onions until soft, then add the beef to the pan again, mix well and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Remember to keep checking the pan and adding a little water, you want to end up with a lot of sauce.

Ladle a good amount of beef and gravy into a plate, lay the fries around the meat and serve immediately.

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In a bowl combine the beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaf, wine, salt and pepper and paprika.....then place in the refrigerator

In a skillet, add some olive oil and a little butter.

Toss the beef mixture with some flour to coat well


In the meantime fry up some homemade fries (yes I know it's not in the recipe but just go with it lol)

Now I'm going off track a bit here but I need to show you this. See that cute little jar above? I brought that back from South Africa with me, from my dad's coffee shop Kanimambo. It's chili sauce made by the mozambican chef with chilies from Mozambique and let me tell you......WOWEE that thing is HOT.

I am showing you this because I added a few drops to the meat, not too much or the kids wouldn't eat it, but just enough to give it a little zing.

Mmmmmmm that meat is looking good already

After browning the beef, remove them from the pan

Add in the sliced onions

Add a little more olive oil and butter.....you may need a little water too at this point, not too much though

Simmer for about 20 minutes, just remember to keep checking and stirring to make sure it doesn't stick and there's enough sauce



And there you have it. That's how you serve the Trinchado.

ENJOY!

Empadao Rapido (Rice Casserole)

It's really hot here, no I mean REALLY REALLY hot, the kind of heat that actually makes you sick to your stomach....makes you try to breath harder.....makes you hate stepping outside the door......makes you wish you were in a pool every minute of the day.....makes you wish you were in Alaska. THAT kind of hot.

So when it comes to cooking I try to stay out of the kitchen as much as is acceptable by society without starving the family or eating out every day (which would mean leaving the house and stepping into the darn heat so it's a no no)

This is a very easy and quick casserole just perfect for these days.



EMPADAO RAPIDO - RICE CASSEROLE


1 1/2 cups of rice
Cheese slices (I used colby jack)
Ham slices (I used honey ham and turkey)
2/3 cup of milk
1 egg
Shredded Cheese
Parsley flakes
Salt
Olives for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375º, grease a pyrex dish with butter or non stick spray.

In a bowl, beat the egg with the milk, add a little bit of salt, then add the rice and mix well. Pour half of this mixture into the pyrex dish and spread.

Lay the ham slices on top of the rice and then cover with cheese slices. Spread the remaining rice on top, sprinkle with parsley flakes and the shredded cheese. Top with olives around the edges of the dish.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately!

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Mix the rice and the eggs and milk together

Sprinkle with salt. I'm sure you've noticed that I don't use measurements for it, I learned how to cook by just eyeballing things so you'll have to do the same LOL


Spread half of the rice mixture in a pyrex dish or other oven proof dish.

Lay the ham slices over the rice, I alternated between the ham and the turkey

Cover the ham with the cheese slices

Spread the remaining rice over the cheese. This is one of those meals that the kids can help with

Sprinkle with parsley and shredded cheese (I know the cheese isn't in this photo, so sue me LOL)


Bake for 20 minutes, serve immediately. YUM!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Queijadas Economicas - Milk Tartlets

Being a mom I always look for desserts that are quick and easy to make but also the kind that everyone will enjoy and even think you took hours making.

These little portuguese tartlets are the kind I used to make back home while still in high school and let me tell you, my brothers loved them, there were usually none left by nighttime.

Note: You CAN add a tiny bit of cinnamon to the mixture, but traditionally you don't :)

Queijadas Economicas

Queijadas Economicas - Milk Tartlets
Yield: 18 tartlets

Ingredients
300 gr/ 2 cups sugar
50 gr/ about 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
0.5L/ 2 cups milk
150 gr/ 1 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs


Preparation

Mix all the ingredients well, then divide among 18 muffin pans.

Bake at 375 F for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, dust with cinnamon and serve.

Queijadas Economicas

Monday, June 16, 2008

Menu Plan Monday!

After being away in Africa for a month, I'm finally back home and ready to jump back into my menus, so this is what's for dinner.

If you want to join in with your own menu or take a look at all the other ladies participating, I suggest you grab a cup of coffee....a HUGE one LOL and then head over to Laura's blog "I'm an Organizing Junkie", there's so much yummy stuff being shared I'm sure you'll find inspiration for your next week's menus too.



Monday 16th

Spaghetti w/ Garlic Bread




Tuesday 17th

Empadao Rapido no Forno (Quick Oven Shepherd's Pie)


Wednesday 18th




Thursday 19th

Honey mustard Chicken Fingers, Fries, Salad



Friday 20th

Trinchado with homemade fries (Portuguese steak)



Saturday 21st

Meatloaf w/ mashed potatoes and green beans


Sunday 22nd

Vegetable Soup, Yogurt