Rissois de Atum - Tuna Rissoles

These are so easy to make.  I'm giving you the recipes for the filling because you already know how to do the dough, and if you don't, just check out the recipe which I've posted before.

The filling can be either chicken, beef, shrimp or tuna, and yes there are many different variations on how you make the filling, I think it's all up to individual taste.

This is how I make the tuna filling.

Rissois de Atum

Dough for the rissoles
2 cans of tuna, drained
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
paprika
salt and pepper
flour
heavy cream

In a medium saucepan, add the onion and the olive oil, saute for a few minutes until translucent.  Add in the tuna and season with paprika, salt and pepper to taste.  (At this point, you can add some tomato paste if you wish, but for this one I didn't because the paprika was enough).

Mix well, then sprinkle in some flour.  I don't have an exact measurement, I eyeball it, but I would say about a tablespoon, just enough to thicken it.  Pour in some heavy creamy and stir well until creamy and smooth.  If you want it a little thicker then add in a little more flour, and if it's too thick, then add in a little more cream.

Proceed to make the rissoles as shown in the link above.

Enjoy :)

Portuguese 10 Egg White Cake - Bolo das 10 Claras

I don't even remember when I got this recipe, but it's always been one of my go to, easy cakes to make. Mainly because it always seems to turn out great and since I'm not a huge baker, I don't have to worry about messing it up.

You have no idea how much taking a cake out of it's mold, scares me. I have to talk myself into doing it LOL

I'm sure you've noticed that I don't have a huge collection of desserts on this blog.  Not like 90% of the other food blogs who are filled with yummy sugary goodies.

The reason is simple, not only am I not a huge baker, but I have always preferred salty to sweet, and I will take a plate of comfort food over a slice of cake, any.day.

Anyway, tonight the Pastor of our new church, is coming over with his wife to get to know us.  I'm not a very outgoing person, am actually quite shy and don't really care for people in my house.  Weird huh? LOL

But I decided that I should bake something instead of just giving them store bought cookies.  So after some thinking I narrowed it down to this cake, and so it is.

If you like pound cake, you'll enjoy this one, it's simple, plain but with a hint of lemon.

Bolo das 10 Claras

Portuguese 10 Egg White Cake

Source:  As Receitas la de casa

10 egg whites
pinch of salt
2/3 cup softened butter
1 and half cups sugar
3 tablespoons of milk
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
Juice and rind of 1 small lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a cake pan with butter and flour.

Start by adding the egg whites to a big bowl, add in a pinch of salt and beat until firm.

In a separate big bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until creamy.   Add the lemon juice and rind and the milk.  Mix well.  Add in the flour and the baking powder and mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Take a spoonful of the egg whites and add to the cake mix, slowly fold them in from bottom to top without beating.   Keep adding spoonfuls at a time and folding in gently until all the egg whites are mixed in.

Pour into the cake pan, sprinkle sugar on top to give it a nice crunchy crust and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and cake is done.

Remove from pan and serve.

Pasteis de Massa Tenra - Meat Pastries

I think there are certain meals that will always take you back to a place in time in your life.

These transport me to my childhood kitchen where I would watch my grandmother making them at the kitchen table, rolling the dough out, cutting it, adding the filling, using the fork to seal them and then popping them into a skillet of hot oil and watching them sizzling.

It brings back so many good memories.  It was one of her favorite things to make, and it was one of my favorite things to eat.

As I sit here in my new house after moving across country, leaving the military life behind and beginning a new chapter, I was feeling quite nostalgic and homesick.  I wanted something for dinner that would comfort my soul and my tummy, and these immediately came to mind.

My kids love them, my husband loves them so much that he starts eating them as I pull them out of the skillet....and even the pugs enjoy one as a treat.

The recipe I use is the one I got from my grandmother, so I make it the way she used to, and therefore, all the ingredients are in grams...but I'll give you the equivalents too.

Pasteis de Massa Tenra - Meat Pastries

250 grams of flour (about 1 cups)
225 ml of water (little less than a cup), lukewarm
35 grams of butter (3 and half tablespoons), melted
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Sift the flour into a bowl, add the salt and the melted butter, the olive oil and the lukewarm water.  Beat the mixture rapidly and well.

Dump the dough onto a floured bowl, then cover the bowl with a warm bowl (just take a bowl bigger than the one you're using for the dough, run it under boiling water, quickly wipe down and place it over the dough as quickly as possible).

Let the dough rest for an hour and a half.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface, cut with a biscuit cutter or a glass into circles. 

Add the meat filling (little more than a teaspoon), fold the dough over and seal the edges using a fork.  Place the pastries on a floured surface.

Fry in hot oil until golden brown and then transfer onto paper towels to absorb oil.  Serve immediately.

For the meat filling, I make a very basic one.

Meat Filling

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
bay leaf
paprika
nutmeg
white sauce (bechamel)
parsley

In a skillet, add the butter, the onion and the garlic.  Cook over medium heat until onion is transparent, don't let the garlic burn.

Add the ground beef and continue cooking until browned.  Season with salt and pepper, bay leaf, paprika and a dash of nutmeg.  Stir well and simmer for a minute or two.

For the white sauce, I just make a simple bechamel, this recipe makes about a cup.


White Sauce (Bechamel)

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups milk, heated
Salt and pepper


Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, don't let it brown — about 2 minutes. Add the milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, usually I add nutmeg, but since I've already added some in the meat filling I'm omitting it from here.

Cook for a minute more, then remove from heat.

Hearty Chicken Soup - Canja de Galinha

I think one of my earliest memories of being in the kitchen, was with my greatgrandmother as she prepared chicken soup.

There was never a set recipe or rules as to how she would make it, usually it comprised of whatever she had on hand, so one day we might have rice, other day it might be noodles.  Sometimes it had carrots, other times it didn't.

And that is how I learned how to make this soup.  With a pinch of this, and a bunch of that.

Usually, if I have to cook chicken for a particular recipe, I always fix a batch of chicken soup.  It's one of the soups that my children adore and will eat copious amounts of.

For tonight's dinner, I needed to cook some chicken thighs, so I went ahead and fixed chicken soup for lunch.  So yummy!

Hearty Chicken Soup

Chicken (it really depends if you want a lot of chicken or just a bit, for this one I shredded two of the thighs)
1 small onion
1 bay leaf
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 garlic clove, sliced thinly
salt and pepper to taste
2 slices of bacon
Chourico, sliced (optional, I usually add it if I have it on hand)
Parsley (optional)
rice or pasta

I start by filling my pot about halfway with water, then I add in the chicken pieces, onion, bay leaf, chicken bouillon cube, garlic, salt and pepper and the bacon.

Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.

Dump in rice or pasta.  My kids couldn't decide which they preferred today so I added in both.   Depending on the amount of broth you have, adjust the amount of rice or pasta accordingly.  I had a full pot of broth so I added in half a cup of rice and about a cup of macaroni noodles.

Add in slices of chourico, if using.

Cook until the rice and pasta are done.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, chop it into small pieces and add it back to the pot.  At this point you can remove the whole onion, or you can also go ahead and cut into smaller chunks and pop it back in.

Add shredded chicken, check the seasonings, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, add in some chopped parsley and serve.

There really is nothing to this soup, but it's filling, and delicious :)

Bolo do Convento - Convent Cake

I have been really good lately and have stayed away from sweets, cakes and all junk food. So has my husband, but he had his PT test today and passed, so to celebrate, I decided to make a dessert for after dinner.

I don't do this very often, actually, when I do make any kind of desserts it is during the weekend.

But, I am in the mood for cake, and not a boxed cake or just any kind of cake. I was in the mood for a good old Portuguese cake with a nice egg cream in the center. Creme de Ovos (egg cream/custard) is one of my favorite things on earth, but I never make it, it's been many years.

Today seemed like the perfect time, so here it is....a nice simple cake with a layer of egg custard in the middle and poured over the top, sprinkled with some powdered sugar and you have a divine dessert that your family will love.

Bolo do Convento - Convent Cake

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2/3 cups of butter
5 eggs
Little bit more than 3/4 cups of milk
1 teaspoon of baking powder


For the egg cream

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
5 egg yolks
Little less than half a cup of water


First make the egg cream. Add the water and sugar to a saucepan and boil for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the egg yolks to a bowl and stir well. Pour the sugar water mixture into the bowl, a little at a time and mixing constantly. Pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cake pan. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar with the butter, next add in the eggs one at a time beating well after each. Add in the milk, alternating with the flour, lastly, add the baking powder and mix everything well. Pour into the cake pan and bake for 40 minutes.

Use a toothpick to see if the cake is done. Remove from the oven and invert the cake onto a plate. Let cool completely.

Cut the cake in half, spread about 1/4 of the egg cream on one of the halves, top with the other half, then smear the rest of the egg cream over the top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon, if you wish.

Galinha Gratinada - Chicken & Hash brown Casserole

I think the thing I most love about cooking, is the ability to put together a meal from scratch without following a recipe, and have it turn out well.  Knowing that your family loves the food you prepare for them, is a feeling like no other.

This dish came about because I've been cooking Portuguese food these past two weeks, and actually had some random pieces of chicken in the freezer. There were 4 thighs and 3 tenders that I wanted to cook up before going bad, and I knew that I wanted a casserole kind of meal.

So, a bit of this and a little of that and out came this comforting casserole.

Galinha Gratinada com Batata

{Chicken and Hash Brown Casserole}

Chicken pieces, bones removed, cut into bite size chunks
1 bag potato hash browns
olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 small can mushrooms
Heavy cream
salt to taste
shredded mozzarella

In a big skillet, add a little bit of olive oil, the onion and the garlic.  Cook over medium heat until the onion is tender.  Add the chicken and cook until done.

Add the chicken broth and the can of mushrooms and simmer for about 5 minutes.  You'll notice that most if not all of the liquid has evaporated.  Season with salt to taste.

Next goes in the heavy cream.  I didn't measure, I just added as much as I wanted.  I think it was about 2 cups.  Stir until well combined.

In a 13 x 9 inch pan, spray with a little nonstick spray.  Add in the bag of potatoes and even them out.  Pour the chicken mixture over the potatoes.  At this point you can add a little more heavy cream if you wish, I drizzled a little more over the top just to be sure the potatoes had enough liquid to cook in.

 Sprinkle on a little shredded mozzarella cheese, then cover with foil and bake in a 425 degree oven for about 30 minutes.  Check if the potatoes are done, if they are, remove the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes or so to brown.

Enjoy!

Tiras de carne - Beef tips with mushroom and Onion sauce

Another simple but delicious Portuguese recipe.

The key word here is simple because with the addition of a mushroom and onion soup mix, you create a gorgeous looking meal with a thick gravy that is perfect for drizzling over rice or mashed potatoes.

Tiras de Carne com molho de cogumelos e cebola

{Beef tips with mushroom and onion sauce}

1 lb beef strips (sometimes I use leftover steak that I slice into strips)
1 garlic clove, smashed
olive oil
1 packet of mushroom and onion gravy
2 tbsp flour
2 cups of water

In a big skillet, add a bit of olive oil, about 2 tablespoons, and fry the garlic for a minute or two, don't let it burn. 

Add the steak strips and cook until brown and done. Add in the packet of mushroom and onion gravy.

Sprinkle on the flour and give it a good stir so all the meat is covered.  Then pour in the water, stir well and cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.

You can sprinkle on some fresh cut parsley if you wish.  Serve immediately.

Arroz de Forno - Oven Baked Rice

One of my favorite ways to make rice, especially when in big quantities.

I also like the fact that I can pop in a chicken or roast in the oven and put the rice right along with it, have everything cook together.

This is a pretty common Portuguese recipe and the best part is that you can use beef or chicken or even vegetable stock.

Here's how I make mine.

Arroz de Forno - Oven Baked Rice

4 cups water
2 cups rice
1 beef bouillon cube
1 garlic clove, cut in half
salt to taste


In an oven proof dish, add the water, the rice, the bouillon cube crumbled, the garlic and some salt, give it a good stir.

Bake at 375 degrees until done.

Now, sometimes it takes 45 minutes for me, other times it takes an hour, there is no set time for this, just keep an eye on it and remove it when it's cooked to your liking.

What I like the most is that it creates this crust along the sides, it's nice and crispy. Yum!

Note: Some people cover the dish with aluminum foil to help the cooking of the rice. I've done it both ways and they both work, so it's completely up to you :)

Galinha com Cogumelos e Ervilhas - Chicken with Mushrooms and Peas

Every time I make a Portuguese dish, I feel like I'm going home.  One smell, one taste and I am back in my childhood in the kitchen, watching my Greatgrandma cooking, asking her questions about the food about the utensils, how you do this and that.

Hearing the TV in the other room, my brothers voices laughing and talking animatedly.

But the aroma, that is the biggest thing for me, it's unmistakable.

Funny how certain things are like trigger objects for our mind.

Next two weeks of menus will be mainly Portuguese food, except for one or two dishes that I had already planned on making, like tonight's Swedish Meatloaf, and tomorrow's Slow Cooker White beans and ham.

I'll post the recipes as I make them and I hope that for those who aren't Portuguese, that you will give these dishes a try and enjoy them....and for those who ARE Portuguese and far from home, maybe it will take you back in time, as it does me :)

Galinha com Cogumelos e Ervilhas

{ Chicken with Mushrooms and Peas }

Chicken Thighs
Olive oil
Flour
Salt and Pepper
Small onion, sliced
Linguica, cut into pieces (you can use Chourico too, or even omit if you want)
Handful of peas
1 can of mushrooms
Chicken stock (I use Knorr Chicken bouillon granules)
vinegar
about a cup or so of water
fresh parsley


Start by seasoning the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then coat it with flour.

In a big skillet, add about a tablespoon of olive oil then brown the chicken on both sides.  Remove from skillet and keep warm.

Add the onion and linguica to the skillet and cook until onion is tender.  Next goes in about a teaspoon and a half of chicken bouillon granules, about a cup of water and a smidge of vinegar, just drizzle a little in there, you don't want a lot.

Give it a good stir and then add in the peas and the mushrooms.  Put the chicken back in the skillet, sprinkle on chopped fresh parsley, and simmer for about 25 minutes until chicken is cooked completely.

  Make sure to keep checking on it and stirring, and keeping adding a little bit of water so it doesn't stick, you also want some gravy.

Serve with some buttered spaghetti, or rice, or potatoes.

I know I'm awful at writing recipes because I don't follow directions or measurements, I cook from the heart and I learned to eyeball everything.  So if something doesn't make sense or doesn't seem right, please let me know. 

Dipped Butter Cookies

My youngest asked me to make cookies yesterday.  Seeing as I don't have any chocolate chips in the pantry, I turned to my go to recipe which is quick and yummy.



You can certainly eat these alone without dipping them or rolling them in sugar, but the cookie dough does not have any sugar so you may not enjoy it.

It's a fantastic butter cookie nevertheless, it is delicious and it melts in your mouth.  If you want, you can add a little sugar to the dough and try them that way, but it's worth the dipping, trust me :)

This is a Portuguese cookie recipe, just so you know. :)

Dipped Butter Cookies

For the cookies:
500 grams of flour (about 4 cups)
250 grams of butter (2 sticks and a little more, after the 2 sticks go in, I just keep adding little pats of butter until the dough is malleable)
pinch of salt (if you're using salted butter you may want to omit it)

For the dipping sauce:
3 tablespoons chocolate powder (I've used Nesquick, Ovaltine, Milo etc)
2 tablespoons water


To make the cookies:
I just mix all three ingredients in my Kitchen-Aid until the dough is malleable and able to form into little balls.

Form the dough into small balls and then flatten them slightly and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.  They will be ready when you shake the pan and they come loose.

Remove and let cool.



To make the dipping chocolate:
In a bowl, combine the chocolate and the water, mix well.

Then take the cookies and dip them halfway into the chocolate mixture, then roll them in sugar.



I like to place mine in the refrigerator to harden a little, then again living in Arizona, it is imperative that I keep any kind of chocolate stuff in the fridge.



Note:   I shaped some into ovals, you can shape them however you want, you can even use a cookie press if you wish.

Portuguese Chicken Spaghetti

I know that when some think of Chicken Spaghetti, they are thinking of cream of something soups and peppers and other stuff like that....but this nothing like it.

This recipe takes me right back to my childhood.  I can just remember hearing my dad or stepmom yell out "COMER".  Which means "EAT".  That was the signal sent out to every household member to make their way to the dining table.  And when I say every member, trust me, I mean like 12, 13, 14 people.

We're Portuguese, eating is one of our favorite things, and sitting around a huge table with family sharing a good meal, a glass of wine and conversation is one of my fondest childhood memories.  (Wine wasn't for me obviously lol).

Anyway, I'm sure everyone has their way of making this dish...but this is how I prepare mine.

Portuguese Chicken Spaghetti

1 lb chicken thighs, skin removed and cut into bite size chunks (you can use breasts as well, or chicken legs, or even a whole chicken, up to you)
Olive oil
Garlic
Small onion, diced

salt and pepper
Small can of tomato sauce
Carrots, sliced
Spaghetti (enough for your family, I usually make about half of a package)



In a pot, add a little bit of olive oil.  I don't measure anything when I cook, but I guess about a tablespoon or so.  Add the garlic and the onion and cook on low heat until the onion is transparent.

Add the chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper.  Add the can of tomato sauce and some sliced carrots and cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked completely, and carrots are tender.  Make sure to give it a stir once in a while and keep adding a little water so it doesn't stick or burn.

When chicken is cooked, add in about 2 cups of water, and in goes your spaghetti.  Give it a good stir and check on it often until spaghetti is cooked to your liking.  If it's too watery, just pop the lid on and let it cook for a few minutes longer to absorb some of the liquid.

That's it.  Simple but my kids LOVE this stuff :)

Chicken Meatballs with a Creamy Mushroom Gravy

Another great Portuguese recipe to add to your stash.



You can certainly use ground chicken bought at the store, but I always grind mine up using my Meat Grinder, and I love not only the texture, but the taste, the look etc.  It is a worthy investment and you can find a Meat Grinder for around $30.

Almondegas de Galinha com cogumelos

4 chicken breasts (grind through the meat grinder)
parsley
salt and pepper
garlic powder
onion flakes
2 bread slices
1 tablespoon flour
1 egg
Small onion, diced
Small can of mushrooms, drained
2 cups heavy cream


The best way to grind any kind of meat, is to have it either still frozen or semi frozen.  I always grind mind straight from the freezer.



Cut the chicken breasts into small cubes and grind.



In a bowl, add the ground chicken and the rest of the ingredients,



except the bread.   In a separate bowl, place the bread slices, add a little bit of water and dip the bread until soggy.  Squeeze out the water, not all of it, leave a little.  Break into small pieces and add to the chicken mixture.




Mix everything well, add the flour and the egg, mix well and shape into meatballs.



Use flour to sprinkle on your hands and the chicken mixture so the meatballs don't stick.



In a skillet, add a little butter, and fry the chicken meatballs until done and nicely browned, remove to a plate. 



Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until tender.  Add in the mushrooms and the heavy cream and simmer for a minute or so.



Place the meatballs back into the skillet and heat for a few.



Serve with Rice :)

These are so good, and they taste even better the following day. I like using mine in a sandwich.