Portuguese Fish Stew
This recipe is for my best friend in the whole world whose family came from Portugal. The Portuguese are great lovers of fish have created simple but delicious seafood recipes over many years. I think you will like this version of Portuguese Fish Stew.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Salt Cod
1 Cup Olive Oil
2 Large Chopped Onions
3 Chopped Garlic Cloves
3 Medium Peeled & Diced Potatoes
1 Medium Peeled & Diced Carrot
5 Peeled, Seeded & Sliced Tomatoes
½ Cup Chopped Parsley
1 Cup White Wine
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Soak the cod in water for 24 hours. Change the water two or three times. Drain the cod and cut in 2 inch rectangles. In a medium cooking pot place the cut cod and bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Turn the heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain the cod and remove the skin and any small bones. Break the fish into flakes and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium high heat. When the skillet is hot stir in the chopped onions, carrot, garlic and potatoes. Cook for 3 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the cod, tomatoes, parsley and wine. Season with the thyme, pepper and salt. Cover the skillet and simmer on a low heat for 2 ½ hours. The fish should be extremely tender. Serves 4
Cheese & Cauliflower Soup
I love soups! I love it when the weather turns cool so that I can whip up soups galore. Here is a nice cool weather soup that I think you will like.
INGREDIENTS
1 Trimmed And Diced Cauliflower
1Diced Onion
6 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Unbleached Flour
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Teaspoon Chives
In a medium pan cook the cauliflower and the onion in the chicken stock for 35 minutes on medium high heat. Remove from the stove and pour the liquid, the cauliflower and the onion into a food processor. Pulse long enough to puree the cauliflower and onion. If you do not have a food processor then you may use a blender for this procedure. Heat the butter in the same pan that you cooked the cauliflower in and blend in the flour. Cook on low for 1 minute making sure to stir constantly. Stir in the milk and stir some more. Add the pureed cauliflower and onion and combine with the milk mixture. Add the salt and pepper. Blend in the cheese and cook for 1 more minute on low. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with chives. Serves 4
Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs
I love Asian Spare Ribs. No need to go out to a restaurant because they are easy to make at home.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Cut Pork Spare Ribs
1 Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
½ Teaspoon Dry Mustard
2 Cups Water
½ Cup Soy Sauce
½ Cup Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
2 Chopped Garlic Cloves
Sesame Seeds For Garnish
In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, salt, mustard, pepper, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and water. Set aside. Put the ribs in a large cooking pot filled with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes and drain. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Brown the ribs on all sides. Next pour the sauce into the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Place on a serving platter and garnish with sesame seeds. Serves 4
Pork Satay With Peanut Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Pork Tenderloin
¼ Cup Coconut Milk
1 Tablespoon Red Curry Paste
¾ Cup Coarsely Ground Peanuts
¼ Cup Coconut Milk
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Red Curry Paste
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
8 Bamboo Skewers
(Soaked)
Cut the port tenderloin crosswise into 16 slices. Put each slice between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound to ¼ inch thickness using a meat mallet. In a large bowl combine ¼ cup of the coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of the red curry paste. Make sure that you do not use the low fat coconut milk for this recipe. Add the pork to the bowl, toss and refrigerate covered for 1 ½ hours. For the peanut sauce combine ¼ cup of the coconut milk, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice and 1 tablespoon of the red curry paste. Preheat the grill to medium high. Remove the pork from the bowl and throw away the marinade. Thread the pork evenly onto 8 skewers that have been soaked in water and sprinkle with the salt. Grill for 3 minutes on each side and serve with the peanut sauce. Serves 8
Chile Rellenos
Chile Relleno is a Mexican dish that originated in Puebla and literally means “stuffed chile.” Chile Rellenos are usually stuffed with melted cheese like queso Chihuahua or queso Oaxaca (which are good for melting). They are also stuffed with something called picadillo meat which consists of diced pork, raisins, nuts and spiced with canella. Typically roasted poblano peppers are used, but sometimes are substituted with Anaheim, Hatch, Pasilla or Jalapeno chili peppers. After stuffing the chile pepper it is either covered in egg batter or corn masa flour and fried. Then served in a sauce.
INGREDIENTS
6 Fresh Poblano Chiles
1 Pound Queso Blanco
3 Tablespoons Flour
3 Eggs
½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Olive Oil For Frying
For The Sauce:
14 Ounces Diced Tomatoes With Juice
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Diced Onion
For roasting the chiles place them directly on the burner of a gas stove until they are mostly blackened on each side. If you have an electric stove then put the chiles under the broiler. Remove the chiles from the burner and place them in bowl covered with plastic wrap for a minute. Peel off the blackened skin with your fingers. Don’t worry if you don’t get every bit of the skin off. Slice each chile on one side from the stem to the bottom. Remove most of the seeds and membranes, but if you like the chiles spicy then leave them in. Cut the cheese into long slices that fit the chiles and stuff the cheese into each chile. Roll in the flour. Separate the eggs. In a medium bowl beat the egg whites and salt until they are stiff. In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks and then gently fold into the egg whites. Pour the olive oil into a medium sauté pan and heat on medium high. Dip each chile into the egg coating and drop into the oil and cook for 2 minutes until golden brown on each side. Turn once with a spatula. Drain on paper towels. Top with either tomato sauce or enchilada sauce. You can top with chopped cilantro, sour cream, green chiles or shredded cheese. Serves 2
For the sauce: Combine onions, chicken broth and tomatoes with the juice. Simmer while you are making the rellenos. Serve on the side or cover the rellenos before serving.
Czech Potato Soup
Fall and winter soups are the best. So hearty and so warming. This Czech Potato Soup (Bramboracka) is an exceptional soup. Serve with sourdough or rye bread.
INGREDIENTS
6 Cups Water
¼ Cup Half & Half
1 Large Chopped Onion
1 Large Chopped Turnip
1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
1 Chopped Celery Stalk
1 Large Chopped Carrot
3 Large Potatoes
½ Teaspoon Caraway Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Marjoram
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Flour
5 Tablespoons Butter
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a large sauté pan cook all of the vegetables, except the potatoes, in the butter. Slowly add the flour to the vegetables and add one cup of the water to the vegetables. Add the water, potatoes, salt, pepper, caraway seeds and marjoram. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes. Add the half & half and cook another 5 minutes. Serve in bowls along with either sourdough bread or rye bread. Serves 4
Chicken Noodle Soup
I was raised on good old fashioned Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup. Everyone knows that homemade is much better. A great prescription for any malady. If you’re ailing or not try this fabulous recipe for what warms the body and soul.
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ Cups Wide Egg Noodles
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
12 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
1 Cup Chopped Celery
1 Cup Chopped Carrots
1 Cup Chopped Onion
1/3 Cup Cornstarch
¼ Cup Water
3 ½ Cups Diced Cooked Chicken
In a large stock pot bring salted water to a boil. Add the egg noodles and olive oil. Boil for 9 minutes until tender. When done cooking drain. In a large saucepan combine the broth, salt and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil and stir in the celery, carrots and onions. Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch and water together until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Gradually add to the soup. Stir constantly. Stir in the noodles and chicken. Cook for 10 minutes on a medium heat. Serve with salad and French bread. Serves 10
Sausage Frittata
INGREDIENTS
8 Eggs
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ Pound Italian Sausage With The Casings Removed
¼ Pound Chopped Mushrooms
1 Bunch Chopped Swiss Chard
8 Ounces Diced White Cheddar
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper. Fold in the cheese and set aside. Warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet. You can use a frittata pan if you like, but don’t need to. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook for 9 minutes over a medium heat. Crumble the sausage with a wooden spoon until well browned. Drain off the fat and transfer the sausage to a separate bowl. Set aside. In the same skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook for 9 minutes over a medium heat. Stir occasionally until browned and tender. Season with the salt and pepper. Transfer to the bowl with the sausage. In the same skillet heat the final 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the Swiss chard over a medium heat for 2 minutes until wilted. Transfer to the bowl with the sausage. Return the sausage, mushroom and Swiss chard mixture to the skillet. Cook over a medium heat for 1 minutes. Add the egg and cheese mixture. Cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Cook until the eggs are set and slide the frittata ontio a serving plate. Serves 6
Sausage Stuffed Manicotti
Bet you didn’t know that Manicotti means sleeves in Italian. Traditional manicotti is filled with ham and ricotta cheese. This recipe is made with sausage and spinach. Feel free to double this recipe if you are feeding a larger group or want lots of leftovers. This dish is made with a White Sauce and is delicious!
INGREDIENTS
½ Pound Italian Sausage
1 Medium Chopped Onion
1 Chopped Medium Red Bell Pepper
3 Cups Lightly Cooked Spinach
10 Manicotti
White Sauce
5 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Milk
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Pound Mozzarella Cheese
2 Cups Tomato Sauce
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
In a large pot bring water to a boil. Plunge the manicotti into the boiling water for 1 minute until al dente. Drain them and as soon as you can handle them stuff with the sausage – spinach mixture.
In a large skillet, sauté the sausage, the onion and the red bell pepper for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and mix well. Remove from the heat.
For the White Sauce melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook gently for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and whisk in the milk. Turn the heat back on and whisk until thickened. Season with the salt and pepper. Mix about ¼ of the sauce with the sausage-spinach mixture. Lay them side by side in a oiled baking dish that is just large enough to hold them in one layer. Slice the mozzarella and lay the slices over the manicotti. Spread the remaining white sauce over and then pour on the tomato sauce. Spread evenly over the top. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese and bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 30 minutes. Serves 5
Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS
16 Ounces Tomatoes (Canned)
1 Chopped Onion
1 Large Chopped Carrot
2 Chopped Garlic Cloves
¼ Cup Water
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Put all of the tomatoes, onion, carrot, salt, pepper and garlic together in a heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the water if the sauce gets too thick. In the food processor puree the tomato sauce. Use where needed. Makes 1 ¼ Cups
Steamed Mussels In White Wine
INGREDIENTS
1 Large Finely Chopped Shallot
1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
¼ Cup Dry White Wine
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
4 ½ Pounds Mussels
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
Scrub and debeard the mussels. Place the shallot, onions, wine, butter and vinegar in a large heavy pot. Add the mussels. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Throw away any mussels that don’t open up. Put a strainer line with a double layer of cheesecloth over a large bowl and set aside. Using a slotted spoon transfer the mussels to a large bowl. Pour the liquid that is in the pot through the cheesecloth in the strainer. Once all the liquid has gone through the strainer season with the black pepper and pour over the mussels. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with toasted bread. Serves 4
