Molho Cru – Portuguese Chimichurri Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 small onion (finely chopped)
3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
3 tablespoons Portuguese olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt
pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon  crushed red pepper flakes or 1 fresh red chile (finely minced)
1/2 bunch fresh parsley (minced)

Instructions:
Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight for flavors to absorb.
Spread over cooked meats or fish.

Carmelina’s Folar Recipe

Ingredients:

12 Jumbo brown eggs (room temperature)

10 Cups sifted flour

(2) .6 oz. cubes of fresh yeast or 3 package of active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon salt

1 stick butter or margarine (8 tablespoons)

1/2 cup olive oil

4 cups ham (ham shank) cut into 1/2 x 2 inch strips

1 or 2 whole – chourica or linguica sausage

1 cup chopped (Smoked – Cured Bacon) (if desired)

This recipe makes 4 small loaves or 2 medium loaves.

Instructions:

In a small pan on low heat add water, margarine and olive oil.

When margarine is melted, test with your finger. It should be warm, not hot or you will kill the yeast. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Set aside.

Beat eggs until foamy and set aside.

Sift Flour and salt into a very large mixing bowl.

Note: If you have a kitchenaid mixer, the batter will fit into the standard 5quart bowl.

Make a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs and the yeast mixture.

Knead by hand or with dough hook for at least 15 minutes until dough is light and airy.

Look for air “bubbles forming in the batter”

Note:

The batter will be thin and very elastic, not thick like bread dough. If you find it too thin add flour 2 tablespoons at a time and mix well.

Grease your hands with olive oil and shape the dough into a ball on floured surface.

Place the dough in a larger bowl that has been greased with olive oil and dusted with flour.

Make a cross in center of the dough to “Bless” the dough and sprinkle the top with flour.

“Pelo sinal da Santa Cruz S. Mamede te levede, S. Vicente te acrescente, S. João te faça bom pão, A Virgem Nossa Senhora Te deite a santa bênção.”

Cover with plastic and let it rest for 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.

Your dough will be light, airy and elastic.

While the dough rises, slice the Chourica into desired thickness of slices.

Note: This step is optional depending on your taste. I place the meats into a pot of boiling water and let them cook for about 2-3 minutes to remove the salt and fat. Drain the meats, pat them dry and let them cool.

When dough has risen, lightly grease and flour your hands to handle the dough. Poor it onto lightly olive oil greased and floured surface big enough to hold the dough.

Note: I cover my counter with saran wrap for easy cleanup.

The dough is very tender. Gently stretch the dough into a desired rectangle shape almost like making a pizza, being careful not to tear it.

Spread the meats evenly over the dough and gently roll the dough into a loaf. If any holes form, close them up by pinching the dough together with your fingers.

Place the Folar onto lightly floured sheet pans or into molded bread pans.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Let the formed folar rest for 10 minutes for a second rise before baking.

Cook for about 45 minutes at 400 then lower heat to 350. Cook another 15 minutes and turn off heat.

For small loaves cook for 30 minutes and lower heat to 350 for the last 15 minutes.

Note:

Some ovens may take longer. Check if done, by hitting the top of the folar with your knuckles. You should hear a hollow sound and it should be a dark golden color.

The smell of the folar baking in your oven will be simply amazing! I wish you could smell it right now as I pull it out of the oven!

SOPA DE CREME DE LEGUMES / PORTUGUESE PUREED VEGETABLE SOUP

5 quarts of water
4 potatoes, peeled and cut in half
1 zucchini, peeled, seeded and cubed
4 carrots, peeled and cut into smaller pieces
1 onion, whole and peeled
2 garlic cloves, whole and peeled
1 leek, cut into round thick slices
1 turnip, peeled and cut in half
2 tbs of olive oil
2 cups of cabbage, cut into bite-size pieces
2 chicken bouillon cubes
salt to taste
In a medium stock pot, add the water, bouillon cubes and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, zucchini, carrots, onion, garlic, leek, turnip and olive oil. Reduce heat to medium and cook covered for approximately 40 minutes or until all vegetables are cooked.
Once vegetables are cooked, remove all of them, puree with a blender and return to pot or use a hand blender to puree right in stock pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste.
Add the cabbage and allow to cook covered on medium heat until the cabbage is cooked. Remove cover and allow to simmer until the soup reaches desired thickness.

Turkey meatloaf with apples and sage

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 Gala apples, cored, peeled and sliced into small chunks
• 2/3 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 lbs. ground turkey meat
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup apple butter, plus an extra tablespoon for tops of loaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Method:
Preheat your oven to 400. Grease your mini loaf pan or a baking pan.
In a medium size skillet over moderate heat, add the butter and cook your garlic and shallots, stirring, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir together apple chunks, breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl and allow to soak for about 5 minutes. Add your turkey meat and mix to combine. Stir in your egg as well as the garlic and shallots–Be sure to scrape as much of the butter from the pan into the bowl too. Mix in your apple butter, sage and salt and pepper until all your ingredients are mixed evenly throughout the meat. Spoon the meat mixture into your loaf tins, using all your meat. If you’re not using a loaf pan, place your meat onto your pan and shape it into an oval.
Bake in the oven on the middle rack for about 50 minutes or until the internal temperature of a loaf reaches 160 degrees. In the last minute of your cooking time, brush the tops with some apple butter. Remove the loaves from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes then serve.

Tuna Casserole

Makes 6-8 Portions (depending on serving size)
12 ounce package of pasta of your choice
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
1 cup of tomato sauce
salt & pepper to taste
2 (7-oz) cans of tuna (I like the tuna packed in olive oil)
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I like cheddar)
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I like the seasoned breadcrumbs)
3-4 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish and leave aside.

Cook noodles of your choice in boiling salted water and follow package directions for time needed.
Drain well, and add to a large mixing bowl and toss in the 3 tablespoons of butter. Leave aside
In a medium saucepan, add olive oil and sauté the onions over med-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Turn up the heat to medium and add the tomato sauce, chopped garlic and continue to sauté together for another 4 minutes. Add the two cans of tuna and continue to sauté for another couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper and mix in the chopped parsley. Remove from heat, and toss together into the pasta bowl. Add the shredded cheese and mix together.
Pour the mixture into the casserole dish, and top with the breadcrumbs.. making sure to sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until browned on top.

8 Layer Pudding and Maria Biscuit Dessert... Sobremesa de 8 camadas pudim com bolacha maria

Ingredients:
2 packages 7 oz. each of Maria Biscuit
2 pints of heavy whipping cream
Homemade Vanilla Pudding : recipe below
Homemade Chocolate Pudding: recipe below
2 cups of strong coffee, cooled off

Directions:
grease a 15x10 rectangle dish and leave aside...
Using a large bowl, whip up the whipping cream, until nice and firm and forming peaks leave aside..
Using the rectangle dish you will begin to start your layers
1st layer of coffee dipped Maria Biscuits
2nd layer of vanilla pudding
3rd layer of coffee dipped Maria Biscuits
4th layer of whipped cream
5th layer of coffee dipped Maria Biscuits
6th layer of chocolate pudding
7th layer of coffee dipped Maria Biscuits
8th and final layer of whipped cream
Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving

Directions for Vanilla pudding:
2 cups milk
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
In medium saucepan over medium heat stir/whisk together milk, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a boil, and cook and stir until mixture thickens. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and butter.
Let it cool off before spreading on top of the Maria Biscuits.
Directions for Chocolate pudding:
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a saucepan over medium heat, stir/whisk together milk, sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Let it cool off before spreading on top of the Maria Biscuits.

Easy Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Pie

 

What you need

 1 pkg. (468 g) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, divided

 1 pkg. (4-serving size) Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding

 1 cup cold milk

 1/3 cup Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter, divided

 1-1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping, divided

1 oz. Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate

 2 Tbsp. chopped toasted peanuts

Make It

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
  
• 
  Step 1
  Use lightly floured hands to press 3/4 of the cookie dough onto bottom and up side of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake on bottom oven rack 20 min. or until golden brown; cool completely. Meanwhile, roll remaining cookie dough into 6 (1-1/2-inch) balls; place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 min. or until golden brown.
  
• 
  Step 2
  Beat pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 min. (Pudding will be thick.) Add 1/4 cup peanut butter; mix well.
  
• 
  Step 3
  Stir in 1/2 cup Cool Whip; spread onto bottom of crust. Top with remaining Cool Whip, spreading to within 1 inch of edge. Refrigerate 2 hours or until filling is firm.
  
• 
  Step 4
  Remove rim of pan carefully. Cut each cookie in half; insert, cut-sides down, into top of pie. Microwave remaining peanut butter in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 45 sec. or until melted; stir. Melt chocolate as directed on package. Drizzle peanut butter, then chocolate over pie; sprinkle with nuts.