Trinidadian Chicken Stew

Good morning! Here is a recipe for dinner tonight, one that is easy, simple, and that I got from one of my favorite TV chefs: Giada De Laurentis. She can cook and she is so personable, I trust her dishes. I got this one about three years ago, and have made a few times when all you want is really good comfort food that is also good for you. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, halved
4 small skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
1 tbsp ginger
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 whole canned tomatoes
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups of water

Directions
In a heavy, bottomed 4-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until very dark, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken pieces, ginger, 1 tsp of salt and pepper. Cook, until the chicken is brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and break up with a wooden spoon. Add the thyme, 2 tbsp of parsley, carrots, potatoes and hot water. Cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Basmanti brown rice- I got mine at Trader Joe's.

Pasta Bolognese, Mamma Mia!

Happy Thursday! One of the best things about summer is growing vegetables. If you can have a vegetable garden, by all means, invest on the little plants and they will give you so much goodness in return, especially tomatoes. I make my homemade tomato sauce once a year, and this is what I used for this pasta Bolognesa. I don't remember where I got this recipe from, but it has been with me for the past 6 years or so. For the first time, I used ground turkey and it turned out fantastic, same taste, and better for you. If you buy tomato sauce, I recommend trader joe's brand, with simple tomato and basil. Let this recipe add the rest of the flavors to the sauce.

Ingredients
4 tbsp of butter
1 lb of angel hair pasta
1lb of lean ground turkey ( Costco sells 5 packs for $15, a deal!)
2 tbsp of dried onion flakes
2 tbsp of fresh chopped basil
2 cubes of beef bouillon
1 1/2 cup of hot water
1 can of tomato sauce
1 tbsp of tomato puree
4 tbsp of Parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions
Cook the angel hair pasta according to directions in the package. Heat a medium size skillet at medium-high heat, melt the butter and brown the onions for about 2 minutes. Add the ground turkey, in small increments, breaking any chunks with a wooden spoon. After the meat is browned for a bit, and juices are flowing in the pan, add the tomato sauce, the tomato paste. Dissolve the beef bouillon in the hot water, then add to the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until slightly reduced, for about 20 minutes. Pour over pasta, only mixing the portions as you serve them. Add Parmesan cheese before serving.

This is such a simple recipe, but one that is always a favorite amongst friends. The turkey made it much lighter, and all the flavors that make this an amazing dish are still there.

Quiche da Nete

Happy Monday! Sorry that I have not posted any new recipes for almost a week, there has been much traveling involved lately. I did, however, make this amazing Quiche recipe last Wednesday night, and this is a must have, specially if you like Quiche.

I got this recipe from my Aunt's cook in Manaus, Brazil. Her name is Nete. She is what you may say an extraordinary chef that works as a cook due to her modest upbringing. She could be behind any 5-star restaurant in Brazil or the US, but she is the private cook for my very lucky Aunt and her family. This woman is amazing. She did a Wild Duck Risotto that can put many a grown chef to shame. I was lucky- and pested her enough in my last visit to Brazil- to learn her Quiche recipe. Yes, this is for homemade dough- no store bought dough can compare. And the filling can be changed, customized to your liking. Enjoy!
Nete- essa receita 'e pra voce, muitos beijos :)

Ingredients
For the dough:
- 4 cups of flour
- 4 sticks of melted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 200 ml (1/3 cup) of very cold water


For the filling:
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2 cans of table cream ( pictured in this recipe)- you can find them at Winco, in the Hispanic section
- 1 cup grated Gorgonzola cheese
- 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cup chopped black forest ham
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Mix the flour, butter and egg together, by hand. Slowly add the water, mixing well to make sure the dough is of uniform consistency. Part the dough in half, make a ball with each half, place it in cellophane paper and chill it overnight, preferably in the freezer. The dough should be the same consistency as a Play-dough thing.

When ready to bake, place the dough in a pie dish, or one of those false-bottom pans, that you can unlatch after the Quiche is baked.  Heat the oven to 350. Mix the beaten eggs, add the table cream, cheese, ham, and mix it well with a wooden spoon. Pour mixture in the baking dish, and bake for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Since you will have enough dough for one more Quiche, you can leave it in the freezer for another month, and you can come back and play with the filling recipe :)

I must also report that this is a "no-leftover" recipe, certainly one of hubbie's favorite.

Enjoy! Bom apetite!

August menu ready- email me if you'd like a copy

Good evening! Sorry it took me a while, but the August menu and shopping list is ready. Just send me your email- or leave me a comment with your email- and I will send it to you.
Cheers to August!

Skillet Pork Chop Saute with Peaches

I cooked this recipe over the weekend, and it is a great way to use the amazing peaches that are just now in season, they are pretty down insane, so good and sweet they get this time of year. This is a recipe from Cooking Light magazine and it is super easy and fast. Let me admit that I don't cook Pork Chops often, as we don't eat a lot of Pork in Brazil, but these were yummy. I had an extra thick piece, and burned the olive oil a bit :( The sauce turned out a bit more burned than I wanted to, but the peaches were still intact and insanely delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
4 4z center-cut boneless pork loin chops, trimmed (Winco and Costco have these at great prices)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp freshly chopped garlic
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 peaches ( or more, if your heart desires :) each cut into 8 wedges
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp honey
2 tsp butter

Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat. Sprinkle chops evenly with salt and pepper. Add chops to pan, and cook until done. Remove from pan and keep warm. If the oil is a bit burned, dump it and pour in 1 tbsp of fresh olive oil. Add garlic, thyme and peaches to pan, cook for 2 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in butter. Pour over the pork chops. I served these with fresh sugar peas and steamed asparagus.

Feijoada- Brazilian Black Beans

Happy Monday! This is the most popular dish in Brazil. Growing up, this was a must at all meals, with some farofa (cassava powder, cooked up with butter), but I couldn't find the cassava powder here.
This is my mom's recipe-- can you tell I miss my mom? :) I typically make these beans on the pressure cooker, but as I know most people don't have pressure cookers, I did it the old-fashioned ways. In order to make these, you need to soak the beans overnight. You will also need a slow cooker, like a crock pot, to allow for the flavors to brew overnight. Two 15 oz bags of black beans will work.


Ingredients
2 15oz bags of dried black beans
1 package of Linguica sausage (Winco sells these)
1 8 oz package of bacon
9 dried bay leaves ( do not compromise- you need these)
6 tomatoes, chopped and seeded
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth

Directions
Leave the beans soaking overnight. In a large saucepan, turn up to medium heat and add the olive oil, saute the tomatoes, garlic and chopped bacon. Once the tomatoes are melted and well-blended, add the sliced Linguica sausage. Cook until the bacon is well cooked, but still tender. Add the beans and enough chicken broth to cover the beans, and cook on medium heat until they are soft, for about 90 minutes. Transfer them to a slow cooker, and cook them overnight. As you are transferring the beans, mash some of the beans and add it to the slow cooker. Cook it for about 10 hours. You should have lots and lots of beans. I freeze them, and when I am ready to defrost it, I just add a bit of chicken broth and let it simmer.

In Brazil, we add smoked pig's ears and pig's feet, but I cannot find the same delicacies here. I add salted pork when I can find it at the store, but they were out of it at Winco.

These will make your entire house smell like heaven :) Enjoy!

Brazilian Carne Assada

Happy Sunday! As promised, here is the recipe for Brazilian Carne Assada. Now, keep in mind that this is very different than the Mexican Carne Asada. I think the closest thing it resembles is the Cuban Ropa Vieja, because it is more like a stew meat. My mom makes it so yummy, and my version came close, but not like hers. I guess I will just have to keep trying :)

You will need a pressure cooker, or you may also cook slowly overnight in a crockpot. Just make sure you brown enough of the meat to seal the outside, and slow-cook the inside of the meat, where the flavor will reside.

Ingredients
2 lbs of round ribeye steak ( Costco sells these in packages of 2 for $16.70 total)
4 tbsp of ketchup
4 tbsp of olive oil
8 tbsp of worcestershire sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced and cut
6 tbsp of dried onion flakes
5 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3 medium carrots
3 medium size Yukon potatoes, sliced in thirds
2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth. 

Directions
You will want to marinate the steak overnight, so that the meat can absorb all these amazing flavors. Rub each cut with 2 tbsp of ketchup, olive oil, worcestershire sauce, garlic and dried onion flakes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When you're ready to cook, heat the pressure cooker opened at medium heat, with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the chopped tomatoes, and let it cook for 5 minutes. Then add the meat, with its juices, and turn it a few times, to make sure it is browned on the outside. Once you see seared marks on the meat, add the carrots and potatoes and 2 cups of chicken broth. Cover and seal the pressure cooker, cooking it in medium heat for 45 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let the pressure cooker cool down before attempting to open the seal.
Cut into the meat to ensure the center is cooked properly. If not, add 2 more cups of chicken broth and let it cook for additional 30 minutes in low to medium heat.

I served one of the steaks with brown rice, and freezed the other one for a second meal later in the month :) My mom would be proud, and the hubbie ate all of his servings and then some :)

Baked Penne with summer vegetables

Happy Monday everyone! This is a recipe I cooked last night, as it was originally in the July menu, and I just didn't get around to it. It is from July's edition of Cooking Light magazine. I used penne instead of ziti, as this is what I had in my pantry.

Serve it with a nice salad, and it is a perfect summer meal. Perfect if you have a vegetable garden and don't know what to do with all the squash and zucchini you get these two months.

Ingredients
4 oz uncooked penne
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups finely chopped yellow squash ( thin round slices)
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped tomato
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (4 oz) of shredded mozzarella cheese ( buy the block, and shred it prior to cooking)
2 tbsp fresh basil
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup (2 oz) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Directions
Cook pasta first. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat a skilled over medium-high heat and add olive oil to the pan. Add squash, zucchini and onion, sauteeing for 10 minutes. Add tomato, garlic, and sautee for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Once pasta is cooked, add pasta to this mixture, and add mozzarella cheese. I also added crushed red pepper flakes for some extra heat.
In a separate bowl, beat the ricotta and the egg together. Add this to the pasta mixture, and blend well. Spoon this into an 8-inch square dish, coated with cooking spray. Top it with the rest of mozzarella ( and if you have none left, just grate some more :))
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until bubbly and browned. Serve it with salad. This will give you 4 portions, each with 301 calories,12 g of fat and 4g of fiber.

Tonight I am cooking my mom's recipe of a Brazilian Carne Assada. Let's see how it turns out :) Recipe to come tomorrow or later tonight, after Zumba class.