Portuguese Comfort Food for a cold & wintery day...

So we've been getting a range of weather over the last couple of weeks, from the very warm to the very bitter cold. I think I've finally found the perfect soup recipe "Sopa de Couves to get us through those cold winter nights.

Sopa de Couves (Kale Soup)




Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon pimento paste
8 cups of water (or low-sodium chicken stock)
1 leg of Portuguese chouriço sausage
8 mini white potatoes, peeled and quartered
½ bag of baby carrots, cut in thirds
1 tablespoon coarse salt or to taste
1/3 cup elbow macaroni pasta
½ bunch fresh kale or collard greens, rinsed and sliced thinly
1 pound (2 1/2 cups) dried red kidney beans soaked overnight covered by cold water

Directions

Heat olive oil. Add onion until soft and fragrant. Then add garlic, tomato paste and pimento paste and sauté for 1 minute.

Add 8 cups of water and chouriço. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove chouriço and cut into quarters. Add back to the water. Add potatoes and carrots. Cook for 10 minutes.

Add salt, pasta and kale to the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add beans, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Soup is ready when the pasta is done and the kale is tender.

Note: Add a touch of red wine to soup and serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Helena’s Famous Beer Chicken

At my last visit to Portugal, I had watched my aunt make a very quick and easy chicken dish and since then I've made some changes to the original recipe but continue to keep it in my cooking repertoire. It is one of my hubby's favorite meals.

Helena’s Famous Beer Chicken

Ingredients

4 skinless chicken thighs with bone
½ package of Knorr onion soup
¼ cup of (low-sodium) vegetable broth
1 bottle of beer
1 tablespoon of pimento paste
1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp of water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a rectangular baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Wash the chicken and place in baking dish.
3. Sprinkle with onion soup. Pour in broth and beer. Stir in pimento paste and vinegar.
4. Bake for 1 hour or until chicken is done.
5. Take the chicken juices and place in a pan. Reduce. Add cornstarch to thicken.
6. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Enjoy!

Monday's Family Night

Thought I'd greet hubby this evening with a special meal.... It's pretty corny I know but Mondays is our family night. All 3 of us sit in front of the tv watching The Bachelor and just relax preparing ourselves for the week. But what's family day without a good meal, so today was Portuguese Barbecued Chicken with couscous and sauteed vegetables. I also made some Cantonese Fried Rice just as an extra dish. We topped dinner with either a Butterscotch Cheesecake Nibble or a Fresh Fruit Tart.

Portuguese Barbecued Chicken

Ingredients

2 1/2 lb chicken
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp of hot pimento paste
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place chicken in heavy plastic bag.

In skillet, heat olive oil over low heat. Cook garlic for 3-5 minutes. Let stand until cool.

Combine oil and garlic with paprika, pimento paste and lemon juice. Pour over chicken; turn to coat and close bag. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight, turning several times.

Remove chicken from marinade and sprinkle chicken with salt. Reserve marinade. Truss the bird to ensure securely tied. Insert the rotisserie rod through the chicken and place in George Foreman's Rotisserie Grill. Cook for 90 minutes, brushing chicken often with reserved marinade.
Makes 4 servings.

Comfort Food on a chilly Saturday

The chill is settling in the air ever so slightly and as a result, today I'm all about the comfort food. I'll start with a Portuguese Caldo Verde - a potato and vegetable puree. Very traditional and you've probably tasted it as the first course at a typical Portuguese wedding.

Caldo Verde (Creamy Portuguese Potato & Greens Soup)

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
2 large onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
250 grams spicy chouriço (or spanish sausage)
4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved (750 grams)
8 cups chicken stock
1 tsp of salt
2 cups of finely shredded collard greens
4 cups water

Directions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add all the ingredients except the water and collard greens. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 45-50 minutes.

In a separate pot, combine water, 1 tsp of salt and collard greens. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Drain greens and place in a pot.

When the potato mixture is cool enough to handle, remove chouriço, slice it thinly and set aside. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and purée. Return to the pot. Add the greens and combine well. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy!