Salted Cod fritters (Bolinhos de bacalhau)

If your looking for a lite hor d'oeuvre or are on a diet, this recipe is not for you. =) This is another one of my favorite Portuguese hor d'oeuvre. This is a very common starter throughout all of Portugal and is by far the one that is mostly requested at restaurants.

When I was younger my mother would always make this and shrimp cakes around the Holidays. You can't have a holiday party without having so yummy starter to go with your favorite cocktail.

This takes awhile to make so I recommended making bigger batches. The recipe below is enough for 6 to 8 servings.

FYI! If you make a large batch you do not have to fry them all, you can place formed fitters on cookie sheet place in freezer allow to firm. Remove them from cookie sheet place in bags in freezer to use at a later date. It is important to allow frozen fritters to come to room temp before placing in fryer.


WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO NEED:

1/2 pound of dried salted cod (make sure to soak for 24 hours changing the water at least 2 times)
2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
1 small yellow onion minced
1 large garlic clove mined
4 teaspoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of minced parsley (I like to use more because I love the color and taste of parsley in the fritter)
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
Vegetable oil for deep frying.

WHAT TO DO:

In a stock pot bring cod and potatoes to a boil until both are fork tender.

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil.

Drain cod and potatoes and set aside to allow everything to cool.

Once cod is cool, Use a fork to part fish a part. (Make sure to remove all bones.)

Take potatoes and put through a food mill (you can also use a potato masher).

Take cod and potatoes and combine together add egg, ground pepper, parsley, and cayenne. Mix together until it forms a paste like mixture.

Heat deep fryer to 325 and no higher or else your fritter are going to exploded.

Take mixture and shaped into "dumping shape using 2 spoons or if you like you may also shape into ball with your hands.

Once oil is hot add cod balls into oil.

Do not over crowd fryer. Fritters should flip on own in oil.

Fry until golden brown (about5 Minutes).

Serve hot or at room temp.

Fish Stew Portuguese Style

Being the daughter of first generation Portuguese immigrants fish has always played a large part in our diets. Last March (2009) my husband, son, and I went to Portugal to visit family and during those 2 weeks, my husband was on a mission to eat as much fish as possible. My mother made everything from grilled fish...to Fish stew needless to say both my husband and I were in heaven.

I have always loved fish, but my husband hates cooking it because of the lingering smell it leaves behind. Over the passed year or so I have convinced him that we could increase our fish intake if we did most of our fish outside in foil packets on the grill. He was all for it and we now have fish once if not twice a week.

Which brings me to how I ended up making Fish Stew. The last time we had a snow storm we were unable to grill outside so I had to come up with something else for dinner. Then it came to me...."why not make a fish stew for dinner?"

My mom's recipe was a hit, tasted really good and doesn't require a lot of work. The best thing about this recipe is that we had no lingering fish smell in the house. Last night was the second time I made it and it better than what I remembered. I was worried I wouldn't have enough left over to take a picture for my blog. The picture isn't the best and doesn't really do the dish justice, but at least it gives you an idea of how it should look. I hope you enjoy!

Yields about 4 main-course servings...best if served with some crunchy bead to soak up the broth.

WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO NEED:
1.5 pounds firm white fish, such as snapper, or grouper( I usually use grouper because its thinker and doesn't fall apart easy)
1 to 1.5 pound of squid cleaned and cut into big chunks.
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped onions (I put only one medium onion because my husband it's big on it)
1 medium chopped or thinning slice red bell pepper
2 mild green chilies , sliced lengthwise in half (leave seeds if you want it to be a little more spicy)
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 cups chopped peeled and seeded tomatoes (or you can use 2 cups chopped canned tomatoes)
1 cup water
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
red pepper flakes to taste (we like it to have a little spicy kick, but this can be omitted)
fresh chopped parsley (I actually don't chop it up just toss some in)

WHAT TO DO:

Cut the fish and your squid into 3-inch pieces. and set aside in the refrigerator.

Make a roux by combining the oil and flour in a large cast-iron or Dutch oven over medium heat.

Stir slowly with a wooden spoon for about 15 to 20 minutes,roux will become dark brown.

Add the celery, onions, bell peppers, and chilies. Cook, stirring often, for 6 to 7 minutes.

Add the bay leaves and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, water.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until a thin oil film appears on the surface.

Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking.

Increase the heat to medium, add the broth, salt,ground pepper, red pepper flakes, and cayenne and cook for about 15 minutes.

Lay the ONLY the fish in the mixture and let cook for about 5-8 minutes. Do NOT stir until squid is added to avoid fish from breaking.

After that add squid (the squid will cook much faster than the white fish) and allow to cook another 3-5 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork and squid as taken on a dark pink to purple color.

During the last 2 minutes of cooking time, and parsley.

Remove the bay leaves. Serve hot with your favorite bread.

Spicy Teriyaki Steak with Veggies over White Rice

After making Mongolian Beef 2 weeks ago(which was amazing!) I deiced that I would try making some more food that was Asian inspired. So being that I had a London broil steak in the freezer (which I usually is used to make jerky for my husband) I thought it might work well if I sliced it thin to make teriyaki steak with veggies. While it did come out good, It wasn't amazing and I blame that on the cut of meat that I used last night. The veggies and marinade were packed with flavor so I really think that next time I will use sliced New York Strip and not London broil.


The Teriyaki marinade is Tyler Florence the rest of the recipe is my own.

Tyler's recipe yields about 1 cup of marinade.


INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED FOR MARINADE:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
2 oranges, juiced
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

WHAT TO DO:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

At this time take your NEW YOUR STRIP and slice into thin strips (I used a London broil and wish I had used a new york strip, because they are a lot more tender and flavorful)

Take you sliced steak and place in a single layer season with salt and black pepper pour marinade over meat and place in refrigerator for a few hours. (The longer you let marinade the more flavor your meat will have.)

Remove meat from refrigerator and shake meat around. Let meat sit on counter for 30 minutes before cooking.

In stock pot put water to cook your rice. While the water begins to come to a boil, take all your veggies that you plan on using and chopping them up.

I like to use 1 medium Onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper and about 1.5 cups of broccoli.

Heat up wok with a little of olive oil and drop in onions and all your peppers. Let veggies cook about 4 minutes. Take you steak and add to wok ago with the marinade. let cook and turn slices of steak. Add in broccoli when steak is half way done.

Plate white rice and top with beef and veggies. Don't forget to pour some sauce over it.

Lemon Parsley Rissoto

I have never, ever made a risotto, nor have I ever had a "true" risotto for that matter. I have always wanted to make it, and this passed week I finally found the rice in my local grocery store and picked up a box to make at a later date.

Last night my plan was to make a roasted chicken and roasted potatoes, when my husband called stating that he had just bought red snappers for Monday night's dinner (which I always make roasted potatoes as a side.) So I had to find another side dish to go with my chicken. I was not about to make roasted potatoes 2 night in a row.

Luckily enough I remembered that I had just bought the rice and I could make a risotto and I turned to the wonderful ladies on What's Cooking, MaryEllen was wonderful enough to share her risotto tag with me. She has so many different risottos in her blog that I had a hard time picking one to make. I finally decided to go with her lemon and parsley risotto because it sounded easy enough for a first timer, I also thought it would be a nice earthy flavor to go with my roasted chicken.

Needless to say it was a hit with my husband he must have told me at least 2 to 3 times that the risotto excellent. My son who is 20 months old, had leftovers for lunch today and liked it so much that he kept asking for "more".

Adapted for MaryEllen's food blog. Thanks MaryEllen for saving my dinner. Link to MaryEllen's blog is below.

http://mecookingcreations.blogspot.com

The whole process should take about 20-25 minutes.


WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

3 tbsp unsalted butter (divided into 1 tbsp each, you will have 3 pieces)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Cups of Arborio rice
3 Cups chicken broth (I make my own broth but you can also use any canned broth)
1.5 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
Handful chopped fresh parsley
about 3 tbsp lemon juice
Lemon zest from half a lemon

WHAT YOU WILL HAVE TO DO:

Heat chicken broth in sauce pan

In another pot add about 4 cups of water (I kinda just eye balled it). Let come to a boil. Once the water is boiling add salt and your Arborio rice.

In a small bowl zest half a lemon and then juice the lemon to get about 3tbsp of lemon juice, add garlic, add your fresh ground pepper and set aside.

Let Rice cook, you will notice that the rice is soaking up the water, at this time use ladle and add one ladle of broth.

Continue to stir rice, as rice soaks up fluid add another ladle of broth. (It should take 3-3.5 ladles of broth.)

Add 1 piece of butter at a time and continue to stir your rice.

Once you have added all your butter, add your lemon pepper mixture and stir. Once well incorporated add parsley stir and serve right away.

Skinny Mini Cherry-Topped Cheescakes

My husband loves cheesecake. I made this for Christmas for my next door neighbors and my husband decided that he wanted them and asked me to bake them something else. Needless to say once he has eaten them all he looked at me and asked if that was all we had. HELLO! You just eat dozen cheesecakes in a matter of two days! LOL!

What I like about this recipe is that you get that wonderful cheesecake flavor and each cheesecake is only 90 calories. How can you go wrong with that! Do you know how many calories are in a piece of cheesecake at the cheesecake factory?

All I am going to say is even if you had all 12 mini cheesecakes you would still have consumed less calories then you would in one slice from the cheesecake factory! You don't have to give up certain foods to maintain weight, you just have to use the right ingredients and of course everything in moderation.

Source "The most decadent diet cookbook"

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Butter flavored cooking spray
10-12 reduced fat vanilla wafers
12oz of fat free cream cheese at room temp
1/3 cup of sugar (I use a little less because I find that that cherry topping makes them sweeter)
2 tablespoons fat free vanilla yogurt
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract (use the good stuff it makes them tastier)
1 teaspoon unbleached all purpose flour
2 large egg whites
10 tablespoons cherry pie filling (I like to get kind that says it has less sugar)

RECIPE STATES IT MAKES 10 MINI CHEESECAKES, HOWEVER i HAVE ALWAYS MADE 12!

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 300

line 10 cups of a standard muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Lightly mist them with cooking spray (This is what the cookbook recommends I have never done it, because I have never found it to stick.)

Place one vanilla wafer in the bottom center of each cup, flat side down.

Use mixer and beat cream cheese and sugar on medium until well combined. Add yogurt, vanilla, and flour and mix on low until just combined.

In another bowl whisk together egg whites until soft peeks form.

Use spatula and gently fold the eggs into the cream cheese until mixture is just combined. (You don't want to over mix)

Divide the mixture among the muffin tins.

(they will puff up and the tops will crack, but not worry because you will hide the cracks will the cherry pie filling)

Transfer cheesecakes to cooling rack and cool at room temp. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours.

Before serving top each cheesecake with 1 tablespoon cherry pie filling. (I usally top each with 2-3 cherries a little filling sauce.

I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does.

1 Cheesecake has 90 calories, 6g protein, 17g carbohydrates, 1g fat, trace fiber, 215mg sodium...which means that you save 51 calories, 7g fat, 5g saturated fat, and 100mg sodium if you had had a regular piece of cheesecake.

Yummy Bread!

So baking bread has never been something that I have been good at. The only time I have ever baked bread was with my mother, and being that she lives in Europe I have to make bread on my own. I tried one time since my mother moved and it was a complete mess. So I finally decided that I would try it again...BUT I wanted an easy recipe and of the ladies from the nest were more than happy to share their recipes with me. Thanks bella.in.ct. While my bread didn't come out as beautiful looking as her's It did come out looking nice!

This recipe is from Bella.in.ct food. This is one of the few recipes that I have not made any changes to. Link to her blog is below.

http://bellasbistro.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/my-first-loaf-of-bread/

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1/4 teaspoon Active dry yeast (MAKE SURE YOU READ THE PACKET BECAUSE ONE PACKET IS MORE THAT 1/4t)
1 1/2C. Warm water (between 105 and 110 degrees)
3C. All-purpose flour, plus more for dusting.
1 1/2t. Salt
Cornmeal for dusting

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended.

The dough will be VERY sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap.

Let the dough rest for least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, (I let it sit for 18 hours and baked it the next day)

Let rest at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.

Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it.

Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball.

Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour,and cornmeal.

Put the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, and cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours.

When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees.

Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. (I DON'T HAVE A DUTCH OVEN SO i USED A PYREX DISH)

When the dough is ready, slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up.

The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned.

Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

I can't wait to make this again! It looks amazing!

New Pictures of Jonathan

Ok, I know this isn't food related But I couldn't help but uploading a few pictures of Jonathan being silly after his nap! LOL!