Happy Halloween!

I've had fun this week making cute Halloween treats for my kids. Yesterday, I made my fave drop sugar cookies (making half of them chocolate by subbing some cocoa for flour in a half-batch) and stuck candy corns into them as soon as they came out of the oven. They turned out cuter than I expected. :)

Earlier in the week, I had some inspiration from Picky Palate and made her "Bugapillar Banana" and "Oozing Monster Apple Mouths". Click on the above link for the recipes.

Happy Halloween!!

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Homemade Fruit Juice Jello

My son is always jealous of when the "older kids" are offered Jello for their school lunch. For some reason, they don't offer it to the younger kids. I tried to tell him that he wasn't really missing out on anything, but he wasn't convinced. "Jello is just thickened sugar water", I tried to tell him. He was still sad about it, so I made homemade "jello" out of Knox Gelantine. There's a recipe right on the box. I used 100% orange juice, the gelatine, and nothing else- there's no need to add extra sugar. A few years ago, I made this with cranberry juice, and that was really good too. Make sure to use 100% fruit juice when making this! ;)

Homemade Fruit Juice Jello
by Knoxgelatine.com

4 pouches Knox unflavored Gelatine
1 cup cold fruit juice
3 cups fruit juice, heated to boiling

Sprinkle gelatine over cold fruit juice; let stand one minute. Add 3 cups boiling fruit juice and stir until gelatine is completely dissolved; about 5 minutes. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Chill for 3 hours or until it sets up; cut into squares and serve, or cut into shapes with cookie cutters.

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Feijoada- Brazilian Black Beans

We had guests for dinner on Monday, including a Brazilian. I wanted to make something to remind him of home, so I settled on Feijoada- meaty, smoky black beans, served over rice. I looked up many recipes online, but in the end I used a combo of about 7 recipes, adding my own touches as well. (There are SO many different variations of this dish!) I made this in the crockpot; that cooking method is great for beans, and it makes the meat fall-apart tender as well. I used a smoked ham hock, and it had a ton of meat and added awesome flavor. We all loved this, including our Brazilian guest; he says it tasted just like home, and it's the first "real" Brazilian food he's had since he's been here. :)

We served this with the rice, of course, and fried plantains on the side (and steamed green beans.... although I don't know if that's very Brazilian). For dessert, we had Dulce de Leche ice cream. (Doce de Leite, in Portuguese).

Later I'll have to try the Portuguese version of Feijoada.

Simple Feijoada (My Version)
by What a Dish!

1 bag dried black beans (16-20 ounces) soaked overnight, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4-5 cups water
1 smoked ham hock
3/4 lbs beef, cut up
1/2 lb smoked sausage, sliced

Cook everything in the crockpot (except the smoked sausage) all day on high. After 6-8 hours, remove the ham hock and cut the meat off the bones. Return the meat to crock pot, discard bone. One hour before serving, add the smoked sausage. Drain some of the water (you want some liquid, but you don't want it soupy) and serve over rice with fried plantains on the side. (The leftovers will thicken in the fridge).

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Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

I used up some of my excess pumpkin puree by stirring it into homemade mac and cheese. It was really good, and added a great color, without that tell-tale pumpkin flavor. I actually wished I had more puree to add to it- I only had 2 tablespoons. I'd like to try 1/4- 1/3 cup sometime. The kids are so excited about Halloween and everything pumpkin right now; they were excited to try "Pumpkin Mac and Cheese". :)

I used my usual mac and cheese recipe, but changed around the cheese and milk a little. I used a mix of sharp cheddar, pepper jack, and feta. I used 13 oz. of cheese in all; 8 oz. was sharp cheddar, about 7 oz. was pepper jack, and the rest was feta. I increased the milk and pasta a little bit too. I topped the dish with smoked provolone.

We had this for dinner last Friday, and the kids ate it as a "TV Dinner" while watching a Halloween movie.

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

9-10 ounces elbow macaroni (or any small shapes)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1- 2/3 cups milk
fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon Worchestire sauce
few drops hot sauce
12-13 ounces shredded cheese (use your fave, or a mix of faves)
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree

paprika

Extra cheese/tomato slices/breadcrumbs, for topping, optional

Cook pasta according to package directions. You may want to undercook it by a minute or so, as it will cook more in the oven. Drain; pour into a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter. Blend in flour with a whisk, then add milk; cook and stir until thick and smooth. Add pepper, dijon mustard, garlic powder, chili powder, Worchestire sauce, and hot sauce. Remove from heat, and add cheese, stirring in a handful at a time, until melted. Stir in pumpkin puree. Pour sauce over pasta, and fold gently to combine. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired, and any toppings you are using (sliced tomatoes, bread crumbs, etc). Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and very lightly browned on top. Yield: 6 servings

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Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes

After making pumpkin chili last week, I had a ton of pumpkin leftover. (I was only able to find a large can of pumpkin here). I used a few tablespoons in mac and cheese on Friday, but decided to make the rest into pumpkin pancakes for Saturday mornning. I looked online for a recipe using buttermilk, as I love that texture in pancakes. I found a great-looking recipe on this blog, and made it almost exactly as stated. The only thing I did different was to sub some whole wheat pastry flour for some of the white. (I'm out of ww pastry flour now...how sad! I thought I had more stashed somewhere, but I don't.)

I loved how these turned out- they had the flavor of pumpkin pie with a great pancake texture (I'm not a big fan of pumpkin pie, BTW, and I still loved these). My fam loved these too, except for my 5-year old. He's decided lately that he "doesnt' like pancakes". (Rolling my eyes here). This is a large recipe and makes a ton. We had 6 or 7 pancakes leftover. I stuck them in the fridge, and had some for breakfast this morning. They were good, but I definitely prefer them fresh- the texture is a bit lighter. If your family is small, you may want to cut this recipe in half.

Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes
adapted from Poohsticks

Heat your griddle to about 350 degrees; spray with cooking spray.

Mix in a large bowl:
2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
4 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt

Mix in a smaller bowl:
2+ cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
3 Tablespoons melted butter

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until just mixed. Add more buttermilk until your batter is of the desired consistency. Pour the batter onto the griddle, about 1/4 to 1/3 cup per pancake, depending on how large you'd like your pancakes. Brown on both sides (I found that these took longer to cook than other pancakes). Serve with maple syrup. Makes about 2 dozen pancakes.

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Homemade Massa Sovada

I mentioned Massa Sovada, or Portuguese Sweet bread, back in this post. It makes wonderful french toast. Since moving over here, I've tried this bread from many different bakeries and grocery stores, but was wanting to try making it at home. I found an easy-looking recipe a year ago, but didn't get around to actually trying it out until a few days ago. It was so easy; I should have done it before.

This recipe makes 2 loaves, and they are very large loaves, so our family was only able to go through one loaf; we stuck the other one in the freezer. In the future, I would cut this recipe in half. I made this in my Kitchenaid (I have a 4.5 quart) and it was almost too much dough for the Kitchenaid to handle; it made a ton of dough, and it's a very thick dough. My poor KA motor was getting a little bit hot.

This bread is a little bit like Challah, in that it's eggy and sweet. This is even sweeter than many challah recipes. I found that this bread browned very quickly. I would cover it with foil next time about half-way through baking to hopefully help with that. It's always hard for me to tell when a loaf of bread is done, and this was no exception. If you bake bread more than I do, hopefully you have a better idea of how to tell (I bake a lot of rolls instead of actual loaves of bread).

I added just a touch of cinnamon to the dough instead of 2 tsp; I don't notice a strong cinnamon flavor with the massa sovada I've had here, and I wanted this to taste just like that. I'm happy to report it does taste exactly like the bread I've had here! I'm very happy with the outcome. I love the flavor of massa sovada. It's so yummy toasted and spread with (local) butter, or made into french toast the next day.

Massa Sovada (Portuguese Sweet Bread)

adapted from Recipe Source

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2 packages of dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)

1/4 cup water, lukewarm

1 cup milk, scalded

1 cup sugar

1 dash cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon salt

6+ cups flour

4 eggs

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water (I used a liquid measuring cup). Place sugar, butter, and salt in a large mixing bowl (if using a Kitchenaid- place these ingredients into your KA bowl). Scald milk and add to sugar, butter and salt; stir until butter is melted. Add a dash of cinnamon. Add 1/2 the flour to the milk/sugar/butter/salt, and mix until smooth.

2. Beat 3 eggs and add them and the yeast to the mixture. Continue to add remaining flour to make soft dough. Remove it from the bowl and place on floured board. Knead until smooth and satiny (about 15 minutes). Shape into a ball and place in buttered bowl. Cover and let rise until double in size (2-1/2 to 3 hours).

3. Punch risen dough down and divide it in half. Place in two greased pans (8 inches round). Let rise in warm place until double in size (1-1/2 to 2 hours). Brush tops of dough with remaining egg (beaten). Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

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Black Bean, Pumpkin, and Turkey Chili

I first tried a recipe for Pumpkin Chili a few years ago, and was suprised at how good it was- and how I couldn't taste the pumpkin in it, at all. In this chili, pumpkin puree adds a very nice, thick texture, and deepens the color. This is a delicious, and easy recipe to make. Like a lot of the soups I make, this one goes into the crockpot.

Black Bean, Pumpkin, and Turkey Chili

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) can tomato sauce
2 cups pumpkin puree
½ cup water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cans (14.5 oz) black beans, drained
salt, to taste

Cheddar Cheese

Sour Cream

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and brown the turkey thoroughly. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes. Dump this mixture into the slow cooker, and stir in the bell pepper, garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, pumpkin puree, water, spices, and black beans. Cover the crockpot, and cook on Low for 6-8 hours. Taste for salt, and add if necessary. Serve with cheddar cheese and sour cream.

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Blue Cheese and Red Onion Pizza

If I was super cheesy (which I almost am), I could call this a red, white, and blue pizza, but it's not really. Red onions are really purple-ish, and my blue cheese is more green-ish than blue. But at least the white is there! I LOVE blue cheese on pizza. Or gorgonzola, or most any blue-veined variety of cheese. I also love red onions on pizza. Last week, when we had a pizza night, I made individual pizzas for the whole family. Everyone else had boring pepperoni and mozzarella, but I went meatless (if you can even call pepperoni "meat" snicker, snicker) and opted for the red onions/blue cheese instead.... it was a truly deLISH combo! I thew some feta on everybody's pizza for that added flavor, as well.

I picked up some Spanish blue cheese, and was excited to see it was more green than blue- I love gorgonzola cheese, which is almost more greenish, and this was similar. Score!

This won't really be a recipe post; it'll be a list of ingredients, really. I used the whole wheat crust found here, and divided it up so everyone had thier own pizza.

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Blue Cheese and Red Onion Pizza

by What a Dish!

Individual Pizza Crust, unbaked

Red Pizza Sauce, a few tablespoons
small handful mozzarella cheese

small handful crumbled feta cheese

about 1/4-1/3 cup blue cheese, cut up or crumbled
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). Spread pizza sauce over crust, and top with all of the cheeses, putting the blue cheese on last. Top with red onion slices, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until done. (Cheese and crust are slightly browned).

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Caldo Verde

Caldo Verde is a very traditional soup of Portugal. It is made and loved all over Portugal. I've heard it described as the national dish. It is a very simple soup, with onions, garlic, potatoes, and green cabbage. Here is some more information. A good friend came over the other day, and taught me how to make it. She prefers to make it without chouriço, so we made a meatless version of it. It was fun to learn how to make it, and I'm glad to have this simple recipe in my recipe collection now. :)

I used yellow potatoes comparable to Yukon Golds. You can use a chicken bouillon cube, or something like Better than Bouillon to flavor this.

We used Portuguese couve in this; it's a cabbage that doesn't grows in the U.S., I believe. Kale or collard greens would be a good substitute. My friend's father-in-law grows couve in his garden; she brought some fresh couve over, already washed and sliced into very thin, ribbon-like slices. She rolls up the leaves, making them easier to slice. When preparing the cabbage or greens, make sure you cut out the tough stems and discard them.

Caldo Verde

1 onion, peeled, and cut in half

3-4 large potatoes, peeled and cut in half

1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled

Water, to cover

1-2 chicken bouillon cubes

salt, to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon)

1 pound couve, kale or collard greens, washed and sliced very thinly

1-2 teaspoons olive oil

In a large stockpot, place the onions, potatoes, and garlic. Pour in cold water, covering the veggies by about 2 inches. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Turn down to a low boil and cook until potatoes are tender. Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender, in batches, and carefully), blend the soup until it is totally smooth with no lumps. Bring to a boil again. Add the cabbage or greens, and bouillon cubes and cook for 10-20 minutes, until cabbage is tender. (If water level has lowered, add a little more). Add salt to taste. Stir in olive oil and serve.

*I was serving this to my kids, so I blended up the final soup, cabbage and all. That way, when you eat it, you don't have strips of cabbage hanging everywhere. Before I blended it, my kids thought it was "seaweed soup". Wierdos!

*If you wish to add some Portuguese chouriço to the soup, you can either drop it in with the cabbage, or saute it in a separate pan and then add it to the soup.

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Cheesy Baked Tortellini

Over a year ago, when I still lived in the States, I turned the TV to Food Network and Giada was on, finishing up a pasta dish that looked super easy. It seemed a little too "semi-homemade" to me, though, so I wasn't really interested, until she pulled it out of the oven. It was beautiful looking- baked pasta with a crispy, cheesy crust. The ingredients were something I happened to have on hand, too (except for smoked mozzarella- I've never been able to get ahold of that). I gave it a try soon after, and the whole family loved it. Now, I turn to this recipe now and again when I need something fast, filling, easy, and family friendly.

I substitute smoked provolone for the mozzarella, and I use slightly more pasta and sauce (just the sizes I happen to be able to get ahold of easily). It works well. Since I can't get Trader Joe's pasta sauces anymore, I use Classico- they don't have a lot of scary, extra ingredients, and there's no added sugar, either. Newman's Own is good, too. If you make this, you'll have enough mascarpone leftover to make this pasta dish! (The amount of mascarpone in this recipe can vary slightly- from 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup, and it won't really matter. Sometimes I just use whatever I have).

Cheesy Baked Tortellini

recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

Olive oil
24 ounces marinara or meatless pasta sauce
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
19 ounces purchased cheese tortellini
4-5 thin slices smoked provolone
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.
2. Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend.

3. Meanwhile, cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat.

4. Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.

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Favorite Wheat Rolls

These are definitely my favorite rolls. I've been making them for quite a while, so they're really easy for me now. I mentioned them briefly in this post, but they really, really need thier own post. :)

These use part whole wheat flour and part white flour, and they're yummy and buttery. We had them with our Smoky Fish Chowder the other night; I make them often when we have a soup, chowder or stew for dinner. The original recipe has you making them in muffin cups; I just make cresents out of them; it's easier for me, and you get more rolls out of the batch.

Favorite Wheat Rolls
Adapted  from Allrecipes.com

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1- 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, beaten
2- 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2- 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, melted

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. Mix sugar, salt, 1/4 cup melted butter, egg, and whole wheat flour into yeast mixture. Stir in all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. (I mix and knead with my Kitchenaid). Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. (I let the dough rise in my oven, with the oven light on).

3. Punch down dough, cover, and let rise in warm place until doubled again, about 30 minutes.

4. Punch down dough, and divide into three or four equal portions. On a floured (or lightly greased) board, roll each into a large circle, and cut into 8 triangles (pie-style) with a pizza cutter. Roll up, starting with large end, to form crescent shapes. Place on greased baking sheets. Brush tops with melted butter. Let rise uncovered in a warm place 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and brush again with melted butter. (Makes 3 dozen).

Note: If you would like to freeze the rolls, bake for 6 minutes, remove from the oven, allow to cool, bag, and freeze. Then when ready to use, thaw and finish the baking process.

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Smoky Fish Chowder

Inspired by the yummy Smoked Salmon Chowder that the whole fam loved, I decided to do a similar thing with another smoked fish. I still had some half-and-half hanging around, needing to be used, but I didn't have any smoked salmon. I did have a bunch of hickory-smoked tuna though! (It comes in those little pouches, located by the canned tuna.) The title "Tuna Chowder" does not sound appetizing at all (to me, anyway), so I'll call this "Smoky Fish Chowder". This was really, really good, too.

I added some smoked paprika and the chowder has a pleasant rosy color. All I had on hand was a red onion, so I used that, and I actually like the color it gives to the soup, along with the bright yellow corn. Red potatoes would work well in this recipe; I used yellow.

My soup was almost too thick (this recipe was an experiment, after all). Next time, I would want to add an extra cup of broth, or a cup of low-fat milk to thin it out a bit.

Smoky Fish Chowder
recipe by What a Dish!

1/2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 cups chopped yellow or red potatoes (don't peel)
2 cups chicken or fish stock
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 cup frozen sweet corn
2 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 lemon, juiced
10 oz. hickory-smoked tuna

1. In a large soup pot, over medium-high heat, melt the butter and olive oil together. Add the chopped onion, then the garlic and celery, and cook until the onion is soft. Add potatoes and stock/broth. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add the corn.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and half-and-half together. Whisk this mixture into the broth/veggie mixture in the pan, stirring well. Cook over medium heat until soup starts to thicken (do not let it come to a boil).

3. To the hot soup, add the fresh ground pepper, lemon juice, and smoked tuna. Cook until heated through. (If too thick, add an extra cup of broth or milk, heated first in the microwave. Stir until combined and mixture is hot enough.)

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Nutella Gelato

I love trying new recipes for different flavors of ice cream. I recently saw some other bloggers making Giada's recipe for Chocolate-Hazelnut Gelato, and decided I definitely had to make it! I didn't have any hazelnuts on hand, so I omitted those. This recipe is very simple to make (if you're used to making ice cream) and the ingredients are simple, too.

It doesn't taste exactly like Nutella, although there is a hint; it tastes like a delicious milk-chocolate ice cream. I love it. And I'm not a chocolate ice cream fan; in fact, I don't like chocolate ice cream. But I love this. This is good stuff.

Nutella Gelato
from Giada De Laurentiis

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)

1. In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. (A Kitchenaid is handy for this- I set mine near the stove). Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 3 to 7 minutes.

3. Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla and hazelnut spread (Nutella) until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze. Transer into a freezer-safe container until hardened.

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Broccoli Salad

It seems that everyone else has been in on this secret: Broccoli Salad (with raisins and bacon) is absolutely delish. I've seen this salad at many potlucks, and have come across variations of the recipe many a time, but have always turned up my nose at it. I'm thinking, "Raw broccoli, with raisins..... bacon and mayo?! Ewww!" However, this past summer, I had the chance to taste this salad at my cousin's wedding reception. Actually, I helped make the salad the day before the reception. I figured that this worked on me the same way it works on a small child: If a child helps prepare dinner, he or she will be more likely to try it and like it.

I instantly fell in love with this salad at the reception, and was craving it last week, so I went for it. I consulted a few online recipes, and also looked in the cookbook my family members published recently (with recipes from many of my relatives). There were 3 recipes in there. I took certain things from all the recipes, adding my own touches here and there. Here is my version.

Broccoli Salad
adapted from recipes from a family cookbook 

5 cups fresh chopped broccoli

1/2 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries (my favorite)

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

5-6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

Dressing:

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup salted, chopped cashews

1.  Combine broccoli, raisins or cranberries, onion, and bacon. Whisk dressing ingredients together and toss with broccoli mixture. Just before serving, stir in cashews.

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Pink Fall Lilies

There are so many different kinds of beautiful flowers here in the Azores. There are different flowers for every season, too, so there are flowers to enjoy year-round. In the spring, the azaleas and cala lilies come out, followed by hydrangeas in summer, and aloe flowers and pointsettas in winter. But one of my very favorites is this pink lily that blooms in the early fall. They are everywhere- seeming to grow wild. They line almost every country roadside, growing by the cliffs and sea-side, some are planted in yards, and some are growing out of old, mossy stone walls, like the ones pictured above (and below). These flowers have a delicious smell- almost syrupy sweet and tropical. I love seeing them pop out everywhere at this time of year.

Many of the flowers of the Azores are not native- they were brought here by people long ago, but the favorable conditions here made them flourish, and spread.

I've tried to find some online info on these beauties. I did find a webpage last week, but for some reason I can't find it now. The jist of that info, though, was that these lilies originate from South Africa, and were brought by the Portuguese to the Azores, Spain, and Italy (among other places). In Spain, they call these "Girls going to school" because they bloom when school starts again after summer (around the end of September, which is when Portuguese go back to classes as well).

I've asked a few people what these are called, and nobody seems to know. :) I'd love to have these growing in my yard.

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Creamy Potato Soup in the Crockpot

I know this probably gets old, but I really love soups, and my crockpot. I've used the crockpot the majority of the time these last two weeks (for meals, and my dulce de leche). I mentioned this soup back in my early blogging days, in this post, but it's so yummy that it really deserves its own post.

I made this recipe on Friday when I came into some free half-and-half. (A combo of the half-and-half getting ready to expire, and a handy coupon at the store). I already had bacon, and I always have potatoes on hand, so I gave it a go! We had asked our friend to babysit the kids that night, and she had it for dinner too, and LOVED it! If I teach her how to make this, she will teach me how to make some authentic caldo verde.

(I recently made this again in April 2012 and took new pictures.  I also experimented with using store-bought (unsweetened!) almond milk in place of some of the half-and-half and LOVED it!  So smooth and silky.  I used 2/3 cup cream, 1 1/3 cup almond milk.)

Creamy Potato Soup in the Crockpot
adapted from Allrecipes.com

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cups chicken broth/stock
5 large potatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

1) Place the bacon and onions in a large slow cooker, and stir in chicken stock/broth, water (use if needed to mostly cover potatoes), potatoes, salt, dill weed, and white pepper. Cover, and cook on Low 6 to 7 hours, stirring occasionally.  During cooking, if you find too much liquid has evaporated, add another cup or so of water or broth. 

2) In a small bowl, or 4-cup glass measure, whisk together the flour and half-and-half. Stir into the soup along with the evaporated milk. Cover, and cook another 30 minutes before serving, whisking occasionally. If not thickened enough after 30 minutes, increase heat to High. Taste, and add extra salt if needed.

Note: Sometimes I leave the bacon out and use it as a garnish at the end; it stays crisp this way. It's good to have cooking in the soup too, though, for added flavor. I've divided it up half and half before; half for the soup, half for a garnish.

Note 2: To improve flavor and speed up the cooking process, I sometimes cook the onions in a skillet w/olive oil prior to putting them in the crockpot. 

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Portuguese Sweet Bread French Toast

There is a wonderful kind of sweet yeast bread available here- massa sovada. It's a round, sweet, eggy and fluffy loaf, similar to King's Hawaiian Bread you can buy in the States. (Actually, King's Hawaiian bread was inspired by Portuguese sweet bread.)

One of the first things we bought when we arrived here last year was a loaf of massa sovada. We had it toasted and buttered for breakfast. That was some good stuff! Once, when talking to a Portuguese friend, I said "I just love massa sovada- I bet it makes great French toast!" He just laughed like I was joking, and said "You're so funny!"- after all, this was Portuguese bread, not French! He thought I was trying to make a joke. Sometimes, the language barrier makes joking difficult. :) I tried to explain what I meant, but it was too late- he was too busy laughing at the idea of "french" toast. (The whole thing was pretty funny).

I've made french toast out of this wonderful bread many times, but finally took pictures this morning when we had it again. The texture of the bread makes it wonderful for french toast. I bought a loaf last night, so that by this morning, it was a tiny bit dry- perfect!

I just prepared this french toast like normal, run-of-the-mill french toast, and I estimated on things, so bear with me. We had it with yummy Vermont maple syrup, and local butter.

Portuguese Sweet Bread French Toast
by What a Dish!

1 round loaf (roughly 1 pound) Portuguese sweet bread or Hawaiian bread, cut into slices

4-6 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla sugar
vanilla extract, to taste
almond extract, to taste, optional

dash cinnamon

butter or cooking spray, for greasing griddle

Butter and powdered sugar, or syrup, for serving

1.  Preheat a large skillet, or counter-top griddle to medium-high heat and spread with butter, or spray with cooking spray. In a large, shallow bowl, beat the eggs, milk, vanilla sugar, and cinnamon together. Dip the slices of bread into the egg mixture, wetting both sides, and places on skillet or griddle. Cook on one side a few minutes, until browned enough, and flip and cook the other side. Serve with butter and powdered sugar, or syrup.

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Mom's Old Republic Chili

Here's another chili recipe.... this one is different though, and very, very good! I love soups and love using my slow cooker, so I adapted this chili recipe to the slow cooker. It's my Mom's recipe, and she won a chili cook-off with it! It's a very meaty, manly recipe, but it seems to be popular with everyone.

If making this for a group, the large amount of meat and beans would be good, but since I was making it for just my family, I reduced the beef to one pound, and the bacon to a half-pound. I also used 2 cans of beans instead of 3, and one of those cans was a can of pink beans. I also used diced tomatoes instead of whole. For the bouillon, I used Trader Joe's condensed beef broth packet. Better than Bouillon would work, too.

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Mom's Old Republic Chili

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1 lb. bacon, diced

3 Tbsp. reserved bacon drippings

2 lb. beef stew meat or round steak, cut into cubes

2 medium onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup bottled barbecue sauce

1 cup tomato chili sauce

1/2 cup honey

3 (15-16 oz.) cans whole tomatoes, chopped

1 beef bouillon cube

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

3 (16 oz.) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Shredded Cheddar cheese, for garnish

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For slow cooker method: In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings. Brown beef cubes, onions and garlic in drippings. Move meat, onions and garlic to a large slow cooker. Set heat to "Low". Add all of the remaining ingredients, except cheese. Cover and cook on "Low" for about 8 hours. Top each serving with Cheddar cheese. Yield: 4 quarts.

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For stove top: In a large Dutch oven or soup kettle, cook bacon until crisp; remove to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings. Brown beef cubes in drippings. Add onions and garlic, cooking until onions are soft. Return bacon to pot. Add all the remaining ingredients, except beans and cheese. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook until beef is tender, about 3-4 hours. Add beans and heat through. Top each serving with Cheddar cheese. Yield: 4 quarts.

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The Obsession Continues- Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche

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Actually, the obsession is getting totally sweeted out. You would be too, if you tried to make 3 batches of Dulce de Leche in a week. I had to make three, because the first two didn't work out for me. I had the thought to look online for a slow-cooker recipe for Dulce de Leche (DDL). There were recipes (methods, really) online! I was excited to try it out. The first recipe I attempted called for 4 cups of milk, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and a pinch of baking soda. The milk remained mostly white all day, even after cooking for longer than specified. It thickened a little. Finally, I got so tired of waiting for it that I just put it in a jar in the fridge. In the morning, I realized that I had made sweetened condensed milk in the slow cooker, not dulce de leche. So I used the David Lebovitz method I mentioned earlier, here, to make it into Dulce de Leche, and it was pretty good. It has that distinct DDL taste, but the texture (solid but not really smooth) could use some help.

I wanted to try making true DDL in the slow cooker, so I tried a second time, with a new recipe, calling for 4 cups of milk, 2 cups of sugar, and a teaspoon of baking soda. I figured, hey, since the other one hardly browned at all, and I was impatient waiting for it, I'd cook it in the slow cooker overnight. Well, that was a mistake. In the morning, I awoke to a burned, foaming mass. I cooled it, blended it, and jarred it. It didn't really taste like DDL and it got terribly gritty after being stored in the fridge for just a few days. The grittiness is kind of gross- I'm not sure what to do with it all.
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For my third attempt, I used the same recipe as the second attempt, but I tried it during daylight hours, so I could keep an eye on it. It started foaming and turning brown around the 7-8 hour mark. It thickened a little too, but it didn't get so thick that it solidified in the fridge, like the canned Dulce de Leche. It has a way better flavor than the second batch, and the texture isn't gritty. I'm glad I was able to make Dulce de Leche from scratch, and not have to stand at the stove forever, but..... I prefer the taste and texture of Dulce de Leche made from a can of sweetened condensed milk better. (Blushing) I have yet to make it from scratch on the stove, and I do want to try that out sometime. Not for a long, long time, though. We have enough Dulce de Leche to last us quite a while!
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Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche
from grouprecipes.com

-4 cups (1 liter) whole cow's milk
-2 cup (500mL) fine granulated white sugar
-1 vanilla bean, split in two OR 1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 tsp baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) -- this is needed for a complete browning--google "Maillard reaction"
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1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker, whisking well to dissolve the sugar.
2. Cook UNCOVERED! on high about 10 hours. (I whisked occasionaly). Stir and scrape the sides during the last few hours. Let cool about 30 minutes.
3. When finished, put in wide-mouthed jars or other sealed container and store in the fridge until use.**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Homemade Flour Tortillas

I found this recipe a while ago, and I don't remember how. It's one that I made often when I first discovered it, but I haven't made it lately. I decided to try this recipe again last night, with chicken tacos. These tortillas are fun to make, and pretty easy. I'm not able to make my tortillas as pretty as the original blogger's, or some of my blogging friends, but maybe I just need more practice.

These turn out thick for me, and they're good like that. (I do wish I could get them a tiny bit thinner, but I'm happy with them anyway). I have Homesick Texan to thank for this recipe. The only thing I changed about the original recipe was to include some whole wheat pastry flour.

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Flour Tortillas
Makes 8 tortillas

1-1/2c all-purpose flour
1/2c whole wheat pastry flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
2tsp of canola oil
3/4c warm milk

1) Mix together the flours, baking powder, salt and oil.
2) Slowly add the warm milk.
3) Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
4) Knead for 2 minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
5) Place dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
6) Divide dough into 8 sections & roll them into balls. Place on a plate, not touching each other, and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest or it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)
7) After dough has rested, place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll it out, like you would a pie crust, until it’s thin and about 8” in diameter. Don’t over work the dough. Keep covered until ready to cook.
8) In a dry cast-iron skillet heated on high, cook the tortillas about thirty seconds on each side. They should start to puff a bit when they’re done.
9) Keep cooked tortillas covered, in a paper towel until ready to eat.

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Simple Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I love soups, stews, and chowders, especially in the fall and winter. I also love the ease of using my crockpot. I looked at a few slow-cooker beef stew recipes, but none seemed to be what I wanted, so I made up my own very simple recipe. For extra flavor, I browned the meat first on the stove, then de-glazed the pan with beef broth. I didn't add any salt to this recipe, because the beef broth contained enough salt; salt to taste, if you need to.

BTW, it's not a good idea to hold a crockpot full of this (hot) beef stew, or any other hot liquid, on your lap in the car while your husband drives the fam to a potluck. Especially if there are any traffic circles on the way.

Simple Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Recipe by What A Dish!

1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat (cut into chunks- I buy mine pre-cut)

1/2 cup flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove minced

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 lbs chopped potatoes

4 cups beef broth broth

fresh-ground pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cold water
1-2 cups frozen peas, optional (see photo below)

1.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Cook onion for a few minutes in the skillet. Move onions to slow cooker.

2.  Meanwhile, put 1/2 cup flour into a large shallow bowl, and dredge the beef cubes in it. Cook the beef in the skillet until browned on all sides (may need to add a little more oil). Place beef in slow cooker.
3.  Return the skillet to the heat, and add a few tablespoons of the beef broth to it. Scrape up any brown bits with a spoon or spatula. Add this liquid to the slow cooker. Add garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, the rest of the broth, and black pepper to the slow cooker.

4.  Cover, and cook on "low" for 7-8 hours. About an 30-60 minutes before you want to eat, turn the slow cooker to "high".  Combine the cold water and 3 TBS of flour (shake in a jar until no lumps remain). Whisk this mixture into the slow cooker to thicken the stew. Continue cooking until thickened.  Taste, and add more pepper, and some salt, if needed.  Add peas, if using, and let warm through for a few minutes.

 

 

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Narnia Party

A few years ago, when the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe came out on DVD, our family had a "Narnia Party" as we watched the movie, with lots of wintry white food, including Turkish Delights, like they ate in the film. (Although we subbed Aplets and Cotlets for those).

We meant to have a Narnia party every year, but this last Friday was only the second one we've had. It was fun, too! We watched the movie while eating stove-popped popcorn with butter, white cheddar Cheezits, Sargento's new white cheddar snowflakes, white mini marshamllows, more Aplets and Cotlets, "snowy" Chex Muddy Buddies, and Garlic White Cheese Bread. I used this recipe, and used white flour for the crust.

The party was a huge success, and the kids loved it! They got to eat in front of the TV, which is a treat for them. The Muddy Buddies were the most popular item, I think! (Sometimes, you just gotta have a carb-fest). Chex Muddy Buddies

from www.chex.com

9 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex®, Wheat Chex® cereal (or combination)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used natural pb)
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.

2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. (Or, just melt everything in a saucepan on the stove.)  Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. (I skipped the bag and did everything in a huge bowl).

3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. (Or just stir gently in large bowl). Spread on waxed paper to cool. (I skipped the wax paper, also). Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

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