Azoresgal~Life on an Island

This is so  fast and easy, I made it in under 10 minutes. Throw everything in a blender then cook for a few minutes on the stove until thickened. Seriously, you can make it, and within the hour use it as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers, egg rolls or drink it with a straw... .trust me it's that good !   3 large garlic cloves, peeled 2 red Jalapeño or Serrano peppers, (deseeded if you want less heat) ¼ cup white distilled vinegar ½ cup sugar ¾ cup water ½ tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons water In the blender, purée together all the ingredients, except for the last two. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until the mixture thickens up a bit and the garlic-pepper bits begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and continue to simmer one more minute. The cornstarch will help the sau...

These little morsels, are some of my favorite to make for my family. Very simple to put together, with very few ingredients, Alheira sausage, some Panko, eggs and flour. Alheira is a wonderful portuguese smoked sausage, with a very soft interior, almost like a bread stuffing. It is traditionally made with poultry or wild game, bread filling and spices. It is a historical food, as it " was invented by the Jews of Portugal, who were forced to convert to Christianity, as a way to deceive the Portuguese Inquisition. As the Jews weren't allowed by their religion to eat pork meat, they were very easily identifiable by the fact that they didn't prepare and smoke the common pork sausages in the smokehouses (fumeiros in Portuguese). They, therefore, replaced pork with a large variety of other meats, such as poultry and game, which would then be mixed with a bread dough for consistency ."    They are one of our favorites, and I always have them in my fridge. These croquettes...

This is a such a quick recipe to make, there’s nothing complicated about it. Just simple ingredients combined, to result in an amazing dish. The shrimp sits in a garlicky, buttery sauce that is perfect for mopping up with bread, or served over pasta instead. It´s a great week night meal, but would also be great as an appetizer at a party. Its easily doubled, and the shrimp size can also vary. If you prefer to leave the shrimp with the shell on,  that's not a problem, what I do suggest, is using fresh parsley and garlic. I hope you give it a try !  500g//1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup white wine 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons  parsley, chopped salt and pepper to taste Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté until light pink, about two minutes. Add the garlic, butter and parsley and cook until fragrant, another minute or two. Stir in the wine, s...

So today I needed a little kitchen therapy, I decided I would make a pumpkin pie. I have said it before, I find that making a pie from scratch is calming, I am wierd like that . I don't have a fancy shmancy mixer to make the crust, so I use my hand's for this. While mixing, adding more water, or a bit more flour, you tend to forget anything else that might be on your mind. And then, once you start making the pie filling, adding the sugar, eggs, cinnamon and pumpkin, it's hard not to smile, after all who doesn't love pie. I was going to use my old and tested recipe , but in the cupboard there was no condensed milk to be found. My lovely neighbour only had a can of evaporated milk instead of condensed milk, but she still saved the day. I got to use another recipe, one that is just as easy and also delicious. 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust 3/4 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon nut...

One little flame burning bright, for our little one not with us tonight...Love you forever xoxo October 15th is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day. A day where families across the globe are asked to light a candle in remembrance of their baby whose life was too short. If everyone was to light a candle at 7pm in their local time and leave it burning for an hour there will be a continuous wave of light across the world for 24hrs.

Canja is my favorite soup in the whole entire world! I know that sounds childlike, but that's exactly how I feel when I eat this beautiful rice and chicken soup. It just takes me back to being a little girl, sitting at my grandfather's kitchen table, eating a bowl of my grandmother's canja and drinking a bottle of  fizzy orange pirolito. When ever we arrived here on the island for our holiday's, canja was one of the many dishes, that was part of the big family lunch at my maternal grandparent's home. I make it for my family because they enjoy it, but I tend to make it for myself when I am a little under the weather, or just feeling saudades. Canja is love in a bowl, like a great big warm hug, comfort at it's best. Like any portuguese dish, there are a million and one ways to make this. Some call for the use of cumin, others the addition of potatoes. This is how I make it, these simple flavors, are the closest to what my grandmother's  and my mom's Ca...

“Alcatra” is a traditional dish from Terceira, the island I live on. It is a pot roast that is cooked in large unglazed red clay pots. The pots are seasoned, and with each use get darker, and darker.  The simple spices, combined with onions, bacon and wine are what make this dish  flavorfull and so good. "Alcatra" is the Arabic word for "piece", and  it is  made with pieces of beef (round, shank, chuck). The additon of meat with bone in, makes all the difference, as the bones will give it more flavor. Every village, and everybodies grandmother has a different recipe for Alcatra, this one happens to be my grandmother's version. Shortly after I married, I took all of my ingredients, a notebook and pen over to my maternal grandmother's house. Where, while she put everything together, I wrote down her words of wisdom. Now I must say, she may or may not have forgotten something, but I follow this recipe as is, I don't mess arond with it, it's her recipe, ...

Today we had the beach all to ourselves. I suppose just because it's October, and summer has ended, people shy away from the beach. I have to say, my favorite time to go to the beach is, when it is quiet, and empty, just us and the seagulls. This weekend the weather has been a constant of sunshine and 23C tempatures, the perfect excuse to grab the towels, some shades, and a good book. It was a perfect Sunday afternoon.

Amaryllis belladonna