Azoresgal~Life on an Island

This sauce served with your favorite pasta, makes a great simple weeknight meal, but it is also perfect for times when you need something fancy for company. It's so lovely, so quick and easy, seriously, the sauce cooks in less than 20 minutes. The important thing  is to use a good pasta/tomato sauce, it will give the sauce great flavor. My family absolutely loved it, I hope yours does too ! 6 tablespoons butter (1/3 cup) 1⁄3 cup unflavored vodka 1 jar of your favorite pasta/tomato sauce (3 cups) 1 cup heavy cream salt/pepper/chili flakes to taste In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and vodka. Cook over medium heat just until you can't smell the vodka, about 5 minutes. Add the pasta/tomato sauce and cream, stirring until combined, and cook until heated. Add salt and pepper to your liking, add chili flakes for some heat if you wish. Serve over  your favorite cooked pasta. Add grilled chopped chicken for a complete meal. source

Today I decided to conquer a kitchen fear of mine, the Pavlova. I confess that meringues are not my best thing, whether I follow a recipe or not, I find they always fail. That being said, I have always wanted to make a pavlova, in books and in magazines they always look so pretty.   Pavlova when done right, has a crisp shattering shell, and a soft, gooey marshmallow inside. To contrast the crunchy, sweet meringues, the dessert is usually topped with whipped cream and fruit. I must toot my own horn here, these were amazing, I did a happy dance as I served them. I topped mine with passion fruit, it was a great combination, tart, and sweet in one bite. The beauty of this recipe, all the ingredients start off in the same bowl...yes that´s right all dumped into one bowl, then beaten into billowy meringues. I won't lie, I thought, how in the heck will that work...but it did.  So very easy to make, all you need is a mixer, and some patience while the pavlova bakes. So are you ready to mak

This meal is SUPER easy, it's made in one pot and most importantly everyone loves it. The genius behind this recipe is Nigella Lawson, her use of orzo  pasta instead of rice, to produce a creamy, risotto-like dish, with  no stirring, is like I said, genius. The fact that it comes together really quickly, makes it perfect for week night meals. The sweetness of the peas next to the crunchy salty bacon are a match made in  heaven. The recipe as is, makes 4 small servings, so for my family of five, I double it. Well do you think you will try it ? I hope you do, it really is a keeper !  2 Tbs. garlic-flavored oil (or add a peeled garlic clove to regular olive oil and cook until golden; discard garlic, use oil)  6 ounces cubed pancetta (or diced, thick-cut bacon)  1 1/4 cups frozen petits pois (baby peas)  8oz orzo pasta 2 1/2 cups boiling water  Salt, to taste  1 Tb. soft butter  2 Tbs. grated Parmesan ( I added 1/2 cup)  Pepper, to taste Warm the oil in a heavy pa

This simple tart, is out of this world, it's a favorite dessert at our house. It's a Portuguese classic, it has a rich, crumbly, buttery cookie-like base. The topping is.... dreamy, it's caramelized, crunchy and nutty. Really easy to make, you don't even need a rolling pin for the crust. Hardest part, just keeping an eye on the topping once it goes into the oven, you don't want it to burn. The tart  has a wow-factor- it not only looks delicious, it tastes amazing.  Trust me,you will have to make it, and see for yourself ! Crust 1 egg 150 grams sugar/ 3/4 cup  125grams butter, soft/ 1/2 cup  ½ teaspoon salt 200 grams flour/ 1 and 2/3 cups 1 teaspoon baking powder Almond topping 125 grams sugar/ 10 tablespoons 125 grams butter/ 1/2 cup 4 tablespoons milk 200 grams blanched, slivered almonds ( a little under 2 cups ) pinch of salt Preheat oven to 180C/350°F. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg,  and sugar until uniform. Add s