Azoresgal~Life on an Island

This Orange Chicken is delicious, and easy to make. A combo of spice, a little sweet and a lot of sticky, this citrusy saucy chicken is so scrumptious. All you need is a bowl of rice with it and you have yourself the perfect, comfort meal! Ingredients Chicken: 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut into bite-size pieces 3 Eggs whisked 1/3 cup Cornstarch 1/3 cup Flour Oil for frying Orange Chicken Sauce: 1 cup Orange Juice 1/2 cup Sugar 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar or White Vinegar 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce use tamari for a gluten-free dish 1/4 teaspoon Ginger 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder or 2 garlic cloves, finely diced 1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes Orange Zest from 1 orange 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch Garnish: Green Onions Orange Zest Instructions To make orange sauce: In a medium pot, add orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red chili flakes. Heat for 3 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 Tablespoo...

Chicken pot pie is such a perfect comfort food  for the cooler autumn nights upon us. A  dish with a golden  brown flakey pastry crust  loaded with a creamy chicken and veggie filling. Making this pot pie all from scratch is so worth the effort, but if you are pressed for time, going the store bought route will also work. Either way, your family is going to love the savory, delicious goodness that is this pie! 2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed (turkey works/ deli chicken/ leftover chicken) Crust for a double pie (storebought/or from scratch) 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 carrots, diced 1 small sweet onion, diced 1 cup frozen peas 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup flour 1½ to 2 cups  chicken broth 1/2 cup heavy cream ( or milk) 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, minced (or 1 tsp. ground) Fresh chopped parsley to taste Salt and pepper to taste Chicken bouillon cube or 1 TBS bouillon paste (optional) Preheat oven to...

Friday nights at our house usually means we are eating fast food, well kinda sorta, we don´t go out for it, we make it at home. All three of our kiddos are big foodies, they love to cook, they love to try new things, and are quite happy to make suggestions for what to make for dinner during the week. For some reason, Friday has got to be some kind of junk food , someting you would find on a diner menu . So when Sara asked if we could have chicken and waffle sandwiches, I had to oblige and say yes! I used frozen chicken tenders, to save some time, but the waffles I made from scratch. These cornmeal waffles are seriously delicious, and are also perfect for Sunday brunch on there own. The sauce for this waffle sandwich, Maple Sriracha Mayo, the perfect sweet and spicy topping. Add some peppery arugula, and a fried egg and that my friends is a winning combination.  Savoury and sweet with every single bite. An easy way to have fast food at home, I hope you give it a try! ...

 I hope you are all enjoying your summer so far! Ours is going really well, despite the lack of sunshine, we have plenty of humidity.... hurray humidity ..said no one ever! I am not gonna lie, as much as I love cooking, once the summertime hits, I seem to hit a road block. I just struggle with what to cook for my family. There is only so much BBQ one can eat, and grilling when its hot and muggy, is just not fun. My kids seem to being eating every 15 minutes these days, Lord bless them, but why are they always hungry ? We pretty much have an agreement, that breakfast and lunch they fend for themselves! Don´t you judge me, I am busy washing all the towels they use and leave hanging around, after going in the pool for 5 minutes, every hour, every day ! Yes we are going broke feeding them, and yes my house looks like I lost a game of Jumanji, but I would not have it any other way, love that we all get to be home together, well except for Mr.G, someone has to work around here! So on to...

 This chicken stroganoff is absolutely delicious! When I make it for dinner, there are never any leftovers. It has a creamy tangy sauce, that just goes hand in hand with some white rice. Topped with crunchy  matchstick  potato chips, it is real comfort food. It is minimal preparation, simple ingredients and made in one pot...it's a keeper for sure ! 1 kilo chicken breast, cleaned and cut in ½ inch cubes 1 teaspoon paprika 6 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 1 large onion, diced 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 3 tablespoons ketchup 2 tablespoons yellow mustard 1 cup tomato sauce 1½ cups cream Salt to taste In a large bowl, mix the chicken cubes with the salt, garlic, the paprika and the flour until all the chicken is coated. In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat the olive oil and the butter and sauté the onion until translucent (about 2 minutes). Add the chicken and...

Made this for dinner tonight, it´s really, really good. This one is a keeper for a couple of reasons, it is easy to make, comes together quickly, and it’s delicious. The heat of the curry powder, and the delicate coconut milk, give this dish such wonderful flavor.  While it cooks, and simmers away, it smells heavenly. My family absolutely loved it, the kid's even asked for seconds! If this were just for hubby and I, I would have added some chopped cilantro, right at the very end, but because not all our kids like cilantro, I sprinkled it on our individual plates. I served it with basmati rice, but can just imagine how great jasmine rice would be perfect here too! 1 kilo boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces  salt and pepper to taste  4 tablespons vegetable oil (to begin) 2 tablespoons  yellow curry powder (use red for more heat) 1 small onion, thinly sliced or finely diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk ...

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...

Nothing says summer like burgers. Now imagine burgers made with chicken, lime, tequila  and with a few extra yummy things added in! How could it not be good? While you have the tequila out, why not make some margarita's to sip on ! 1 kilo//2 lbs ground chicken (I ground up fresh boneless/skinless chicken breasts) 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped 4 cloves garlic minced 1 lime (juice) 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 2 oz Tequila Mix all the ingredients together in bowl. Let flavors mingle, about an hour in the fridge. When you are ready to grill/ or pan fry, form into patties, I got about 10. When burgers are almost done, top with cheese and allow to melt.  Remove from grill/fry pan and place on toasted bun.  Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy! source

This chicken salad is amazing and one of my favorites! It has the perfect combinations of flavors and textures–sweet and salty, soft and crunchy. Made with simple ingredients, chicken, slivered almonds, spring onions, and dried cranberries. It’s quick and easy to prepare, and really delicious. I hope you give it a try ! 2-3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded 1/2 cup dried cranberries (Craisins) 3 spring onions finely chopped 1/2 cup slivered almonds 1-1.5 cups of mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard salt and pepper to taste Shred the chicken breast (pulse in food processor) and put into a large bowl. Add the craisins, spring onions, and almonds and toss together. Add the mayonnaise and dijon mustard and mix until combined. You may want to add a little more mayo, depending on your taste. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into  bread of your choice. ** you can add celery if you like, and use a Deli cooked chicken to shred instead.

This was such a big hit when I made it for dinner ! Not a single cashew was left over ! It´s sweet and spicy and crunchy, every bite is delicious. I served it with some white rice, the perfect match. Next time I want to add some sugar peas for some extra crunch. I used only one pan to stir-fry everything, so there was little clean up. Plus it is such an easy recipe. And I always like easy. Don’t you? 1/2 cup chicken broth/ or water 3 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp  brown sugar 1 tbsp  cornstarch 1 tbsp  white vinegar 4-5  boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in chunks 1/4 tsp  salt 1/4 tsp pepper 2 sweet red peppers, chopped 2 onions, chopped 1 tsp  chili flakes  ( or to taste ) 1 cup  roasted cashews 3 green onions, chopped  about 1/4 oil for frying Whisk together chicken broth or water, oyster sauce,  brown sugar, cornstarch and vinegar; set aside. In wok or frying pan, heat some oil over...

A friend of mine shared this recipe with me a couple of weeks ago, and I can't thank her enough for it ! It was a big hit with my family, I have made it I think once a week, since she gave me the recipe. So quick to make, and really very pretty too. It is great hot or cold, and so very versatile. I think you could mix and match the fillings to your own likings, and it would still be a winner. The orginal recipe uses crescent rolls ,Pillsbury,  this brand is not found here, but I was quite pleased when I used something similar I found at my grocery store. I think puff pastry would also be smashing used here. I really..really hope you give this a try ! I loved..loved it with this mango chutney !! 2 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken (usually 2-3 chicken breasts) 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli (cooked) 2 cups  shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 1/2  cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons dried dill weed 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 garlic clo...

These Chicken Fingers are a meal my kids just love....Mr.G and I love them too! Plus, I love knowing that we are eating real chicken. The dipping sauce is delicious, and I think both together in a sandwich would be out of this world ! Both are super simple to make and your family will love them! Ingredients: 2 chicken breast fillets 1/3 cup plain flour 1 garlic clove, crushed Salt and pepper to taste 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 cups flavored bread crumbs ¼ cup to 1/2 olive oil Method: Cut chicken into strips approximately 1cm diameter and 10cm long. Toss chicken strips in flour, shake off excess. In a bowl whisk eggs, add garlic, salt and pepper. Cover chicken strips in egg mixture then roll in breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a deep frypan and fry the chicken strips in  batches until golden brown. Dipping Sauce  : 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons honey 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice Mix ...

This chicken was a hit at our house ! The kids loved it and so did Mr.G. It is super easy to make, and is delicious. The only thing I would change, would be to  make extra sauce, if you do, just bring it to a boil in a small pot on the stove. I really hope you give this a try ! Chicken: 4 chicken breasts salt and pepper 1 cup cornstarch 2 eggs, beaten 1/3 cup canola oil Rinse chicken, trim off fat or extras and then cut into 1 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken into cornstarch and coat all the way and then into eggs. Heat oil in large skillet. Cook chicken until browned. Place in a 9x13 baking dish. Next add the sauce. Sauce: 3/4 cups white sugar 4 Tablespoons ketchup 1/2 cup  vinegar 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon garlic salt Whisk until smooth. Then pour evenly over chicken. Turn chicken so the sauce gets on both sides and then put in the oven at 180/350 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn chicken and then cook for 15 more minu...

Out of the blue, I got the biggest craving for Chicken Divan..weird..or nostalgic, since I just turned 40 ! The last time I ate Chicken Divan, I was a shop girl, and worked in a very frou-frou  boutique, in the mall. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the bistro, where I would have this for dinner. I do however remember  that it was really good, so good, that 20 years later I can still taste it. I made it this weekend, adapitng what ingredients I can buy here, to loosely follow this Paula Deen recipe . It was amazing, my husband, asked why I had never made it before, and the kids loved it ! Adjust the curry powder to your liking, omit it if need be, but it really gives it such wonderful flavor. I really hope you give this a try ! 2 400g bags of frozen broccoli, cooked and chopped 2 whole chicken breasts, cooked and chopped 1 box of bechamel (500ml) 1 cup mayonnaise 1200g bag grated  Ilha cheese 1 tablespoon  lemon juice 3 teaspoons c...

This is a simple recipe to make your own fajita seasoning mix. I just like the fact that I know what it is I am cooking with, and it is also much cheaper then the store-bought packets ! I usually triple the amounts, just makes for a larger batch. If you find 1 Tablespoon of the mix, is not enough, by all means use more ! 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon white sugar 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl or add directly to a little jar or storage container. Give it a good shake, and store. To Use :  Mix 1 TABLESPOON  with 1/4 cup oil or olive oil  and juice of 1 lime. Add thin strips of beef or chicken or shrimp and let marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator.

DELICIOUS! Sweet, tangy and crisp. A very satisfying salad. So very easy to make, and oh so versatile. Everytime I make this salad, someone always asks for the recipe. It is fantastic for BBQ's and picnics, there is no mayo involved, so no worries about spoilage. You can add in any other veggies and nuts you like. Carrots, snow peas, almonds. Want to make it a complete meal, add in grilled chicken breast, or shrimp. You cannot mess this up. Win, win everytime ! I will be honest I almost always double the dressing, but have left it as a single dose. So as not to scare anyone, adding more dressing will be up to you ! 1 small head cabbage or 1 (16 ounce) bags coleslaw mix 3 green onions, sliced diagonally 2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, with seasoning packet 1 small red pepper finely diced 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup sugar 3 tablespoons white vinegar 1 packet seasoning mix Thinly slice the cabbage, add into a large bowl. Next add in the sliced ...

These were oh so very good. Sticky.Sweet.Garlicky ( yes thats a word ). My kids and husband loved them. Please feel free to add more garlic, you could add some heat as well, some cayenne, or chili powder. Try them , you won' t regret it. this is the recipe I used for these ! xo, Diana

This is one of the simplest, least complicated dishes you could make, as it only uses 3 ingredients. It was so delicious, Mr. G loved it, and was astonished, at how quickly it came together. I served these little bundles, with some risotto, and some veggies. Seriously, make this for dinner soon, you will not regret it.       Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Turkey Breast     1 package turkey breast cutlets (or chicken) 1 package Rondelé soft cheese 1 package bacon     pre~heat oven 200/ 400   Place the cutlets, out on a work surface, lines with parchment paper (makes clean up easy) Spread a nice layer of the flavored cheese on top of the cutlets. Roll them up, into little bundles. Next take 2 or 3 strips of bacon, and wrap it around the bundles. Place the bundles, on a lightly greased (olive oil) baking dish. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Serve with some veggies and rice.   **** I did not add any other seasonings, and it wa...

This is one of our favorites, around our table. I like chicken thighs, it's a lovely meat, thats tasty, and not as expensive as the breast meat. You could easily prepare this the night before, or early in the morning, put everyting in the plastic zipper bag, and let it marinate. You could  use chicken legs, and the skin can also be removed, from either piece of meat. I served these with some spaghetti and this peanut sauce , they are really great with rice too. Hope you give them a try ! olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, honey, and ginger add chicken thighs, and ingredients, into a zipper bag place thighs in a baking dish bake @ 200º for 40-50 minutes Honey Soy Baked Thighs 3 tablespoons  olive oil 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup honey 3 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon dry ginger ( optional) 6 bone-in chicken thighs 1. Preheat the oven to  200/375F. 2. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, soy sauce, honey...

This pizza was amazing, my family loved it. Even my kids, I don´t think they noticed the green peppers.  I used this pizza dough . The chicken I bought at the deli already cooked, and just diced up the meat. The onions and green peppers, I diced and sautéd in some olive oil, and added some brown sugar (1 tablespoon) for a little sweetness. When making pizza, one of the most important things, is a very hot oven. Pre-heat before, you start making your pizza. Have a great weekend everyone, Diana