Azoresgal~Life on an Island

These are the easiest biscuits you could ever make. No need  for a rolling pin or biscuit cutter, just some mixing, scooping, baking and you’re done!  Oh and let's not forget how great they taste! Light and fluffy,with a crisp outer crust and soft center. We love these biscuits, they can be added to any meal, I served them last night with Clam Chowder   . I really hope you give them a try! 2-1/2 cups self-rising flour 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 cup cold milk 8 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, ( I use salted) 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese For brushing on top 1/4 cup butter, melted 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp dried parsley/or fresh to taste Heat the oven to 230C degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, garlic powder, salt and cayenne until combined.  Pour the melted butter, and the cold milk...

Summertime, and the livin' is easy... it sure is! Can you believe we are headed toward the month of August already? Summer please slow down, I am enjoying all of our late mornings, pool days, BBQ's and our respectable laziness ( our as in me and the kids, Mr.G is working, well because someone needs to pay the bills around here ). As much as I love summer, there is something I struggle with, and no it's not the crazy island humidity, but instead cooking!! Gasp, I know how the heck do you have a food blog and yet hate cooking in the summer. The struggle is real, I just loose my kitchen mojo. Anyone else feel the same? I just want some simple suppers, something I can fix perhaps in the morning and not worry about it when it comes to dinner time. So my dear ones, I present to you the Quiche Lorraine, make it and forget about it. Serve warm or cold and add a salad, and tah-dah dinner is served! Mini Quiche Lorraine Crust 1 3/4 cups (430 ml) unbleached all-purpose fl...

This was such a big hit at dinner the other night, Mr.G and the kids absolutely loved it! Crispy bites of beef with a delicious, thick, sweet yummy sauce, whats not to love? Sprinkled with some green onions on top and served with some rice or noodles, I promise it will feel like you are at your favorite Chinese resturant. 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup water/ or beef stock 3/4 cup dark brown sugar vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup) 500grams//1 lb flank steak 1/2 cup cornstarch 2 large green onions, sliced on the diagonal into one-inch lengths Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat. Don’t get the oil too hot. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes ...

This soup is so delicious! It's creamy, fragrant, lightly sweet with a bit of spice from curry powder. It's also so very simple to make. I’m serious! All you do is place all the ingredients into a pot, cook the soup, and blend. Perfect for busy weeknights. 2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds/900 g) peeled and cubed 2  small onions, chopped 2  medium carrots, chopped 2 cans (14 ounces/400 ml each) of coconut milk 2 cups (500 ml) of water/or chicken broth  2 cloves of garlic, sliced 2 tablespoons (30mL) of  mild curry  powder (start with 1 if you like) 2 teaspoon (10ml) of salt Place everything into a large pot. Bring to a furious boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a slow, steady simmer. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and your kitchen smells amazing, 20/30 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and puree with an immersion blender (or, work in batches, in a regular blender or food processor). ** my grocery ...

When it's cold outside, there is nothing like a hot bowl of soup to warm you up, this quick ramen hits the spot! This is a quick fix, it is by no means a tradtional Japanese ramen, it won't take you all day to make. It is fast and easy, and is perfect for when you are craving comfort food. 700ml good chicken stock 3 garlic cloves, halved 4 tbsp soy sauce, plus extra to season 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced ½ tsp Chinese five spice pinch of chilli powder 1 tsp white sugar (optional) 400g ramen noodles 400g sliced cooked pork or chicken breast 2 tsp sesame oil For the garnish baby spinach sweetcorn boiled eggs, peeled and halved  sheet of dried nori, finely shredded sliced green spring onions or shallots sprinkle of sesame seeds Mix the chicken stock, garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, five spice, chilli powder and 300ml water in a stockpot or large saucepan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and sim...

A great little pasta dish, super easy and delicious. Perfect for a busy work week or just right for when you need some comfort food. The portion here is for one as per the original recipe, when I am cooking for my family of five, I just adjust the portions. If you like use fresh pasta, it also works like a charm here. 100 g spaghettini or vermicelli pasta ( I used spaghetti) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed 100 g cherry tomatoes, chopped 5 basil leaves, shredded To serve 5 basil leaves, shredded 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1.In a large saucepan cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, about 5 6 minutes, before draining. 2.Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan and fry the garlic for about 2 minutes until soft but not brown. 3.Put in the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook for a few more minutes, adding a splash of water. Cook until the tomatoes are tender and have a saucy consistency. Add the chopped basil. 4.To serve: stir ...

 This is a quick meal that’s perfect for the lazy days of summer that are upon us . Made with a few simple fresh ingredients, it takes less than 20 minutes to prepare and tastes amazing. For a summer meal that´s light and meatless, you really should give it a try. I promise you will love it! 100 g spaghettini or vermicelli pasta 2 tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed 100 g cherry tomatoes, chopped 5 basil leaves, shredded To serve 5 basil leaves, shredded 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1.In a large saucepan cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, about 5 6 minutes, before      draining. 2.Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan and fry the garlic for about 2 minutes until soft but not    brown. 3.Put in the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook for a few more minutes, adding a splash of water.  Cook until the tomatoes are tender and have a saucy consistency. Add the chopped basil. 4.To serve: stir t...

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! ...

This dish is super easy to make, and so delicious! I think every Portuguese family has their own version of how to prepare this shrimp dish.  At our parties and  family gatherings , shrimp usually makes an appearance towards the end of the meal. Don´t ask me why, I have no idea, but it works, so no need to change it! These are also served as a " petisco " a snack, accompanied by chilled wine or cold beers, can you see why this is a great dish for summer? The ingredients are very few, and I would suggest some good rustic bread for sopping up the sauce. One other thing, we like to use shrimp with the heads and shell on, are you still with me? The heads and shells give extra flavor to the sauce, if you are squeamish, and prefer food with no heads on it, by all means, buy peeled frozen shrimp. This is one of our favorite dishes at our house, and I hope you give it a try! 1 kilo /2 pounds of medium size shrimp (with shells on) 1 small onion, finely minced (optional ) ...

Cracker what ?? You read that right, a cracker pudding! This dessert is a classic from my childhood, my mom and my aunts always made this for our family parties,birthdays, BBQs. It is fantastic, lots of layers,  nice and light but not to sweet and super easy to make. If you don't tell your guests it is made with saltine crackers, they will think it is puff pastry. The crackers soften up, don't worry they do not get mushy, they flake up, ending up with a puff pastry texture. You will not regret making this, your friends and family will love it ! I promise! Saltine crackers 2 small pkg.  Jello vanilla instant pudding (+ 4 cups of milk) Large tub of  cool whip Topping (pie filling, or fresh fruit) Mix the pudding as directed on the boxes. Put a thin layer of cool whip in a 9x13 pan. Just enough to keep crackers in place. Now start the layers.... 1-Crackers 2-1/2 the cool whip 3-Crackers 4-1/2 the pudding 5-Crackers 6-Rest of pudding 7-Cracker...