Azoresgal~Life on an Island

Today I am sharing my recipe for Tortas!  Portuguese tortas, are I suppose  how our grandmothers and their mothers before them found a way to stretch out meals to feed their families. As the saying goes  "waste not, want not", these are a perfect way to use up leftover fish or meat. I make them many times with canned tuna or sardines too! Now I am by no means saying this recipe is "the way" to make them, because we all know every family has  their own way of preparing these. This is how my family likes them, but I remember my avó Pimentel made her tortas with only eggs and no flour. I can just taste them now, she would make them with linguiça, chopped olives and lots of chopped parsley! She would fry them up, and serve them in paposecos, sprinkled with.....wait for it....sugar! This is one of my fondest food memories, tortas with sugar, the combination of sweet and savory, perfect! But even if I wanted to make them like my grandmother's, I don't think I coul...

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 ...