Azoresgal~Life on an Island

This Korean Beef is salty, sweet, crispy and a bit spicy. It's an umami-bomb, delicious and very easy to make!  One pan,ground beef and a simple sauce and dinner is on the table in no time. Not gonna lie, I would eat this for breakfast, it's so good you guys! I hope you try it! For Sauce: 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 4 cloves garlic finely minced or grated 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons brown sugar ( I used a 1/4 cup, 4 tablespoons) 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon ginger root grated ( I didn't have any) 1 teaspoon Sriracha or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes, or more to taste 500 grams ground beef 3 green onions sliced, green and white parts separated 4 eggs 4 teaspoons butter 1 ½ cups cooked rice ( I used jasmine rice) sesame seeds optional, for garnish Instructions Whisk together the sauce ingredients, set aside. Place a large pan over medium high heat on the stove. Add the ground beef and brown, breaking the meat up as it...

This Mac & Cheese has been on our menu rotation on repeat, it is that good! SUPER easy to make just add everything in the  slow cooker/crockpot and you end up with a classic, comforting dish.  It’s  become my favorite way to make mac and cheese and comes out perfect every time!  Friends I think you’re gonna like this one! INGREDIENTS 500 grams elbow macaroni (uncooked) 4 Tablespoons salted butter (sliced) 1 package cream cheese (cut into cubes) 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or black pepper 3 cups whole milk 1/2 cup heavy cream (can also use whole milk) 3 cups  shredded  cheddar cheese ( or a mix of your favorites) INSTRUCTIONS Place the uncooked pasta into the bottom of the slow cooker. Put butter, cream cheese, salt and pepper on top. Then pour the milk and cream on top and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or until the pasta is tender. Stir half way through. Once the noodles are read...

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...

  Soft and chewy, these rolls are so easy to make and are the perfect start to your favorite  sub sandwiches! INGREDIENTS 5 teaspoons dry active yeast (2 pkgs) 1⁄4 cup sugar 2-1/2 cups water,  warm 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 teaspoons salt 7 cups all-purpose flour DIRECTIONS Dissolve sugar in water and add yeast to proof. Rest one to two minutes. Add oil and stir to combine. Combine salt and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer, or by hand, add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. Beat until smooth on medium speed. If dough is too wet, add a little more flour to make the dough soft. On a lightly floured surface (or in the mixer bowl with bread hook), knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5-6 minutes. Lightly grease a large bowl with a bit of oil and place dough into bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with dish towel and let rise for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set oven to...

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...

Hurray it's finally chilli weather! This is one of our favorite meals around here. My kids absolutely love it, and request it often for our friday night meals. I made this big ol' pot of beans this week for our halloween dinner. This recipe is super simple to make, and requires basic ingredients, all  simmering away in one pot. When it's ready to eat just load it up with you favorite toppings! 2 tablespoon  olive oil  1 kilo/2 pounds ground beef /pork/turkey 1 large yellow onion, diced 3  large cans beans, drained and rinsed ( I like red beans) 2 (15 ounces) can tomato sauce 3 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons  salt 1 tablespoon cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 2-3 shakes of cayenne pepper (optional or to your liking) Toppings  sour cream shredded cheddar cheese bacon, cooked and crumbled jalapenos green onions, sliced corn chips Heat the olive oil in a large (5 or 6 quart) dutch ove...

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...

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...

This recipe for crab cakes is really easy and delicious! These savory cakes are made with simple ingredients, crab, mayonnaise, bread crumbs, eggs, seasoning and some green onion, gently mixed up and pan-fried. You can make them any size you like, large cakes are great to serve as a light meal with a salad, small cakes are great as an appetizer or finger food. The spicy sauce couldn’t be easier to make, and it’s the perfect topping to these tiny morsels. Garnish with some micro greens, and ta-dah... you have a smashing little bite! 1 pound crabmeat (500g) canned or fresh, shells picked out 4 green onions, white and green parts, minced 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves minced 2-4 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs, (pulse 2 slices quality white bread in food processor) ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Salt and pepper, to taste 1 large  beaten egg  ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour...

Despite the very cold, damp, winter-like spring we are having in the Azores, there are many things growing in the garden. Because of all of the rain we have had, the garden has become a bit of a jungle, as it is too muddy to keep things under control. We have enjoyed lots of lettuce, and spring onions. Anything that is leafy green, has basically gone wild, the herbs, like the parsley and mint. The arugula has bolted and so has the kale. Hubby isn't to worried, although he dislikes it being "messy", everything we grow is organic, so perhaps we get more birds, more butterflies, and more rabbits to visit the garden, and help control the mess . It all balances out, food for them, food for us, everybody gets their fair share, I can only hope the sun pays us a visit  really soon, the garden needs it, and so do I. While we wait for the sun, some things are ready for picking, these french green beans were picked by our oldest not so little . He thought  of it as a chore when he ...

 For dinner last night, I made some delicious home made gnocchi.  Can I just come out and say that, gnocchi makes me happy! They are like tiny soft, fluffy, billowy pillows, that hold sauce beautifully....I bet you just smiled! Gnocchi  is a small Italian pasta/dumpling, made with either potato, ricotta, or semolina. Traditionally made by hand by rolling the dough into ropes which are then cut into "pillows" and then each pillow is rolled onto a board to make ridges. These ridges can also be made by using a fork ( I filmed a little video, see below ), although you can just leave the little pillows be, the ridges help them absorb sauce. These are easy to make, just give yourself some time. No rushing, turn on the radio, pour yourself some wine, and be patient. The main ingredient in anything home made, is love, so no need to be perfect, for it to be delicious ! My family absolutely loved the gnocchi, not a single one left over, technically the bowl I made myself in the af...

This Poached Egg and Avocado Toast  recipe  is so simple to make. I know your thinking poached eggs ..yikes! Please.... please don't be scared of them. They are really easy to prepare, I promise! This has become one of my favorite meals to have for breakfast, lunch, even dinner. I kid you not, toast, poached eggs, and avocados, are three of my favorite things and when you put the three of them together…it's a beautiful thing! 1 egg splash of vinegar 1 slice bread 3-5 slices of avocado ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper Squeeze of lime 1. Bring a small pot with water( enough to cover the egg ) to a boil, then lower to a simmer. You don't want it to be a rolling boil. Add in vinegar and a pinch of salt. 2. Crack the egg into an individual ramekin/ small dish.  Use a spoon to swirl the water in the pan to form a spiral. Add the egg as close as possible to the water from the ramekin. The egg white should swirl around the egg. Allow the ...

Well the month of August has already snuck in, and I have to say it tugs at my heart, somehow I feel like summer is slipping away. One look at the vegetable garden, confirms this, the tomatoes are here in full force. While everything else has already been picked, the onions, the green beans, the potatoes. The lettuce is starting to go to seed, and all the peppers and pumpkins are now waiting for their turn to shine, once this month rolls into September. So in effort to hold on to summer, I made this lovely tart for lunch today. It´s fresh and fragrant and simple to make. 1 package puff pastry 3-4 tablespoons breadcrumbs 1 small onion thinly sliced 3-4 tomatoes thinly sliced 200 grams goat cheese or feta or mozzarella olive oil thyme or basil Preheat oven 200ºC Unfold the sheet of puff pastry onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Layer with the thinly sliced onions. Next crumble and sprinkle half of the goat cheese on t...