Azoresgal~Life on an Island

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 ) ...

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 ...

Happy New Year dear readers, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas break! Hard to believe that today was the first Monday of 2016. I managed to get everyone out the door this morning on time, hubby back to work, and the kiddos back to school. I confess the house was so very still and quiet after the hustle and bustle of the last two weeks. Here is the part where I could say, I cleaned the house, took control of all the chaos that is left from the christmas break, that it´s all spic and span now.....brace yourselves...it's not ! I spent the day in my jammies, watched two weeks worth of my tv shows, and refused to clean. Alright I did two loads of laundry, but that was it. Do I feel bad ? Nope not one little bit, I was a busy bee during the holidays, and just needed to rest up.  With that being said, I do have some wonderful recipes to share with you, of the foods I served up at our holiday parties. The first one is this great chilled shrimp, portuguese people love their seafood. I m...

This is a such a quick recipe to make, there’s nothing complicated about it. Just simple ingredients combined, to result in an amazing dish. The shrimp sits in a garlicky, buttery sauce that is perfect for mopping up with bread, or served over pasta instead. It´s a great week night meal, but would also be great as an appetizer at a party. Its easily doubled, and the shrimp size can also vary. If you prefer to leave the shrimp with the shell on,  that's not a problem, what I do suggest, is using fresh parsley and garlic. I hope you give it a try !  500g//1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup white wine 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons  parsley, chopped salt and pepper to taste Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté until light pink, about two minutes. Add the garlic, butter and parsley and cook until fragrant, another minute or two. Stir in the wine, s...

Please tell me I am not the only one dreaming of summer? Anyone ? Sitting out on the patio, the kids in the pool, Mr.G grilling some steaks, and in the garden lots of fresh yumminess growing ! I was craving something fresh with summertime flavors. This salad hit the spot ! It is a super fast and easy meal with no cooking required! It looks and tastes like a million bucks. The creamy richness of avocado pairs perfectly with the sweet flavor of the shrimp. This salad gets a kick from fresh lime juice which gives it plenty of extra tang and the cilantro adds some freshness. I added some jalapenos, only because I had them, next time I would be tempted to add some corn, and maybe some mango. If you are tired of winter, like me, you won't regret making this salad, while your at it make some Margaritas too ! 500grams cooked shrimp; chopped 1 medium tomato; diced 2 Avocado; diced 1small red onion; chopped 2 small limes; juiced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon cila...

This is one of my very favorite things to eat, sesame noodles, I love it better than  chocolate . It is easy, and can be thrown together really quickly. The sauce is light, a little bit sweet, and a little bit spicy. All you have to do is cook the pasta, whisk together the sauce and Voilá your done ! I like to use rice noodles, but you can use any pasta you like. It's perfect for a late night snack  dinner after a long day of work. You can add chicken or beef or even shrimp if you like, or crunchy sugar peas. I hope you give it a try !  1 package rice noodles/ or pasta 1/4 cup  soy sauce 2 tablespoons sugar 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 green onions, sliced toasted sesame seeds Cook rice noodles/ or pasta according to package directions. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the water before draining. Meanwhile in a large bowl add soy sauce and all other ingredients ex...

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 ...

 Risotto is actually not difficult to make it just takes some time..no rushing, your attention and lots of stirring. Take some  Arborio rice, brown it in a little butter and slowly add hot stock a bit at a time until it's all absorbed and the rice is tender. The constant stirring breaks down the starches and makes the rice very tender and oh so very creamy.  Shrimp & Mussel Risotto 2 tablespoons butter (or more) 1  small yellow onion, chopped finely OR 4/5 shallots which add sweetness 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup Arborio rice 1 cup dry white wine 3 2/3 cups stock (seafood, vegetable, or chicken) or up to 4 cups 500 g. shrimp, peeled and deveined 500 g. mussels (meat only) 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated sea salt and cracked black pepper parsley (minced) In a large skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat and cook the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. M...

This shrimp dish was sooooooooo good. My husband absolutely loved it, he said it was a 9 out of 10 yes he will do that, rate a new recipe I try, he mostly does it to bug me, especially when he says, a meal is an 8 :) . It has a bit of a kick to it, you could adjust that by using less chilli flakes/hot sauce. But around here we don't mind hot food, it just means you can wash it down with some more "vino". Considering Valentines day, is just around the corner, I think this would make a fantastic dinner for two. Served with this salad, some garlic bread, a little wine........... you can see where I am headed with this. Try it, you won't be disappointed. Shrimp in Spicy Vodka Sauce Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic minced ( I used WAY more) 1/2 cup vodka 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes ( I used a jar of plain tomato sauce) 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes/ tabasco  to taste Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 p...