Azoresgal~Life on an Island

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...

Last weekend our family went to a baptism for the youngest cousin in the family. Following the ceremony we were  invited to lunch. Amongst many wonderful dishes served at the venue, were these lovely little apples. These delicate ruby gems, were not too sweet, and had a fantastic syrup, the perfect pairing to the pork loin. They were poached in red currant syrup, this syrup is very common here in Portugal. There are many brands, and they are used for all sorts of beverages, very similar to grenadine. I have never been drawn to fruit poached in wine, it just has never appealed to me, so these beauties inspired me to go home and give them a try. I must say.... mine could give the catering company a run for their money ! They were amazing. 4 medium apples ,Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, or Braeburn apples,(peeled, cored,cut in half) 500 ml water 200 ml red currant syrup ( xarope de groselha) 150 grams sugar 2-3 anise star 4-5 cloves Combine water, red currant syrup...

I was surprised to find some, American sweet potatoes, at the grocery store, in a blink of an eye, I had a couple in my shopping cart ! They are very different,from their Portuguese cousin. They have different, flavors, and texture, and not to mention , the coloring is very different too. I knew exactly what I wanted to make with them...a gratin ! This was soooo amazing. There are quite a few photos, but that should not scare you off, because it really is super quick to make. Give it a try, you will not regret it.  Sweet Potato Gratin 2 cups heavy cream 2 cloves of garlic, pressed 2 pounds peeled and trimmed sweet potatoes (2 very large potatoes) 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme ( I used dry) 1 1/2 teaspoons  salt 3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 2 cups shredded cheese 1. Preheat oven to200/ 400 degrees. In a small pot bring cream and garlic just to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. 2. thinly slice the...

Since I started the blog, my husband more than once has said, "take a picture of my food". Truth be told he is a good cook, he probably doesn't do more cooking, because I am always in the kitchen. I like to see how he puts things together, how he chooses his spices, usually accompanied with " should I use this" to which I almost always reply, "I don't know it´s your dish". Now that our veggie patch, is packed with so many different things, he will go out there, pick out what is ready and bring it in, to sauté. So this is his dish :) today's pick : swiss chard, broccoli,onions, kale,cabbage store bought: mushrooms, caulifower Love you honey :)

I have a love hate relationship with zucchini, we grow them in our garden every year. They are great in so many recipes, I love them for that. But oh my gosh, do they ever grow  fast, and take over the garden. Before you know it, you have zucchini up to your eyeballs. These fritters, are great when made with very young zucchini, the peel is soft, so you can shred everything up. Don´t be afraid to add any spices you may like to the batter. Zucchini Fritters 2-3 small zucchini (grated) 1 cup flour + 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 egg 1 green onion (chopped) 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped, or parsley) salt and pepper to taste (any other spices of choice)  olive oil for frying (shallow) Directions: 1. Mix the zucchini, baking powder, flour, egg, green onions, cilantro, salt and pepper in a bowl. 2. Heat the oil in a pan. 3. Spoon the zucchini mixture into the pan and cook until golden brow...

1/2 cup cornmeal 1/2 cup boiling water 1/2 cup flour 1/2 tsp.salt 1 Tblsp.baking powder 1 egg beaten 1/4 cup melted butter 1/4 cup milk Place the cornmeal in a large bowl,pour the boiling water over the cornmeal, stirring well to combine. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir just till combined. Fry by the spoonful on a hot griddle, as you would pancakes. Enjoy :)