Azoresgal~Life on an Island

I saved the sad looking, brown spotted bananas in my fruit bowl, and made a banana tarte tatin. Tarte tatin is one fancy shmancy looking dessert,   but it's one of the simplest things you can make. With very few ingredients you can  bake up a delicious and impressive looking dessert.  Bananas and caramel just go together really well, just think bananas foster .  I must warn you, once you bite into a piece, you will find yourself reaching for another. 3⁄4 cup granulated sugar 4 tbsp. butter 1 tbsp. orange zest 1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon 4-5 large firm-ripe bananas, halved lengthwise 1 package  puff pastry, thawed Vanilla ice cream, for serving 1. Preheat oven to 220// 425°. 2. Cook sugar and butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat, swirling skillet often, until mixture is deep golden brown, 8–10 minutes. (do not stir or sugar will crystalize) 3. Remove from heat and stir in orange zest and cinnamon; pour caramel mixture into a small glass or...

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! ...

If you’re looking for a dessert that is quick and easy to make, you should give this a try. It's light, lemony, sweet and tart! It's a great dessert for lemon lovers!  Now it is no-bake, but you do need to make it ahead of time, so it will set up. The lemon juice is what thickens and sets the cheesecake. I topped mine with a lemon curd , but many other toppings would be great too, blueberry, strawberry, or just some whipped cream! My family loved it, I hope your family will too! Crust 1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs (I use digestive cookies) 1/4 cup sugar 6 tablespoons butter, melted Filling 2 packages of cream cheese, softened 1 can  sweetened condensed milk 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice/ about 4 lemons (or lime juice) 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel 1 In a medium bowl, mix crust ingredients. Press evenly into ungreased 9-inch pie plate or a        springform pan, and chill in the fridge. 2 In large bowl, beat filling ingre...

This is a wonderful comfort soup for autumn and winter. Perfect for those crisp, cooler evenings we are getting now in the Azores. It's super easy to make,  with some simple ingredients, but it is so very delicious. It´s texture is rich and creamy, with out even adding any cream. I am not saying don´t add cream, because cream makes everything better! Mr. G prefers sans cream, so I just serve as is right after I blend it. Although a little swirl on top can´t hurt! If you like you can add some carrots, also great, is sweet potato and shallots instead of the onion. For extra liquid if it is a bit thick, coconut milk would be amazing, and if you wanted a bit of spice, curry powder would work like a charm. How ever you decide to make it, I hope you like it! 4 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, peeled and diced 1 medium butternut squash peeled, deseeded and cut into wedges 2 small potato, peeled and quartered 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed 4 cups chicken stock (water, or vegetabl...

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 ) ...

"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability." - Sam Keen  One of my favorite quotes, and perfect for the middle of August, when not a heck of alot is going on around here. Well not unless you count the swimming, the grilling, the entertaining or the drinking on the patio! This has been one of our favorite drinks this summer. I love a good gin & tonic, it is actually one of my favorite drinks. Now imagine adding summer ripe strawberries and fragrant mint. Trust me it is a winner, you will not regret making it. So go and grab the ingredients, and make yourself some Strawberry Mint Gin & Tonics. While your at it, clear your agenda for the afternoon....and just be lazy...go on..it's the respectable thing to do! 2- 3 large strawberries, stems removed and halved 1 tsp. sugar 4 small mint leaves 1 1/2 oz. gin 1 lime wedge 4 - 6 oz. tonic water Place strawberries, sugar, and mint in a mason jar or tall glass. Muddle to combine. Add gin and...