Full Bellies, Happy Kids Cookbook

Full Bellies, Happy Kids Cookbook By: Sandra Bourland

6 years ago, I began on a journey through the blogging world. I was a mom with very young children who sometimes made mealtimes a bit of a chaotic, tear filled occasion.

Through my attempts to cook up meals they would eat without a fuss, I decided to start recording all my recipes online. A place where I could have access to old family favorites, to meals from my Portuguese childhood, to experiments from the myriad of cookbooks I have collected over the years and others from internet searches.

It started as just that, a place for recipes, but it quickly grew into a project that I love with all my heart. It became a part of my daily life, my love for cooking projected onto the internet through the sharing of our daily meals.

If you’re looking for gourmet, you won’t find it in these pages. I cook from the pantry, I cook from the heart, and I rarely measure…..my greatgrandmother, grandmother and stepmother taught me to cook by eyeballing, by tasting, by a little of this and a pinch of that.

In this book you will find some of family’s favorites. Enjoy  From my heart to yours,

www.fullbellies.blogspot.com

Breakfast Cinnamon Roll Snails Cinnamon Roll Toast Cinnamon Bun Pancakes Breakfast Delights Mini Breakfast Jars Easy Breakfast Burritos Crispy Baked French Toast Chocolate Chip and Banana Pancake Squares Stir Abouts Coconut Almond Granola Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders

Breads Four Loaf White Bread Buttermilk Bread Paezinhos de Leite (Portuguese milk rolls) Pao com chourico (Portuguese Chourico Bread) Homemade Olive Garden Breadsticks Homemade Hamburger and Hotdog Buns Sourdough Starter and Sourdough Bread

Main Dishes Spinach Alfredo Lasagna Cheesy Enchiladas Swedish Meatloaf Pork Parmigiana Bourbon Chicken Beefy Cheesy Spaghetti Casserole Texican Chili Sweet and Spicy Chicken Thighs Creamy Chicken Florentine Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme Garlic and Parmesan Panko Crusted Chicken Tenders Easy Roast Chicken and Potatoes General Tso’s Chicken Baked Parmesan and Provolone Spaghetti

Portuguese Rissois de Camarao (Shrimp Cakes) Peixinhos da horta (Fried Green Beans) Bolinhos de Peixe (Fish Cakes) Croquetes de Carne (Meat Croquettes) Bitoque (Portuguese Steak) Almondegas da Bio (Greatgrandma’s meatballs)

Almondegas de Galinha (Chicken Meatballs) Galinha de Fricasse (Chicken Fricassee) Galinha com cerveja (Beer Chicken) Frango Assado no forno com Arroz (Chicken and Rice) Frango estufado (Skillet chicken) Bifanas (Pork Sandwiches) Costoletas de porco a Portuguesa (Pork chops and Potatoes)

Desserts Tarte de Nozes e Laranja (Almond and Orange Tart) Malasadas Arroz Doce (Rice Pudding) Pasteis de Coco (Coconut Pastries) Koeksusters Lemon and Orange Bars Tres Leches Cake Cream Cheese Pound Cake Pumpkin Cake Roll Pasteis de Nata (Cream Tartlets) Palmiers (Elephant Ears) Bolo de Bolacha (Cookie Cake) Easy Butter Cookies

Breakfast

The most important meal of the day. Whether your family likes oatmeal, or pancakes, or even toast, you can always kick it up a notch and make a family favorite that more delicious.

The beauty of cooking is being able to take a simple dish and make it spectacular.

Cinnamon Roll Snails Pillsbury Jumbo size cinnamon rolls Toothpicks Marshmallows Food marker

Set the cinnamon rolls on a greased cookie sheet, or foil lined sheet as I have done. Unroll the cinnamon roll a little to make the neck and head of the snail.

You can trim the tip to make it more rounded but I didn't do that.

Bake according to the package directions, which should be 350 degrees for 16 to 22 minutes until nice golden brown and top looks dry.

In the meantime, make the eyes using toothpicks, mini marshmallows (I didn't have mini ones so I just tore off little pieces and rolled them into a ball. Draw a black dot with the food marker.

When the buns are done, remove from the heat. Let cool a little, then slather on some icing on the shell. Pop on the eyes and you can even do a little mouth if you wish.

Cinnamon Roll Toast Credit: My English Kitchen

2 slices bread (white, wheat, or my personal favourite . . . raisin) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon butter, softened 1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted (powdered sugar here in the US) 1/2 tablespoon water few drops of vanilla extract Mix together the cinnamon and the butter until well combined. Use this mixture to butter your slices of bread on both sides. Heat a large sized skillet over medium high heat and then add your slices of bread. Toast well on both sides. Remove from the skillet and keep warm while you make the frosting.

Whisk together the icing sugar, water and vanilla to make a soft drizzable icing. Drizzle it haphazardly over the top of your warm cinnamon toast. Dig in and enjoy!!!

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes Credit: Baked Bree

1 1/2 cups flour 3 Tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 Tablespoon cinnamon 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup milk 2 Tablespoons maple syrup 1/4 cup melted butter 1 Tablespoon vanilla Put all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients and whisk together until well combined. Preheat a griddle or large saute pan over medium heat. Cook until brown on both sides.

To make the frosting: 1 cup confectioners sugar 2 Tablespoons melted butter 2 tablespoons milk Whisk the ingredients together until smooth and a pouring consistency. If too thick add more milk, if too thin, add more sugar.

BREAKFAST DELIGHTS 2 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened 2 c. sugar, divided 1 egg yolk 1 t. vanilla extract 24-oz. loaf sliced bread, crusts trimmed cinnamon to taste 1 c. butter, melted Mix together cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Spread one tablespoon mixture on each slice of bread. Roll slice from one corner to the other.

Mix cinnamon and remaining sugar together in a shallow bowl. Dip rolled bread in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place rolls on ungreased baking sheets.

Freeze rolls for at least 20 minutes. Bake at 350ยบ for 8 to 10 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Mini Breakfast Jars All I did was use the little packs of muffin mix that you get at the store. I had mixed berry and chocolate chip and apple cinnamon. I decided to leave the apple one for now, and experimented with the other two.

Mix according to directions, then spoon a little less than a 1/4 cup of the batter into each jar.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center, comes out clean.

Let it cool completely. At this point, if you are making a huge batch, I would suggest freezing them just as they are, they should keep for about a month, which is how long my muffins usually keep in the freezer.

The rest of the jars, I'm assuming will last a day or two in the fridge once you add the yogurt and the fruit. Though, I can tell you, I don't think they'll last that long at ALL. Spoon on some of your favorite yogurt, I think the combination of flavors if what makes this fun. For these I had Vanilla and Strawberry Greek Yogurt so that is what I used.

For the mixed berry muffin base, spoon on some strawberry yogurt (keep in mind you'll need to put a lid on these). Add a few fresh berries. Pop the lid on and into the fridge it goes.

For the chocolate chip base, I used vanilla yogurt, sprinkled on some chocolate chips and a little bit of powdered cocoa. YUM!

Barb's Burritos Credit: Barb Reid

1 lb maple sausage 1 small can of diced green chilies 1 bag of Potatoes O' Brien Scrambled eggs.....depending on how much you're making either a dozen or half a dozen

In a skillet brown the sausage, then drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Fry the potatoes, then add the can of chilies to the meat.

Add the potatoes to the chilies and sausage.

In a skillet scramble the eggs then add them to the rest of the mixture, mix everything well Spoon the filling into the middle of the tortilla and roll up burrito style.

I use the little ziploc bags to keep mine in, but you can also wrap them in foil.

Crispy Baked French Toast 3 large eggs 1 1/4 cups milk 3/4 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs 8 slices dry white bread 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup vegetable oil Butter Maple syrup Beat eggs together with milk, sugar and Vanilla extract in shallow bowl until well blended. Place panko in pie pan or shallow dish. Dip each bread slice into egg mixture, thoroughly coating both sides; then coat both sides of bread slices with bread crumbs. Place on large wire rack.

Add butter and oil into 17-1/4 x 11-1/2-inch jellyroll pan. Place pan in 400 degrees F. oven 1 to 2 minutes, or until butter melts. Remove pan from oven. Place bread slices into pan, in single layer, turning over once to coat both sides of bread slices with butter mixture. Return to oven and bake 15 minutes. Turn bread slices over and bake 10 minutes longer, or until golden brown.

Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Chocolate Chip and Banana Pancake Squares Pancake Mix (just follow the directions for the amount you want) Chocolate Chips Banana slices Parchment Paper Preheat oven to 375 degrees. I like using sheets of parchment paper and I make them longer than the pan so that I can use the sides to lift it off the pan when done.

Prepare the pancake mix as usual. Add the chocolate chips, then pour half of the batter into the pan. Depending on the amount of batter you have you may need to use a smaller pan like an 8x8.

Add the banana slices.

Pour the rest of the batter over the bananas, slowly cause you don't want to disturb the bottom layer of batter, if it does mix a bit, it's ok.

Pop into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Insert a toothpick into the center to make sure it's done, if it doesn't come out clean just cook for a little longer.

Lift the pancake off the pan by using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve drizzled with syrup.

Stir Abouts 2 cups of flour 1 T. sugar 2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. salt 1 t. vanilla extract 2 c. milk 1 egg, beaten Garnish: butter, maple syrup

In a large bowl, beat all ingredients except garnish together until smooth.

Heat a lightly greased skillet over medium-high heat. Drop large spoonfuls of the batter into skillet.

When golden on one side, turn over with a pancake turner; chop batter into one-inch pieces.

Keep turning and cooking until set and golden on all sides. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Serves 4.

Coconut Granola Credit: The Frugal Girl

Ingredients: 6 cups regular oatmeal 1 cup nuts 1 cup dried fruit 1 cup shaved coconut or other fruit/nut 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup coconut oil 3 tbsp dark brown sugar 3 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract) Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, fruit, and coconut. Heat the honey, oil and brown sugar on low heat in a small pot. Stir in extracts. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and stir well. Spread onto two baking sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes, then stir. Bake for another 5 minutes and stir.

Bake in additional 2-5 minute intervals until granola is light golden brown.

Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders 12 hawaiian sweet rolls ham swiss cheese 1 small onion, finely diced 1 stick of butter 3 tablespoons mustard 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce parsley Cut the bread rolls in half, place the bottom on a baking pan.....on a skillet, melt the butter, then add in the onion, mustard and worcestershire sauce. Stir and cook for a little until the onion is transparent.

Take 1/4 of the onion mixture and set aside.

Take the rest of the mixture and spread on the bottom of the rolls. Sprinkle on some parsley...then top with ham and then swiss cheese.

Place the tops on, spread the 1/4 cup onion mixture you reserved on top, sprinkle a little more parsley, then cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. That's it.

Breads

There is nothing better than homemade bread.

Hot from the oven, sliced and slathered with Homemade Butter. Yum! I make my own bread, not only because it’s cheaper but it’s so much tastier than store bought and my family love fresh bread.

All the loaves I make are easily frozen, and they don’t lose their taste after being thawed.

Four Loaf White Bread 1-1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast 3/4 cup warm water, 95 to 110 degrees F 2-2/3 cups warm water, 95 to 110 degrees F 1/4 cup sugar 1 Tbsp salt 3 Tbsp shortening 9 to 10 cups bread flour, about

In large bowl, dissolve yeast with 3/4 cup warm water. Add the remaining amount of warm water, sugar, and salt. Stir until dissolved. Add shortening and 4 cups of flour. Mix well. Slowly add the remaining amount of flour until dough is formed. You may or may not use the full amount of flour.

Turn dough out onto floured board. Knead dough for about 10 minutes, adding more flour by the tablespoon, if necessary. Grease a large bowl. Put the bread dough into the bowl and then turn the dough over so that the top of the dough is greased. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise at room temperature until double in size or about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Turn it out onto a floured board and knead out all the bubbles for about 5 minutes.

Divide the dough into four equal parts. Form each quarter into a loaf by rolling the dough into a rectangle.

Roll the dough up like a jellyroll. Pinch seam closed. Pinch and tuck edges under the loaf. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 4 loaf pans or two baking sheets. Spread a light layer of yellow cornmeal on the loaf pans or baking sheets, if desired.

Set loaves in 9 x 5-inch pans or two loaves on each baking sheet, cover with clean kitchen towel, and allow to rise until double in size or for about a half hour. If desired, beat the white of one medium egg and a tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Brush egg white on top of loaves after they have risen. Sprinkle tops with poppy or sesame seeds.

Bake breads for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove breads from oven and turn out loaves onto rack. Allow loaves to cool completely before freezing.

Homemade Buttermilk Bread 1 cup water 3 tbsp butter 1/2 cup warm water 1 package active dry yeast 1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup water and 4 tbsp buttermilk powder 2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp salt 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar 6 cups bread flour In small saucepan, heat 1 cup water and 3 tbsp butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool until warm.

In small bowl, add 1/2 cup warm water and the dry yeast. Stir yeast until it is dissolved. Set bowl aside and continue with the next step.

In large bowl, mix buttermilk, honey, sugar, salt, and vinegar. When the butter water is warml to the touch, pour into large bowl. Add yeast water.

Begin adding bread flour one cup at a time. When the dough is too stiff to mix with the wooden spoon, about 5 cups, turn out onto a floured board.

Knead in the remaining flour until the dough is firm and smooth. Put dough in a buttered bowl and flip dough so that the top of it is lightly buttered. Cover and let rise until double in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Punch down dough and turn out onto floured board. Knead bubbles out of dough. Divide dough into to equal halves.

Preheat oven 375 degrees F. Form dough into two loaves. Place in buttered bread pans. Cover and let rise until double in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Melt 1 tbsp of butter. Brush butter on to bread tops. Using a sharp knife, make three light slashes across the bread tops. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans and let cool on a rack or dishtowel.

Paezinhos de Leite - Portuguese Milk Rolls 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of milk 1 and a half tablespoons softened butter 1/4 cup sugar 3 cups flour pinch of salt 1 packet dry yeast 1 egg + little milk for egg wash Place the ingredients in your bread machine following the directions. For mine, I add all the liquids first, then the dry except for the yeast. I then make a small hole in the dry ingredients using my finger and pour the yeast into the little well. Set to the dough cycle.

When done, remove the dough, place it on a floured surface, then make small rolls by pinching off balls of dough. These rise quite a bit so don't make them too big. ( for those that don't have the bread machine, to make it the traditional way, slightly warm the milk, add the butter and yeast. In a bowl, add the dry ingredients, make a well in the center and add the liquids. Knead well for a few minutes until you get a dough that is smooth and doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl. Make a ball, cover with a dish towel and let rise for about 30 minutes. Proceed with making the individual rolls ) I like shaping mine into ovals. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix the beaten egg with a little bit of milk. Brush the tops of the rolls and then let them rise for about 30 minutes. Place them in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until nice and brown. Enjoy!

Best way to have them, or at least my favorite way, is to eat them warm, slathered with butter, a slice of cheese and a slice of ham.

Pao com Chourico - Chourico Bread 5 1/2 cups of flour 3 1/2 teaspoons of dry yeast 1 chourico cut into slices and casing removed Warm water 1 teaspoon salt (table salt) Dissolve the yeast in 4 tablespoons of warm water. Add about 1/2 tbsp. of flour and mix well. Set aside.

In a big bowl, mix the flour, salt and the yeast mixture, add warm water a bit at a time until you have a smooth dough that doesn't stick to your hands. Let rise for 3o minutes. Divide into 4 portions. Using a rolling pin roll out the dough into a rectangle, not too big, you want to have a sort of thick dough....you can see by my picture how it should look.

Layer the chourico on the dough....roll the dough up, pinch the seams to close and set seam side down on a baking sheet. Let rise again until you can see that it won't rise anymore. Bake in a 375 oven for about 20 minutes.

One thing you'll notice about these loaves is that they don't turn really brown, matter of fact most of them stay a nice white pale. Enjoy!

Olive Garden Bread Sticks Credit: The Misadventures of Mrs B.

1 1/2 cups warm water (between 110 - 120 degrees F) 1 package active dry yeast 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon salt In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes, covered. Mixture should be frothy.

In separate bowl, combine flour and salt. Add to yeast mixture. Add melted butter. Mix with paddle attachment of stand mixer or wooden spoon until fully combined. Knead dough for a few minutes just until dough is smooth. Do not overknead! Grease a cookie sheet. Pull off pieces of dough and roll out into strips.

Now, I tend to make pretty thick breadsticks so I normally end with around 10 or so, but I'm sure that if you rolled yours out more thinly you'd have at least a dozen.

Cover the dough and let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and once heated, pop in the bread sticks. In microwave, combine the following: 1 stick unsalted butter (or 1/2 cup margarine) 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons salt After 6 or 7 minutes, brush the bread sticks with half the butter mixture.

Then continue to bake. Honestly, I almost never leave them in there for an entire 15 minutes - normally it's closer to 12 because I like them softer and less crisp on the outside, but to each their own. Either way, immediately upon removal from the oven brush the other half of the butter on the sticks.

Allow them to cool for a minute or two, and enjoy!

Homemade Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns (using a Bread Maker) 1 1/4 cups milk, slightly warmed 1 beaten egg 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup white sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 3/4 cups bread flour 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (hamburger buns, if you want hot dog buns. cut 'em to that shape) Place all ingredients in pan of bread machine, according to manufacturer's directions.Select dough setting.

When cycle is complete, turn out onto floured surface.

Cut dough in half and roll each half out to a 1" thick circle.

Cut each half into six 3 1/2" rounds with inverted glass as a cutter. Place on greased baking sheet far apart and brush with melted butter.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour. Bake at 350째 for 9 minutes.

Note: Oven temperatures vary so check after 9 minutes to see if done.

Sourdough Starter 3 packages active dry yeast 1 cup warm water (105 to 115F) Starter Feed 3/4 cup sugar 3 tablespoons instant potatoes 1 cup warm water (105 to 115F) To make the starter: Mix the yeast and warm water in a small bowl. Put into a plastic container, seal, and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days.

To make the starter feed: Combine the sugar, potatoes, and water in a small bowl and stir into the starter.

Cover loosely (to allow some of the pressure to escape as the gases build) and let stand at room temperature for 5 to 12 hours. The mixture will be bubbly.

Take out 1 cup to make bread and loosely cover the starter and return it to the refrigerator. Feed again after 3 to 5 days. If not making bread after feeding the starter, throw away 1 cup to avoid depleting the starter. Note: Do not put the lid on tight.

For the Sourdough Bread, this recipe makes 3 loaves. If you want to make cinnamon rolls, then just divide the dough into two balls, roll it out and continue with your favorite cinnamon roll filling and icing :)

Sourdough Bread 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 115F) 6 cups of bread flour 1 cup Sourdough Starter 3 teaspoons butter, melted Combine the sugar, oil, salt, water, flour, and starter in a large bowl. Stir to make a dough. Form the dough into a ball. Grease another large bowl. Put the dough in and turn to coat. Cover with waxed paper and let stand overnight. (Do not refrigerate) The next morning, punch the dough down and divide it into thirds.

Knead each part on a floured surface 8 to 10 times. Grease three 81/2 by 41/2 inch loaf pans and turn each loaf over in the pan to coat. Cover with waxed paper and let rise in the pans until it is just above the rims of the pans, 4 or 5 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake the bread until the crust is nice and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush each loaf with 1 teaspoon of the butter. Unmold and let cool on wire racks.

Main Dishes

A home cooked meal is one of the best ways you can show your family that you love them.

Imagine sitting around the dining table, with a super delicious dinner before you, sharing moments from your day, chatting about life, laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

Here are some of our favorite tummy filling dishes.

Spinach Alfredo Lasagna 1 pound ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 jar (24 ounces) spaghetti sauce 1 package (8 ounces) no-cook lasagna noodles 1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon pepper 8 cups (32 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1 jar (15 ounces) Alfredo sauce

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Spread 1 cup meat mixture in an ungreased 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Arrange four noodles over sauce, breaking noodles to fit if necessary. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley and pepper; spread half over noodles. Layer with 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1 cup meat mixture.

Top with four noodles, spinach, Alfredo sauce, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, four noodles and remaining ricotta mixture. Layer with 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1 cup meat mixture and any remaining noodles, meat mixture and mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until noodles are tender.

Cheese Enchiladas Credit: Taste of Home

2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce 1-1/3 cups water 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 16 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2-1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided 2 medium onions, finely chopped 1 cup (8 ounces) Daisy Brand Sour Cream 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Shredded lettuce, sliced ripe olives and additional Daisy Brand Sour Cream, optional In a large saucepan, combine the first six ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Spoon 2 tablespoons sauce over each tortilla.

In a large bowl, combine the Monterey Jack, 2 cups cheddar cheese, onions, sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper. Place about 1/3 cup down the center of each tortilla.

Roll up and place seam side down in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Pour remaining sauce over top.

Bake, uncovered, at 350째 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake 4-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 16 enchiladas.

Swedish Meatloaf Credit: Always eat on the good China

1 Jumbo egg 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 large slice white bread, crusts removed, and bread torn into 1-inch pieces 8 ounces ground pork, double ground 8 ounces ground beef, double ground 1 medium onion, grated or minced 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice 1/8 teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt Olive Oil, heavy coat Whisk egg and cream together in small bowl. Stir in bread and set aside to soak.

Blend hamburger & pork, onion, nutmeg, allspice, pepper, brown sugar, and salt smooth and uniform.

Using fork, mash bread mixture until no large dry bread chunks remain.

Add mixture to beef mixture and blend until well mixed. Form meat loaves.

Bake 45-60 minutes.

During the last 10-15 minutes prepare the sauce.

SAUCE 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon Table salt and freshly ground black pepper Melt butter, add flour and cook, stirring constantly with whisk, until flour is light brown.

Slowly whisk in broth.

Add brown sugar and bring to simmer.

Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes.

Stir in cream and return to simmer.

Pork Parmigiana 1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided 1 small onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained 1 (6oz) can tomato paste 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 bay leaf 6 pork scallopini 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or sliced) 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a large baking dish. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir undrained tomatoes and tomato paste into skillet. Add basil, oregano and bay leaf; mix well. Simmer, stirring frequently for 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

Dip pork in egg and coat with bread crumbs. Saute in remaining oil, turning once, until browned, about 5 minutes; drain.

Layer tomato mixture, pork, mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan in prepared baking dish.

Bake until browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese before serving.

Bourbon Chicken 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts; cut into bite-size pieces 1 tablespoon olive oil; (1-2) 1 garlic clove; crushed 1/4 teaspoon ginger 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 cup apple juice 1/3 cup light brown sugar 1 tablespoon ketchup 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1/2 cup water 1/3 cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, apple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, cider vinegar, water, soy sauce and cornstarch in a big bowl.

Add chicken to the bowl and give it a good stir to coat. Scoop chicken out onto a skillet to which you've added the olive oil.

Cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken. Add mixture from the bowl, heating over medium heat until well blended and dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered. Serve over hot rice.

Beefy Cheesy Spaghetti Casserole Half a box of spaghetti noodles (8 oz) 1 pound ground beef salt and pepper oregano paprika onion powder 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 can of whole tomatoes pepper jack cheese

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. When done, drain and return to the pot.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef with all the seasonings. While the meat is cooking, take the can of whole tomatoes and dump it into a blender, puree.

Add the puree to the meat, simmer for 5 minutes or so until it reduces and thickens the sauce. Add the meat mixture to the pot of spaghetti and mix well.

Pour into a casserole dish, top with pepper jack slices and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Texicali Chili 8 bacon strips, diced 2 1/2 lbs. beef stewing meat, cubed 28 oz can stewed tomatoes 14 1/2 oz can stewed tomatoes 2 8z. cans tomato sauce 16 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained 2 cups sliced carrots 1 medium onion, chopped 1 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1 Tbsp. chili powder 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/4 tsp. pepper

Cook bacon in skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towel. Brown beef in bacon drippings in skillet.

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low 9 to 10 hours or until meat is tender. Stir occasionally.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Thighs Chicken Thighs salt and pepper garlic powder horseradish maple syrup rice vinegar

You don't have to pre-boil the chicken, but I like to just to make sure it's cooked through AND because I get chicken broth out of it for other dishes.

Once the chicken is boiled, place it on a foil lined baking sheet.

In a small bowl combine horseradish, maple syrup and about a tablespoon of rice vinegar. I didn't really measure, just eyeballed it and went by taste. But I would say I used about a 1/4 cup of horseradish and a little more of that in maple syrup, but just adjust according to what you like.

Season the thighs with garlic powder, salt and pepper, then pour the horseradish, maple syrup and rice vinegar mixture over.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked and the skin is nice and brown. Serve immediately.

Creamy Chicken Florentine Credit: Kraft

1lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 1/2cup halved red pepper strips 1tub (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Savory Garlic Cooking Creme 1pkg. (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves 2cups hot cooked penne pasta 2Tbsp. toasted Italian pine nuts COOK chicken and peppers in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 5 to 6 min. or until chicken is done.

ADD cooking creme; cook and stir 3 min.

STIR in spinach and pasta; top with nuts.

Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme Large Flour Tortillas burrito style 1 lb ground beef 1 packet taco seasoning sour cream shredded cheese or nacho cheese tortilla chips (you could use use a corn tortilla) tomatoes lettuce Brown ground beef in a skillet, add the packet of taco seasoning and stir until mixed well. Cook for another minute or so.

Microwave the tortillas for a few seconds just to warm them up, it will make the wrapping easier. Take a tortilla, spread some sour cream in the center. Top with ground beef (1 lb ground beef made 4 crunchwraps, but they were nice and stuffed, you could probably get another 1 or two out of it if you don't use too much meat). Top with shredded cheese or a few scoops of nacho cheese. Next add a layer of tortilla chips or at this point you would add a small corn tortilla like a tostada size. Top with lettuce and tomato and then starting on the bottom, fold up the tortilla toward the center, continue all the way around until it is all folded over, it WON'T cover it completely.

Carefully lift it up and set it fold side down on a non stick pan. Press with a spatula and cook until nice and brown, flip it over and cook the other side. It won't take long at all.

Garlic and Parmesan Panko Crusted Chicken Tenders 1 lb chicken tenders Panko Breadcrumbs Garlic Powder Salt and Pepper Parmesan Cheese Parsley oil for frying In a shallow bowl, mix about a cup of the panko, some garlic powder, salt and pepper, parsley and Parmesan Cheese. (I never measure the Parmesan, I just eyeball it, but about 1/2 cup should do).

Take the chicken tenders, roll them in the panko mixture, pushing gently with your fingers to give it a nice coat.

Add a little bit of oil to a large skillet (you can also do butter, I've made it both ways before).

Add the chicken and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until the chicken is cooked through and nice and brown. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels.

I usually let it sit for a minute or two while I get the table set. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes or a salad :)

Roast Chicken and Potatoes 1 chicken, cleaned and split down the middle 2 teaspoons paprika 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons dried rosemary 1 teaspoon black pepper salt to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil Potatoes, washed well and cut into cubes (just eyeball it and make as much or as little as you need) Place the chicken in a roasting pan or casserole dish. I like to use my Stoneware.

In a small bowl mix the spices and olive oil pour over the chicken and then rub it all over. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours.

About 30 minutes before it's done, remove the foil. When chicken is cooked, remove from the pan, wrap in foil and keep warm. Pop the potatoes into the pan, stir well to cover with the gravy in the pan, pop back into the oven and crank the heat to 400. Cook for another hour or until the potatoes are fork tender.

I like to push the potatoes to the sides of the pan and then pop my chicken back into the middle, surrounded by the potatoes. You can pop it back into the oven to heat up a bit if you need but usually the chicken is still nice and hot.

General Tso's Chicken Credit: Cooks Illustrated

Marinade: 1/2 cup hoisin sauce 1/4 cup white vinegar 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 1/2 cups water 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes Coating & frying: 3 large egg whites 1 1/2 cups cornstarch 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 4 cups vegetable oil 1-2 green onions, thinly sliced on a bias for garnish Prep the chicken breasts by cutting them into 1 inch pieces.

To make the marinade & sauce, whisk the hoisin, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and water in a bowl. Of this mixture, place 6 tablespoons into a zip lock storage bag and add the chicken; seal and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Set aside the remaining marinade in the bowl.

While the chicken is chilling in the marinade, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering.

SautĂŠ the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes until fragrant. Add 2 cups of the hoisin marinade to the skillet and simmer, whisking constantly, until the mixture is dark brown and thickened. Remove from heat, cover and keep the sauce warm.

To prepare the chicken coating and frying, whisk the egg whites in a shallow dish until foamy; set aside.

Combine the cornstarch, flour, baking soda, and remaining hoisin marinade in a second shallow dish; mix until it resembles coarse meal.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and from the marinade. Pat the marinated chicken dry with paper towels. Toss half the chicken into the foamy egg whites until well coated, then dredge the chicken in the cornstarch mmixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer the coated chicken to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until the oil registers 350 degrees. Fry half the chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning each piece halfway through cooking.

Transfer the cooked chicken onto a paper towel lined plate to drain. Return the oil to 350 degrees before frying again. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

Warm the sauce over medium heat until simmering. Place the sauce in a large bowl and add the fried chicken pieces. Toss to coat and serve.

Baked Parmesan and Provolone Spaghetti 1 lb ground beef 1 small onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes salt and pepper sugar italian seasoning olive oil cooked spaghetti provolone cheese parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, add a little bit of oil, the onion and the garlic. Cook for a few minutes until onion is tender, just don’t burn the garlic. Add the ground beef and brown.

Next, add in the can of crushed tomatoes and then add in the spices to taste. I don’t measure anything it’s pretty much just eyeballed. I start by adding in the salt and pepper and the italian seasoning and then I add in a little bit of sugar at a time just until I can taste that it’s cut that bitter taste from the tomatoes and the italian seasoning.

Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes and turn off.

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, it’s going to bake in the oven for another 20 minutes so you don’t have to cook it too much.

Drain the spaghetti and add it to the meat sauce. Spray a casserole dish with some nonstick spray, add about half of the spaghetti and meat sauce on the bottom, sprinkle with a good layer of parmesan cheese, then add some provolone cheese slices.

Top with the rest of the spaghetti and meat sauce and end with more parmesan and more provolone. Pop in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Portuguese

I am so blessed to be able to share with my children and husband, all of my favorite Portuguese dishes.

There are some that take me right back to my childhood, whether it be a good steak, a steaming bowl of Caldo Verde (kale soup) or a spoonful of rice pudding.

I’m just glad that I can share my traditions and culture with my loved ones and my blog readers.

Rissois de Camarao - Portuguese Shrimp Turnovers 1 lb bag of shrimp (salad shrimp works fine) 1 tbsp butter or margarine 1 cup flour 1 cup water Filling: 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 tbsp butter or margarine 1 tbsp flour Salt and pepper to taste Little bit of milk Parsley flakes Red chilli pepper flakes to taste

Boil one cup of water with the margarine and salt. When it starts boiling, add the flour all at once and start stirring. Stir until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides, then you're going to remove it from the heat. Turn the dough onto a floured surface.

Then you need to knead it until it becomes a nice round ball that is soft to the touch and springs back a little when pressed down.....but don't overwork the dough.

At this point you need to divide the dough in half, form two balls, cover with a kitchen towel and let it cool down.

In a frying pan, add the butter and the diced onion.... cook the onion until it's tender....

Then I add garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper Add a little bit of water Add the shrimp......I use the Salad Shrimp, just open the bag and let it run under some cold water for a bit to thaw.

One tablespoon of flour to help thicken the sauce And then a little bit of milk Then in goes the parsley, cook it for a little until thickened, remove from heat and set aside...

Now the dough is cool, so we are going to set it on a floured surface, roll it out and cut it with a round object, I just use one of my tea cups Place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the middle and fold in half, pressing the edges together Dip the rissois in beaten eggs and then breadcrumbs At this point you can also freeze them, they keep for about a month. I like doing this because I can pull out a few at a time and quickly fry them for a snack or a light meal served with some salad.

Fry them in hot oil for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Peixinhos da Horta (Deep-Fried Green Beans) Note: I sometimes add about half a cup of finely chopped onion, it gives it that extra ZING. :)

1 pound green beans, trimmed About 4 cups peanut oil, for frying 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup water 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cook the beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, cool in a bowl of ice water, and drain again.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or a large saucepan over medium-high heat to 350째F (175째C). Combine the flour, water, eggs, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl; whisk until a smooth batter forms.

Dip six beans at a time into the batter, shaking off any excess. Add the beans to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with more salt and serve hot.

Pasteis de Peixe 1 lb Flounder Fillets 1 small onion, finely diced 1 egg breadcrumbs salt and pepper to taste parsley

In a small pot, cook the fish, remove but don't drain the water. We're going to use this water to cook some potatoes.

In a bowl, add the onion and the egg. Take the fish and shred it into the bowl. Now add the breadcrumbs (just enough for the mixture to stick together), the parsley, salt and pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Mix everything well. Form little oval cakes with the mixture......this pretty much the shape we use when we make the Pasteis de Bacalhau (Cod Fish cakes). Fry them in hot oil until brown.

Croquetes de Carne (Meat Croquettes) 1 lb leftover roast roast(if I don't have any leftovers, I actually just buy a pound of pork and roast it) half a chourico Bechamel Sauce Salt and Pepper to taste Nutmeg egg for dipping breadcrumbs To roast the meat, I season it with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and ground cloves. Drizzle some olive oil on the bottom of a baking pan, set the meat in there and pop it into the oven at 350 for about two hours or until done. When ready, set aside and let cool.

Pull out the meat grinder and following the directions, grind all the pork roast, then grind the chourico into the same bowl, mix both well.

Cover and place in the refrigerator.

Now, make a quick bechamel sauce. I don't have a recipe for this, I eyeball it but I usually do about 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, once it is melted, I add in about 2 tablespoons of flour and stir well. Then grab some milk and start pouring it in slowly, using a whisk stir vigorously to remove any lumps. You need about a cup and a half of the bechamel sauce for these, so add just enough milk for that. Continue cooking until

thickened, remove from heat and add in some salt and pepper to taste and some nutmeg.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator and start adding in the bechamel sauce a bit at a time, give a good stir, then add in a little more. You want a nice consistency, kind of sticky but still dense so that you can shape the croquettes without them falling apart. Once you reach that consistency, give it a quick taste, adjust the seasonings as needed, some salt, pepper, you can also add in some garlic powder if you wish. Cover again and pop back in the refrigerator until the next day. When you're ready to make the croquettes, take small amounts into your hands and shape them into croquettes, think of mozzarella sticks, only thicker.

Dip in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs.

Fry in hot oil for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Let sit for about 5 minutes before eating. I actually prefer them cold. Refrigerate any leftovers, though I doubt there will be any.

Bitoque 4 frying steaks (you don't want thick steaks for this so if yours are a little on the thick side, use a meat tenderizer and pound them down a bit) 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed olive oil butter salt and pepper to taste bay leaves 2 garlic cloves, finely diced (yes, I'm posting it twice because these you'll need these for the marinade) white wine (if you don't want to use the wine, you can omit it) Fries White Rice Lettuce, tomato and onion salad 4 fried eggs

The morning of the day you're serving these for dinner, go ahead and marinate your steaks in salt and pepper, bay leaves (just one or two), diced garlic and white wine. (I don't measure any of this stuff so I don't have an amount, just pour a little bit of white wine over the steaks). Cover and place in refrigerator until you're ready to fry them up.

Add a little bit of olive oil to a skillet, add the 4 smashed garlic cloves and about 2 tablespoons of butter. Fry over medium heat until hot and the garlic starts popping.

Add the steaks, discard the marinade. Fry for about 15 minutes or so until they're cooked through. Remember to turn them over half way through so they fry up nicely on either side. You'll have a bit of gravy in there and that's good, we want that.

In the meantime, peel and cut your potatoes into sticks and fry them until golden brown. If you don't want to fry them you can certainly bake them in the oven, but for this dish I prefer to fry them.

Cook up a little bit of rice with a dash of salt and a little butter.

Make the salad, just a simple mix of lettuce, sliced tomatoes and onions, drizzle on some olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper.

Once the steaks and the fries are ready. In a small skillet add a little butter and fry up the eggs, one at a time.

Now let's put it together.

Place the steak on a plate, top with the fried egg. On either side of the steak and egg put fries, salad and a little mound of rice, just like I showed you a few posts below. Drizzle some of the sauce from the steak over the rice and egg and VOILA. You're done.

Almondegas da Bio – Greatgrandma’s Meatballs We start with one pound of ground beef, 1 small onion, finely chopped, mix in a bowl. Add one small finely chopped. Mix well.

A good sprinkling of paprika...probably like a teaspoon or two...I don't know, honestly I just eyeball everything.

Ground black pepper, again just eyeball, if you like a lot of pepper go for it, if not, then just a little Now garlic powder, and some salt. Stick your hands in there and start mooshing it all up real good. Place the lid on the bowl and pop it in the refrigerator overnight or for a few hours before cooking.

Now we're ready to start cooking so open the bowl and start forming little meatballs. Look I'm not here to to judge the size and perfectness of the little balls, just do whatever you want. My greatgrandmother never had a set size, some were bigger than others or they were all big or all small.

Drop them in a bowl with two beaten eggs and make sure they get a good covering. In another bowl you're going to have breadcrumbs ready and waiting....drop the meatballs into that one next and cover it completely with the breadcrumbs.

Place them into a skillet with hot oil. and fry them about 5 or 6 minutes on each side until nice and brown and preferably cooked through *snicker*

Almondegas de Galinha com cogumelos 4 chicken breasts (grind through the meat grinder) parsley salt and pepper garlic powder onion flakes 2 bread slices 1 tablespoon flour 1 egg Small onion, diced Small can of mushrooms, drained 2 cups heavy cream

The best way to grind any kind of meat, is to have it either still frozen or semi frozen. I always grind mind straight from the freezer. Cut the chicken breasts into small cubes and grind.

In a bowl, add the ground chicken and the rest of the ingredients, except the bread. In a separate bowl, place the bread slices, add a little bit of water and dip the bread until soggy. Squeeze out the water, not all of it, leave a little. Break into small pieces and add to the chicken mixture.

Mix everything well, add the flour and the egg, mix well and shape into meatballs. Use flour to sprinkle on your hands and the chicken mixture so the meatballs don't stick. In a skillet, add a little butter, and fry the chicken meatballs until done and nicely browned, remove to a plate.

Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until tender. Add in the mushrooms and the heavy cream and simmer for a minute or so.

Place the meatballs back into the skillet and heat for a few.

Serve with Rice :)

Galinha de Fricassee (Chicken Fricassee) 1 lb chicken (you can use thighs, legs, tenders or whatever you wish) 1 medium onion, finely sliced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped olive oil fresh parsley 2 eggs lemon juice from half a lemon salt and pepper to taste

In a pot, boil the chicken until done. Set aside.

In a pan (I used my cast iron one), drizzle a bit of olive oil, add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes just until the onion turns transparent, don’t burn the garlic though.

Add about a handful of chopped parsley and stir well. Add a cup of the chicken stock, stir well, add the cooked chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes for the flavors to combine.

In a small bowl beat the eggs with a fork, add the lemon juice and combine well.

NOW….when you’re ready to make the sauce keep in mind that this is a very quick step and you need to stay on top of it, this is the intimidating part because you don’t want the egg to cook at all.

Pour the egg mixture in slowly and stir continuously, do NOT let it boil, just stir and cook for a few seconds until you see it start thickening. IMMEDIATELY turn the stove off and pour the chicken into a serving dish, preferably not warm or hot. You want to stop the cooking process and not allow the egg to continue cooking.

You should be left with a very creamy yummy gravy.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Chicken with Beer olive oil 1 chicken, cut up 1 medium onion, thinly sliced salt and pepper garlic powder 1 bottle of beer 2 cups of water 1/2 bottle of heavy whipping cream (8 oz)

In a large skillet, add a little bit of olive oil and the chicken. Cook for a few minutes until the chicken is browned on both sides.

Add the onions and the seasonings, the beer and the water.

Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Keep checking to make sure it doesn't dry out, add more water if needed.

When the chicken is done, add the whipping cream and cook for a minute or two until thickened. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or fries.

GALINHA NO FORNO COM ARROZ PORTUGUESE CHICKEN AND RICE 1 whole chicken cut up, or 1 lb chicken thighs (I used the thighs this time) 1 onion, quartered 1 bay leaf Half a pound of bacon 1 1/2 cups of rice Salt and pepper to taste

For the chicken rub: 4 tablespoons of softened butter olive oil paprika garlic powder a little bit of salt

Fill a pot halfway with water, add the chicken, bacon, onion, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken, bay leaf, onion and bacon to a bowl and set aside.

Pour 1 and a half cups of rice into the chicken broth and cook for about 20 minutes until the rice is cooked.

In the meantime, in a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of softened butter Add the olive oil and paprika, garlic powder and a little bit of salt, mix well until smooth Spoon the rice into a greased 13 x 9-inch pan.

Next layer the chicken on top, spread it out a bit so that you have room for the bacon and onions.

See how some of that yummy rub is seeping into the rice??? That is going to make it SO good.

Add the bacon and onions, placing them between the chicken thighs Bake in a 425 ยบ oven for 30 minutes or until chicken is brown and bacon is nice and crispy. If you want, you can also pop it under your broiler for about 5 minutes or so just to give the skin and the bacon more crispy, it's so good.

Frango Estufado - Portuguese Skillet Chicken 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces 1 medium onion, sliced 5 garlic cloves, chopped 5 Tbsp. butter 1 cup white whine salt and pepper In a skillet melt the butter, add the chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper.

Chop the garlic cloves and add to the skillet, next add the wine and onions.

Cook on high until the chicken is brown on both sides.

Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for about an hour. Keep an eye on it and add water as needed so it doesn't dry out and burn.

You want to have a nice gravy left over.

Serve with Portuguese roasted potatoes.

Bifanas - Pork Sandwiches Pork loin chops or pork cubed steaks (you need at least one for each person) salt and pepper garlic powder paprika bay leaf white wine Portuguese Rolls (or any other roll that is thick and doughy)

The whole trick to getting that wonderful taste is to marinate the meat for at least a whole day before you cook it. You can do it overnight or first thing in the morning so you can use it for dinner, the longer it sits in that marinade, the tastier it will be.

I roll mine up and put them in the tupperware bowl and then pour about 1/2 cup of white wine over. Cover it up and place it in the refrigerator.

When you're ready to cook, add some olive oil to a skillet and then add the pork steaks, top with some butter and fry until cooked through and nice and brown.

Once they're cooked, slice your bread rolls in half and then take them and dip them into the drippings in the pan.

You don't want to cover the bread, just get a little of that tasty sauce on them.

Slice the sandwiches in half and serve with some homemade fries or salad.

Costeletas de Porco a moda do Minho Pork chops prepared in the traditional Minho way

Ingredients: Pork Chops Garlic Bay Leaf Salt White Wine Onion Olive oil Bacon, thinly sliced Potatoes for frying Parsley

I like doing this in the morning so it has a few hours for the flavors to really sink in, but you can also do it an hour or so before cooking. I put the pork chops in a bowl and add the spices, garlic, bay leaf, salt and the white wine.

Chop the potatoes into cubes OR you can use baby potatoes if you wish. Fry them until nice and golden, set aside.

In a skillet, add a little bit of olive oil, fry the pork chops on both sides until nice and brown. (do NOT throw out the marinade, keep that you're going to need it). Once the chops are cooked, remove them and keep them warm.

Add the sliced onion and the bacon to the skillet and cook until bacon is done but not crispy. Add the marinade to the skillet and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.

At this point, you're going to add the fried potatoes and let them cook for a minute or so, just to soak in all that good gravy.

Right before you serve, you can add the pork chops to the skillet too so they can warm up a bit more.

I like to serve mine all together in one dish and sprinkled with parsley. Enjoy!

Desserts

The only one in my house that is crazy for desserts, is my 13 year old. The rest of us don’t really mind one way or the other…..unless I’m really dying for something sweet and then I go through phases where I need to eat a yummy dessert every day.

From cakes, to cookies, to puddings, these are the ones we love the most.

Almond and Orange Tart For the base: 200gr of flour (1.6 cups of flour or 8 tablespoons of flour) 150gr of sugar (2/3 cup) 2 eggs Rind and juice of one orange 75 gr of butter (1/3) For the topping: 125 gr of sugar (5/8 cup) 125 gr of sliced almonds (about a cup and a half) 100gr of butter (7 tablespoons) 100 ml of milk (a little less than half a cup) For the base, mix all the ingredients well, pour into a well greased tart pan, then bake in a 350 oven for 20 to 25 minutes until cooked. Test with a toothpick, don't let it over cook or it will be too dry.

For the topping, mix all the ingredients in a saucepan, cook over medium heat until it starts thickening and browning.

I usually remove my base from my tart pan, pour the filling onto it and pop it back in the oven so it gets nice and toasty on top. Sprinkle on some powdered sugar, then let it sit for a few minutes before cutting.

Malasadas 4 c. flour 1 tsp. salt 1 c. sugar 2 pkg. yeast 2 c. warm milk 8 eggs

In a big bowl, add 1 cup of warm milk and the yeast, stir well. In a medium bowl, add the flour, salt and sugar, combine well and then add 2 cups of that flour mixture into the milk and yeast bowl.

Beat well until smooth. Next, add in the eggs 2 at a time, a little bit more of the milk and a little bit more of the remaining flour mixture, keep mixing well until all ingredients are combined. Cover and let sit for about an hour.

In a skillet, add oil and when it's hot, add the dough by tablespoons, be careful not to splash. I always manage to burn myself when making these. They will fry up really fast, so within a few seconds, turn them over and after a few seconds more, remove them onto a plate lined with paper towels.

Arroz Doce (Portuguese Rice Pudding) 1 1/2 quarts of milk (6 cups) 1 1/4 cup of uncooked white rice 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs beaten 1 cinnamon stick Over high heat, combine cinnamon stick, sugar and milk. When bubbles form at edges, stir in rice and reduce

heat to medium-low.

Cook 60 minutes, stirring often, until rice is tender. Do NOT allow to boil.

Remove from heat, remove cinnamon stick and vigorously stir in beaten eggs, a little at a time, until well incorporated. Pour into serving dish, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and serve warm.

Refrigerate the leftovers.

Now, in my family we let it cool down a bit and then eat it warm, but I have to say that the next day, it tastes just as good cold out of the refrigerator.

Coconut Pastries 1 package Puff Pastry 3 eggs 1 cup of milk 1 cup of sugar 1 cup of coconut sprinkle of vanilla essence Powdered sugar for garnish Unroll the sheets of puff pastry and cut each one into 9 squares.

Place on a cookie sheet bake in a 400ยบ oven until done. Remove from oven and cool down completely.

In the meantime, in a pan, add the eggs, milk, sugar, coconut and a drop or two of vanilla essence.

Cook over medium heat until it thickens, remove from heat and allow to cool down.

Open each pastry square and add a tablespoon of the filling or a little more. Sometimes I overdo it just because I love it so much LOL Cover back up and sprinkle with powdered sugar. YUM!

Koeksusters Syrup 250 ml water (1 cup) 625 ml white sugar (2 1/2 cups) 12 1/2 ml lemon juice (2 1/2 tsp.)

5 ml vanilla essence (1 tsp.)

Dough 375 ml cake flour (1 1/2 cups) 22 ml baking powder (4 1/2 tsp.)

1 ml salt (1/4 tsp.)

20 g butter or 20 g margarine 150 ml milk (5 oz or about 3/4 cups) (I had to add a little bit more to get my dough to form, it was way too dry with just the 5/8 cup of milk) 750 ml canola oil (3 cups)

Put the water and sugar in a ot and bring to boil on low heat. Stir frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Boil for 7 minutes.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla essence. Put the pot into the fridge.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Break the butter or margarine into small pieces and add to the four mixture. Add the milk. Mix well until a dough is formed.

Roll the dough out to a thickness of 5 mm (+ or - 1/4 in.). Cut the dough into thin (+ or - 10 mm or 1/2 in.) strips. Take 3 strips and join their ends on one side. Braid the strips to desired koeksuster length and join other ends.

Heat the oil in a pot until fairly hot. Put about 3 koeksusters (or what can fit)at a time in the oil and fry them on both sides until they get a golden-brown color.

As you remove the koeksusters for the oil, place them directly ito the syrup from the fridge. It is important to keep the syrup cool, so between soakings, return the syrup to the fridge to maintain its coolness. (I actually place my bowl inside a bigger bowl with a bed of ice and pop some in between the bowls too, it keeps it nice and cool).

Remove the koeksusters from the syrup and allow the excess syrup to drip off. Place them in the refrigerator to cool and then eat!

Lemon and Orange Bars For the base: 250gr of flour (2 cups) 85gr of powdered sugar (3/4 cup) 175gr of butter, cut into small pieces (3/4 cup) For the topping: 2 lemons and 1 large orange 4 large eggs 400gr sugar (I think that's too much, I only used 1 cup) 50gr flour (1/2 cup) Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Line a 9 x 12 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In your standing mixer, beat together the flour, sugar and butter until it forms crumbs. (I beat mine a little longer because I got distracted with a kid, so mine came out more bound like a dough, still good though) Press into the prepared pan. Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes until pale golden.

Finely grate the zest from the lemons and the orange. Then squeeze out all the juice into a cup. You will need the juice from both lemons and the orange.

Whisk together the eggs and sugar, then add the zest and the juice, add the flour and mix well.

Pour over the base and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, just until the topping has set. Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan.

When cool, lift the parchment paper out, and then dust heavily with powdered sugar.

TRES LECHES CAKE 1 package white cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare mix 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 1 cup milk 1 cup (1/2 pint) whipping cream 1 container (8 ounces) whipped topping, thawed Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Bake about 35 to 40 minutes or until cake is firm to the touch. Remove cake from oven; cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine sweetened condensed milk, milk and whipping cream in a 4-cup measure. Poke holes all around the warm cake, using a wooden skewer or toothpick.

Slowly pour milk mixutre evenly over top of holes on cake.

Let cake cool 10 to 15 minutes more to absorb all the liquid. Cover and refrigerate cake in pan at least 1 hour.

When cake is completely cool, spread whipped topping evenly on top.

Cut into pieces and serve with fresh fruit. Keep cake covered and refrigerated.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake 3 cups Original Bisquick® mix 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour 3/4 cup butter or margarine 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/8 teaspoon salt 6 eggs 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened Powdered sugar, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan, 12-cup fluted tube cake pan or 2 (9x5-inch) loaf pans.

Beat all ingredients except powdered sugar in large bowl on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl frequently.

Beat on medium speed 4 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; turn pan upside down onto wire rack or heatproof serving plate. Remove pan; cool cake completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Makes 16 servings

Pumpkin Cake Roll 3 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 2/3 cup canned or cooked pumpkin 1/2 teaspoon almond extract OR lemon juice if you prefer 3/4 cup all purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon plus 1 cup confectioner's sugar, divided 6 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, cubed 1 teaspoon butter 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line a 15-in. x 10-in. baking pan with waxed paper. Coat the paper with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs for 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar; beat for 2 minutes or until mixture becomes thick and lemon-colored.

Beat in pumpkin and extract. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger and salt; fold into pumpkin mixture. (I cheated and just added everything without mixing together first..still worked)

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched (do not overbake).

Cool for 5 minutes. Invert onto a kitchen towel dusted with 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar.

Gently peel off waxed paper.

Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For filling, in a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and remaining confectioner's sugar until fluffly.

Unroll cake; spread filling evenly over cake to within 1/2 in. of edges.

Roll up again. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Pasteis de Nata Credit: David Leite

Pastry Puff Pastry (the longer way you would make the pastry from scratch, but I’m all for shortcuts since I don’t have the time to be in the kitchen that long) Custard 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 cup granulated sugar 6 egg yolks On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/16-inch thickness. Cut out 6 (4 1/2-inch) circles. (If you don’t have a cookie cutter, a wide-mouth jar works well.) Ease the dough circles into a 12-cup (4-ounce capacity) nonstick muffin tin, pressing out any overlapping folds.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Place the tin in the freezer for 5 minutes. Remove and trim any overhang with the back of a knife so that the pastry cups are flush with the top of the tins. Line dough cups with cupcake papers and fill with dried beans or pastry weights.

Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 8 to 10 minutes to set.

Make the custard. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup of the cream in a medium bowl. Add the remaining cream and sugar, and stir until the mixture is smooth and the sugar dissolves.

Check for sugar granules with a spoon; none should remain. In a small bowl, blend the yolks with a fork until smooth.

Add the yolks to the cream mixture, stirring gently to combine.

Ladle the egg mixture into the partially baked pastry cups, filling to 2/3 capacity. Bake in at 350°F (180°C) until the edges of the custard are puffed and middle is still jiggly, about 20 to 25 minutes.

(The custard will continue to cook.) Cool completely in the tin.

The pastéis are best when eaten the same day.

Palmiers (Elephant Ears) 1 pound puff pastry dough (2 rectangle sheets) 1 tablespoon soft butter 1/2 cup superfine sugar

Thaw the puff pastry if frozen. Roll one sheet of dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/4-inch thick.

Spread butter over surface of pastry.

Sprinkle with one half of the sugar. Roll second pastry sheet to the sam>e size as first. Place on top of first.

Sprinkle remaining sugar over whole surface.

Fold as sketched bringing the ends to within 3/4 inch of each other. Repeat this folding as shown.

Slice into 1/4-inch- thick "palm leaves".

Put leaves on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn cookies over with a spatula.

Continue baking until golden brown. Transfer palmiers on a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

BOLO DE BOLACHA 2 packs of Maria Biscuits (you can find them in the Mexican section of your grocery store) 2 cups of butter softened 2 cups of powdered sugar 1 egg strong coffee

Mix butter and sugar until creamy, add the egg and beat until well incorporated. Set aside.

Start dipping the cookies one at a time in the coffee, don't let them sit in there long, just a quick dip, then place on the serving plate in the shape of a flower.

Do one layer of cookies, then spread a thin layer of the butter cream mixture.

Repeat layers as high as you want to go. I used one and half packs of the Maria cookies.

Cover the whole cake with the remaining butter cream mixture.

Take some of the remaining cookies and crumble them on top.

EASY BUTTER COOKIES 1 stick of butter (may use margarine) 1 cup flour 5 tablespoons of sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Mix ingredients together and roll into balls. Press down with a fork. Sprinkle a little sugar on top of each cookie.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

www.fullbellies.blogspot.com https://www.facebook.com/Fullbellieshappykids