Butternut Squash Soup

It is our first anniversary and we want to celebrate it with a couple of winter recipes. One of my friends who is an organic grower gifted us with some fantastic fresh butternut squashes. We made an wonderful winter soup that calms your soul and nurture your body. Hope you enjoy it.


Ingredients:

6 cups of water
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 butternut squashes puree*
2 medium size potatoes diced
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

To make the butteenut squash puree you just need to wash, cut them in half and remove the seeds. Put them in the oven for about 40 minutes (375 degree F). Remove the squash from the oven, let it cool for a while and then with the squash still warm remove the skin with a sharp knife.

In a large pan add the water, squash puree, potatoes, onions, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Let it all boil for 20-30 minutes in low-medium heat.


Puree the mixture with an immersion blender or any other blender (be careful for not burning yourself). Serve it hot!

My First Apple Pie

Apple pie was always avoided during Thanksgiving at it looked daunting and impossible to get done well. This Thanksgiving we decide to face our fears and get the apple pie done. To be on the safe side we bought some ready made pie crust. We chose Pillsbury Pie Crust. It turned out amazing!

Ingredients:

5 medium apples, peeled and cut into small cubes

3/4 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of flour

3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

1 package of Pillsbury Pie Crust

Directions:

Remove one pie crust from pouch; unroll crust on greased 9-inch glass pie plate.

In a large bowl, mix filling ingredients: apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and lemon juice. Pour the mixture into crust-lined pie plate.

Remove the second pie crust from pouch; unroll on top of the pie, pressing edges together to seal. Cut slits or shapes in several places in top crust.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown (oven=375 F). Enjoy!



Beef roasted with red potatoes

This is a great dish for a chilly fall evening. We also get to have enough leftover for great sandwiches on the next day. The red potatoes add texture and flavor. We like them with the skin.

          Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb. beef chuck boneless pot roast thick
• 2 pounds of red skin potatoes cut into small cubes
• 2 garlic cloves diced
• 1/2 cup of white wine (dry)
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 3 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion cut in thin slices
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• pepper
  
  
  Directions:

Place the beef in the center of a deep plate. Add the salt, pepper, garlic, onion, bay leaf, paprika, and 1 table spoon of olive oil. Toss gently to blend. Add the wine. Cover the dish and put it in the fridge. Leave the beef in this marinate for at least 5 hours (preferably overnight).

In a large baking dish put 1 table spoon of olive oil on the bottom and the beef and the marinate. Preheat the oven at 350 F - 375 F and roast the beef for for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the baking dish from the oven, turn the meat around and add the potatoes lightly sprinkled with salt and 1 table spoon of olive oil. 

Let it roast for more 1 hour. When potatoes are roasted, remove from the oven, let it sit for a few minutes. Enjoy it with a Turkish inspired salad: http://whatchaucooking.blogspot.com/2010/02/turkish-inspired-salad.html

Tilapia with shrimp and red peppers

 

We like tilapia because it is tasteful and available even in places where we do not have many options on the fish and seafood section.

Ingredients:

4-5 tilapia filets

2 cups of frozen shrimp

1 red pepper cut into small stripes

2 minced garlic

parsely

sea salt

lemon pepper

2-3 table spoons of olive oil

Directions:

In a large glass baking dish put the 1 table spoon of olive oil on the bottom and the tilapia filets and frozen shrimp on top. Add the red pepper cut into small stripes, minced garlic, parsely, sea salt, and lemon pepper. Finally put the rest of the olive oil on top.

Preheat the oven at 350 F. Put the baking dish in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. When ready, remove from the oven, let it sit for a few minutes and garnish with extra fresh parsely.You can have some simple white rice to go with it or a green salad.

Enjoy!

Octopus Rice

The ultimate delicacy...the octopus rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves diced
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup of water
• 2-3 baby frozen octopus (fresh octopus is better if you can find it)
• 1 whole medium onion
•  2 cups of rice
• 2 additional cups of water
• pinch of pepper
• 2 teaspoon of sea salt
• few leaves of cilantro 

Directions:

Leave the frozen octopus out of the freezer to defrost for 1-2 hours before you start cooking .

In a large pan add one cup of water, the whole onion and one teaspoon of salt. Let it boil and then add the octopus that you previously washed. Put the lid on the pan and let it boil in medium-low heat until the whole onion is cooked (the onion should be really soft and mushy). This is the sign that the octopus is ready.

Remove the octopus from the water and cut the octopus into small pieces. Save the water that you used to boil the octopus for the rice. Discard the onion.

In a large pan, add the onion, garlic, and olive oil. Cook for a few minutes until the onion turns gold and soft.

Add the water from boiling the octopus and 2 additional cups of water, salt and pepper and the octopus cut in small pieces.  Let it boil for a couple of minutes. Then add the rice. Stir. Cover the pan with a lid and let everything cook in medium-low for 20-25 minutes (or until the rice does not have any liquid -- check frequently so you do not burn the rice). Make sure to rice is cooked before you serve. If it is still too hard add a little bit of more water and let it cook for a few additional minutes.

Serve hot and decorated with cilantro. Enjoy!

Tilapia and octopus: are you ready?

Do you smell something fishy? It is our kitchen this week. As the weather warms up we feel like to try different dishes. So this week we are introducing tilapia with shrimp and red peppers.

And our very much loved dish: octopus rice -- yes you can smile ;)

Enjoy this week fantastic and full of flavor dishes.

Ana & Ana

Apple cider

This has been a very cold and icy Winter, specially in the Midwest of the United States. This is a great hot drink that we have been drinking during this never ending Winter in Iowa. Hope you enjoy it...and keep you warm.

Ingredients:

• Apple juice (we use Old Orchard 100% Apple (64 Fl oz)
• 3-5 grains of Allspice Whole
• 1 cinnamon stick
• half of an orange cut into slices

Directions:

It is really simple:
All you have to do is take a large sauce pan and put all the apple juice into it. Then add the oranges slices, cinnamon stick, and allspice. And put the heat on medium low. Once it starts simmering turn off the heat so it doesn't boil. Remember Simmer not boil!

Red potatoes stew

This is a super delicious recipe, especially if you use fresh vegetables. At this time of the year we use frozen peas and corn. You can also replace the peas and corn with any other type of vegetable: Brussels sprouts, extra carrots, green beans...whatever you like the most.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves diced
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup of water
• 3 large carrots cut into thin slices
• 2 pounds of small red potatoes cut into cubes and washed
• 1 package of frozen peas (about 1 pound)
• 1/2 package of frozen corn (about 1/2 pound)
• pinch of pepper
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

Directions:

In a large pan, add the onion, garlic, carrots and olive oil. Cook for a few minutes until the onion turns gold and soft.

Add the potatoes, salt and pepper and let them fry for a couple of minutes. Then add the peas, corn and water. Let everything cook in medium-low for 20-25 minutes (or until the potatoes are soft -- you can try them with a fork). Make sure to stir the vegetables a couple of times, while they cooks.

Turkish inspired salad

Our friends from Turkey, Turkan, Ozlem and Muge taught us how to prepare a delicious and super healthy salad made of fresh cilantro and tomatoes. It is so simple to prepare and so refreshing and tasteful.

Ingredients:

• 4 large or medium tomatoes
• half a bunch of fresh cilantro (you can also use parsley if you prefer)
• 2 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemons (you are going to need 2 table spoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice)
• a pinch of salt

Directions:

Wash the tomatoes, dry off them on a paper towel and cut the tomatoes in small cubes. Put them on a large bowl.

Wash the cilantro, clean it from any dry leaves, cut the cilantro long stem and dry it on a paper towel.
Cut the cleaned cilantro into small pieces. Add them to the large bowl.

Make a dressing with olive oil, fresh lemon juice and salt. Mix it all together. Before serving the salad add this dressing to the tomatoes and cilantro. Mix gently and enjoy!

A vegetarian week ahead

 

A week dedicated to our vegetarian friends...and a way for us to detox from meat. A beautiful Turkish inspired salad and a red potato stew. 

Both dishes taste delicious and are so good for our bodies and souls.

Enjoy what the week has to offer...

Ana & Ana

Crème brûlée (or not)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of whole milk
• 7 tablespoons ( we used Pillsbury Softasilk: enriched cake flour bleached)
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 2 lemon rinds
• 4 egg yolk beaten
• 2 tablespoons of white sugar

Directions:

Add 3 cups of milk, sugar and lemon rinds to a large sauce pan in medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil . When boiling bring the heat to medium-low. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining one cup of milk (it is better if the milk is warm) and the flour until well blended.

Add the milk and flour to the cream in the sauce pan stirring continually and let it boil slowly in a medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes (mix continually with a wooden spoon or whiskers). Remove this cream from the oven and let it set for a couple of minutes. Discard the lemon rinds.

Take the yolks and 2 tablespoons of white sugar, and beat them until the mixture becomes significantly lighter in color. Heat the cream again to medium-low and mix the yolk-sugar mixture gently to the cream. Let it slowly boil for 2-4 minutes.

Serve on individual bowls or large deep dish. Chill out. The custard need to set for at least two hours. Then spread some white sugar on the surface of each custard, and either put them in the oven on broil until the sugar is melted and delicious or r melt the sugar on each individually by using a butane torch (search for Creme Brulee Torch Set).

Variation: Most of the times we do not go over the extra work of torching the sugar on top of the cream; instead we just sprinkle the cream with sugar and cinnamon. Great delicious flavor for less work. 
 

Hope you enjoy this easy way to prepare crème brûlée (or not)

Making life a little easier...

Source: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=12371578 (Bed Bath & Beyond).

We are starting this week with a variation to crème brûlée. It sounds a dauting task make the perfect custard, but with this easy recipe you are going to be able to prepare a delicious one.

Most of the times we do not go over the extra work of torching the sugar on top of the custard; instead we just sprinkle the cream with sugar and cinnamon. Great delicious flavor for less work. 

Hope you enjoy this week easy way to prepare crème brûlée (or not),

Ana & Ana

Beef Stew with Poached Eggs

With this Winter we need some comforting meals. This week we are going for a beef stew with veggies and poached eggs. It is hearty and comforting...and perfect for cold weather.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves diced
• 2 tablespoons of extra vrigin olive oil
• 1.5 pound of fresh beef cut in small cubes
• 1 chourizo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorizo) sliced (replace with smoked sausage)
• 1/2 cup of water
• 3 eggs
• 3 large carrots cut into thin slices
• 1 package of frozen peas ( about 1 pound)
• pinch of pepper
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

Directions:

In a large pan, add the onion, garlic, chourizo, carrotts, and olive oil. Cook for a few minutes until the onion turns gold and soft.

Add the beef, salt and pepper and let the beef fry for a couple of minutes. As soon as the beef losses its pink/red color add the water and peas. Let everything cook in medium-low for 20-25 minutes. Make sure to stir the beef and vegetables a couple of times, while it cooks.

When the stew is ready, add three whole eggs to it.

Put a lid on the pan as the eggs cook. Leave it to cook for 3-7 minutes depending on how you like your poached eggs.

Serve very hot with some white rice and/or bread. It is delicious!

It is Time for Beef Stew

With this Winter we need some comforting meals. This week we are going for a beef stew with veggies and poached eggs. It is hearty and comforting...and perfect for cold weather.

Hope you enjoy it!

Stay tuned,

Ana & Ana

Extreme Chocolate Truffles

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! This is our favorite truffles (or bonbons) recipe. You need to love chocolate to appreciate them. Enjoy...and spread the love.

Ingredients:

2 pakg. (12 oz. each) semi-sweet chocolate chips (we like to use Ghirardelli)

1 pkg. (8o oz.) cream chees (not lite or fat free) at room temperature

2 teaspoons of water

2 packages (7 oz. each) dipping chocolate (real dark semi-sweet chocolate) (we use Baker's since we cannot find Ghirardelli where we live)

Directions:

In microwave safe bowl melt chocolate chips (use small time increments - 15 to 20 seconds - and check the chocolate constantly so it does not burn; mix the chocolate every time you check it; you want all the chocolate chips to met).

As soon as all the chocolate chips are evenly melted, add the cream cheese and water. Mix energetically with a wooden spoon. Let this mixture chill in the fridge for at least 1-2 hrs (or overnight).

Shape the mixture into 1 in. balls and place on wax lined cookie sheet (or large plate). Chill about 2 hours. Melt dipping chocolate in the microwave (follow directions on the package). Dip turffles and place them on wax paper to harden. You need to move fast so the dipping chocolate does not harden.

We recommend to melt one package at time. Or to just use one of the dipping chocolate package and leave the remaining turffles without a dip. Instead you can decorate them with sugar pearls, a drop of cream cheese frosting or anything else you feel like to do. You also can mold them into different shapes...

Chocolate Cake "Com Amor" (With Love)

Aunt Didi emailed the chocolate recipe from Portugal "with love." We added our favorite frosting - cheese cream frosting-- for a killer combination. Give it and try and let us know...

Ingredients:

For the cake:
4 eggs
1 stick of butter (room temperature)
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of cocoa powder
3/4 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder

For the frosting:
1 stick of butter (room temperature)
1 (8 oz) package of Philadelphia cream cheese
1 cup of confectioners sugar, sifted
1 drop of red food coloring

Directions:

For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter 1 heart-shape pan and sprinkle it with flour.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in the bowl (with an electric mixer, whisk or wooden spoon) until light yellow. Add the cocoa powder to the mixture and continue mixing.

In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the egg whites until they are firm (need to form stiff, firm peaks).

Add small portions of flour and baking powder to the initial batter alternating with small portions of beaten egg whites (by carefully folding them in the mixture).  Continue doing this until there is not any more flour or egg whites to add to the batter.

Add the batter to the cake pan. Bake for 40-45 min. or until a toothpick come out clean. Allow the cakes to cool before you add the frosting.

For the frosting:
Mix the cream cheese and butter in a bowl with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (this one just comes out better with the electric mixer don’t recommend to do this with whisk or spoon.) Wait until the 2 ingredients are fully combined. Add the sugar and drop of food coloring and mix until smooth.

With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top of the cake with a thick layer of frosting. Decorate with sugar pearls for a dash of glitter.

Well Married (Bem Casados)

We have learned this recipe from our Brazilian friend Karina. It is called "Bem Casado," which means "Well Married" in English so very much in tune with Valentine's Day and related themes :). This recipe is also known as the Brazilian fudge.

This recipe is great for anyone who does not like to drink milk, since most of it is condensed milk. Our youngest in the family, Mariana, who happens not to like to drink her milk in the morning, really likes these for breakfast...We are giving "Bem Casados" away to our Valentines this week.

Ingredients:

For the first batch (with chocolate)

• 1 (14 ounces) can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon of butter (Pride of Iowa!)
• 3 table spoons of cocoa powder (Nestle Quick will do it)

 For the second batch (without chocolate)

•  1 (14 ounces) can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon of butter (Pride of Iowa!)
• white granulate sugar  to cover

Directions:

For the first batch:

In a saucepan over medium heat mix the condensed milk, cocoa and butter. Cook, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon for about 15-17 minutes or until thickened. You will know that is ready when you are able to see the bottom of the pan when tilting it. Remove from the heat and carefully transfer the hot mixture to a separate greased bowl to cool. Let it cool off.

For the second batch:

In a saucepan over medium heat mix the condensed milk and butter. Cook, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon for about 15-17 minutes or until thickened. You will know that is ready when you are able to see the bottom of the pan when tilting it. Remove from the heat and carefully transfer the hot mixture to a separate greased bowl to cool. Let it cool off.

Putting everything together:

Cover your hands with butter and take a small portion from the mixture with chocolate and another from the mixture without chocolate. Roll both small portions into small balls. Roll the balls over white granulate sugar until completely covered. You can decorate them with sugar pearls...

They look awesome! And taste even better.

Valentine's Day is Next Week!

This week we are going to share with you some of our extreme dessert recipes.

We will start with a variation of the Brazilian Fudge (or Brigadeiros) that our friend Karina taught us. They are called "Well Married" (Bem Casados).

A delicious Chocolate Cake "Com Amor" (With Love). Aunt Didi emailed the cake recipe from Portugal and we added our cream cheese frosting to it with a hint of red food coloring and much love.

And we will top the week with the extreme chocolate truffles. These are chocolate bombs that will explod in your mouth (eat in moderation :)

Happy Valentine's Day to all friends/followers out there,

Ana & Ana

Spaghetti and Meat Balls

This is a recipe that we recently learnt and became one of our favs: Spaghetti and Meat Balls. It is delicious and it will feed you for three days. On the next day, you can make meatball sandwiches on ciabatta bread for lunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of spaghetti
• salt

For the meatballs

• 1 pound of ground beef (you can use other types of meat (or a mixture), such as pork, veal or lamb)
• 2 table spoons of white wine (dry)
• 1 beaten eggs
• 4 cloves of gralic finely chopped
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• sea salt
• pepper
• 3 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil

 For the tomato sauce:

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large can of tomato sauce (we like 100% natural Hunt's tomato sauce)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small bunch of cilantro
• pinch red pepper flakes
• sea salt
• pepper

Directions:
For the meatballs:
Combine the following ingredients in a medium bowl: beef, salt, pepper, garlic, cilantro and wine. Mix it together carefully and leave it in the fridge for 5 hours (or overnight). After that add the egg and the bread crumbs into the mixture and roll it into approx.1 1/2-inch balls.

Heat the oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Fry until golden brown, but not necessarily cooked through completely. (Remove with into a plate).

For the Tomato Sauce:
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft adn golden. Add tomato sauce, cilantro, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and let it simmer for for 15-20 minustes. Remove from the heat and puree the sauce with an immersion blender (be careful to not burn your self). Put the pan on the heat again and add the bay leaf and the meatballs into the pan (as well as any left over oil from frying the meat balls). As soon as it boil, bring the heat to low and let it simmer for more 20-30 minutes (put a lid on the pan).

For the Spaghetti:

Bring salt and water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook for about 10-12 minutes in medium-low heat. Drain well, serve with the meat balls in the tomato sauce. You can garnish with more cilantro and/or add some Parmesan cheese.

So, what's next?

Next week we are going to have to take it easy since life outside this blog is eating us alive...We will be sharing with you our newly learnt Spaghetti and Meat Balls recipe. It is delicious and it will feed you for three days. You can also make meat ball sandwiches on ciabatta bread for lunch. Yummy!

Keep visiting our blog,

Ana & Ana

Egg Pudding (Portuguese Flan)

This is a traditional Portuguese pudding usually prepared to celebrate a special occasion. We bring this dessert with us every time we have a potluck. We have been practicing the recipe for years now, so it is easy to make. This recipe may seem easy, but trust me on this, it takes a while to get the hang of it.

 Et voila! The is the last course: the egg pudding! Our signature dessert.

Ingredients:

For the caramel:

• 6 table spoons of sugar
• 3 table spoons of water

For the pudding:

• 1cup of milk
• 7 eggs
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tbsp of flour

 
Directions:

For the caramel:
In the mold itself (see a picture of our very old flan pan we brought with us from Portugal 10 years ago) add the sugar and water. Put the mold on top of the oven on high-medium heat. When the sugar starts turning into a light golden color, give it a little shake and get ready to remove it from the heat. You will know when the caramel is ready as it shows a nice dark brown color.

Remove from the heat and roll the caramel around the sides and center of the mold. The goal if to cover the inside of the mold with a even coat of caramel. Be very careful as the caramel is extremely hot. However, if you wait for it to cool off you will not be able to coat the entire mold and the pudding will not unmold properly.

For the pudding:
In a large bowl mix the sugar with the flour until you cannot see any traces of flour. Add the eggs one by one, and use an electric mixer to mix everything very well. Add the milk and mix again.

Finally:

Pour the pudding mix into the caramelized mold.

 Place the mold (with a tighten lid) in a larger pan and add water to come a little bit less than halfway up the sides of the mold. Cover the larger pan. Let it boil in high-medium heat.

As soon as the water starts boiling, bring the heat to medium low and let the pudding cook for 30 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pudding comes out clean).

Cool in room temperature. Then place it in the fridge for about 3 hours. Unmold the pudding in a deep plate so it can hold the caramel. Enjoy!

Pork Chop with Orange and Cranberry Sauce

This is a recipe that is easy to follow and very fruity. The pork, orange and cranberry make a wonderful combination. It goes well with steam rice and boiled vegetables (brocolli or green beans). This is the second dish of our three-course meal.

Ingredients:

•  4 boneless pork chop (cut thin)
• 2 garlic cloves diced
• 1/4 cup of dark beer
• 4 slices of orange
• 1/2 orange
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 table spoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of butter
• pepper

Directions:

Place the pork chops in the center of a deep plate. Add the salt, pepper, and garlic. Toss gently to blend. Add the beer. Cover the dish and put it in the fridge. Leave the pork chops in this marinate for at least 5 hours (preferably overnight).

In a large skillet melt the butter and add the olive oil. Stir gently and add the pork chops. Save the marinate and leave the chops frying in medium-high heat for 5 minutes (turn them around). After that bring the heat to medium-high and pour the marinate into the skillet along with the juice of half an orange. Stir gently and let the pork chops cooking for more 10-15 minutes (make sure that the meat is well-done-- it should not be pink when you cut the chops in half).

Serve hot with steam rice and/or toast (or croutons), more orange slices and homemade cranberry sauce. If you like, you can also serve with bolied vegetables (brocolli or green beans).

Cranberry Sauce

It is now time to prepare the cranberry sauce to go with the pork chops. Carnberry sauce is not just for Thanksgiving (even though we bought fresh cranberries really cheap right after Thanksgiving). We made a bunch of cranberry sauce this past Thanksgiving and stored it in the fridge in glass containers.


Ingredients:

• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 4 cups of fresh cranberries
• orange peel

Directions:

Wash and pick the cranberries. In a large saucepan bring the water and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add cranberries and orange peel, return to a boil. reduce heat, simmer for about 10 minutes until the cranberries burst. After the cranberries burst, we leave it simmering for an additional 10-15 minutes as we like the sauce thick.

Remove from heat (remove the orange peel). Cool completely at room temperature and then chill in the fridge.