“Portuguese Style” S’Mores (Bolacha Maria S’mores)

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So, I have decided to have a little fun with today’s blog entry.  It’s summer,  which means it’s fire pit and camping season here in New England.  So I decided to think a bit outside the box and merge the Portuguese and American cultures together in a fun and simple way… The Portuguese being the Bolacha Maria cookie… The American being the time-tested camp fire favorite, the s’more.

Now unlike my earlier s’more posting (Peep S’Mores) this post will involve real fire and bona-fide marshmallow roasting technique.  You will need to get ahold of three ingredients… regular size marshmallows… none of  those crazy giant marshmallow, no colors or crazy flavors… just plain ole marshmallows.  You will also need a package of Bolacha Maria cookies and a Hershey’s bar.

Let’s get started!

I like to use two marshmallows for my s’mores, no matter if they are American style with graham crackers or Portuguese style with a Bolacha Maria Cookie.

Now the trick here is not to place your marshmellos directly on the fire... you want to gently toast your marshmellos over the coals.

Now the trick here is not to place your marshmallow directly on the fire… you want to gently toast your marshmallow over the coals.

Constantly rotate your marshmallow over those coals and you will get a well toasted marshmallow perfect for building your s’more!

Place your Bolocha Maria cookie down on a plate.

Place your Bolacha Maria cookie down on a plate.

Unwrap a chocolate bar, cut in half.

Place the chocolate bar half on top of the cookie.

Add your toasted marshmallow on top of your chocolate bar.

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Recipe for “Portuguese Style’ S’Mores:

(serves 1)

2 Bolacha Maria Cookies

2 marshmallow, Toasted

1/2 regular size chocolate bar

Directions:

Toast marshmallow slowly over hot coals.  Then start stacking as follows: One Maria cookie, one piece of chocolate and then the marshmallows and top it off with the Maria cookie.  Enjoy!

***The Portuguese American Mom is in no way suggesting that this is a traditional Portuguese recipe… this is entirely the an adaptaion of a classic American treat by The Portuguese American Mom

Strawberry Lime Corn Salad

done5Do you ever get sick of the same ole dinner night after night? I know, it’s probably not exactly “the same”, but getting stuck in a dinner time rut is so easy to do.  Tonight I made a BBQ Salsa Lime chicken and to go along with it, I decided to get creative!  Hence the Strawberry Lime Corn Salad was born…

This time of year is so wonderful for fresh fruits and veggies.  My kids both love strawberries and they both gobble up corn like you wouldn’t believe.  So, I decided to combine the two with a little panache.  I actually made this salad right outside by the grill while enjoying my family.  The kid’s played on the swings, my husband enjoyed a cold drink and I was chopping and dicing away (for about 5 minutes because it’s really that quick!)

If you are making your corn on the grill like I did, you will want to start off by timing it out so that your corn will have time to cool well before dinner, just so that you can handle it.  Another great way to make this ahead though is just to microwave your corn.  (To microwave corn: Don’t remove the husk at all, just place as is in the microwave for 3 minutes on high, then allow to cool for 5 minutes before shucking.) Microwaving is a great method for this particular salad because when you microwave corn, what you are doing is sucking all the sweet juice from the cob and pushing it all into the corn kernels; so, you end up with a very dry cob, but super juicy kernels.

Let’s get started:

Place corn on the grill about 1/2 hour before dinner… The corn itself will take about 15 minutes to cook, and then you can allow 5-10 minutes cooling time.

Grab some fresh strawberries, 6-8 or so.

Grab some fresh strawberries, 6-8 or so.

Dice up your strawberries. I would say a medium dice for a strawberry.

Slice up one scallion… discard the tip of the root and the tip of the top.

Add in your scallions.

Zest one lime.

Add your zest into the salad.

Add your zest into the salad.

Aren't those grill marks pretty?  Allow this to cool a bit so that you can handle it with your hands. You'll need two ears of corn for this recipe.

Aren’t those grill marks pretty? Allow this to cool a bit so that you can handle it with your hands. You’ll need two ears of corn for this recipe.

Remove the kernels from the cob be carefully cutting down along the edge.

Add in your corn.

Now take that lime you just zested, cut it in half and add the juice from both halves right into the salad.

Now take that lime you just zested, cut it in half and add the juice from both halves right into the salad. Mix everything together.

 

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Recipe for Strawberry Lime Corn Salad:

(Serves 4-6)2 ears of corn, grilled, kernels removed from cob

6-8 fresh strawberries, diced

1 lime, zested and squeezed

1 scallion, chopped

1 splash white wine vinegar (about a Tbs.)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Serve, enjoy!

*note – this recipe is gluten-free

**note – this recipe has no added salt

 

Lobster Corn Chowder

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Summer is such a wonderful time for food, especially in New England!  We have delicious sweet corn and incredible cold water lobsters a plenty.  This past 4th of July weekend we were lucky enough to have both!  I even bought some extra corn and had some left over lobster so I decided to create a version of what New Englander’s are known for… chowder! Lobster and corn brought together with a creamy broth, what could be better?

I grew up in the small New England town of Westport, Massachusetts. Westport is both a fishing and farming community.  Some of the biggest of those two industries has always been lobster, dairy and corn.  All of these essentials are found in this dish.  Who says you can’t go home again?

You'll want to start  by shucking about 8 ears of fresh corn and placing them in a pot.

You’ll want to start by shucking about 8 ears of fresh corn and placing them in a pot.

Then cover the corn in cold water. Bring to a boil and shut it off… Let it sit in the water to cool a bit. (The fresher the corn, the less time it needs… but, don’t forget this will also boil again later) One it is done boiling, reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid for later.

Place a small ingredient bowl inverted in a larger bowl… You’ll want to make sure your larger bowl can accommodate the kernels of 8 ears of corn… This method makes for so much less mess!

Now prop up a cob of corn on top of that little ingredient bowl.  If you don't find it to be stable enough, just cut off the very bottom.

Now prop up a cob of corn on top of that little ingredient bowl. If you don’t find it to be stable enough, just cut off the very bottom.

Now, carefully run you your knife down the legnth of the corn cob... be sure your fingers are out of the way!

Now, carefully run you your knife down the length of the corn cob… be sure your fingers are out of the way!

Now, this is a very important step... take the back of your knife and firmly run it down your naked cob.  You are essentially creaming the corn by doing this.

Now, this is a very important step… take the back of your knife and firmly run it down your naked cob. You are essentially creaming the corn by doing this.

Here is what you are left with 🙂

Before you begin, you will want to also boil a potato with salt and garlic, chop and reserve.  Just one.

Before you begin, you will want to also boil a potato with salt and garlic, chop and reserve. Just one.

Start your soup by building your base, which is your veggies, but first you'll need to render some bacon so that you have fat to cook your veggies in.  So, cook until crisp.

Start your soup by building your base, which is your veggies, but first you’ll need to render some bacon so that you have fat to cook your veggies in. So, cook until crisp.

Drain your bacon on a couple of paper towels.  Reserve the bacon fat in the pot.

Drain your bacon on a couple of paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat in the pot.

This is a shallot... a rather large shallot actually.  It is a milder cousin of the onion.  Because I find this to be a more delicate chowder, I didn't want to overwhelm the flavor with onion.

This is a shallot… a rather large shallot actually. It is a milder cousin of the onion. Because I find this to be a more delicate chowder, I didn’t want to overwhelm the flavor with onion.

Chop the shallot as you would an onion.

Chop the shallot as you would an onion.

Saute the shallot over low heat in the reserved bacon fat.

Saute the shallot over low heat in the reserved bacon fat.

Get one red bell pepper and halve and seed it. I like the sweetness of red bell pepper, you can use which ever color you like best.

Chop it up and add it in to the sauteing shallots.

Measure about a quarter cup of all purpose flour.

Measure about a quarter cup of all purpose flour.

Add flour to the sautéed veggies.

Stir in that flour and cook for a minute or so.

Add all the corn you’ve prepared to your soup pot.

That corn cooking liquid you reserved goes in now.  I run it through a strainer just to catch any stray corn silk.

That corn cooking liquid you reserved goes in now. I run it through a strainer just to catch any stray corn silk.

Here is my left over lobster, isn't he cute?

Here is my left over lobster, isn’t he cute?

Pull off his legs. There is lots of yummy meat in those legs, but I have no patience to get all that meat out for this purpose.

So what I do is throw them right in the soup pot. This serves two purposes. First of all, it gives your cooking liquid a bit of seafood stock. Second, you can serve these right with your chowder and people can suck the meat out of them should they so choose.  Now is the time to add in your potato as well.

Now, remove the body and discard. (I don’t put the body in the soup pot because there is too much mush for my taste). Shell all this lobster.

Once you have shelled the tail, you can pull off the back of the tail as I have done here and remove that vein. Some people don’t bother with this step, I just do. It’s up to you.

Now chop up the meat you have reserving the claw pieces to top your chowder if you so choose.

Now chop up the meat you have reserving the claw pieces to top your chowder if you so choose.

Add the chopped lobster to the soup pot to heat through.

Add the chopped lobster to the soup pot to heat through.

When all your ingredients have hung out together for a few minutes... Add in half a quart of light cream.

When all your ingredients have hung out together for a few minutes… Add in half a quart of light cream.

Chop and crumble bacon into the soup pot.

Chop and crumble bacon into the soup pot.

Add salt and pepper to taste.  I like a good amount of fresh cracked black pepper.

Add salt and pepper to taste. I like a good amount of fresh cracked black pepper.

Add a couple dashes of white pepper.

Add a couple dashes of white pepper.

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Add some sliced scallions, oyster crackers, the reserved lobster claw, serve and enjoy!

Recipe for Lobster Corn Chowder:

(Serves 8)

1 boiled lobster, shelled and chopped

8 ears of corn, boiled

1 1/2 cups corn cooking liquid reserved

1 large red potato, cooked and chopped

1 large shallot chopped

1/2 red bell pepper seeded and chopped

3 slices bacon

rendered bacon fat reserved

1/2 quart light cream

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. white pepper

kosher salt to taste

fresh cracked black pepper to taste

2 scallions chopped

oyster crackers or saltines

Directions:

Prepare potato by boiling in salted water and one clove of garlic (optional). Prepare lobster by boiling or getting it steamed from your fish monger.  Prepare corn on the cob by shucking and bringing to a boil, reserving 1 1/2 cups corn cooking water.  Cool these ingredients so they are easy to handle.

Next shell and chop lobster. Reserve lobster legs. Remove corn kernels from cob and cream from cob as well (demonstrated above).  Chop potato.  Set aside all ingredients for when they are needed.

Render bacon fat, reserve fat in soup pot.  Set aside bacon to drain on paper towel.  Sautee shallots and bell pepper in the bacon fat over low heat for about 5-6 minutes until tender.  Add in flour.  Cook flour for a minute or so, stirring.  Add in corn. Stir. Add in corn cooking liquid. Stir. Bring to a simmer.  Add in lobster, potato and lobster legs. Stir.  Pour in light cream. Stir.  Add in white pepper.  Add in salt and black pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

(If you would like to make this recipe gluten-free, swap out all purpose flour with corn starch)

 

Rainbow Popcorn

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A good friend of mine had an “UP” themed birthday party for her little girl recently.  To highlight the theme she had rainbows, balloons and colors galore!  I decided to bring along my contribution to her party by whipping up a batch of this super colorful Rainbow Popcorn!

Not only is this popcorn colorful, but each color has a different flavor because to color the popcorn I used none other than a rainbow array of Jell-O.  You could adapt this, of course, to any theme you would like… If you are doing a ‘Lemonade Stand’ birthday party, then just use the yellow… If you are planning a ‘Smurf’ theme, then just the blue… the possibilities are endless.  This is a great activity for kids to help with too!  It’s not complicated at all.

Here are all the ingredients you will need.

Prepare 12 cups of plain popcorn. I did it over the stove with kernels… You might also want to try a plain bag of microwave popcorn… well several bags. Then place 5 cups of popcorn into a large bowl.

Pour half a can of sweetened condensed milk into a small sauce pan.

Pour half a packet of your chosen jello color into the pan.

Pour half a packet of your chosen jello color into the pan.

Mix well to distribute color.

Put the condensed milk mixture over low heat.  If the burner is turned up too high, you'll get a burned pan like you see here.

Put the condensed milk mixture over low heat. If the burner is turned up too high, you’ll get a burned pan like you see here.

Pour the thickened liquid over the prepared popcorn.

Mix in until it coats all the popcorn evenly.

I prefer parchment paper, but if you don’t have parchment, you can line your cookie sheet with foil like you see here and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 175°F.

Once baked, let cool about 20 minutes and then break into pieces and place in bowl.

Once baked, let cool about 20 minutes and then break into pieces and place in bowl.

Mix in each color seperately.

Mix in each color separately.

Cook each color on low heat until thickened... about 10 minutes.

Cook each color on low heat until thickened… about 10 minutes.

Pour each colors thickened liquid over the prepared popcorn.

Place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake at 175°F for 18-20 mins.

Place each color on the cookie sheet.  Bake at 175°F for 18-20 minutes.

Place each color on the cookie sheet. Bake at 175°F for 18-20 minutes.

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Break up all the popcorn… Place in serving bowl and toss!

Recipe for Rainbow Popcorn:

(serves 24)

30 cups prepared plain popcorn

3 cans sweetened condensed milk

6 boxes of Jell-O, in rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple)

Directions:

Turn oven to 175°F.  Prepare 6 cookie sheets (or alternate as you go along) with either parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Prepare fresh popcorn.  In a small sauce pan, pour half a can of sweetened condensed milk.  Then pour in half a packet of your chosen jello into the milk.  Heat over a burner turned to low for about 10 minutes until thickened.  Stir often.

Place about 5 cups of popcorn in a large bowl.  Pour thickened milk mixture over popcorn and immediately stir together with a wooden spoon.  Place on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 175°F.  Allow to cool about 20-25 minutes, then break up pieces and place into an extra-large serving bowl.

Repeat with each color.  Mix all cooled colors together. Enjoy!

*this is a Gluten-free recipe.

(Recipe variation… this popcorn has an intense Jell-O flavor, which kids love… but if you wish to tone it down a bit, use only 1/4 packet of Jell-O per mixture and add 4 drops of the matching food color to boost the coloring, for adults you could also sprinkle with kosher or sea salt just after baking to balance the flavor)

***This recipe is an adaptation of the Eagle Brand Condensed Milk recipe.

 

Sangria Steak Sliders

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A great recipe for inside grilling!  If you have a grill pan, a pitcher of Sangria, some steak and bread and about 10 minutes on y our hands you have everything you need to make these delicious little lunch treats!  I kind of tripped upon this recipe the day I made my “A Taste of St. Michael Sparkling Sangria”.  I happened to have the pitcher there and being mid-week, we don’t do a whole lot of drinking.  I also happened to have picked up some thin cut steak sandwich steaks at the market and some bread…. So I got to thinking, what could I do with these ingredients???

Well, the answer was make that Sangria into a marinade!  And I must say it worked out really well! These are great for a quick lunch, a party or as a snack.  If you don’t happen to have these ingredients handy, you could either make some sangria or look below for some additional instructions.

To the Sangria all I added was about 3 Tbs. of kosher salt and 2 large garlic cloves, sliced. I let it marinade for about an hour… You could do this up to about 6 hours ahead (I don’t suggest any longer because of the acid from the oranges and pineapples)

Add some butter and oil onto a grill pan.

Place the steaks in the heated pan over medium high heat… These sandwich steaks are so thin that they really only need a sear on both sides and they are done… I also place some pineapple slices on the grill along with some of the garlic cloves (these garlic slices are huge!)

Then just take a slice or two of steak and place on the slider sized bread.  I prefer a Portuguese Pop Seco.

Then just take a slice or two of steak and place on the slider sized bread. I prefer a Portuguese Pop Seco.

Add on some grilled pineapples and if you like grilled garlic.

Add on some grilled pineapples and if you like grilled garlic.

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Recipe for Sangria Steak Sliders:

(makes 4 sliders, serves 2)

8 thinly sliced steak sandwich steaks (about 1/2 lb)

4 slider size rolls (I like Portuguese rolls)

2 cups Sangria with fruit (If you don’t have this, combine 2 cups sweet red wine with one small can of pineapple slices with juice and slice up one orange as a substitute)

2 large garlic cloves sliced

3 Tbs. kosher salt

2 Tbs. butter

2 Tbs. veggie oil

Directions:

Add salt and garlic to Sangria.  Marinate meat 1-6 hours.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat.  Add butter and oil.  Sear steak on both sides (about 2-3 mins each side).  Sear pineapple and garlic as well.

Add steak, pineapple and garlic to roll.

Enjoy!