Thursday, October 9, 2008

Wall's Kitchen "Oxtail" or "Rabada" my style


Well this one of my favorite dishes.....this taste so good!!! I love Meat!!!!!!!


Ingredients:

- Oxtail;
- Tomatos;
- Carrots;
- Potatos;
- Onions;
- Garlic;
- Crushed red pepper;
- Salt;
- Olive Oil;
- Fresh Parsley.


Preparation:


Ok let's get ready!!!

First get a nice tall pan or pot, chop the carrots, potatos, tomatos, onions, garlic and the fresh parsley....all in diferent pots.....Now add the olive oil in the pan add the onions, garlic, salt, crushed peppers and the Oxtail....let it fry.....add a little bit of water let fry and cook at the same time......when the water dry it out...add the tomatos....let fry till they melt it.....add more water, add the potatos, carrots and the fresh parsley.....lower the heat....let it boil till vegetables are well cooked....when they are ready.....make sure the table is set.....make some white rice and a nice mixed green salad.
LET"S EAT!!!!!!!!

If you like...get a nice bottle of red wine as well!!!!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Wall's Kitchen "Gnocchi Bolognese" or "Nhoque a Bolonhesa"


Hello Guys.....Well tonight i decided to make a gnocchi bolognese style with a little touch of my imagination......believe me...taste soooooooo good!!!


Ingredients:

- One or Two packs of gnocchi or if you prefer you can make the pasta (mass) your self.
- One Whole Onion;
- Garlic;
- Tomatos;
- Tomato Paste;
- Basil;
- Salt;
- Red Crushed Pepper;
- Bacon;
- Ground Meat;
- Olive Oil.


Preparation:

First you will make the sauce.....chop the onions, garlic, tomatos and on a pan with a little bit of olive oil and add the bacon, let it fry. Now add the ground meat, salt and crushed pepper as much as you like...let it fry a little and then add the tomato paste and a lilttle water as well. Let it cook for a while....then add fresh basil......let it sit on low heat for a while.....in the mean time you get another pot or pan heat up water with salt and oil....let it boil...when its ready throw the gnocchi in it.....when all the gnocchi are floating....IT'S READY.
Now drain the water out......put in a nice dish and add the sauce....AND DONE....LET'S EAT!!
DON'T FORGET THE PARMESAN CHEESE!!!!!!

DON'T FORGET A NICE BOTTLE OF RED WINE!!!!

While I stole this from my buddy, Wallace on www.everydayguy.tv, I wanted to give you a good basic recipe also for making fresh gnocchi


1. Boil the potatoes whole with the skin in salted water until cooked.
2. Once cooked drain the potatoes and then peel them being careful not to burn yourself.
3. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer and into a bowl.
4. Add the flour, egg and a good pinch of salt.
5. Mix until you have a nice pliable ball of dough.
6. Prepare a work area and dust it with flour.
7. Take the dough, a piece at a time, and roll it out with your hands until you have rolls about 3/4 inch in diameter.
8. Cut the tubes of dough into pieces about one inch long.
9. With a fork, holding the tines against the work surface, use your finger to press a piece of dough gently against the fork and roll it slightly then letting it fall to the table.
10. The result should be gnocchi with an indent on one side from your finger and a pattern on the other side from the fork.
11. Handle the gnocchi carefully so they don't loose their shape. Place them on a lightly flour plates. Keep them apart so they don't touch one another or they'll stick together.
12. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and then add the gnocchi carefully a plate or two at a time. When they float to the surface they are ready just remove them with a slotted spoon and set them in a strainer to drain off the excess water.
13. Add more gnocchi to the water and serve the others right away

NOW YOU SHOULD BE READY!!!!!!!!!!

Remember - gnocchi is create with anything, stuffed, a little sage butter, crab meat, spinach, you can really get imaginative with them.

Dont forget the RED WINE!!!!!!!!

Wall's Frango Frito com Alecrin (Fried Chicken and Rosemary)



Hello Guys......this is one easy dish to make...but tastes so good....I love it.


Ingredients:

- Whole Chicken;
- Garlic;
- Olive Oil;
- Salt;
- Black Pepper;
- Onions;
- Alecrin.

Preparation:

Ok...let's go, first you get the chicken and cut in pieces. The Onions and Garlic chop into very small pieces then add them into a pan or pot and fry it for a little bit with the olive oil and the Alecrin.....add the chicken, let it fry as well a little bit and then start adding water little by little till the chicken is well fried and cooked, let the water vaporized. Ready to Serve!!!

Enjoy it....it's very good...the Alecrin gives a special taste to it!!!
You can serve along with white rice, salad...etc.....use your imagination!!!!!

See you next time!!!!

Moqueca de Pexe (Fish Stew)


Hello guys...this is one great recipe and I love to eat great dishes and I love to cook sometimes. Today I decided to make a fish stew where it origins is from Bahia - Brazil, but first made by indians in a very diferent way.

Ingredients:

- Fish: Whiting or any other like white grouper, hake yellow.
- Tomatos;
- Onions;
- Potatos (not a must);
- Few Leaves of Cilantro;
- Oil Palm known as "Oleo de Dende" (in portuguese);
- Coconut Milk;
- Salt (as you like);
- Black Pepper (as you like);
- Green, Red and Yellow Peppers;
- Garlic (not a must);
- Olive Oil.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

What's in the Fridge - ALRIGHT ENOUGH CHICKEN

Well, I know that if you have not figured it out by now, this week, I am making CHICKEN, POLLO, FRANGO…whatever you want to call it. So many of us get tired of having chicken, but at the end of the day, after pigging out all summer – I need to loose some weight and also, it is the only thing in the freaking FRIDGE!!!!!!!

So, I pull how two chicken breast – with the skin on.

Let’s see! Got Potatoes, frozen peas and carrots.

Also, I am a fan of one pan cooking if you can. Keeps the woman of the house from screaming about the dishes!!!

Grab my infamous oven-friendly frying pan, heat it up. Also turn the oven to 350 – need to preheat it.

This is fast so hold on!!!!

Grab some seasoning. Got Sesame Seeds, Dried Rosemary and Cumin. Place that in a pan over high heat. Let them toast up!!!!! Meanwhile, clean the chicken breast, place them in a bowl. Make a dry rub!

Got Old Bay Seasoning, Salt, and Pepper (don’t need a lot of salt – Old Bay has a lot). Onion and Garlic powder.

Grab the potatoes cut them up. Also found some plum tomatoes. Cut them up also. Grab the peas and carrots. Rinse them off in a strainer with some warm water. Put them (everything) in a bowl, a little seasoning – salt, pepper, garlic.

Take the toasted items put them in a coffee grinder if you have one (if not does not matter) grind add to the chicken. Make sure your chicken is fully covered with the rub.

Same pan, add some olive oil. Place breast skin side down. Let them sear up (get brown – I like them to smoke actually – not burn but definitely brown)!!

Flip, add the Potatoes Mixture to the pan. Cover. Place it in the oven –45-60 minutes or until
brown! Don’t really need to watch it, flip it or anything.



Uncover – turn the heat up to broil (500). Make sure the chicken breasts are skin side up!!

Depending on the heat of your broiler / oven – you only need 5 -10 minutes.

Now you are ready to eat.

Plate and enjoy. Your meal is completely ready.


I promise, I will make something else beside Chicken (well I like Chicken) !!!!!!!

Sunday, October 5, 2008

What's in the Fridge - Gonna Make Sum Chicken



I am feeling a little Caribbean, a little Latin based on all the videos on the site – www.everydayguy.tv. Need to make something to eat. Let’s see – What’s in the Fridge?

Chicken Breast – Skinless
Carrots (2 or 3)
Apples (2 or 3)
Ginger (1 tablespoon sliced)

Beautiful.

I also grab some Basil, Thyme and Chives from the garden.

One Spanish Onion – Chop save ¼ for the string beans.
Garlic (happens to be paste)
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
Two Slightly (Maduro) Yellow Plantains (Platanos).

One pack of French Cut String Beans.

Heat a Frying Pan that you can cover and place in the oven. Happen to have one available. Preheat Oven to 350.

Add Olive Oil. Chop Onion, Apples, Carrots and Plantains (Platanos)
Season Chicken Breast with salt, pepper. Place in pan on high heat. Let them begin to brown. After 2-4 minutes. Add the Onions, Apples, Carrots, Ginger, Platanos and Ginger. You can also add the herbs at this point (chop them slightly first).

Now – I held back – the secret a cup of dark rum and one cup of water (or I used apple juice). Had some Captain Morgan’s available.

You can turn your chicken breast and scrape the pan to help loosen up some of the good stuff (caramelized seasoning).

Cover – place in the oven 30-45 minutes.

Don’t touch. After 30 minutes. The bottom should be golden brown, everything almost done. Flip the breast again. Spoon the liquid (broth) over the chicken. Turn up oven to broil – 500! Add two – three pads of butter (yeah butter). We will want to keep basting the chicken for about 5-10 minutes.


Okay now the beans, I use a regular frying skillet – fill it with water. And bring it to a boil (with one bay leaf). Unpack the green beans. Place in the boiling water. Add salt, pepper, tablespoon of garlic paste. Let cook in the boiling water for 3 minutes.

Now take the beans off the heat / strain. (Don’t forget to baste the chicken). Place pan back on high heat – add olive oil. Now sliced remaining onions, let them get translucent.
Add beans back to the pan. Toss for 3-5 minutes. (Alternating while basting the chicken).



I found a tomato (sliced it).

Now I am ready to plate.

Hungry.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Recession Relief ....Need a Drink

After watching the debate, the recent occurrences on the financial disasters (inevitable), trying to understand what would happen if Sara Palin ever became President, I decided it was time to do two things – First PRAY!!!

Second, a glass of a good wine has always helped to calm you down – yes I believe you can pray and have a glass every now and than.

My last trip to Brazil I happened to taste some great wines. While I am by no means a connoisseur or sommelier, I happened to know what I like. I like wines that have a taste to them. That stands up and justify themselves. Most important thing is that they don’t give me headache in the morning (either from drinking too much or costing too much!!!!!) Not opposed to buying good wines, but as an EverydayGuy, I always have a cost/performance ratio running.

So let me tell you about three wines that I found and fell in love with (all are from the Miolo Family):


Miolo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Sauvignon
Safra 2006. Great Red Stand up against any wine in the $15-25 range. At about $6-10 USD a bottle, it is a great buy. They even have reasonable prices in the restaurants.



Miolo Lot 43 2004 – Cabernet Sauvignon – Here is a wine that I put against some of the Bordeaux that I love from France. This wine is exceptional and in limited supply. I do not believe it is available in the states. It is in limited supply in Brazil (one available per Citizen – they actually ask for your Brazilian CPF – that also means if you can afford it). At $30-35 dollars a bottle, it is a steal!!! Almost worth the flight to Brazil. Find a friend that can get you a bottle if you are not able to make the trip...



Miolo Fortaleza do Seival Pinot Grigio 2008. – Now for those of you that like white wines, I happen to like drinking this one. It is about the same price as its “brother from another mother” Reserva Cabernet and has a lot of body for a Pinot Grigio! Love it, great bottle even with cheese, dessert.



Okay, I have had my drink – back to the rat race.

Stay safe, and God Bless!!!!!!!!