Brownies

Ingredients:
1 lb of semi-sweet chocolate
1 lb of butter
1 1/4 lb of sugar
8 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz of flour


Directions:
Using a double boiler melt the chocolate with the butter. In a separate bowl mix the sugar with the eggs and then add vanilla and flour, mix well. Add the chocolate to the egg mixture and mix for about 3 minutes. Spray a pan with butter and pour the mixture and bake for about 30 minutes at 350. Enjoy!

Split pea soup with ham

                                                                     Delicious!

Ingredients

1 ham bone

3 carrots (chopped)

2 potatoes(chopped)

2 onions (chopped)

8 cloves of garlic

1 bay leaf

olive oil

salt

pepper

1 lb of split peas

Directions:
Soak the peas in hot water for 15 minutes. In a pot with olive oil sauté the potatoes, garlic, carrots and onions for about 5 minutes, add the peas,  the ham and the bay leaf and sauté for 5 more minutes . Add water ( about 1 gallon) add salt and pepper and let cook on low for 45 minutes.When all the vegetables are soft puree the soup and check for salt. Serve the soup hot and sprinkle ham (from the bone) on top.

Cuttlefish with peppers ( chocos )

Ingredients:
3 lbs of cuttlefish (clean)

2 red peppers (sliced)
2 green peppers (sliced)
6 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 hot pepper
1 tbsp of butter
3 tbsp of olive oil
salt

Directions:
In a pot with olive oil sauté half of the garlic with the red and green peppers for about 10 minutes, then remove the peppers and set aside. Add the butter to the olive oil and put the cuttlefish, the hot pepper and the rest of the garlic, sauté for about 15 minutes and then add the peppers, add salt and cook for about 5 more minutes.

Baked ham

                                                                   So delicious!

Ingredients:
1 spiral ham 
2 cups of orange juice
2/3 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of spicy brown mustard

Directions:
Pour one cup of orange juice over the ham and bake at 375 for about 1 hour. In a bowl mix the rest of the orange juice, the mustard and the sugar and pour this mix all over the ham and bake for 20 to 30 more minutes. Enjoy!

Rice with vegetables

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of white rice
1 1/2 cups of water
1 cup of frozen peas
1/2 cup of frozen corn
1 carrot
1/2 onion (chopped)
4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
olive oil

Directions:
In a pot with olive oil saute the onion and garlic, then add the peeled carrot, saute for about 3 minutes and then add the rice and let if fry for about 3 minutes always stirring, add the hot water and salt. Pour in a pyrex covered with foil and cook in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. After 30 minutest take out the rice from the oven and mix the peas and the corn and bake for 5 more minutes.Easy and delicious!

Cod with mashed potatoes (Bacalhau)

One of my family's favorite!

Ingredients:
4 pieces of dry salted cod (pre soaked)
8 potatoes ( peeled)
1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs
2 egg whites
1 cup of olive oil 6 cloves of garlic (chopped)
butter
milk
salt

Directions:
In a pot with water and salt cook the potatoes, then mash the potatoes with butter and milk, check for salt.The mashed potatoes need to be soft. In a small pot pour the olive oil and the garlic and cook the garlic until translucent( 3 to 4 minutes).On a baking dish pour 1/4 of the olive oil , then dip the cod in the egg whites and then in the bread crumbs and put the cod in the center of the dish. Scoop the mashed potatoes around the cod and pour the rest of the olive oil and garlic on top of the cod and some on top of the potatoes. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 45 minutes.
For this dish you need to use a very good olive oil, I use Gallo Portuguese olive oil, my favorite.

Rice pudding (arroz doce) Portuguese style

This is one of my husband's favorite dessert!

Ingredients:
1 cup of white rice
1 cup of sugar
4 egg yolks
2 cups of milk (2%)
2 cinnamon sticks
lemon peel
2 tbsp of butter
cinnamon

Directions:
 Cook the rice with water, then drain it. On a separate pot pour the milk, butter, lemon peel and cinnamon sticks and let it boil, then add the cooked rice and let it cook for about 2 minutes and add the sugar, cook for 2 more minutes and turn it off. On a separate bowl beat the egg yolks and then add a little bit of the rice mix ( so the egg yolks are at the same temperature as the rice)  then add the egg yolks to the rice. Mix everything and pour on a platter and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve it chilled!
I used 2% milk but it is good with skim milk, no difference in taste.