Pork Roast

 

I love this dish, because you not only can have it for Sunday Roast, but any left overs make for wonderful dishes ... if you use your imagination.

So you what you will need :

1 .  Pork Roast, prefereably with the bone in .. (you will be amazed at the flovour)

2 . A few garlic heads whole

3 . Salt

4 . Pepper

5 . Paprika

6 . Wine

7 . Garlic powder

8 . Piri Piri (to taste)

9 . 1 Bayleaf

Rub this all over your Pork Roast (if you are smart) you will do this the night before) ... Then stick it in a roasting pan and cover with foil.  Put this into a pre heated oven 350 for those in USA and 180 for thos in Zim or UK.

  

As a side dish, you could get some Collard Green and chop them up really really thin.  In a pan saute some sliced ones, some garlic, some olive oil.  Once these have sauted add the collard greens and cook till soft.  For spices I like to add, garlic salt, pepper, I like to keep this simple as the meat will have lots of flavour.

You could do roast potatoes if you like, but I like to serve this with Rice and Beans.  I figured I would keep the potatoes for the next night.  Simply in a pot, add some olive oil, one chopped onion and let this saute.  Then add 2 cups of rice and mix this around well so that the oils covers all the grains of rice .. this is what will help your rice to be fluffy and not stick to gether.  Then add three cups of water or more, add some salt pepper a bay leaf and a table spoon of butter.  Mix this around and then add the lid and lower the heat.  Do not do anything let it cook.  About ten minutes later go and check just stir gently and add your beans.  Put the lid back on lower the heat and leave.  When you see that there is hardly any liquid turn stove off and let stand.  You will have perfect rice.

So once your lovely roast is done take it out the oven and let it sit for 10min on a tray.  Don't poke at it don't attempt to cut it leave it ... this makes the meat even more tende and moist.  Whilst you are waiting to slice, in a pot take all the juices from the roast and bring them to the boil.  You may add more wine or water tast it first.  Then add a bit of cornflour to thicken and make your gravy.  The picture above doesn't have gravy on it but trust me it's the best.

I really hope that you enjoy trying out this dish and would love to hear from you.

Christmas ....

Hi everyone how are you ... Why Christmas you say ... well because to me Christmas is the season for being with your family, all the decorations and all the food !! Christmas to me is the time of the year when we have so many different types of foods, deserts and drinks to share and taste.  Being that I am Portuguese I thought it might be apropriate to share some of our traditional dishes.

I love Christmas and I always go all out.  I especially make sure that everything is perfect for my children.  Chrildren I think are what make Christmas so magical.  The lights, the tree, the gifts and the food.  Just seeing the childrens eyes sparkle and see how excited they get about everything is what makes me happy.  I beleive that we should not take the magic and imagination of Christmas away from our children, no matter how old they are ...   Christmas is Magical ....

Portuguese tradition is that on Christmas eve all the children are suppose to put their shoes on the stove tops, so that when Santa comes through the Chiminy he wont' burn his feet (this obviously comes from when houses used to have Fire Places).  I how ever do not do this.  Every year we go to my Dads house on the 24th for dinner, so whilst putting the kids in the car, I make like I forget something and I run back in the house and quickly pull out all the presents I hid and and put them by the tree.  I sprinkle magic dust around the place and take a bite out of the cookies and a sip of milk.   That way when we get back home the sparkle that lights up their faces is just the best sight ever.  This year aparently Santa is on a Diet so we are leaving carrots and celery out .. I thought that was cute.

cod with brocolli rabe eggs and potatoes olive oil and loads of garlic

 calde verde ... green soup

 letria ... vermecelli pudding

 pao de lo

On Christmas Eve, we eat Cod Fish (Bacalau) boiled with Cabbage or Broccoli Rab, Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Eggs.  We then put Olive oil and Vinegar and loads of chopped garlic on this ... I love this dish any time of the year.  There is something very satisfing about this meal.  It's not too heavy or to light and just all the flavours just seem to pop in your mouth.  We have lots of fresh bread, which we eat with grilled Chorizo. For dersert time we have Letria, (Vermicelli Pudding) Pao De Lo, (a Sponge Cake with a difference), Leite Creme, (Custard), Molotof, Port Wine and Coffee ... At midnight we eat Caldo Verde (Green Soup) which is made with Kale Leaves chopped super thin, potatoes, onions and chorizo.