Any time of year is a great time for Pound Cake. Serve with fruit in season or go it alone with a bit of powdered sugar. A little dollop or a big dollop of whipped cream is great too. Rich, moist and the perfect texture … One cake you’ll make over and over for family and friends.
Wrap it up and give it as a gift!
Alcatra (claypot roast) is a Portuguese dish originating from the Azorean Island of Terceira. It’s most often made with beef. But my friend, Melissa, whose family is from Terceira loves to use this traditional recipe for turkey. She says she has her husband cut the turkey into pieces and the legs aren’t used in her dish. Since my meal preparation is only for 4 I felt a whole turkey even without legs would be just too much. I knew it was risky just using a turkey breast because of the leanness that quickly goes from moist to dry. But a steam method just seemed foolproof. It’s amazing. I removed the skin before serving but you don’t need to. Brown up that skin by removing the top of the roaster at the end of the cooking period or pre-brown. That simple!
Thanks Melissa, a perfect idea.
Tonight I’m putting together Alcatra using turkey breast instead of the usual beef roast. And since I’ll have the oven going all night I might as well make Boston Baked Beans, my Grandmother’s recipe, pictured upper left. Please enjoy these additional recipes while the Alcatra is baking.
Top row: Additionally, Linguica Prosciutto Pizza and Portuguese Rice Pudding
Middle row: Portuguese Hash, Portuguese Cowboy Spaghetti, Portuguese Beans with Linguica
Bottom row: Sponge Cake, Vinho D’ Alhos, Sweet Bread Not into Sweet Bread, try this favorite, Pops.
Such a great dish for butternut squash! Not quite vegetarian but with little effort it can be made so if you like. Cheese tortellini is my favorite to add to this dish but it will work with a meat tortellini as well. Ready in 30 minutes! What a great wintertime dish!
This was last year’s Thanksgiving bread and it was perfect! After years of homemade bread and rolls at Thanksgiving our baker was invited to another celebration, and forgot to at least provide us with some great baked goods. Haha.
Enjoy this recipe together with pictures. Give it a try. And you’ll see what we missed this year.
Two main dishes that need no introduction. Comfort food at its best! Potato Soup, here, and Chili Beans. I’m putting together a Portuguese recipe for Alcatra but thinking turkey instead of the traditional beef. Slow cooked with spice and wine in a clay roaster. Hope these tide you over until then. Start soaking that clay roaster.
Preparing Thanksgiving Dinner can certainly cause angst especially if time is limited. Procrastinating only increases this feeling. Yep, this is me! My best advice (to myself and anyone else) is to create a schedule. And depending how much you need to accomplish, you may begin this schedule several weeks out from your first guest arrival. I include housecleaning, decorating, menu’s (if multiple meals for guests), shopping, baking, table setting, and main meal preparation. I get pretty detailed. This really helps. And a glass of Pinot Noir helps too!
My daughter is carrying on the tradition of a beautifully set table. It just makes the food taste better. That’s not my opinion, apparently there’s research on the subject!
Check out her Friendsgiving Celebration, here.
From our table to yours wishing you, your family and friends a most wonderful Holiday.
During the Holidays my home is pleasantly filled to the brime with family and delicious food. Thanksgiving Day revolves around one big meal but overnighters are hungry long before this meal is served. Here I’ve included several quick recipes to satiate those appetites until dinner is served. Sausage and Navy Bean Soup, a simple soup satisfying both young and old, can be made ahead. Tex Mex Migas, Austin’s fav, is everyone’s when you have multiple toppings to add. The Hot Chocolate Bar is fun for all. Shave your favorite chocolate bars for spooning into heated milk and don’t forget sweetened whipped cream and marshmallows. These Roasted Red Potatoes are simple but tangy tasty. And the perfect accompaniment with red meat. Continue reading for this recipe.
Fun and Spicy Delicious! This recipe goes way back. During our family’s lean years we decorated our tree with Gingerbread Men, popcorn garland and candy canes. The children loved adding character to these guys but would grow weary after the first two or three … This recipe makes two dozen 4-inch cookies. Dad would get into the decorating too but had to be watched just like the children or we’d come up short. You might imagine the house smelled wonderful!
We haven’t always used icing alone to decorate Gingerbread Men & Women. On occasion we’d use raisins, red hots, and little decorative candies. Helpful Hint: Choose your decorating icing carefully. Make your own thick butter cream if you have the time and decorating tools. It’s just easier to handle. Many pre-made decorating gels and icings have corn syrup and this makes them sticky and stringy. You may need to test different brands to find the one that works for you.
This recipe makes a great sandwich cookie with buttercream filling too. Enjoy!
You might also like to try these Decorated Cookie Cakes
Time intensive? There are only two recipes here that can’t be whipped up in minutes. Nothing like a fresh dessert in minutes. You might be able to tell just by looking which two require a bit more time … soo worth it.
I’m reintroducing family favorite recipes to have on hand during this busy season. So Delicious! Bottom Left: Best Coffee Cake, one of my popular recipes, can’t be beat for ease of preparation, satisfying texture and delicious flavor. Bottom Center: Don’t let the apple shape throw you. Use a baking dish if you’d like instead of this apple mold for this Apple Dessert or Apple Coffee Cake. Bottom Right: One bowl mix for this rich and moist Banana Spice Cake. Center Left: Caramel glaze makes this Banana Nut Cake amazing. Center Right: Pecan Pie Tartlets with a butterscotch surprise. Top Left: Provide a little more time for this Kolacky, a delicious pastry recipe. Top Center: Simple with ingredients and preparation, Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies. Top Right: A very popular cookie recipe, chewy and moist Coconut Cookies.
All are very delicious! Give them a try!