Portuguese Beans with Linguica

This is the time of year my dad put together a big lunch for his customers, farmers and ranchers. (First published December 2013.) He would do most of the food preparation himself. Yep, there could be a huge crowd. One item on the menu was Portuguese beans. So, the question is do I have my dad’s recipe or his mother’s recipe? Or are the recipes the same? Anyway, get your pound of pintos soaking, and don’t eat the last of the linguica!

Why am I thinking about these beans? Aside from the thoughts of the yearly luncheon, my brother made another batch of linguica. He is still working to perfect the recipe! And someone shared her prepared Portuguese beans and linguica with me recently. Just delicious Melissa! Let me see how my dad’s recipe compares!

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Italian Vegetable Chowder

Rich creamy vegetarian soup for the cold winter meal. Spice it up with red pepper flakes for more warmth. Tame it down with broth instead of cream. Make the recipe your own or enjoy just this way. And for those that can’t go meatless add crumbled cooked Italian sausage.

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Pulled Chicken

Have you tasted a chicken salad only to find the chicken apart from the salad dressing has no taste. Here’s a simple way to remedy that! This recipe is large enough for several meals. Use this for tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, salads or any recipe calling for cooked chicken.

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Beef and Potato Gratin

Main dish for six, or four lumberjacks. Sticks to your ribs and tastes so good goin’ down. Just a hardy easily prepared weekday meal. Careful, it may become a family favorite.

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Stovetop Pot Roast

If you’re into Pot Roast you won’t cook any other recipe after trying this one. Seriously! A one pot stovetop meal with little prep and 5 hours undisturbed cooking. The meat is beyond juicy, and vegetables so savory delicious with just a bit of carrot sweetness. I love the seasonings used in the Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe.  So, I’ve duplicated to some degree. I’m not sure why but cooking stovetop makes it so much easier. Here’s an oven version but this stovetop is so much more. It just can’t be beat. Delicious enough to serve a holiday crowd without apology!

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One Pan Egg Burrito

Loving this vegetarian (or meaty if you like) burrito. Just happened upon this technique and find it so easy and fast. Perfect for a crowd. Nadiya, winner of a BBC Bake off, calls her recipe an egg role. Adding the tortilla as the eggs are cooking is a perfectly great way to put this together in minutes. Personalize it as you’re cooking. Spicy is my thing. So, green chilies or jalapeños go right into the eggs along with cheeses. If you’re into meaty burritos add crumbled cooked chorizo or linguica. These can be served cold, and preparing a day ahead works. Just tightly wrap individually after cooling and refrigerate

Try this excellent Salsa to go with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Portuguese Savory White Beans

Full of flavor and minimal ingredients make this one of my favorites meals. Beans are very much a staple in my kitchen. In fact, if you type beans in the Search Box above you’ll have meals for days. (Or click on beans in the category section.) My children never thought of beans as a penny saver meal but definitely this was part of it in the day. Beans were often underrated but today we know of the excellent nutritional benefits with the rise in vegetarian and vegan diets.

Just a word about beans. Have you noticed your dried beans on occasion take more time to cook even if presoaked? The older the beans the longer the cooking time. There is, too, that rare occasion the beans never cook up … So I’ve heard. Another secret, add salt at the end of cooking. Adding salt too soon can toughen the beans.

The addition of meats pack this with flavor! Enjoy!

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Fettuccini and Mushrooms

Cutting back can still involve pasta. At least that’s what we think! When weight starts to hang on it’s time for action, but there’s no giving up Pasta Sunday’s.

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Skillet Spaghetti

One skillet spaghetti recipe and you have dinner for 6 hearty eaters in 30 minutes! Hey, this is a great Super Bowl dish. It tastes great, and who doesn’t like spaghetti! And another plus, it’s not messy to serve … just spoon it up.

 

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Ravioli Lasagna

What a simple lasagna dish with an amazing taste! Dress it up or down. It’s up to you. This one is vegetarian and so deliciously simple. Make your own sauce or use the best jar sauce you can find. Needn’t feel guilty about jar sauce … even chefs use it! This is one of those 30 minute meals too. We loved it!

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