THE ELECTRIC KITCHEN
Portuguese food isn't limited to malassadas and bean soup
Hawaiian Electric Co.
WHEN MOST of us think of Portuguese food, we think of malassadas, pão doce (sweet bread), linguica (sausage), pickled onions and, of course, Portuguese Bean Soup.
But there's so much more to Portuguese cuisine. Back when the Hawaiian Electric Co.'s home economists did cooking demonstrations, they would feature guest cooks from various cultural groups -- of course including the Portuguese.
These are just a few of the tried-and-true Portuguese recipes we collected through this working partnership.
Codfish Salad
1 package (3.25 ounces) dried shredded codfish
2 onions, sliced
1 tablespoons salt
3/4 cup salad oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 to 3 Hawaiian red peppers, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained
1 head lettuce, torn in pieces
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 Japanese cucumber, sliced
1 bunch watercress tops
1 can (15 ounces) pitted black olives, drained
Soak codfish in hot water; let stand for 10 minutes, drain. Repeat process, draining well the second time.
Sprinkle onions with salt; let stand 10 minutes. Rinse and drain well; set aside.
In a skillet, heat oil. Add codfish, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, red peppers and parsley; cook 2 minutes.
Add onions and garbanzo beans. Stirring frequently, cook 2 more minutes.
Combine remaining ingredients in salad bowl. Add codfish mixture; toss well. Serves 10.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 300 calories, 23 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,000 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 12 g protein.
Tomato Rice
(Arroz De Tomte)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf, torn in half
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup long-grain rice
2-1/2 cups boiling chicken or beef stock, or water
3 tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sliced cherry tomatoes, for garnish
Heat oil in saucepan; add onions, garlic and bay leaf. Sauté until onions and garlic are softened but not brown.
Stir in tomatoes and rice, add stock or water. Bring to boil, cover and cook over low heat until rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.
Stir in parsley and season to taste. Remove bay leaf. Garnish with cherry tomatoes. Serves 6.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 200 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 4 g protein.
Peel and Eat Shrimp
(Camaroes a Portuguesa)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 large, very ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
1 bay leaf, torn in half
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
1/8 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
3-1/2 pounds (16 to 20 count) shrimp, shells on, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons butter
Chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, for garnish
Heat oil in 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and sauté until golden brown. Stir in tomato, bay leaf, garlic, cilantro and red pepper; cook over high heat until mixture is soft, about 15 minutes.
Stir in wine; boil about 3 minutes. Add shrimp and salt; stir gently. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until shrimp is cooked, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to serving dish; cover to keep warm.
Add butter to tomato mixture; pour into a blender and blend until smooth. Serve puréed mixture as dip for shrimp as you peel them. Serves 6.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 350 calories, 15 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 400 mg cholesterol, 650 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 43 g protein.
Hawaiian Electric Co. presents this weekly collection of recipes as a public service. Many are drawn from HECO's database of recipes, accessible online at
www.heco.com.