My earliest memory of food involves my grandmother standing in front of a large wood burning oven, that was built into the wall, baking bread and making Peixe Assado no Forno “Portuguese Baked Fish.” This oven had it’s own separate little house next to my grandmother’s home. I was told that it was built this way because if there was ever a fire, the entire house wouldn’t burn down. You are probably thinking, what is she 150 years old? I am not as young as I would like to think, but I am not THAT old. I lived with my grandparents when my parents first immigrated to the US from Portugal. We lived on a small farm and vineyard, and Sunday Supper was very much part of our lives. My grandmother was an excellent cook and I looked forward to sitting around the family table not only for dinner, but also for the card game that would follow . There was no television in my grandparents home, so card games were the next best thing.

I grew up eating delicious fish on a weekly basis. In Portugal, you consume fish as much as meat. I loved it when my grandmother made Peixe Assado no Forno. I can remember that my grandfather would plant the potatoes under the grape vines. I looked forward to potato season every year. As a child it was so much fun to actually be allowed to dig in the dirt and imagine the excitement when you actually found a potato. After a day of picking potatoes, we couldn’t wait to get home because we knew that my grandmother would be making Peixe Assado no Forno.
I have to warn you, this recipe is not exactly like my grandmother made. It is a much easier version that I have adapted over the years. My grandmother’s recipe was made with an entire fish. Believe it or not, we ate almost every part but the bones. We even ate the eyes. It was actually one of my favorite parts of the Peixe Assado, as a child. Although I have raised good eaters, they are not quite that daring.
Implement a “No Thank You Bite Rule in your home.”
I can’t claim that my kids eat everything, but I will say they will at least attempt almost anything I put in front of them. Well, at least three out of four. I tell everyone that the secret to raising good eaters is to implent a “No Thank You Bite” rule in your home. If children are encouraged to try new things instead of being forced to eat it, they will be excited to try new foods.

- 1 pound of TripleTail or your favorite white fish
- 4 Large Potatoes, sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes cut in half
- ½ onion thinly sliced
- 1 lemon
- 1 garlic glove, sliced thin
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 1 cup of wine
- fresh ground sea salt and pepper to taste
- additional lemon and lime slices and parsley to decorate, if desired
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Dry the fish using a paper towel
- Lay the potatoes in an oven proof baking platter in a circular manner until the dish is covered
- Place the fish on top of the potatoes
- Sprinkle the fish and potatoes with olive oil
- Decorate the fish and potatoes with the cherry tomatoes, onion and garlic
- Squeeze the lemon and sprinkle the parsley over the entire platter
- Add wine
- Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 1 hour. May need to bake longer if the fish and the potatoes are thick
- Garnish with extra lemon, lime and parsley
I love this week’s Sunday Supper for so many reason. Working with American Family Insurance on their #FamilyDinnerTable campaign has brought back so many wonderful memories for me. It is so true family meals around the family table nurture us in so many ways.

We would love to hear about your childhood favorite meals and recipes. Come join us in the #FamilyDinnerTable Campaign. American Family is creating an e-cookbook to inspire families to come back to the table, and we need your help! Share your recipes for a chance to be featured in the cookbook by submitting a family favorite recipe here. You will be entered to win one of six $100 Williams-Sonoma gift cards. One lucky entry will win one valued at $500! When the e-cookbook comes out later this fall, you’ll be among the first to receive a copy.
The Sunday Supper Team is sharing their favorite childhood meals and memories with us this week. It is such a pleasure getting to know our members through their stories about traditions from their childhood. Our contributors will also be sharing tips to encourage families to rediscover the power of family meals. Come join the fun this Sunday at 7pm ET and share your favorite childhood recipes with all of us on twitter.

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- Beef & Potato Skillet Supper by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Braised Pork Chops and Sauerkraut by kimchi MOM
- Chicken a la King by Juanita’s Cocina
- Chicken and Dumplings by Country Girl In The Village
- Chicken Crescent Squares by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Family Fave Lasagne by NinjaBaking.com
- Gluten Free Peppered Steak by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
- Greek Meatballs (Soutzoukakia) by Supper For A Steal
- Green Chile Chicken Tortilla Casserole by girlichef
- Hungarian Goulash by The Foodie Army Wife
- Linguine with fresh Tomatoes and Basil by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
- Meatloaf by Magnolia Days
- Peixe Asado no Forno Portuguese Baked Fish by Family Foodie
- Pierogies by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Straw and Hay Pasta by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Swiss Steak by Curious Cuisiniere
- Veggie Mac and Cheese by Hip Foodie Mom
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.
This post is sponsored by American Family Insurance. All opinions are my own.







Renee
September 15, 2013 at 7:28 amOh my goodness what an incredible dish! And what wonderful memories of it with your grandmother. I certainly would love to sit at your family dinner table and enjoy this with you (and some wine too!).
FamilyFoodie
September 15, 2013 at 7:57 amYou got it Renee! When you finally making it to Florida to visit me, I will make this Portuguese dish for you and have a bottle of Vinho Verde chilled for you!
Hezzi-D
September 15, 2013 at 7:57 amThis is a beautiful dish! I love the tomatoes that pop on the fish. My parents had a no thank you rule as well so we tried most everything.
FamilyFoodie
September 15, 2013 at 11:02 amLove it that you grew up with a “no thank you bite” rule too. I will have to tell my kids.
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips
September 15, 2013 at 9:01 amWhen I was really little, my parents and grandparents would play pinochle every Sunday night! This is such a gorgeous dish!
FamilyFoodie
September 15, 2013 at 11:01 amThanks Brianne. I love that the family table is about so much more than food.
Cindys Recipes and Writings
September 15, 2013 at 9:37 amWhat a beautiful dish, Isabel! In my culture, we eat every part of the pig from pickled pigs feet to head cheese. Not unusual to me at all!
FamilyFoodie
September 15, 2013 at 11:01 amI love it that you can relate Cindy. I can remember telling kids that I liked fish eyes and they looked at me like I was the weirdest person.
Jen @JuanitasCocina
September 15, 2013 at 9:48 amMy childhood food was NEVER this pretty!!!
FamilyFoodie
September 15, 2013 at 11:00 amYou are being too kind my friend.
Liz
September 15, 2013 at 10:22 amWhat a simple, delectable fish dish…and so fun that each bite comes with memories of your grandmother. I’ve finally gotten the hubby to like salmon…and this may be the dish that converts him to a fan of white fish 🙂
FamilyFoodie
September 15, 2013 at 10:59 amLiz, this fish is so light and not fishy at all. I would say that they be a winner with your husband.
Constance @FoodieArmyWife
September 15, 2013 at 10:55 amI love the memories that you have of your grandparents, and I think it is awesome that you have experience witnessing a real wood stove in use. Honestly I would love to have a cook house some day with a wood stove. But I have some strong “self sufficiency” leanings 😉
FamilyFoodie
September 15, 2013 at 10:59 amHonestly, I wouldn’t trade that experience or those memories for the world! I now realized how much living in Portugal on a farm has shaped how I feed my family.
Shannon @VillageGirlBlog
September 15, 2013 at 11:33 amI would love to have a wood burning oven outside at my house! I’d use it everyday. I love simple fresh flavors and ingredients. This dish looks like a star in my book. I probably would pass on the whole fish myself. Love the 1 bite No Thank you rule too!
FamilyFoodie
September 15, 2013 at 3:26 pmI am trying to talk my husband into letting me get a wood burning oven for our lanai. I think it would be so cool to be able to use it at home year round.
Heather @girlichef
September 15, 2013 at 11:46 amWhat fantastic memories, Isabel…I almost felt like I was there with you. Your updated version of this dish sounds amazing…and I know that I need to try it.
FamilyFoodie
September 15, 2013 at 3:25 pmThank you Heather… I have so many wonderful memories of my days with my grandparents.
Helene D'souza
September 15, 2013 at 12:36 pmwow your peixe assado looks picture perfect! I have seen only traditional recipes until now, I think I d enjoy yours too. =)
FamilyFoodie
September 15, 2013 at 3:25 pmI have to admit this is a much easier recipe than the traditional one. My mom still makes the traditional recipe… I have to post it, very soon!
Bea
September 15, 2013 at 1:23 pmI have to ask, do you still like to eat the eye? I love the cheeks of any fish so good!
I love your recollection of your memories with your grandparents digging up potatoes sounds so fun! – We also ave the “No thank you bite” in our house as it gives the children control and experience different flavors. It has worked well so far 🙂
FamilyFoodie
September 15, 2013 at 3:24 pmBea… just something else we have to do together when we finally meet, cook Peixe Assado no Forno. I’ll let you have the cheeks if you let me have the eyes.
Diana @EatMoveShine
September 15, 2013 at 1:37 pmWhat a LOVELY post, and beautiful recipe and photograph. I am smiling after reading this, imagining how wonderful it would be to dig in the dirt to find the potatoes, and then see them made w/the fish into this beautiful dish! Magic…
FamilyFoodie
September 15, 2013 at 3:23 pmI wouldn’t trade those experiences for the world Diana.
The Ninja Baker
September 15, 2013 at 2:15 pmWonderful backstory to this beautiful baked fish, Isabel. How lucky that you’ve got a treasure trove of recipes inspired from your grandmother’s cooking…This fish recipe is definitely going in my “to-do” recipe file =)
FamilyFoodie
September 15, 2013 at 3:22 pmThank you Kim! Let me know if you try it. It is super easy and not fishy at all.
Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons
September 15, 2013 at 6:56 pmWhat a beautiful presentation, and such great flavors! And I just love the “no thank you bite” rule 🙂
FamilyFoodie
September 16, 2013 at 8:23 amMy older two, who are in college now, still talk about the “no thank you bite” rule and laugh about it now.
Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons
September 16, 2013 at 9:13 amI bet they’ll end up passing it on to their kids 🙂
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
September 15, 2013 at 7:55 pmI think I would love Portugal because i love fish!! This and the large wood burning oven?!! Awesome! I seriously would love one. . but only in my dreams!
FamilyFoodie
September 16, 2013 at 8:23 amAlice… you never know, maybe when you move, you will get a wood burning oven.
Amy Kim (@kimchi_mom)
September 15, 2013 at 10:06 pmWhat awesome memories of your grandmother! This simple dish looks and sounds amazing!
FamilyFoodie
September 16, 2013 at 8:22 amThanks Amy! It really is wonderful to have to many wonderful memories.
Lane @ Supper for a Steal
September 16, 2013 at 9:19 amLove this! So easy and one plate. We love triple tail.
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere
September 16, 2013 at 12:21 pmWhat a beautiful dish, and the memories you shared are wonderful!
Susan
September 17, 2013 at 5:16 pmSuch a gorgeous dish Isabel! My maternal grandmother was not a cook, she turned everything to mush but I so wish my paternal grandmother lived long enough for me to get in the kitchen with her. She would cater to everyone’s tastes and make 3-4 different meals a night. Everything was cooked from scratch and I bet she had some delicious polish dishes up her sleeve too.