From Our (Brazilian) Home to Yours

Eggplant Antipasto Cake

2012-01-22T21:38:00.000-02:00

The first time I made this recipe we had guests coming over and I realized I had no time for grocery shopping. So I came up with this cake using something I already had in the fridge: eggplant antipasto. With a few ingredients you can turn something that looks ordinary into something delightful and that will dazzle your guests.

The eggplant antipasto can be substituted with other toppings, like sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and oregano, roasted red peppers, etc.

Eggplant Antipasto Cake

Batter

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Topping

10 oz (300 g - about 1 cup) antipasto eggplant (recipe here)
3 oz (100 g) of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C).

1) In a medium bowl combine milk, oil and egg until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until smooth. Batter must be thick.

2) Spread the batter into a greased 11" x 2" round pie plate or pan. Top with the eggplant antipasto and then the cheese. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Table set for Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T20:14:00.001-02:00

My Thanksgiving decor

A thankful heart is a joyful heart!

I have a confession to make, even though Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Brazil I am a huge fan of this holiday!

One encouragement for me when facing difficult times is to count the many blessings one by one... I am always surprised with little stuff that has made a difference in my day and I thank the Lord for so many things He has blessed me with.

I hope you too can count your blessings every day and enjoy the little things!

Pumpkin flower - bringing simple things to table decor

Baked Onion Dip

2011-07-12T20:28:00.001-02:00

I first tried this dip at a good friend's house, then I started to make it here for my friends and they love it... The recipe was originally published on White on Rice couple, a blog where the authors share some sweet stories, good food and gorgeous photography.

Baked Sweet Onion Dip
1 8 oz (about 250g) package of cream cheese (very softened)
1 cup mayo
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup diced or chopped sweet onion.
1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper
Crusty bread or crackers

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, place the softened cream cheese. Make sure the cream cheese is very soft to allow all ingredients to blend evenly together.

2) Add mayo, parmesan cheese, onions and fresh cracked black pepper to soft cream cheese till everything is mixed thoroughly.

3) Place mixture in ramekins or any oven safe dishes. Bake slowly, for about 30-45 minutes until the top crust is brown, almost burnt looking then the dip is ready.

4) Serve with your favorite bread and crackers.

Strawberry jam

2011-02-07T16:09:00.003-02:00

During strawberry season this is the kind of recipe you don't have to think twice about making it!

I love jams, but had never made strawberry jam before until I met Laurie at the MOPS Convention in Orlando. We shared a room and also a delicious strawberry jam every morning for breakfast! So of course, I had to have her recipe! Thanks Laurie!

I did not use the pectin and still it tasted great, the lemon juice itself is a great source of pectin.

Strawberry jam

2 cups mashed berries

4 cups sugar

1 packet liquid pectin

2 tbsp lemon juice

1) Put the sugar into the mashed berries and mix it all in. Let it sit for 10 minutes. While waiting, stir the lemon juice into the pectin.

2) After the 10 minutes, stir the pectin/lemon juice into the strawberry/sugar and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until all the sugar is dissolved. Pour into jars until set (about a day) and then freeze.

Caipirinha, a Brazilian cocktail, with mango

2010-09-11T21:00:00.003-02:00

Caipirinha with mango

The basic recipe to this famous Brazilian cocktail - Caipirinha - is limited solely to lime, sugar and "cachaça," a spirit made from the sugar cane juice, also known as Brazilian rum.

However, some people add fruits like mango, passion fruit, grape and strawberry and I think it is a nice twist to this popular drink.

To make the traditional caipirinha:
1 lime
1 shot cachaça (Brazilian rum but vodka will do)
1 tablespoon sugar
ice cubes

1) Quarter the limes crosswise and divide pieces between two glasses.

2) Add sugar to each glass, muddle the lime slices with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved into the lime juice.

3) Fill each glass with ice and add 1 shot cachaça to each, stirring well.

Add any fruits you like like mango slices, strawberry, grapes, etc. But please note, this is optional.

My mom's 80th birthday

2010-07-21T20:51:00.000-02:00

Celebrating my mom's birthday with a moist passion fruit cake, what a delight and what a blessing to have her as my mom!

Dressed for success, recycled glass bottles

2010-07-07T21:06:00.000-02:00

On my kitchen window some glass bottles, like olive oil, wine and syrup bottles, are dressed for success. I create my own glass vases recycling old glass bottles and it is so much fun.

Coffee cups

2010-05-03T20:51:00.000-02:00

Coffee cups, small ones, arranged in a bamboo tray ready for the women's small group that used to meet to chat and have a change in routine every week.

A basic and versatile risotto recipe with salt cod

2010-03-20T07:29:00.002-02:00

Good friends, good times. Cooking for my family and friends... it is what I enjoy most! A good recipe for a get together? A risotto!

So Italian... I make risotto with starchy rices like arborio and carnarolli that result in a creamy and rich texture and these rices can be easily found in any grocery stores. Once you learn how to make the basic recipe for risotto, you can start playing around with ingredients you have in your kitchen like vegetables, mushrooms, aspargus, sun-dried tomatoes and meats, seafood, sausage, cheese, herbs etc.

The secret to making creamy risottos is to add the hot stock one ladleful at a time and cook slowly, stirring constantly, waiting until the liquid is almost completely absorbed before adding more. This way the stock gets absorbed and releases the arborio's starches.

Sometimes I top the cooked risotto with grilled or sauteed shrimp. Since we eat a lot of rice here in Brazil and rice is stir-fried first, making a risotto is just like adding an elegant touch to everyday rice.

I like to use salt cod and desalt it in advance.

Salt cod risotto
2 cups arborio rice
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup white wine
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 cups (2 liters) stock (vegetable, chicken, fish - I prefer vegetable stock)
1/2 teaspoon saffron powder

10 oz (300 g) salt cod (bacalhau), desalted and flaked

1 tablespoon butter

Toppings:
Fresh parsley or thyme
3 oz (90 g) Parmesan, freshly grated

1) Bring 8 cups of stock to a boil - keep it in a separate boiler.

2) In a large pan (or wok) with a heavy bottom, heat olive oil and canola oil over low heat and sauté onions until translucent, not brown. Then, add garlic stirring until it releases its flavor. Add rice and stir to toast approx. 5 minutes. Once toasted, add white wine stirring with a wooden spoon until it is absorbed. Add saffron.

3) Start adding stock one ladle at a time, wait for the rice to absorb the liquid before adding the next ladle, stirring constantly for about 15 to 20 minutes, then add the salt cod and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. Add the butter. Stir to combine. Serve immediately with chopped parsley or thyme and grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

How to desalt salt cod and rehydrate it: Soak salt cod in cold water for 24 to 36 hours and change the water 6 times.

Shrimp risotto - just add shrimp instead of salt cod, or add both.

Dressing up leftovers

2010-01-14T08:31:00.001-02:00

On Christmas Eve my family has a midnight supper every year. Before the meal we all form a circle, hold hands and each one of us tells what that year meant to us, then we say a prayer, hugs are exchanged and it is our thanks giving moment.

And on the next day we have leftovers for lunch... For this meal only the rice was fresh. I dressed up my plate with golden strings (egg noodles) that were previously trimming the turkey. The meat was pork tenderloin that my sister-in-law's mother cooked for us, also for the Christmas Eve supper. Traditionally Brazilians have pork for holiday meals.

The pork loin is so easy to make. Instead of baking in the oven, cook it! With the juices that come out you can make the gravy.

1 pork tenderloin (about 2 pounds)

Salt (use 1/2 tablespoon salt for each pound)

Freshly ground black pepper

1 small onion, cubed

3 cloves garlic

Juice of 1 lime or orange

2 tablespoons oil or extra virgin olive oil + 2 for cooking

2 cups water

For the gravy:

1 tablespoon each: catchup, mustard, soy sauce

1/4 cup prosecco or dry sparkling wine (champagne)
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup mushrooms

1) Season pork loin with salt and pepper, pepper, onion, garlic, lime/orange juice and 2 tablespoons oil or olive oil. Marinate for about 2 hours or overnight.

2) Place 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Add meat and brown it well on all sides, for about 6 minutes. Reduce heat, add 2 cups of water and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, adding more if needed.

3) Remove tenderloin to a platter. Stir in gravy ingredients to pan. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened, adjust seasoning. Serve meat with sauce spooned on top and rice as a side.

Green gift wrapping

2009-12-22T17:36:00.001-02:00

Gift wrapping you can do yourself with old envelopes and help the environment... This idea to give a personal touch to my gifts I found on Martha Stewart website. A nice and green way to reuse the huge amount of envelopes I received and saved throughout the year. Also, I reused some old paper bags.

You can print the template here or just trace the lines of pine cones on a sheet of paper/old envelopes and cut them out. Punch some holes to add ornaments.

Turkey pot pie with cornbread crust

2009-12-10T17:31:00.000-02:00

Did you know that pumpkin leaves and flowers are edible? And so are the stalks! I learned this when I was a little child and my parents had pumpkin vines spread in the backyard. My mom used to fix delicious pumpkin omelettes with leaves and flowers all together.

Here is what I did with some leftover turkey, a pot pie! And as an accompaniment pumpkin leaves and stalks sautéed with olive oil, salt, garlic, onion, and pepper.

Turkey pot pie with cornbread crust

Filling:

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups turkey gravy or water
2 cups finely chopped roasted turkey
1/2 cup frozen sweet peas
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste

Crust - Cornbread
1 cup flour
1/2 cup white or yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

For the filling:
1) Preheat oven to 400° F (205° C). Spray a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.

2) In a large sauce pan, heat butter and olive oil. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add turkey gravy or water and heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in turkey, corn kernels, peas, black pepper and salt if using water. Pour mixture into casserole.

For the crust: In a bowl, stir cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, oregano, and salt. Stir in milk, egg and oil until well combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients stirring until mixed. Spoon the batter evenly on the turkey filling. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes.

Cupcake pin cushions, they even smell good

2009-11-14T22:24:00.002-02:00

I made them! One of my hobbies... needles and fabric. Quick and easy, a few leftover fabric pieces, small and large yo yos, buttons, cupcake wrappers or individual muffin tins (I reused an old can of Duncan Hines blueberry muffin mix, but tuna cans will do), a few trimmings, stuffing, some potpourri, hot glue and voilá, my pins and needles have elegant pin cushions!

Mud hens

2009-10-26T21:50:00.001-02:00

As soon as I saw the mud hen bars on Abby's blog, Confabulations in the Kitchen, I went straight to the kitchen and it was love at first bite! My kids, who do not like nuts, ate mud hens and asked for more! Isn't it nice to find something you were missing out and you didn’t even know about?

Mud Hens

Abby's grandma recipe from her Old Church Cookbook

1/2 cup butter
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 and a 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup chopped nuts (I used Brazil nuts)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1) Preheat oven to 350ºF (180º C).
2) Sift dry ingredients.
3) Beat together 1 whole egg plus the yolk of the other. (Save the egg white for later in this recipe)
4) Cream butter and sugar together, add egg mixture. Blend in sifted dry ingredients and vanilla.
5) Spread the thick mixture about 1/3 in. thick in greased shallow baking pan such as a jelly roll pan.
6) Mix unbeaten egg white with brown sugar and nuts and spread as evenly as possible over the mixture.
7) Bake in preheated oven about 20 minutes or until done. Cut into squares while still warm.

Brown butter... and mashed potatoes

2009-09-26T00:06:00.001-02:00

I was an exchange student and today I was chatting with my AFS host mother on facebook and I mentioned that I could never tell whether she was making real or instant mashed potatoes. My host brother liked the instant one and I of course liked the homemade. Ginny's food tasted so good that she fooled both of us and it was impossible not to eat once or twice... I put on 26 pounds when I was an exchange student... The best way to adjust to a new culture is to jump... into the kitchen, don't you think?

Like the first time I saw a salad bar... I was amazed at the variety of food... it was right after I met my host family, coming back from the airport on the way to my new home. A salad bar over 20 years ago was just impossible to imagine having over here in my small Brazilian town... now it is so common.

So many stories... I hope my kids will build strong gastronomic memories the way I did, with my own family and with friends around the world.

This mashed potato recipe is very simple, it is the brown butter that makes it special.

Brown butter mashed potatoes

3 pounds (1.5 kg) potatoes, skin on and whole
1 cup milk (you can also use soy cream or half and half)
1 stick butter
1 small carrot, grated and cooked (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1) Put the potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in a large saucepan and add water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water and then peel. Return potatoes into empty pan and mash with a potato masher. Add cooked carrot.

2) Melt butter in a small saucepan. Let it foam once, cook over low heat until it begins to brown. Then take off the heat and add milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Pour over the potatoes and cook until desired consistency. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish.

Two recipes

2009-09-02T20:12:00.000-02:00

We celebrated our 15th anniversary on August 6th and when I looked at this picture I thought I'd share two recipes. Pumpkin compote (Doce de abóbora) and Fig compote (Doce de figo).

Compotes are very popular all over Brazil. Fruit compotes are made with pieces of fruits cooked on low heat in a thick syrup with spices, usually cloves and cinnamon sticks or even orange peels. You can smash the fruits at the end or not.

Serve compotes warm or chilled, with whipped cream or farmer's cheese. As you see they are easy to make and are very versatile.

Butternut squash compote
2 pounds (1kg) sweet butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 1-inch cubes (2.5 cm)
2 cups white sugar

1 cinnamon stick
6-8 whole cloves
3 cups water

1) Over medium heat cook sugar in water with cinnamon sticks and cloves until it becomes a thick syrup.

2) Add the pumpkin cubes and cook until the squash is soft and tender, watch it as the pumpkin needs to be tender, but not breaking down into a mush. Serve warm or cold, plain, with whipped cream or soft cheeses, like farmer's cheese.

Green fig compote
2 pounds (1 kg) fresh green figs
2 cups sugar
3 cups water
6-8 whole cloves

1) Wash figs in warm water, lightly rub each one with a cloth. Cut into 4 wedges and let the edges attached. Boil in hot water for one minute.

2) Over medium heat, cook sugar in water with cloves until it becomes a thick syrup. Add figs and cook until they are soft. Serve with whipped cream or plain.

That old-time real kitchen...

2009-07-21T13:09:00.000-02:00

The right place to have comfort food... I found this old time kitchen in a country inn when traveling with family. When my mom got married, 55 years ago, she had a kitchen with wood stove and she says it was not that fun... mainly when it rained, even though I find it so romantic. My mother-in-law's farm kitchen had a stove like that and we had such great conversations on cold Winter evenings.

Some of my friends built a wood stove in their outdoor kitchens and the best part is that you can have warm food all the time.

White, red and blue cake

2009-07-04T14:13:00.005-02:00

This cake was posted here, and it brings me back good memories of my grandma... I am glad we lived closer and I was able to enjoy precious moments with her. Happy 4th!

A passion (fruit) trifle

2009-06-19T20:14:00.002-02:00

Portuguese version

Valentine's day in Brazil was June 12th and this reminded me of passion fruit trifle. An elegant dessert and just perfect for any special occasion, like Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July... I usually fix this dessert for big crowds.

Passion fruit is widely used here in juices and desserts. The actual name of this fruit in Portuguese has nothing to do with the translation into English, passion fruit is known here as maracuja.

This dessert is usually served as a passion fruit mousse and only the custard and the topping are arranged in a dish, but this time a friend of mine, Sheila, served it as a trifle and shared her mother's recipe.

For the custard
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can heavy cream (use the condensed milk can to measure)
1/2 cup concentrated passion fruit juice

Whisk the condensed milk, the heavy cream and the passion fruit juice until smooth.

For the whipped cream
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

Whisk the cream with an electric mixer in a bowl until soft peaks form.

For the trifle

6 thick slices of sponge cake (you can also use graham crackers or cookies)
6 oz (180 g) milk or white chocolate, shaved or squares

For the passion fruit topping
1/2 cup concentrated passion fruit juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 passion fruit

1) Scrape the seeded pulp of the fruit into a saucepan, add water, sugar, cornstarch and passion fruit juice. Boil the mixture over medium heat until the sugar granules dissolve completely and the mixture is clear. Remove the pan from the heat.

2) Assemble the trifle. Arrange a layer of cake pieces in the bottom of a serving dish. Pour some of the custard evenly over the cake, sprinkle shaved chocolate and pour whipped cream. Repeat layering, ending with whipped cream.

3) Pour the passion fruit topping, sprinkle more shaved chocolate. Refrigerate.

Who let the bugs out

2009-06-09T20:21:00.005-02:00

Breaking the ice... these fake ants can add some fun to any cookout or picnic.

Shrimp and bacon jambalaya

2009-05-28T20:38:00.011-02:00

Rice is a staple in Brazil and many people have two portions of rice a day and... there is no minute rice available in our grocery stores, so we really make rice from scratch almost everyday. Since rice freezes well, sometimes I prepare a dish a few days ahead, even when I have combined it with other ingredients.

This month's Royal Food Joust hosted by the Leftover Queen is about rice, tomatoes and bacon and these ingredients made me think of a dish my family loves... Jambalaya!

My first experience with jambalaya wasn't a very good one though. I was in Raleigh, NC on a work assignment, so we went to a restaurant in Cary I think, but the chef must have added pepper twice! It was so hot, I could barely eat it! I did not complain to the waiter and I regret that, but you know those restaurant stories that people tell... And that jambalaya looked so good... So when I came back home I tried to replicate the dish and loved it!

Shrimp and bacon jambalaya
2 cups rice
3 tablespoons oil

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (250 g) smoked sausage
1/2 pound (250 g) bacon, cubed
1 red bell pepper
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
1 can peeled tomatoes with juice
thyme or oregano to taste
500 g shrimp, deveined
2 tablespoons scallions, diced

1) In a large pot sauté onion, bell pepper, bacon and sausage in oil for 8 to 10 minutes until they are golden. Add rice and minced garlic, then stir to coat the grains with the oil, season with salt and stir-fry about 2 minutes.

2) Add the water. Add peeled tomatoes, spices, and herbs - do not add shrimp at this time. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed.

3) While rice is cooking, season shrimp with salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Check the rice after 15 minutes, stir in seasoned shrimp. Cook, covered, about 5 minutes more or until shrimp turns pink and rice is tender. Add scallions and serve.

Frances O'Neal's fig cake

2009-05-13T19:45:00.006-02:00

How good it is to have friends who know you so well that whenever they have a chance they send you your favorite food magazines! My friends in England and Canada are very good at this! This time Fabricia who lives in Canada sent me the April issue of Gourmet magazine. Every time I receive a food magazine I read it over and over again.

I like to read when we travel. We visit my parents who live two hours away and my in-laws who live three hours away once a month and we take turns driving, but I love it when my husband offers to drive and I can catch up with my reading. Then I make a list of the recipes to be tried and keep it inside the cover of the magazine to start working on them over the next few weeks.

Each magazine of mine has a list of must-try recipes inside...

And who gets to try my recipes? My family and the small group that meets once a week here.

This fig cake featured in the magazine is from the Back Porch Restaurant and Wine on Ocracoke Island, outer banks of North Carolina. All I needed to use some homemade figs in syrup that my sister-in-law made for my brother and they gracefully shared two jars with me.

I grew up with fig trees in our backyard and I remember that I used to help my mom to clean green figs with a cloth to make preserved figs in syrup. Food memories last forever...

I want to try this same recipe with other fruits like cranberries, blueberries, strawberries and dried fruits such as raisins, prunes, dates etc.

Frances O'Neal's fig cake
Adapted from Gourmet magazine, April 2009

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon warm water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup preserved figs in syrup, drained and chopped
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

1) Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C) with rack in middle. Generously butter a 10 cup bundt pan (I used a tube pan).

2) Sift together flour, salt and spices.

3) Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat until pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Add oil and beat 1 minute. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour.

4) Stir together baking soda and water until dissolved, then stir into batter along with vanilla, figs and nuts.

5) Pour batter into pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool completely in pan, about 2 hours. Garnish with confectioners sugar or serve with a cream cheese icing.

Green figs in syrup

Say cheese!

2009-05-07T18:28:00.003-02:00

For an easy appetizer, I season thick provolone slices with red pepper, dried oregano and olive oil, then I wrap each round of cheese in plastic wrap for a couple of hours. When guests arrive, I place the provolone rounds on a cheese board and scatter a few cheese knives around it so they can help themselves!

I love kitchen gadgets and I don't mind receiving them as gifts on my birthday and other special dates. The cheese board and the cheese knives were all given to me a long time ago.

A fun lime pie

2009-04-30T19:47:00.002-02:00

How do you get kids involved in the kitchen? I bring their world into my kitchen... and we have fun with the ingredients! For this recipe we used... those wonka nerds candies that kids love...

This lime pie goes to the Leftover Queen Royal Foodie Joust. Jenn came back from Italy recently with her so italian husband and the fun and creative ingredients for this joust are... well, actually they are colors! Red, green and white, the colors of the Italian flag!

Lime pie (torta de limão) is a popular dessert in Brazil made with limes (not lemons), sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream and fresh lime juice (no eggs!) with a meringue topping. To please my kids even more I used the whipped cream on top, instead of the meringue... and they sprinkled the wonka candies themselves.

Lime pie

No-fail pie crust
I've made this no-fail pie crust since I was in College.
It makes two 9-inch (22 cm) crusts for savory or sweet pies.

2 to 2-1/3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

Filling - it has a mousse consistency

1 can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

1 cup heavy cream (or soy cream - not soy milk)

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (or more if you like it tarter)

Garnish with:
1 teaspoon grated lime zest

2 cups whipped cream

1/2 cup wonka nerds candies or any sprinkle mix

1) Make the crust: combine all crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse untill all ingredients hold together (or blend them all in a bowl).

2) Shape dough into 2 balls. (You only need one.) Roll out one dough into 1/8 inch (0.5 cm) thick. Line bottom and sides of an ungreased pie plate. Poke small holes in the bottom with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven at 390°F (200° C) for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool.

Wrap remaining dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days or in the freezer for another use.

3) Make the filling: using a whisk beat the sweetened condensed milk, the heavy cream and the lime juice. Pour the mixture into the baked pie shell. Garnish with whipped cream, lime zest and the wonka nerds.

Lordy, Lordy now I'm 40!

2009-04-22T16:29:00.003-02:00

Earth Day is also my birthday...

My Easter decor

2009-03-30T08:26:00.000-02:00

Easy, charming and inexpensive decor. I use empty eggshells and my african violets to decorate the house and the table for Easter.

Celebrating with popcorn shrimp

2009-03-17T12:31:00.002-02:00

To celebrate the end of the Summer in the Southern hemisphere, Saint Patrick's Day and most importantly, my husband's birthday I fixed popcorn shrimp because it was one of the dishes that our family enjoyed so much at Red Lobster when we lived in the US.

Popcorn shrimp
2 pounds (1 kg) small shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 egg whites, slightly beaten
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons coarse cornmeal
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon paprika
salt and black pepper
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

1) Season shrimp with salt and pepper.

2) In a plastic bag add all dry ingredients, add more salt and pepper too. Dip shrimps in beaten egg whites, drop them in bag and shake until they are fully covered with flour mixture.

3) Refrigerate prepared shrimp for about 10 minutes in freezer.

4) Fry shrimp in hot oil. Serve with tartar sauce, hot chili sauce and lime slices.

Sometimes I fix this appetizer with breadcrumbs. I coat shrimp with flour, wash them in egg mixture, then coat them with seasoned breadcrumbs, refrigerate and then fry.

A simple salt shaker turns into a lovely decor item... To my husband, whose graceful existence touches all who surround him and makes our lives more flavorful and blessed.

Eating your words: coffee talk

2009-03-06T08:16:00.033-02:00

We think food... and now it is time to write, spell or draw food! These yummy blogs Savor the Thyme and Tangled Noodle came up with a wonderful idea for bloggers to let the food do the talking.

And here is my contribution, I think coffee a lot... Coffee is about taste, fragrance, the aroma of coffee beans filling the air, and memories... I love traveling... and everywhere I have been to has memories of a coffeehouse, and the good times I had with a friend, the way she holds her cup, the conversation we had, the weather, the special times shared together.

Oh... and the morning coffee... The first sip of coffee is a sweet ritual my husband and I have, nothing can take away the moments we spend together sipping a coffee of cup, as sometimes it might be the only quality time in the busy day we have ahead.

So next time the barista (the Italian term for the coffee expert who makes espresso-based drinks) asks what your name is (oops, sorry, Starbucks is just around the corner...) or what you are having, remember that a simple cup of coffee can hold more than just coffee...

How do you like your coffee? Walking into a coffeehouse or café may be an adventure these days as you try to figure out the words on the board... Not to mention the names in French or Italian that are already part of our coffeehouse menus.

Not sure what to order? Espresso is freshly brewed by steam and pressure and it is more concentrated than the drip or filtered coffee. If you are not sure you like your coffee strong... go with a café americano, that is made with espresso, but diluted with water, and you are still having an espresso! We also have this version in Brazil, it is called "carioca," just in case you visit... Or you can have a cappuccino, the most popular espresso-based drink in the world.

Cappuccino with dulce de leche (milk caramel)

Espresso-based coffees - finely ground coffee brewed by steam and pressure. Just to mention a few espresso beverages I recall seeing on coffeehouse menus:

- Latté: espresso with steamed milk

- Cappuccino: espresso with hot milk and steamed-milk foam, and cinnamon please...

- Mocha: latté with chocolate

- Café au lait: half espresso, half milk

- Espresso com panna: espresso with cream (whipped cream)
- Macchiato: it means stained or marked, so it is an espresso lightly marked with milk.
- Café breve: espresso with steamed half and half, it is creamy.
- And so on...

To join in the fun, blog about your creation, including photos, and add a link back to Savor the Thyme and Tangled Noodle. The details are here.

Coffee beans

Round-up part I: Savor the Thyme

Round-up part II: Tangled Noodle

Chocolate Truffle with Mole Sauce

2009-02-12T22:05:00.004-02:00

A friend brought a bottle of mole sauce by Rancho la California from Mexico and I wanted to make something special for my husband. It turns out that he's allergic to one of the sauce ingredients, and I forgot!!! Anyway, since my kids enjoy chocolate truffle so much, with this one it wasn't any different, it was love at the first bite, I had post it! And this recipe goes to my little Valentines...

When you take the first bite you experience a sweet flavor from the milk chocolate, then your taste buds notice the pepper. Inside the truffle the creamy mixture is soft and smooth, with a rich texture that can be enhanced with the addition of grapes, strawberries, cherries, brandy etc.

Chocolate Truffles with Mole Sauce
7 oz (200 g) heavy cream (I used soy cream)
8 oz (250 g) milk chocolate, cut into small pieces
5 oz (150 g) semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon mole sauce (optional - this recipe works without the sauce)

Filling (optional)
Seedless grapes, cherries, blueberries, etc. - these are optional, you can make truffles without any filling and they still taste great!

I think my favorite truffle filling is passion-fruit cream, it tastes so Brazilian!

Coating
1/2 cup unsweetened dry cocoa

Make the truffle mixture

In a double boiler, melt milk chocolate and semisweet chocolate. Add heavy cream and stir until smooth. Add mole sauce if using, stir again. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

Shape and coat truffles
Scoop a teaspoon of chocolate mixture. Use a small cookie scoop to do this or form ball with your hands. If adding a fruit, do it now, then then roll the truffle in cocoa. Store and cool in airtight container until ready to serve.

Yields 22 truffles.

Caldo Verde - A Portuguese Soup - Grow Your Own #24

2009-01-30T08:11:00.012-02:00

When I first had Caldo Verde, a classic Portuguese "green soup," a friend who had just returned from Portugal fixed it for me the way she was taught there. During a visit, she started telling me about Portugal and the foods she had tried there and to make things short, she went to my kitchen and started cooking for me!!!

I would love to visit Portugal one day... Especially because my mom's maiden name is Portuguese but we never found out any information on relatives because she lost her father when she was very young.

For this recipe you just need potatoes, sausage (chourico), onions, olive oil and kale. It is such an easy recipe, that sometimes I make Caldo Verde from leftover mashed potato and use my slow cooker.

Caldo Verde is so soothing... it means comfort food to me!

This is my contribution to Grow Your Own #24 event that Andrea's Recipes is hosting this month. If you make a dish with ingredients from your own garden or was given something someone grew or raised you can post about it!

I used kale from my mother-in-law's garden that I picked myself.

Caldo Verde
2 pounds (1 kg) potato, peeled, and cubed
8 cups water or chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (and more for drizzling)
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
8 oz (250 g) Portuguese sausage/chorizo, sliced on the diagonal (Italian smoked sausage works great)
1 pound (500 g) kale, stems removed, leaves thinly sliced or shredded
Coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion until it softens, about 6 minutes, add garlic and stir until it releases its fragrance. Add the water, potatoes and salt. Simmer about 15 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.

2) Using an immersion blender or your blender, puree the soup. Add the sliced sausage and pepper and boil for about 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper. Add kale and boil another 3 minutes. Pour the soup into soup bowls, serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil on top.

In Portugual Caldo Verde is usually served with a Portuguese cornbread called broa. Here in Brazil we use Italian bread.

Sometimes I fry the sliced sausage until they are crispy and then add to the soup. It seems to boost the flavor of this hearty and satisfying soup.

Kale

I want to thank my good blogging friend at Tangled Noodle who passed me an award! She loves Brazilian food and thanks to Foodbuzz we became friends and... we even have plans to meet here!

Check all the great recipes for this edition of Grow Your Own visiting the roundup that Andrea posted on her blog.

Eating out, literally

2009-01-19T19:25:00.005-02:00

Eating out in Paraty... I love this charming colonial town and its cobblestone streets constructed by the Portuguese settlers some 300 years ago. That is where we spent our honeymoon and we had a chance to go back there on vacation last week after almost 15 years...

Struffoli - Italian Christmas Fritters

2008-12-23T10:03:00.003-02:00

Struffoli or honey balls are a traditional dessert in Naples around Christmas. These treats are served after Christmas dinner but I like to make them anytime of the year. Even though I have never been to Italy, there are many Italians in Brazil and I found this recipe while browsing my first recipe notebook. The dough balls are fried, sizzled with honey and sprinkles and then piled to form a cone or wreath. Serve them after Christmas dinner. Easy and yummy, and you can make them in advance.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas!

Struffoli
2 eggs
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon limoncello (rum or brandy)
2 tablespoons butter
Grated zest of one orange (or lime)
1 2/3 cups sifted all purpose flour

Oil for deep frying

1 cup honey
Colored sprinkles and pignole nuts.

1) In a large bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, rum and butter until foamy. Add orange zest and baking powder. Add flour and knead until it forms a soft dough. Let it rest covered for half an hour in the fridge.

2) Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a 1/2 inch thick rope. Using a sharp knife, cut the rope to obtain half-inch balls.

3) Deep-fry the balls, 6 to 8 at a time until they are light golden brown. Turn them regularly. Drain on paper towel.

4) Heat honey in a saucepan and coat struffoli. Pile onto a serving dish and decorate with sprinkles and pignole nuts.

A thank you note

2008-12-02T22:30:00.000-02:00

A recipe exchange... a giveaway... and I won!!! Woo hoo!!! Thank you Overwhelmed with Joy! for the beautiful recipe cards and for the sweet card.

Seeking delicious holiday recipes? Look no further, the Holiday Cooking, Blogger style recipe exchange is the right place to find a tasty collection of recipes for your holidays!

My entry for the recipe exchange is here.

Green beans and a coconut milk sauce

2008-11-20T13:08:00.010-02:00

A Thanksgiving dinner with a twist... that's what I did last year... I like to spice up holiday meals with a different sauce or side dish. The coconut milk sauce is usually served with fish and shrimp, but I think it adds a dash of spice to the tradition and it is a great combination to go with any vegetable dish... including green beans!

This is my entry to the last day of the "Giving Thanks" celebration over at Kelli's blog. Thank you Kelli for hosting this wonderful event.
Green beans with basil and almonds
Adapted from Taste of home

1 pound fresh green beans
1/4 cup water
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
2 oz sliced almonds
Salt to taste

Place beans and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain; add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook for 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Coconut milk sauce
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon curry powder or saffron
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat, sauté garlic and onion until garlic is fragrant. Stir in coconut milk, curry powder, red pepper flakes. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with vegetables or fish.

Giving Thanks - A pumpkin cheesecake

2008-11-18T13:51:00.003-02:00

Last year I made a pumpkin cheesecake instead of the traditional pumpkin pie for our Thanksgiving dinner and I think it was a winner, because I have already received requests to make it again this year!

The pumpkin cheesecake is actually a combination of two classic recipes, the cheesecake and the pumpkin pie with a chocolate crust.
Kelli at There is no place like home is hosting the Giving Thanks week. Please join this celebration with recipes or anything related to Thanksgiving!

You can check my posts from last year here.

Pumpkin cheesecake

For the chocolate crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C). Mix all ingredientes and press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Filling
4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash ground cloves
3 tablespoons flour

1) With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and the vanilla until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition. Add pumpkin and mix until smooth. Stir spices into batter.

2) Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake 55 min. to 65 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cover with another pan or foil so your cheesecake won't crack... Cool before removing rim. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

I decorate the top of the cheesecake with whipped cream and candied orange.

Source: Kraft foods - Pumpkin swirl cheesecake

Holiday Cooking, Blogger Style - A too good to eat fruitcake

2008-11-07T08:39:00.021-02:00

Thanksgiving approaches... then suddenly we realize that holiday season is just around the corner! It is so nice that the 3rd Holiday Cooking recipe exchange at Overwhelmed with Joy is here already so we can start collecting recipes!

This year I am sharing the best ever Christmas cake I have ever had! The combination of saffron and honey is just out of this world... This is a light cake and so easy to make. You can make it ahead of time or at the last minute!

The recipe was adapted from the British magazine Good Food, that I received as a gift from a friend. All recipes I tried from the December 2007 issue were a hit with my family!

Conversions
The conversions are rounded up or down as appropriate. I use grams and cups... but many people use ounces.

For the dried fruits, you can get 2 handfuls of mixed fruits and it will work great, no need to be precise...

Honey saffron Christmas cake
2 tbsp brandy
pinch saffron powder (about 1⁄4tsp strands)

1 cup (8oz/225g) golden caster sugar
2 sticks (8oz/225g) butter , softened, plus extra for greasing
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups (225g) plain flour
2 oz/50g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
11 oz/300g raisins or sultanas
4 oz/100 g apricots, sliced
4 oz/100g cherries , halved
4 oz/100g dates, sliced
3 oz/85g mixed peel (I used candied orange peels)
2 oz/50g whole blanched almonds , roughly chopped
2 oz/50g walnuts, pieces

To soak
3 tbsp brandy
2 tbsp honey

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 360°F/180°C. Grease a round, deep 8inch/20cm cake pan. -> I used a ring mould and it baked quicker.

2) Heat the brandy in a small pan, then add the saffron and leave to infuse off the heat for a few minutes. Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl, then beat together until creamy and smooth. Mix the fruit, nuts and brandy saffron mix into the batter and stir well.

3) Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour if using the ring mould.

Or... if you like a darker cake... you might want to cover loosely with foil to stop the top over-browning. Turn oven down to 280°F/140°C and cook for 1 hour more OR until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan then, while it's still warm, prod the cake all over with a skewer.

4) Mix the honey (microwave honey for 15s) and brandy together and spoon over the cake. Garnish with confectioner's sugar, pipe some whipped cream and dress up with fruits in season. I washed the fruits and coated them with confectioner's sugar.

You can wrap up the plain cake in foil and keep it in an airtight container until Christmas, feeding with more honeyed brandy every so often. Well, I made one last year on Christmas Eve and decorated right away... and still... it tasted great!

Holiday Cooking, Blogger Style - calling all blogs!

2008-11-06T13:17:00.000-02:00

Overwhelmed with Joy is hosting her annual recipe exchange on November 7th and is inviting everyone to participate! She will give one set of 20 personalized recipe cards to one lucky winner! I can't wait to join!

My post from last year is here.

Creamy cucumber dip

2008-10-29T10:57:00.008-02:00

This dip has a story behind it... it is about a 20-year friendship that started in choir class when I was an AFS exchange student. Karla and I became good friends, her parents treated me as a member of their family. We used to hang around a lot, we used to go "Hills" and to the mall. She also taught me a lot of slang words!

Anyway, we did keep in touch for a while after I returned home, writing long letters, then she moved, and I lost contact. One day I found her address on the internet! So I picked up the phone and called... Karla was speechless. Now we chat online almost everyday. Last time I saw her she had just had a baby, her youngest, and it was great to be together on such special occasion.

Karla learned so many recipes from her mother and this creamy cucumber dip she shared online with me one day we wanted to know what each other was having for dinner.

Creamy cucumber dip
1 cucumber, unpeeled, coarsely grated or diced
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
Black pepper

Soak cucumber in salt water for one hour, then rinse and pat dry. Add remaining ingredients. Serve with your favorite toasted bread, crackers, chips or toasted pita triangles.

If you like cucumber, try these:
Tzatziki
Panzanella
Ginger Vinaigrette
Cucumber relish

Foodbuzz Publisher Community Launches

2008-10-13T12:50:00.005-02:00

See the foodbuzz icons on my side bar?

From our home to yours is a featured publisher of Foodbuzz and today they are officially launching their blogger community with more than 1,000 blog partners! A global food blogging event and an online platform that captures the real-people, real-time power of food publishing in every corner of the world. At launch, the Foodbuzz community ranks as one of the top-10 Internet destinations for food and dining (Quantcast), with bloggers based in 45 countries and 863 cities serving up daily food content!

To read the complete press release, please go to Foodbuzz!

Congratulations Foodbuzz, I am proud to be buzzing!!!

About Foodbuzz, Inc.

Based in San Francisco, Foodbuzz, Inc., launched its beta Web site, foodbuzz.com, in 2007. In less than a year, Fooduzz.com and its community of over 1,000 exclusive partner food blogs have grown into an extended online property that reaches more than three million users.

Spanish caramel flan

2008-10-10T08:03:00.001-02:00

I love to try new things and recipes for guests... We had a family gathering and when I told my mom I was going to make Spanish caramel flan, a flan without condensed milk I received fake smiles and nods from everyone in the kitchen... The reason? My mom makes the best Condensend milk flan I have ever tried, a traditional recipe in Brazil that is so easy to make that I think no one bothers to try a new recipe!

I had been willing to try a different flan recipe for quite some time... and on the way to my parents' house I bookmarked the Spanish flan from the book Perfect Desserts - a collection of over 100 essential recipes (Parragon Publishing) that I got from a friend. Well... the dessert turned out superb and no one was disappointed!

For the Custard
2 1/2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
1/2 orange with 2 long, thin pieces of rind removed
1 vanilla bean, split, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks

For the caramel
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
a few drops of orange juice

1 5-cup flan dish (quiche dish), a round mould or 4 to 6 ramekins
1 large baking/roasting pan for the water bath

1) Pour the milk into a pan with the orange rind and vanilla bean and extract. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and stir in half cup of sugar. Set aside 30 minutes to infuse.

2) Meanwhile make the caramel: put 1/2 cup sugar and 4 tablespoons of water in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, then boil without stirring until the caramel turns deep golden brown. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and squeeze in a few drops of orange juice to stop the cooking. Pour into a lightly greased flan dish or ramekins and swirl to cover the base.

3) Return the pan of infused milk to the heat and bring to a simmer. Beat the whole eggs and egg yolks together in a heatproof bowl. Pour the warm milk into the eggs, whisking constantly. Strain into the flan dish.

4) Place the flan dish in a baking pan and fill with enough boiling water come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake in a preheated oven 325° F/160° C for 60-75 minutes until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the flan dish from the baking pan and set aside to cool completely. Cover and let chill overnight. To serve, run a metal spatula round the flan, then invert onto a serving plate, shaking firmly to release.

Annatto... Flower, seeds and a food coloring

2008-09-07T22:00:00.003-02:00

Anatto or achiotte, (bixa orellana L.) is a plant is grown mostly in South America and Brazil is the main producer and exporter. Known here as urucum or colorau the seeds are used as a natural red food coloring in the food industry, comestics (lipsticks) and also in the Brazilian cuisine. The color result is similar to paprika, although it does not alter the flavor of the food. Also, Brazilian indians and other Latin-American indians use the seeds to make body paint.

The most common way to make annatto powder is to heat the seeds in oil, then transfer the seeds to a mortar, add fine cornmeal and grind them with the pestle. Pour through a fine mesh to separate seed skins from powder and you are ready to go.

Ginger Ribs with Red Rice

2008-09-01T21:05:00.015-02:00

My mother-in-law introduced me to red rice some 15 years ago... At the time, I came back home with 2 pounds of red rice and tried it different ways, using different ingredients like chicken shrimp, codfish, sausage and even sweet potato. This whole grain rice (sativa L specie) was carried to Brazil from Portugal, back in the XVI century. Some people call it Camargue rice, if grown in France. Even though it has been in our country for many years, just now it is gaining popularity with Slow Food.

This is my entry for The Royal Foodie Joust that has whole grain, citrus and ginger as the main ingredients.

For every cup rice, use 4 cups water. Soak the rice at least 2 hours before cooking.

Ingredients for the rice
2 cups red rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
8 cups water

Heat a large pan and sauté garlic and onion. Add rice, salt water and cook for about 45 minutes in low heat. After 30 minutes add the cooked ribs.

Ingredients for the ribs
2 pounds pork baby back ribs
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon salt
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pepper to taste

1) Marinate baby ribs for 2 hours in lime juice, salt, pepper, onion, olive oil, garlic and ginger powder.

2) In a large pan or pressure cooker, add the meat without the marinade and brown lightly, adding a little more oil if necessary. Add the marinade, cover and cook in low heat for one hour or until meat is tender. Add water as needed, then allow water to dry at the end.

3) Add the cooked rice to the meat, cook it for another 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Yucca stew - Grow Your Own 1st anniversary

2008-08-23T19:15:00.002-02:00

I say manioc (cassava), you say yucca. Many people have tried yucca without even knowing it, like when you use tapioca flour... does this ring a bell?

This entry celebrates Grow Your Own's first anniversary! Congratulations Andrea! Thank you for planting the seed of friendship with your event!

This is a simple recipe for chilly nights. I had some yucca in the freezer from the family farm and I added harissa, the Tunisian spice blend, to the stew to spice it up.

Harissa has the power to turn an ordinary dish into a gourmet dish!

Yucca stew

Peel and strip the yucca root before cooking (remove the long stringy fibers in the middle)
Cut into chunks and cook it in water until soft (it can take from 20 minutes to over one hour, use a pressure cooker if you have one)

3 pounds (1.5 kg) cooked yucca, smashed
10 to 12 cups water or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt (omit the salt if using stock)
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 oz bacon, cooked, lightly browned
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon harissa (or any pepper)
2 cups watercress, chopped (or kale)

1) Sauté onion and garlic in oil and olive oil. Add smashed yucca, water (or stock), salt and harissa. Bring to a boil, then simmer until stew is thickened. Using an immersion hand blender (or a blender), puree stew until smooth.

2) Towards the end, add the watercress and the cooked bacon, turn off heat and cover for a few minutes before serving. Serve warm.

This recipe can be adapted for the slow cooker.

Yucca plantation

You can check all the entries for the 1st anniversary here.

Harissa, a traditional Tunisian blend at our table

2008-08-12T00:38:00.008-02:00

Harissa is a traditional Tunisian spice blend made from peppers and condiments. This one was a gift and was made by my friend's mother-in-law who lives in Tunisia. We frequently use harissa to spice up many dishes. With its intense flavor it is well paired with seafood, meat, soups and stews, pizza, pasta etc.

Jenn, at the Leftover Queen teaches how to make harissa paste.

Brazilian carrot cake

2008-08-07T19:15:00.001-02:00

Our children's favorite cake. This is a simple carrot cake I make and I think every mother here knows how to make it, as it is a very popular and traditional recipe in Brazil. Since I was not a big fan of carrot cakes, even though I like carrots, I started to add cinnamon to give it a twist. Very different from the carrot cakes you probably know, this one does not have nuts and fruits, and it is topped with chocolate icing!

This recipe also makes great cupcakes and I add chocolate chips on top before taking them to the oven!
Brazilian carrot cake
3 small raw carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Grease and flour a 12-inch (30 cm) round pan. Preheat oven to 380°F (190°C).

1) Place carrots, eggs, and oil into a blender and puree.

2) In a bowl, add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar. Pour the carrot mixture and mix until well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake at 380°F (190°C) for 30 minutes.

Chocolate glaze
(mom's recipe)

4 tablespoons milk or water
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa

In a small sauce pan, cook all ingredients at low heat until it thickens, stirring constantly. Spread over cake immediately.

Summer Salad - Healthy Cooking event

2008-07-18T07:16:00.001-02:00

On a hot Summer day this refreshing salad works as a one-dish meal to me. My kids love to tease me about my salad bowls, they say that they look like a colorful garden. Children say funny things and whenever I can I write them down.

I have salad with almost every meal, and this works for me as an effective way to have a healthy diet and keep a slim figure.

Salads are low fat, depending on the dressing you choose... So, adding nuts, beans, tofu, yogurt or cheese power up the content of protein.

This is my entry to the Healthy Cooking - A Cookbook Givevaway Event. You can win a cookbook, so hurry! The deadline is July 21st!
For the salad:
(quantities may vary)

- Swiss chard, chopped
(source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, iron, vitamin E and dietary fiber)
- Romaine lettuce
(source of vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin C, manganese and chromium)
- Strawberries, sliced
(source of vitamin C and manganese, among others)
- Cashew nuts, crushed
(source of fiber and protein, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, copper and B vitamins)

In a large salad bowl, combine swiss chard, lettuce, strawberries and cashew nuts. Pour the orange dressing over the salad.

For the orange dressing
Recipe adapted from Lica's blog (in Portuguese)

1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped very fine
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine orange juice, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well and cook until thickened. Remove from heat, let cool. Use as salad dressing.

Nutrition source: The World's Healthiest Foods

Recycling with style

2008-07-11T07:36:00.001-02:00

I found this cute utensil holder that is made of recycled wood at a country restaurant in my hometown. Hands on... with recycling materials we don't need to spend a lot of money to add a special touch to our homes.

Spiced Hot Grape Punch - Grow Your Own #11

2008-06-25T20:59:00.013-02:00

Winter is just around the corner here and I have been fixing this hot punch for friends and family in our small group that meets once a week. It is a non-alcoholic beverage, the aroma fills the air, and you can enjoy it slowly, as it is served hot. In the Summer, you can serve it cold.

This is my entry for Grow Your Own event and you can participate too! This event is about homegrown products, so if you have a garden why not celebrate the bounty of the season with a unique dish prepared with foods that you grow?

My spiced hot grape punch is made with fresh ginger from my mom and dad's garden.

Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons honey
Rind of 2 oranges
Rind of 1 lime
2 oz (50 to 60 g) sliced fresh ginger
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 apples, cored, peeled and chopped
4 cups (1 liter) unsweetened red grape juice

Directions:
1) In a large sauce pan over medium combine sugar and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar.

2) Add honey, sliced ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves, lime and orange rinds. Simmer 4 minutes. Remove rinds.

3) Add 1 cup water and simmer 5 minutes. Then add the chopped apples, the grape juice and bring to a boil again for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Brazil and Japan - 100-year friendship

2008-06-18T19:12:00.000-02:00

A friendship that started 100 years ago when the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the port of Santos aboard the steamship Kasato Maru on June 18, 1908. Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito is visiting the country to take part in the celebrations. An anniversary that certainly deserves to be celebrated in a special way.

Gruyere Gougères - Savory Cheese Puffs

2008-06-06T18:12:00.002-02:00

Gougères are savory puffs or cheese balls (Pâte à choux) made with gruyere or any kind of cheese that melts and stretches... These are easy, fast and great starters for parties. That's why I am submitting this recipe for the Monthly Mingle event that Mansi at Food and Fun is hosting this month with Appetizers & Hors'Doeuvres. It is an event that Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey? started.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/3 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup grated gruyere
4 tablespoons chopped onion
Italian seasoning to taste (or any kind of dried herbs - parsley, oregano, thyme, etc.)

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220 ºC). Grease or line two cookie sheets (no need to grease if using non-stick sheets).

2) Place the water and butter into a saucepan and bring to a boil. On low heat add the salt and flour at once, stirring with a wooden spoon until it forms a ball.

3) Remove from heat. Transfer the mixture into a mixing bowl and let cool for a bit. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until the mixture is creamy. Add the cheese, the onion and the seasonings.

4) Drop the balls of the mixture onto a greased or lined cookie sheet using a small cookie scoop or one tablespoon, 2 inches apart.

You can also pipe the mixture, but I prefer the cookie scoop.

5) Bake at 425ºF (220 ºC) for 15 to 20 minutes until puffs are golden brown. Serve them hot, plain or with any kind of filling, I had some eggplant antipasto and it was a great combination!

Recipe from the kitchen of: Luna

Rice with black-eyed peas - Grow your own #10

2008-05-29T07:20:00.003-02:00

Rice and beans... another staple food here in Brazil. Every time we visit the family farm, which is in another state, the lady who works and lives there gives me black-eyed-peas that her family grows. She taught me how to make this dish called "baiao-de-dois" that is popular in the Northeast part of Brazil. This is the simplified version as you will hardly find the type of clarified butter (bottle butter) they use to cook this and the coalho cheese (a type of curd cheese).

This is my entry for this month's Grow Your Own event. If you grow or raise anything in your garden or if you received something as a gift that the giver has personally grown or raised you can participate too.

Ingredients:
1 cup black-eyed peas, cooked
2 cups of rice
4 cups water
1 cup frying cheese, cubed
1/2 cup italian smoked sausage or chorizo, sliced (I omit this sometimes)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped onions
cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large pan. Add onions, garlic and sausage and sautée until tender. Add rice and fry it stirring it frequently. Add cooked beans, water, salt and pepper and cook for about 15 minutes until most of the water gets absorbed.

2) Add the cubed cheese and the cilantro. Turn off stove and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

Cooking rice like a Brazilian

2008-05-28T20:00:00.001-02:00

Rice is a staple here in Brazil and everyone knows how to cook it. Depending on where you live you stir-fry first with oil before adding the water. That's how I like it and I learned to cook rice this way from my mom.

When cooking rice add a few drops of lime for an extra flavor.
To cook 1 cup dried rice, add 2 cups water.

Ingredients:

2 cups long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups boiling water (or chicken broth)

Directions:

1) Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sautée for a minute, until fragrant.

2) Add rice, let it sit for 10 seconds, then stir to coat the grains with the oil, season with salt and stir-fry about 2 minutes.

3) Add the boiling water. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, fluff it with a fork and add the lime juice if using any. Put the lid back on and let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Mother's Day was good...

2008-05-13T00:00:00.000-02:00

Mom baked us an all time favorite cake, served plain, with coffee... Simple like that, just like mother's love...

Ingredients for mom's plain cake
2 cups cake flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal or oatbran (her secret ingredient)
1 cup sugar
1 dash salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup warm milk (another secret)
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs

1) Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add milk and oil. Mix well.

2) In a separate small bowl, beat eggs and add to the mixture and beat one minute or about 60 strokes. The more you beat the better.

3) Bake in two small oiled and floured loaf-cake pans for 40 minutes at 375˚F (190˚C). Serve plain or with a lime glaze.

Lime and poppy seed glaze
4 tablespoons lime juice
4 tablespoons sugar
Poppy seed (optional)

1) Put lime juice and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.

2) Remove from heat, poke holes in top of warm cake with toothpick or fork and spoon the warm glaze over the cooked cake. Sprinkle poppy seed.

I love this cake, because whenever I bake it for my kids I have the feeling I am doing something just like my mom used to do when I was a child. I remember her moving around the kitchen getting the ingredients and the utensils ready, turning the oven on etc. That's why I love cooking for my family, so that they can have fond memories of their childhood too.

Yogurt Parfait with Mango and Cardamom

2008-05-01T00:38:00.000-02:00

Mango, brown sugar and cardamom! These were the three delicious ingredients on my list for this month's joust at the Leftover Queen forum! And I ended up with a parfait.

Did you know that "parfait" means literally "perfect" in French? And also it is:
1 : a flavored custard containing whipped cream and syrup frozen without stirring

2 : a cold dessert made of layers of fruit, syrup, ice cream, and whipped cream
(Merriam-Webster dictionary)

My parfait is made with frozen greek yogurt. Parfaits are usually made in layers in a tall glass, but I used a serving plate instead.
For the custard:
2 cups greek yogurt (substitutes: vanilla yogurt or ice cream)
2 to 3 tablespoons honey

For the mango syrup:
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 to 4 cardamom pods, split open
1/2 cup water
1 mango, peeled and sliced

1) Mix together greek yogurt and honey. Line bottom and sides of muffin pans with loose fitting plastic wrap or parchment paper. Divide the mixture between the lined muffin pans and freeze for about 2 hours.

2) In a sauce pan heat sugar, cardamom pods and water until sugar dissolves for about 5 minutes. Add mango slices and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and leave fruit to cool.

3) Remove the parfait from the freezer. Remove the plastic wrap or parchment paper. Place the parfait on serving plates and drizzle the mango syrup around each one.

Recipe adapted from Woman and Home magazine.

Courgette Salsa - Grow Your Own #9

2008-04-25T21:17:00.000-02:00

¡Viva Cinco de Mayo!

This tasty salsa can be used as an appetizer, spooned over a steak or as salad dressing.

I used organic zucchinis (or courgettes) from the family farm located about 150 miles (about 250 km) from where we live. We go there once a month and that's when I have plenty of time to experiment with home grown ingredients.

This is my entry for Grow Your Own event that promotes the use of ingredients we grow or raise ourselves and also the dishes we make using our homegrown products. To view other entries and participating blogs, please visit Andrea's blog!

Courgette Salsa
From Woman and Home magazine

2 ripe tomatoes, core removed, finely chopped
1 medium courgette, finely chopped
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
finely grated zest and juice 1 lime
handful fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
3 tsp sweet chilli sauce (optional) - I used 1 tsp chilli powder
1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Mix the chopped tomatoes and courgette with the rest of the ingredients, plus a pinch of sugar if not using the chilli sauce. Set the salsa aside at room temperature. Serve as appetizer.

Zucchini plants

Flavors and colors from foreign lands

2008-04-24T05:13:00.000-02:00

From India: My husband spent a few days in India and brought home some nice spices, like Curry and Garam masala, and colorful bracelets and pashminas.

From England: I set up a meeting between my husband and Val, a blogger friend whom I have not met yet. The gift exchange was mutual, we had bought each other magazines, chocolate bars and spices. The wellies are so cute...

A few spices my husband got to buy at Tesco.

A big thanks... My Moo cards are here!!!

2008-04-12T04:18:00.000-02:00

My birthday present came in a week earlier and it was a huge surprise! A signed contract with Foodbuzz and a free gift!!! Moo mini cards with my name and blog name printed on the back of the cards that have such nice food pictures!

You have a food blog and have not yet joined Foodbuzz... Why not do it now? Just click here to sign up! Please remember to type in http://fromourhometoyours-en.blogspot as your referrer!

Thank you!

Stuffed Crab Shells - Casquinha de Siri

2008-03-30T02:14:00.000-02:00

Stuffed crab shells or "Casquinha de siri" is a Brazilian appetizer made with sautéed crab meat, coconut milk, palm oil, tomatoes, bell peppers, parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. You bake them in scallop or crab shells, either molds made of silicone or real ones, and then sprinkle lime juice on top. These taste even better if served with cold beer and preferably on the beach!

If you are strict vegetarian, try using shredded cabbage instead of crab meat.

An this recipe goes to the Leftover Queen forum! This month we had to use an ingredient from the sea, coconut and lime or lemon.

Ingredients:
1 pound (500 g) crab meat, drained
1 small onion, cubed
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cubed
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 tablespoon palm oil
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Bread crumbs
Grated Parmesan cheese
Crab or scallop shells
Lime wedges

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°) or use the broiler inside the oven.

1) In a skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onions, garlic and bell peppers until soft. Stir in crab meat and cook 3-5 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes.

2) Add coconut milk, salt, pepper and palm oil, cooking about 3-5 minutes. Stir in parsley. Remove from heat.

3) Fill the shells with the crab mixture and top with bread crumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown. Sprinkle lime juice when serving.

Bom apetite!

Mixed Pepper Vinaigrette - Grow Your Own # 8

2008-03-25T03:41:00.000-02:00

While visiting the family farm I picked different types of pepper and made this vinaigrette that goes so well as an appetizer, with any side dish or as a dressing for grilled vegetables.

Straight from the farm

This is my entry for March's Grow Your Own event at Andrea's Recipes. Click the badge to view all events listed on the page and get to know some wonderful blogs that participate and share their passion for homegrown ingredients.

Ingredients: (quantities may vary, pick assorted colors)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 fresh hot peppers, seeded and diced (chili, malagueta or Aji)
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar or lime juice
1/4 teaspoon italian seasoning or oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup anchovies, sliced (aliche) - optional

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve over sliced italian bread as an appetizer or with any kind of grilled vegetables.

With anchovies and extra parsley.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-21T00:00:00.000-02:00

The homework: dye a batch of eggs and write messages to kids from school. I was already planning on coloring eggs with them, and my little one was so helpful as we dyed the eggs together. One simple task turned into a nice way of not only decorating but creating memories with the kids. Eggshells, water and food coloring: all we needed for some fun! Have a nice Easter!

Re: Cheddar Bay Biscuits - WBB #20 Balanced Breakfast

2008-03-14T12:19:00.000-02:00

My husband's birthday could only fall on a saint's day, but now we're talking about another saint... the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick! So, if March 17th is the date for many Irish and non-Irish to wear green, enjoy a parade, drink a lot of Guinness beer and wish good luck, why can't we celebrate it with food?

The garlic butter brushed on top added a special flavor and to me they seem to taste like the ones sold at Red Lobster.

I made these Red Lobster-inspired biscuits recipe because I feel homesick for the US and also this is my contribution for Mansi's Balanced Breakfast event at Fun and Food.

Did you know that Red Lobster alone sells over one million biscuits a day?

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

(Adapted from Diana's Kitchen and Kraft)

1 cup skim milk

1/3 cup Mayonnaise

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cups self-rising flour

1/4 cup shredded American cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons melted butter

10 fresh flat leaf parsley leaves

Muffin paper liners

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.

2) In a mixing bowl combine the milk, mayo, sugar, and flour until completely combined. Add cheese to the dough and combine. Drop batter into 10 paper-lined muffin tins. Batter should "drop" from spoon.

3) Melt butter; mix in garlic, and brush tops of dough. Place one parsley leaf on top of each biscuit; lightly brush again.

4) Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden. Serve freshly baked and hot.

Substitute self-rising flour: use 2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon baking powder.

Black-eyed Peas - Feijão-Verde

2008-03-13T03:15:00.000-02:00

Cow peas or Black-eyed peas - not the band... make wonderful salads, stews, and fillings. These beans were a gift from farmworkers and can be eaten green or dried. They are staple in North and Northeast regions in Brazil but can be easily cultivated anywhere.

Baked T-bone Steak with Pineapple Sauce - Royal Foodie Joust

2008-02-29T05:31:00.000-02:00

A simple dish that gets a unique flavor with spices from different countries that blended so well together along with the pineapple sauce that is an incredible complement.

I use mirin, the Japanese cooking wine, to enhance the flavor of all kinds of meat and also tabil, a Tunisian spice mix to add some zest to the food.

I became a huge fan of Tunisian spices when a friend of mine who lives in Montreal and is married to a French-Tunisian, gave me some last year when we met for the first time here in Brazil.

A beautiful friendship that started with a comment on my blog. To make a long story short, we found out that our grandparents and also my father and her father were long-time friends, even though we had never met! Things that only internet can explain...

This month's joust at the Leftover Queen forum was an easy one for me with pork, citrus and pink or white peppercorns. The hard part was to choose the pictures for the post, as I ended up taking 149 photos of the same dish!

Baked T-Bone Steaks
6 T-Bone steaks
1 tablespoon salt (or to taste)
1/3 cup mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon tabil (Tunisian spice mix)
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped scallion
Juice of 1 lime

2 potatoes, cut into wedges
5 shallots, cut in half
Dried rosemary leaves
Pink peppercorns

Directions:
1) Mix salt, mirin, evoo, tabil, garlic, scallion, oregano and lime together. Pour over steaks. Marinate overnight or at least one hour in refrigerator, turning occasionally.

2) Transfer the steaks and the marinade to a large baking dish. Add potatoes and shallots. Season the potatoes with rosemary leaves and pink peppercorns. Bake, uncovered at 400ºF/200ºC for 45 minutes/1hour or until cooked to your taste. Usually, when the potatoes are done too. Serve with rice and pineaple sauce.

Pineapple sauce - from the kitchen of my sister-in-law's mother
1 fresh pineapple, cored, cut into chunks
3/4 cup sugar
1 malagueta pepper, finely diced.

1) Put the pineapple and the sugar into a blender and puree until smooth.

2) Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated and sauce is thick. Let cool and then add the malagueta pepper.

Bolognese Polenta - Grow Your Own # 7

2008-02-27T04:30:00.000-02:00

Polenta and pizza: two magic words! Travel anywhere in the world, even if you do not speak the language, and these simple words will put food on your plate. So, to celebrate the end of the cold season in the Northern hemisphere and the beginning of possible colder days here... I couldn't think of anything more comforting than the traditional italian dish: a Bolognese Polenta!

My mom used to make a lot of polenta when we were kids, like chicken polenta soup, fried polenta as appetizer and even a very soft sweet polenta which we had for breakfast or dessert.

My contribution to this month's Grow your own event at Andrea's blog has basil from my indoor garden. My dad makes sure I never run out of basil, he always sends me basil seeds and also dried basil!

Ingredients for hard polenta - from my mom's kitchen
1 cup yellow cornmeal or instant polenta
4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 tablespoons onion, thinly diced
2 tablespoons canola oil

Directions
1) Combine the cornmeal and 2 cups of cold water into a large bowl and whisk, this will avoid lumps forming.

2) In large sauce pan, sauté onion over medium heat until translucent, add garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes more, until fragrant, do not brown. Add the remaining 2 cups water, boil, add salt and gradually stir in the polenta and water mixture.

3) Let the polenta and water simmer stirring frequently with wooden spoon to prevent sticking. It will take about 15 to 30 minutes until it's very thick, or 5 minutes if using the instant polenta. If it is too thick, add more water.

You know the polenta is ready when it pulls away from the side of the pan.

4) Grease a baking dish or ramekins with butter. Add the polenta. Let it stand a few minutes. Spoon your favorite sauce. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and fresh basil leaves.

The polenta will be creamy if you eat it right away and very firm for your next meal or if you let it set for 15 minutes while you make the topping.

Bolognese Sauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1⁄4 cup shredded carrot
1⁄2 lb (250g) Italian smoked sausage, cubed or grated (remove casings)
1 lb (500 g) ground meat, preferably chunk
1 can (14-ounce/500g) peeled, crushed tomatoes with the juice
(or 1 can (6oz/180g) tomato paste)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Fresh basil leaves
Chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1) In a large sauce pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat until the onions are translucent.

2) Add carrot, sausage and sauté for 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and add the ground beef. Break up any large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Add parsley, basil and nutmeg.

3) Add the milk and let it simmer gently stirring frequently. Then add the wine, let it simmer until it has evaporated, add the tomatoes and stir throughouly. Cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens, for at least 1/2 hour. Check for seasoning. Serve hot over the polenta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Fresh eggs from the farm

2008-02-20T13:42:00.000-02:00

We visit my husband's family farm once a month but I would love to live closer to enjoy all the good things there. A good reason to have chickens is to be able to collect fresh eggs and have a regular supply of delicious eggs to try new recipes.

Chickens there have room to roam free and eat outside. The kids love to throw kale from the garden fence and watch the chickens running torwards their natural food!

Much different from this other farm... Birds that live short lives, 40 to 45 days, under confined conditions, without ever seeing natural daylight. There is a campaign called Chicken out in Europe and you can read more about it here too.

And that reminds me of the British movie "Chicken Run," released a few years ago, about the miserable lives of a clan of chickens at a farm in 1950's England that plan to escape their prisonlike coop. Did you notice that they have teeth?

Romeo and Juliet - a sweet pizza for my Valentine

2008-02-14T05:30:00.000-02:00

It's Valentine's Day in many countries, but here... What are you making for your sweetie, neighbor or friend?

Here's a sweet pizza I made, with guava paste and cheese, a common combination found in many latin countries and known here as "Romeo and Juliet." The name might have come from the famous play by Shakespeare, but the idea is that "cheese and guava paste" make an irresistible and perfect combination.

Also, Portuguese has two genders for nouns, so Cheese is masculine and Guava is feminine. A language peculiarity that makes Portuguese a beautifil language but very confusing for English speakers who have a hard time trying to figure out the gender of things.

My contribution to "A heart for your Valentine" event. If you would like to participate, please find the instructions here.

To make the Romeo and Juliet pizza:
1 recipe for personal pizza
1 can guava paste cut into cubes
cream cheese, white cheese or mozzarela

Cover the pre-baked pizza with the cheese and the guava paste and bake in preheated oven until cheese and guava paste melt.

Guava and guava paste

Do you say Mardi Gras or Carnival?

2008-02-02T04:42:00.000-02:00

This has nothing to do with food, but it's Carnival in Brazil and I will be out for a few days.

Can you tell it is a mannequin? It looked so real to me. By the way, I say Carnival. Have fun!

Game night with Arugula and Sun-dried Tomato Pizza!

2008-02-01T05:05:00.000-02:00

For football fans or not... There is nothing like homemade pizza to please everyone! Set up a table for personal pizzas with pre-baked pizza crust, different toppings, olive oil, herbs and a no-cook tomato sauce. The do-it-yourself pizzas will sure please everyone and the cook can score a touchdown too, fixing the pizza crusts in advance!

My contribution to the Game Night event that Mansi at Fun and Food is promoting.

Pizza dough
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (about 105 °F/40°C)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil

1) In a mixing bowl or food processor: dissolve yeast in water and add sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes, then add the flour, salt, and oil and beat or process until smooth.

2) Knead: on a floured flat surface for about 5 minutes, until smooth.
(This step can be skipped if using a food processor).

3) Cover and let rise: in a warm place until doubled. It should be ready in 30 to 60 minutes. (Make the pizza sauce below while the dough is rising.)

4) Roll out: break the dough in half, or in the amount of personal pizzas you want to make. Roll out using a rolling pin to flatten it out to about 1/4" (0.5 cm) thick. Run the pin over the dough once or twice, flip over and roll it again to make it even (use a plate to cut out a round shape). Transfer dough to a lightly greased cookie sheet, prick several times with a fork.

5) Pre-bake: at 425 °F/220°C for 6-8 minutes.

6) Add toppings: Cover with your favorite sauce and toppings and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

My toppings suggestion: fresh tomato sauce, mozzarela or goat's cheese, oregano - cook a few minutes in the oven. Remove from oven, place arugula and sun-dried tomatoes on top - these last two ingredients do not need to be cooked; sprinkle coarse salt and pepper over the pizza. Enjoy!

For skillet pizza:
Instead of baking, heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook each round 2 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Add toppings, cover with a lid and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes.

No-cook fresh tomato sauce
3 ripe tomatoes, cut in half
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
oregano, fresh basil leaves, black pepper and garlic powder to taste

1) Grate tomatoes: use a coarse vegetable grater over a bowl, grating as close to the skin as possible (flesh down, do not grate skin, discard it).

2) Mix together grated tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, sugar, pepper and garlic powder.

This recipe makes a great fresh tomato sauce for any pasta.

Moqueca: Brazilian Fish Stew - Grow Your Own # 6

2008-01-29T05:23:00.000-02:00

Moqueca is a traditional Brazilian seafood stew that consists basically of layers of onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, pepper and fish steaks cooked and served in a black clay pot and a side of rice.

There are many types of moqueca depending on the meat used, but two stand out: one from Bahia state and another one from Espirito Santo state. What differentiates one recipe from another is the use of two ingredients: coconut milk and palm oil that are added only to the Bahian style.

On our first vacation together after we got married, some 13 years ago, we drove a thousand miles to Porto Seguro, a place that claims to be where the history of Brazil started. As we were on vacation and time did not count, we would stop for a couple of days here and there to enjoy the beaches along the coastline. Over there, they eat a lot of fish and we were able to try the two types of moqueca, that were always brought steaming hot to our table.

This is my contribution to Andrea's recipes and her Grow Your Own event. I used cilantro from my indoor garden.

Moqueca baiana (Bahian fish stew)

2 lbs. (1 kg) fish filets, cut into large portions, about 2 inches (5 cm)
juice of one lime
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 pound (500 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)

2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 large tomatoes, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 bunch cilantro
7 oz (200 ml) coconut milk
2 tablespoons palm oil (azeite de dende)
1 teaspoon salt

1) Marinate the fish filets and the shrimp with salt, pepper, paprika and lime juice for at least one hour.

2) In a large sauté pan or dutch oven, sauté garlic in oil. Turn off the heat at this point and using half of the vegetables start making layers of onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and peppers. Cover the layers with the fish, the marinade and cilantro.

3) Cover the fish making other layers with the shrimp, the remaining onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and cilantro. Add the palm oil, the coconut milk and sprinkle the salt. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer over low heat for 30 to 60 minutes or until fish and vegetables are cooked. Serve with rice.

Serves 4 to 6.

More moqueca recipes with pictures can be found here:
- Simply Recipes
- Epicurious

Eating Global: Brazilian Fusion Cuisine

2008-01-20T00:18:00.000-02:00

Take a seat, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and watch this video on Gourmet website featuring the Brazilian fusion cuisine. I found it very interesting, as they went out to the streets to get a glimpse of many dishes like Brazilian Fish and Shrimp Stew (moqueca, pictured above), pastel (fried pastry), sushis, and sweet pizza among others. Due to the mingling of several cultures, the food in Brazil is clearly a combination of several cuisines that create unique dishes using local ingredients, mostly with European techniques.

Or, if like me, you like food movies... Try "Woman on top" (2000, rating R) with Penelope Cruz, who plays a young Brazilian chef that creates wonderful recipes and leaves for America, where she becomes a star as the host of a TV cooking show, Passion Foods Live.

Speaking of movies... What's the best food movie you have ever seen?

Lentil Soup and Grilled Eggplant - Royal Foodie Joust

2008-01-08T17:28:00.000-02:00

For the monthly Royal Foodie Joust at The Leftover Queen I needed to use eggplants, lentils, and cinnamon. Even though the task seemed easy, I had never tried mixing eggplants and cinnamon. Well, I soon found out that they are a perfect match to make a wonderfully warm and comforting soup for a chilly day!
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt, paprika, garlic powder and pepper to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil

3 strips (3 ounces) bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch half-moons
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth (3 1/2 cups)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1) Slice eggplant lengthwise into very thin slices. Brush or spray slices with olive oil; sprinkle with salt, paprika, garlic powder, pepper, and cinnamon. Grill on electric/outdoor grill until each side has golden brown grill marks and is fragrant. Reserve for garnish.

2) In a Dutch oven (or other 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid), cook bacon over medium-low heat until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.

3) Add onion and carrots; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste, and cook 1 minute.

4) Add lentils, thyme, broth, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover; cook until lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Add salt and pepper if necessary.

5) Arrange grilled eggplant slices on deep bowls. Laddle lentil soup, top with grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Lentil soup adapted from the book Everyday Food - Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart.

Cassava or Yucca Root - Grow Your Own # 5

2008-01-02T02:19:00.000-02:00

Cassava, yucca, Brazilian arrowroot, mandioca... So many names for a root that can be used in a variety of dishes. The most known ingredient extracted from the root of cassava is tapioca flour, tapioca starch or yucca flour. Sounds familiar? I use cassava as much as many people use potatoes. Puddings, breads, cakes, chips, deep fried, purées, dumplings, soups, etc. can be made with cassava or tapioca. Gluten-free, it can replace wheat flour and it is very used by people with wheat allergies, like coeliac disease.

This is my contribution to this month’s Grow Your Own event.

The pictures were taken from my husband's family farm. Cassava is organically grown there and right now I have some in the freezer for future recipes.

To view a recipe using tapioca, please click the picture.

Portuguese French Toast or Brazilian Rabanadas

2007-12-20T10:30:00.000-02:00

Many countries celebrate a white Christmas but, since it is Summer time in Brazil, many places have Christmas lights on palm trees. However, we also exchange gifts, decorate our houses with lights, put up trees and have large family reunions. Turkey and roasted pork are traditional dishes during Christmas supper. Another Christmas tradition here is the Portuguese French toast or "rabanadas" that were brought from Portugal and consist of french bread, milk, eggs, and cinnamon sugar on top. It is a part of my husband's family memories on Christmas day. My father-in-law usually orders the bread in advance and keeps this tradition going. It is like a magic moment, an opportunity to spend time with the family members during breakfast or the afternoon snack. As this year we are celebrating Christmas with my parents, I already asked my mother-in-law to make "rabanadas" on New Year's day!

Rabanadas - From the kitchen of my mother-in-law

About 20 1-inch-thick (2.5 cm) slices french bread
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk (reserve other half for topping)
2 cups of milk
3 eggs, separated

About 3 tablespoons oil for pan-frying
Sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle, condensed milk or syrup to pour over fried bread

Directions:

1) If possible, buy the bread the day before, slice it and let it sit overnight in an open container.

2) Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add egg yolks and beat again until thick.

3) In a medium bowl, combine half can of condensed milk with the milk.

4) Soak lightly each slice of bread with the dissolved condensed milk, drain the excess and coat the slice with eggs whites.

5) Fry in hot oil until golden brown on each side. Place on paper towel to drain and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, condensed milk, or syrup. Serve warm.

Does your family have any Christmas traditions?

Fruity Pastel Cookies - Christmas cookies from around the world

2007-12-17T18:20:00.000-02:00

Baking cookies at Christmas is an old tradition that so many people treasure. I did some research and found out that the tradition of leaving Christmas cookies and milk for Santa isn’t a very old one. It is believed to have started around the 1930s during the time of the Great Depression. So, if you were nice, you thank Santa for the hard work on Christmas Eve, and if you were naughty you can still try to bribe him with some cookies!

I gave these cookies to our children's preschool teachers as a Christmas gift, placed them in clear boxes and attached a bow to the lid.

This is another contribution for Susan at Food Blogga who is hosting the Eat Christmas cookies event until December 24th. To join the fun and share your recipes, please click the red logo on the right for instructions.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 package (3 ounces) lime gelatin or flavor of your choice
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Red and green colored sugar and/or sprinkles

1) In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and gelatin powder. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

2) Using a cookie press fitted with the disk of your choice, press dough 2 inches (5 cm) apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

3) Decorate as desired with colored sugar and/or sprinkles. Bake at 400°F (200 °C) for 6-8 minutes or until set (do not brown). Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Yield: 6 dozen

From our home to yours:
- I used two flavors of gelatin powder and created red and green cookies.
- Remove cookies while they are still hot so they don't stick to the pan.

Adapted from magazine Taste of Home, Dec/Jan 2003

Holiday Cheese Spread - Holiday Cooking, Blogger Style

2007-12-13T02:35:00.000-02:00

Every year my family throws a big Christmas dinner and we invite some friends. My friend Walkiria showed up a few years ago with a tasty snowman cheese spread that was too cute to eat. It "melted away" quickly as everyone wanted to get a taste of it.

This is my entry for the Annual Holiday Cooking, Blogger Style recipe exchange. If you would like to participate, please visit Overwhelmed with Joy for the guidelines. And happy cooking!

Ingredients:
3 slices bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1 pkg. (8oz - 240 g) cream cheese softened
2 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese (I used smoked ricotta)
Garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper to taste.

1) Place bacon on roasting rack, cover with paper towel and microwave at High for 3 to 6 minutes or until brown and crisp. Cool and crumble.

2) Mix butter, cheese, cream cheese, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper in medium bowl until well blended. Add bacon and combine well. Divide mixture in half.

For the snowman:
2 pretzel sticks
black peppercorns
1 whole pimiento
1 pimiento-stuffed green olive
1 baby carrot
crackers

1) Divide one half of them mixture into 2 or 3 portions (depending on the type of snowman you want to make). Shape each portion into ball , making balls for head and upper body slightly smaller than base. Stack balls on serving tray.

2) Make snowman's arms by inserting pretzel sticks into cheese. Decorate with peppercorns for the eyes and buttons. Add carrot for the nose. Cut small piece of pimiento for mouth. Cut 1/2 inch-wide strip of pimiento to make scarf. Trim top and bottom of olive and use wooden pick to secure olive to cracker for the hat. Place on head.

For Santa's boot:
Sliced almonds
Black peppercorns
pimiento strips

1) Shape remaining half of cheese mixture into boot shape. Trim top of boot with sliced almonds to resemble fur. Use peppercorns and pimiento for laces and bow.

Congo Bars and Christmas Cookies around the world

2007-12-06T05:20:00.000-02:00

I am so far behind with the Thanksgiving recipes I promised to post here that I decided to switch to Holiday cooking! Last year my old small group organized a Christmas party and there was a gift exchange. It was a lot of fun, the hostess gave away Congo Bars baked in small bundt pans and wrapped in clear cellophane to each of us. I asked for the recipe and she was kind enough to share her secret with us. These make a great gift.

Susan at Food Blogga is hosting an event called Eat Christmas cookies from now through December 24th, and I wanted to share this recipe that tastes so much like cookies and it is so easy to make. To see all the wonderful Christmas cookies recipes from around the world, you just need to click the red logo!

Ingredients
5 tablespoons melted butter
3 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup chopped Brazilian nuts or walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1) Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Grease 10 x 15 inch pan. (You can use small bundt pans or 12 muffin cups).

2) Combine butter and sugar in bowl. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt; blend well. Fold in chips and nuts. Turn in pan, spread evenly.

3) Bake until top is lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack; let cool. Cut into bars and sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top. Congo bars will freeze.

Rosemary-Roasted Potatoes - Grow Your Own # 4

2007-11-29T13:46:00.000-02:00

Easy and ready in 30 minutes while you fix dinner or perform other chores, these rosemary roasted potatoes make a great side dish. At our Thanksgiving we had this as one of our side dishes.

This is my contribution to this month’s Grow Your Own event.

Ingredients:
2 pounds (1 kg) large potatoes, unpeeled and cut into halves or quarters
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves (from my mother-in-law's garden)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon saffron (it makes all the difference)
1/2 teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
1/2 cup water

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C).

2) In a large roasting pan or baking sheet, arrange potatoes. Coat with olive oil, garlic, basil, rosemary, parsley, red pepper flakes, safrron, paprika, salt and water. Toss well to combine.

3) Cover pan with foil and roast for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

Our Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T22:05:00.000-02:00

Even though it was not a holiday here, our Thanksgiving dinner was quite traditional. My friend Priscila mentioned she wanted to get together in appreciation for all the blessings this year. It was what my friend Camila and I needed to make our dream come true: cook a Thanksgiving dinner! We had ten-layer salad, turkey and cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, grean beans with basil, cheese spread with garlic and sweet potato biscuits, ginger flavored cauli-flower, pumpkin cheesecake, apple pie and even a roasted pork that our friend Tim fixed. Drinks served included wine, soft drinks and hot spiced cider. One of the highlights of the evening was after dinner, when we shared our blessings and wrote them down on fall colored paper leaves to hang them on the Thankful tree. The room was beautifully decorated and I want to thank my friend Camila for hosting this dinner!

Recipes will be shown in future posts.

Kabocha (or Pumpkin) Spice Bread

2007-11-15T06:13:00.000-02:00

Kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin is very popular in the Japanese cuisine. I use kabocha to cook everything pumpkin, like pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, soup, muffins etc. And... Tis the season for pumpkin spice bread!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup kabocha puree (or canned unsweetened pumpkin)
1 large egg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour an 8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch (21 x 11 x 6 cm) loafpan. Sift together first 6 ingredients; stir in salt.

2. Combine sugar, oil, and kabocha puree/canned pumpkin in a large bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg, beating until well blended. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating at low speed until blended. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

3. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 1 hour 5 minutes or until loaf is golden and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

From our home to yours:
- The dark green skin is very hard and not easy to carve but the pulp is lightly sweet. So, you need to be careful when handling the knife to cut up a kabocha.

- I cooked the kabocha without strings and seeds in the microwave for 20 minutes, an easy and fast way to make a pumpkin puree from scratch.

- This recipe works both with canned pumpkin and kabocha squash puree.

- A different twist to this cake is the cocoa powder added to the batter.

Thank you Kelli for this wonderful Giving thanks week!

If you want to share and visit other blogs with recipes, menus, pictures, poems, and stories, please go to Kelli's blog for more details.

This recipe was adapted from Cottage Living magazine - November 2006

Corn Bread Stuffing

2007-11-14T14:08:00.000-02:00

This dish makes its appearance every year during the holidays and it has been a huge success over the last decade with our family. I use this corn bread stuffing (or dressing) as a side dish, but it is also wonderful as turkey stuffing.

Kelli is hosting a Giving Thanks week in preparation for Thanksgiving. If you want to share recipes, menus, pictures, poems, and stories, please visit her blog for more details.

Corn bread
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
3 tablespoons melted butter or canola oil
2 eggs

Vegetable mixture:
5 tablespoons butter
2 large celery stalks, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced (I use red bell pepper)
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/3 cup black or green olives, sliced (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth

1) Prepare Corn bread: Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Grease a 9 x 13 inch (20 x 30 cm) metal baking pan.

2) In medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With fork beat milk, melted butter and egg into cornmeal mixture just until blended. Spoon batter into baking pan, spreading evenly.

3) Bake corn bread 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in wire rack 10 minutes. Invert, break into large pieces or cube it with a pizza cutter or knife and cool completely.

4) Prepare vegetable mixture: In a small saucepan cook celery, bell pepper and onion in butter until tender. Stir in raisins, olives, salt, black pepper and chicken broth. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat.

5) Prepare stuffing: Into a large mixing bowl, place dry corn bread cubes; add the vegetable mixture. Toss gently to mix well. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole. Bake uncovered in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. (Or, if using this stuffing outside of the turkey, place this in the oven during the last 30 minutes of roasting, alongside the turkey).

From our home to yours:
- Start with the corn bread.
- If not making the stuffing right away, you can keep the pieces covered and refrigerated for up to two days.
- I use a pizza cutter to cube the corn bread.
- If you don't like cornbread, use any bread cubes.
- I usually add 5 oz (150g) grated italian smoked sausage to the vegetable mixture and make a sausage corn bread stuffing.

This recipe was adapted from an old Good Housekeeping magazine dated November 1997.

My first Thanksgiving

2007-11-12T14:05:00.000-02:00

This time of year brings back fond memories of my first Thanksgiving, exactly 20 years ago. I was an exchange student to the US and I had no idea it was such a big holiday there. I remember my house was filled with guests. Relatives arrived bringing great traditional food I had never dreamed of. I always enjoyed trying new food, and this time around it wasn't any different. I saw a pumpkin pie on the table and that really intrigued me, I had no idea whether it was a pie to eat during, before or after dinner and that kept me busy watching what people were doing to then realize it was a dessert! And that's how I tasted my first pumpkin pie! Of course, I loved it!

Kelli is hosting a Thanksgiving event called "Giving thanks" with prizes! She'll be sharing decorating ideas, crafts, poems, prayers, games, table settings, activities for children and a daily cleaning schedule (with before and after pictures). If you would like to join, please go here for all the details, including pictures of the giveaway prizes!

Here's a pumpkin pie recipe... I am using the pictures of last year's pie for a recipe I've had for years that uses fresh pumpkin and sweetened condensed milk.

Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
1 recipe pâte brisée (recipe below - or 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust)
2 cups pumpkin puree (recipe below - or 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon Cloves

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust.

2) Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

How to cook a pumpkin and make a puree - microwave method:
1) Cut off top of a 2 pound pumpkin (around the stem area) and scoop out stringy contents and seeds. Discard seeds or save to dry and roast and make a delicious snack.

2) Rub skin with oil or butter, wrap with parchment paper.

3) Place wrapped pumpkin on microwave-safe tray and cook on high for 20 minutes or until fork tender.

4) Once pumpkin has cooled, remove flesh using a spoon, discard the skin. Puree pumpkin in food processor or use a potato masher.

Pâte Brisée (Pie dough):
The classic proportion for this recipe is 3:1 (flour:fat)
Makes one 9 inch pie

1 cup flour
1/3 cup butter or shortening cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 teaspoons cold water (add ice to the water)

1) In a food processor, place the flour, salt and sugar and process briefly to combine.

2) Add the butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour ice water with machine running, in a slow, steady stream just until dough holds together no longer than 30 seconds. Do not over process.

3) Form dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until ready to use.

4) Roll pate brisee between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, into a 12-inch circle and fit pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim dough evenly along edge, leaving about a 1/2-inch overhang. Pinch to form a decorative edge. Fill pie shell with pumpkin puree. Makes one 9-inch pie.

Topping suggestions:

You can serve your pie with the following toppings:
1) Grated coconut
2) Chocolate fudge
3) Whipped cream
4) Or just plain!

Recipe adapted from Eagle Brand.

Avocado Lassi - Grow Your Own # 3

2007-10-31T04:47:00.000-02:00

Lassi is a typical Indian shake that can be either sweet or salty. It is yogurt-based and it contains spices, like cumin, and fruits, being mango the most common. This is another recipe I came up with for our Summer that is just around the corner. I used avocado and as I did a little research I found out that avocado contains nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including vitamins E, C and B, among others and it has monounsaturated fat, just like olive oil. Also, I wanted to point out a cultural factor: in Brazil avocados are associated mostly with sweet food and not with salty food as in many countries. Another ingredient I used, the lemon balm or melissa, a member of the mint family, is a very resistant perennial plant that grows indoors so well and can be used to make teas, salads or added to juices.

Ingredients

1 avocado
1 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
leaves of fresh lemon balm (from my indoor garden)
1 cup ice (optional)
Sugar to taste

Directions:

1) Scoop the avocado pulp into a blender. Add the yogurt, honey, lemon balm and sugar to taste. Blend until pureed.

2) Add ice and blend again. Serve cold. You can pour jelly into the cups and add the lassi. I used the avocado peels as bowls.

This is my contribution to Andrea's Recipes monthly event: Grow your own.

Spinach Salad with Spicy Honey Dressing

2007-10-30T03:00:00.000-02:00

This salad is to celebrate warmer days and the bounty of the season in the Southern hemisphere. Also, it is my entry for the Leftover Queen Forum that listed mushrooms, herbs and cheese for this month's foodie joust. I wanted something cool and refreshing, but a little spicy, and this dressing is exactly what I had in mind: sweet and spicy.

Spinach salad
4 cups torn fresh spinach
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup moyashi (bean sprouts), rinsed and drained if using canned
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or tofu cubed)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Spicy honey dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey (microwave for 20 seconds)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chili sauce or pepper sauce
1 tablespoon shoyu (or worcestershire sauce)
1/4 teaspoon salt

1) In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, mushrooms, almonds, tomatoes, celery, moyashi, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.

2) In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the dressing ingredients; shake well. Drizzle desired amount over salad and toss to coat or serve dressing on the side. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftover dressing.

Recipe adapted from a leaflet found inside magazine Taste of home, dated 2003.

Blondie Brownies

2007-10-26T20:52:00.000-02:00

The last day of October seems to be the busiest evening of the year where we live. There are many kids running around on their costumes, the doorbell rings every minute and at the end of the evening lots of candy wrappers are all over the house. I believe English Language schools started this tradition here in Brazil and kids love it. I always have something handy for the kids. This year I decided to try first with my kids this blondie brownie recipe. It did not turn out as blonde as I expected, maybe because I used dark brown sugar instead of light brown or demerara sugar. We used whipped cream to make the ghosts and allspice to make the eyes because I ran out of mini-chocolate chips.

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 dash salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg beaten (use 2 if they are small)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white or dark chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add chopped nuts. Set aside.

2) Melt butter, add brown sugar and mix. Add egg and vanilla and blend well with a whisk or a hand mixer, 3-4 minutes or until mixture whitens. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips.

3) Spread into a 9 x 9 inch (20 x 20 cm) greased pan. Bake at 350°F/180°C, 20-25 minutes, or until tester inserted in center comes out clean.

As far as I know, here in Brazil, blondie brownie can be found at Applebee's in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

I am dedicating this recipe to two dear friends: Mona, because I am so sure she would be giving lots of treats to my kids if we lived closer and to Karla, who has been such a good friend since I was a senior in high school, something like 20 years ago?

Baked Macaroni and Cheese - World Pasta Day

2007-10-25T04:07:00.000-02:00

Are you a pasta fan? October 25th is World Pasta Day, a day to celebrate the most globalized and beloved food in the world. Well, to be honest, my kids could have pasta every day, and we actually have it once or twice a week. I fixed this Baked mac & cheese on a Sunday as it is an easy one-dish meal and it takes you out of the kitchen fast, allowing you more quality time with the kids and family on such a lazy day.

The UNFPA is the organization responsible for the activities to promote Pasta in the world, you can learn more here.

If you would like to participate, Verena is hosting this year's event. To join the fun, fix a Pasta dish, take a picture and post it in your blog on Thursday, October 25th, 2007. Link back to her announcement in your post, and eventually to the roundup.

Send an email to worldpastaday(at)gmail(dot)com including:

- Your name
- Blog name and your blog’s URL
- Recipe name and the post’s URL
- Your location and country

Submissions can only be accepted until Thursday, October 25^th, 2007.

Ingredients for the Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound elbow pasta, cooked and drained (I used mini penne)
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, (optional)
1 1/4 cups shredded (5 ounces) yellow cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded (5 ounces) white cheddar cheese (I used mozzarella)
8 ounces (250 g) ham, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces (250 g) bacon, diced and cooked to a light brown
2 slices white sandwich bread or 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 °F (180 °C) degrees. Cook pasta, and drain; reserve. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart (4.5 liters) heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour to coat onion. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.

2) Cook, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cayenne, if using, and 1 cup each yellow and white cheddar cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

3) Toss pasta with cheese mixture; fold in ham. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual dishes. Set aside.

3) In a food processor, pulse bread until large crumbs form. Toss together with remaining 1/4 cup each white and yellow cheddar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.

Note: You can make mini mac & cheese. This recipe makes enough to fill eight 12-to-16-ounce baking dishes or ramekins. Divide the macaroni and cheese evenly, sprinkle with topping, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.

Recipe from the book: Everyday Food: Great food fast - Martha Stewart

Peach Cobbler - October AFAM (A Fruit a Month)

2007-10-18T03:48:00.000-02:00

It all started with a magnet I bought long time ago in Atlanta, Georgia, the "Peach State." I had never tried peach cobbler before and decided to give it a shot. And one thing intrigued me, the difference between Cobblers, Crumbles and Crisps. The best explanation I found, of course, with Martha Stewart. I changed the recipe on the magnet a little, because I used canned peaches.

Mansi is hosting an event called A Fruit a Month. This month's fruit is Peach. To participate all you have to do is post a recipe on your blog, include a brief intro about the fruit choice and the concept of your dish. For more instructions, please visit her blog.

The roundup will be announced between 5th-7th November. So make sure you send in your entries before Nov 1st.

Peach Cobbler
1/2 cup margarine
3/4 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 tbs baking powder
3/4 sugar
1 large can peach halves, drained (or 4 cups fresh peeled peaches sweetened to taste)

1) Melt margarine in 8 x 12 inch (20 x 30 cm) dish. Mix flour, baking powder, milk, and sugar. Add to melted margarine.

2) Add peaches, but do not stir. Bake at 375 °F (180 °C) for about 40 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

Hints:
- You can use self-raising flour, in this case, do not add the baking powder.
- Use any juicy fruit: peaches, apples, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries.

No-Knead Bread - World Bread Day

2007-10-16T11:21:00.000-02:00

The No-knead bread caused such a stir when Mark Bittman, aka the Minimalist, shared this recipe on the New York Times. As soon as I started reading reviews and blogs with this recipe, I ran to the kitchen to make my own loaf and I lost count of how many times I have baked this magnificent bread! The secret to making this recipe work? Time and patience! The amount of yeast is minimal, and only four ingredients (flour, salt, yeast and water) make a delicious loaf, with an italian shape and flavor, somehow rustic, with crispy crust and yet chewy. The magic recipe has name and address widely known, and it belongs to a bakery in New York city, the Sullivan Street Bakery.

My recipe goes to the World Bread Day, an event created by UIB International Union of Bakers and Bakers-Confectioners to provide an opportunity to talk about bread and bakers, to find out about their history, their importance as well as their future.

How to participate:

Bake or buy a bread, take pictures (if possible) and blog about it on Tuesday, 16th October 2007.
Please link back to this announcement in your post, and eventually to the roundup.
Send an email to worldbreadday(at)gmail(dot)com including

Submissions can only be accepted until Wednesday, October 17.

To make things easier, before start making the bread, watch the Minimalist video here: New York Times (free registration may be required).

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, no need to sift, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups water

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70°F/21°C.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Update: The World Bread Day '07 round up is online! Please take some time to visit 183 posts from all over the world!

Fun sandwiches

2007-10-14T22:43:00.000-02:00

Fun sandwiches... because you actually have so much fun making them! And they make that waffle maker or cookie cutters buried in the kitchen cabinet worth the money you invested. These sandwiches add special touch to any breakfast or brunch.

Waffle maker sandwiches:
From the kitchen of East Meets West
Many kid-friendly recipes there, this recipe was a hit both with kids and adults.

Ingredients
White bread slices
Thinly sliced deli turkey
Deli Swiss/cheddar cheese slices
Leaves of lettuce or arugula

1) Preheat your waffle maker. No need to grease.

2) Add the filling between two slices of bread, make sure the cheese is not showing. Cook sandwiches in batches (depending on the size of your waffle maker) until bread is golden and crispy. When ready, trim and slice to your desired shape and serve.

Man in the boat
From the kitchen of Kelli

These are so easy to make... Here we use french bread and cook the egg separetely, but I loved this version that Kelli shared and so did my kids.

Ingredients
Slices of bread
Eggs
Salt and pepper

1) Cut a square or rectangle out of a piece of bread (I used a cookie cutter)
2) Melt some butter in skillet over medium heat and add the bread.
3) Crack an egg into center of bread.
4) Cook until bottom bread is toasted and then flip. When the egg is done, remove onto a plate.
5) Butter both sides of bread square and toast in same skillet.

Pear Pudding with Lavender Syrup

2007-10-01T02:40:00.000-02:00

The Leftover Queen has this month's foodie joust challenge with white chocolate, lavender and pears. I knew what to do with the three ingredients, but I was not sure where I would add the lavender, to custard or syrup. So, I decided to cook the pear with a few leaves of lavender, and here is my entry: a simple homemade dessert that you can make using either canned or fresh peaches.

I offered this dessert to two friends, one is a foodie and the other one is not. Both of their faces brightened as I passed the dishes with scoops of this Pear Pudding with a slight lavender flavor and white chocolate drizzled on top.

Ingredients
For the syrup:
6 fresh pears (or 2 15-ounce (450 g) cans pear halves in light syrup)
1 teaspoon lavender leaves (about 5 leaves)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon lime juice

For the custard:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 oz/100 g white chocolate melted (1 minute in microwave) to drizzle on top

Directions
- Grease a 9 1/2x1-1/2- or 10x1-1/2-inch quiche dish (use a one piece-bottom pan, removable bottom may leak)
- Preheat oven to 375°F/200°C

If using fresh pears:

1) Start with the syrup. Bring the water to boil, then stir in the sugar, lime juice and add the lavender leaves. Cook for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile...

2) Remove peel, core and cut pears into halves. Add pears immediately to lavender syrup, cook 2 minutes.

3) With a spoon, remove pears from syrup, arrange pear halves, flat sides down, in bottom of the prepared dish.

4) Score the round side of each pear half by making shallow crosswise cuts across the top.

5) In a blender container or food processor bowl combine flour and granulated sugar. Cover and blend or process until combined. Add yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and 3/4 cup of reserved pear syrup. Cover and blend or process until smooth.

6) Pour the batter over pears. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

7) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or just until center is set when gently shaken. Cool on a wire rack about 30 minutes. Drizzle melted white chocolate on top with a spoon. Serve warm.

If using pears in light syrup:
Drain pear halves, reserving 3/4 cup of the syrup. Arrange pears, flat sides down, in bottom of a greased pan. Boil 3/4 cup syrup for 5 minutes with the lavender leaves. Continue from step 4.

Recipe inspired by BHG.

Roasted Red Pepper Homus - Grow Your Own #2

2007-09-28T00:53:00.000-02:00

Hummus or homus is a dip made basically of chickpeas and sesame tahini. It is a popular spread in various countries in the Middle Eastern world that we borrowed. This recipe has been on my waiting list for so long... One of the reasons it took me so long is that I live close to a restaurant with a drive-thru that sells this type of food, and it is so easy to order it from my car... So, this time, I planned this meal, went to the market and bought both chickpeas and tahini. And I combined two recipes, one from Technicolor Kitchen and another one from the kitchen of The Budding Cook, because the red pepper adds a fascinating color to this dip!

Ingredients
15 oz (about 400g) drained canned chickpeas
2 big pieces of roasted red pepper
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cloves garlic (I baked them for a minute in the microwave)
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

1) Combine all ingredients, except olive oil, in a food processor and blend well. With the processor running, gradually pour the olive oil processing until just smooth.

2) Transfer to a bowl and decorate with mint leaves and green onions (these herbs are both from my tiny garden).

3) Serve with pita bread, vegetables or other Middle Eastern dishes.

Here's how I roast peppers
- Directly on the burner, over the gas flame of my stovetop, I blacken the pepper. I remove them from the fire and place in a food grade plastic bag so the steam that forms will help to remove the skin. Let cool for about fifteen minutes, remove from bag and with a knife I peel off the skins.

Be careful: If you don't use this type of stove, roast the peppers under a broiler or in the oven.

Milk Caramel - Dulce de Leche

2007-09-10T13:25:00.000-02:00

My mom used to make this creamy milk caramel when we were kids. When I was seven and still lived on a farm, I was eating caramel outside our house, in the balcony, with so much gusto and I was stung by a wasp! Time went by, we moved into town and she never made this again, she would tell me it only tasted good with raw milk which we didn't get in town. Some time ago I was telling her how much I missed her milk caramel and we decided to give it a try with pasteurized milk and ta da... there it was right in front of me, my delicious milk caramel!

Dulce de leche is the Spanish word for milk caramel, in Portuguese it is called "Doce de leite."

Ingredients
4 cups (1 liter) milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Pour milk, sugar and cornstarch in a non-stick saucepan and and cook it over low heat, stirring fairly constantly for about 45 minutes or until the milk achieves the consistency you want.

Serve plain or use it as cake filling.

And speaking of sweet things, my dear blogging friend Vi of East Meets West Kitchen honored me with the Rocker Girl award! Thank you Vi!!! I don't feel I deserve it but now it is my turn to pass this badge on to my blogging friends. I would like to nominate all my friends on my side bar, under "Blogging Friends" as I truly think you all deserve it and YOU all ROCK!