Grilled Salted Cod (Bacalhau ao forno)

Salted cod is extremely popular in Brazil. It is potent and easy to find. Not so much here in the US. Luckily, with a little preparation, you can substitute with fresh cod! Or use any firm white fish, such as tilapia or Pollock.

Grilled Cod (Bacalhau ao forno)

Servings: 6

Time: 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

2 lb. cod fillets

1/2 lb. Potatoes, sliced

1/2 lb. Carrots, sliced

1 T olive oil

1 large onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1/4 C cilantro, chopped

2 T olives, chopped (optional)

Sauce:

1 T butter

1 C + 2 T milk (divided)

1 T cornstarch

1 egg, beaten

1/2 C heavy cream

1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk

Pinch of nutmeg

Pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

1. Defrost the cod overnight if frozen. Set fresh cod on plate and sprinkle generously with coarse sea salt. Let it sit for one hour.

2. While the fish sits, slice the potatoes and carrots. Boil fifteen minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Slice the onion. Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the onion over medium-low heat ten minutes or until soft. Set aside.

4. When the hour has passed, drain the fish. Let sit in cold water for one hour, draining the water and refilling every twenty minutes.

5. Make the sauce during this time (see below).

6. Place the fish in a shallow frying pan over medium heat. Drain often, frying until excess moisture pulls out and the fish flakes easily with a fork.

7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

8. In a 9x13 pan, sprinkle half of the onions. Layer on top the cooked potatoes and carrots.

9. Put the fish on top of the potatoes. Add the other half of onions, the garlic, and the bell pepper. Top with the tomatoes, cilantro, and olives, if using.

10. Pour the sauce over the top. Bake for 30 minutes. 

11. Serve with rice.

Sauce:

1. Place the butter and 1 cup milk in a saucepan over medium heat.

2. Whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of milk in a small bowl. Add to saucepan, stirring well. Bring to a boil and let the mixture thicken.

3. Remove from heat.  Beat the egg in a small bowl. Add two tablespoon of the milk mixture to the egg and mix well. Add the cream, can of coconut milk, the nutmeg, salt and pepper to the saucepan. Stir in the egg.

4. Bring to a boil, stirring often, for ten minutes.

5. Set aside until needed.

Just in time for fall Pumpkin Ice Cream

I served this two weeks ago at our chili cook-off, and it was a super big hit. Make  sure you freeze your ice cream canister the night before, and give this at least  four hours freezing time before serving! Ingredients: 2 C cream 3/4 C dark brown sugar 5 egg yolks 1/2 tsp  cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla 1 C pumpkin puree (I make my own from scratch every year but from a can  works fine) 1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and sugar. Cook 5 minutes  over medium heat to dissolve the sugar.

2. In a small bowl beat the egg yolks, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt. Whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture, stirring well. 3. Pour the egg mixture back into the hot cream mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about six minutes until its thick enough to coat the spoon. Do not boil. Stir in the vanilla.

4. Whisk the pumpkin into the egg mixture. 5. Admire the beautiful golden color with flecks of spice.

6. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours (I did mine overnight, along with my ice cream canister). Pour into the ice cream freezer and churn up ice cream according to directions. Scoop into freezer safe container and freeze at least 4 hours. 7. Scoop into bowls or cones and enjoy! Makes just over a quart. Enjoy!

Blueberry and Vanilla Scones with Blueberry Jam

First, I have to qualify this by saying, I don't like blueberries. Except for one time a year. And that is when we got and pick blueberries from the local blueberry farm. That is when I pull out all my blueberry recipes and make blueberry pie, blueberry jam, blueberry tarts, blueberry muffins. And this time, I tried blueberry scones. I mean, what else was I supposed to do when we came home with thirteen pounds of blueberries? Oh my goodness, these are amazing. They're not the "drop-em-and-fry-em-and-coat-them-in-sugar" kind. No, these are the English kind. They cook up nice and crisp on the outside but moist and tender on the inside. I made blueberry jam to go with these (super easy, I'm not a canner) and the whole family is begging for me to do it again next week. Give a try!

Ingredients: 8 T butter 3 C flour 1/4 + 1 T sugar 1 1/2 t baking powder 1 C blueberries 1 T vanilla 1 1/2 C cream + more for brushing sugar for garnish. Freeze the butter for ten minutes before using. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cube the butter and cut into the mixture with pastry cutter or fingers. Mix in the blueberries and vanilla. Stir in the cream. The flour won't fully incorporate at this stage and that's okay. Turn the batter out onto a floured countertop. Knead the dough, incorporating the flour. (The blueberries will start to burst; don't worry about that.) Flatten the dough with your hands to about a 9-inch round. Fold the dough in half and flatten it again, using your palms. Repeat three more times. On the last time, spread to a six-inch round and use a pizza cutter to cut 8 triangles. Transfer to a cookie sheet and freeze 10 minutes (this is important so the scones don't cook too quickly on the outside). Remove them from the freezer, brush with the cream and sugar. Bake 20 minutes at 425 degrees (took 20 for me, but start checking at 15. You don't want these to burn). Since these are definitely drier than American scones, I recommend serving with homemade blueberry jam. Here's this recipe (you can whip it up while they bake, it's that easy. Or do it the night before.) blueberry jam: 2 lbs blueberries 1/4 C honey 2 T lemon juice Bring mixture to a boil in a pot. Lower heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 20-25 minutes, depending on desired consistency. Let cool, pour into jar, and store in the fridge for up to one week. 

Summer Blackberry Cobbler

Summer.

It's a busy time, and not just for me. The berries are ripening, and their time is short.

Try this amazing recipe next time you have some fresh blackberries. The picture doesn't even do it justice. Trust me on this one. So easy and yummy!

Ingredients: 2 1/2 C blackberries (fresh or frozen, thawed) plus more for garnish 1 C sugar 1 C flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 C milk 1/2 C butter, melted whipped cream for serving In a medium bowl, stir together blackberries and sugar. Let stand about 20 minutes or until fruit syrup forms. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and milk. Stir in melted butter gently just until blended. Spread batter in ungreased 8-inch square pan. Spoon blackberry mixture evenly over batter. Bake 40-50 minutes or until dough rises and is golden. Serve with cream and fresh blackberries. What I love about this is you put the batter down first and it bubbles up around the berries!! Could not be easier.

Chicken, apple, and potato salad (Salpicão de frango)

This is the salad that shows up at every barbecue (or churrasco), just like we have potato salad. The sweetness and extra crunch of the apple is perfect complement to the chicken, and the creaminess created by the combination of mayonnaise and heavy cream sets this salad apart from its American counterpart.

If you can't find the shoestring potatoes, just crunch up some potato chips!

Chicken, apple, and potato salad (salpicão de frango)

Servings: 8

Prep time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken

2 lbs. Potatoes, diced

1 apple

1 t lime juice

3 oz. can green olives, sliced

1 C hearts of palm, diced

1 can corn

1 C mayonnaise

1 C heavy cream

1 t oregano

1 t cumin

1 t basil

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

Shoestring potatoes 

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook the potatoes ten minutes until soft but maintaining their shape.

2. Core the apple. Dice. Put in a large bowl and sprinkle the lime juice on top.

3. Remove the meat from the chicken and pull apart into small pieces or cut.

 4. Add all the ingredients to the apples except the shoestring potatoes.

5. Refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with the shoestring potatoes before serving.

6. Serve with a green salad and white rice.

Peasant Pan-cooked beef (Carne de panela caipira)

This traditional Brazilian dish combines many vegetables with meat in a thick gravy. It can be eaten alone or—of course—with rice. It smells wonderful while it cooks and is one of my husband's favorite meals!

If you can't find yucca root, just sub with another potato or two!

Peasant Pan-cooked beef (Carne de panela caipira)

Time needed: prep: 1 hour cook: 1 hour total: 2 hours
Servings: 8-10
Ingredients:

Marinade:
2 lb. Stew meat or 2 lb. steak, cut into cubes
2 libros de carne cortada em cubos
1/4 t Salt
1/4 colher de chá de sal
1/4 t Black pepper
1/4 colher de chá de pimenta negra
1 t Garlic
1 colher de chá de alho
1 T Apple cider vinegar
1 colher de sopa de vinagre de maçã
2 T fresh Parsley, chopped, or 1 T dried
2 colheres de sopa de cheiro verde
Prepare the marinade. Add the meat and marinate for at least 1 hour.
Junte tudo e deixa pelo menos uma hora.

For the pan:
Na panela:
2 T oil
2 colheres de sopa de óleo
1 onion diced
1 cebola, picada
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 dentes de alho, amassados
3 potatoes, quartered
3 batatas, cortadas em quatro
1 large yucca root or 2 small, peeled and trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 raíz grande de mandioca, cortada em cubos
2 ears of corn, cut in half
2 espigas de milho, cortadas em rodelas
2 C beef broth
2 copos de caldo de carne
1 carrot, quartered
1 cenoura, picada
2 sweet potato, peeled and quartered
2 batatas doce, cortadas em quatro
1 tsp salt
1 colher de chá de sal
Cilantro to garnish
salsinha

Directions:

1. In a large heavy saucepan, heat the oil for two minutes. Add the meat (reserve the marinade liquid) and sear for two minutes.
1. Em uma panela grande, coloque o óleo e aqueça por dois minutos. Acrescente a carne (reserve o líquido da marinada) e doure por dois minutos.
2. Add the onion and garlic and slowly add the marinade liquid.
2. Junte a cebola e alho e pingue o líquido da marinada.

3. When everything is well-covered in sauce, add the yucca root and the corn, one cup of broth, and the salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for forty minutes.

3. Quando estiver tudo bem refogado, junte um copo de caldo de carne, a mandioca, o milho, e o sal. Feche a panela e deixe ferver por quarenta minutos.

4. Open the lid, add the potatoes and the carrot and the other cup of broth. Add more water if necessary. Close the lid and simmer for ten more minutes.
4. Abra a panela, junte as batatas, a cenoura, e o outro copo de caldo de carne. Acrescente mais água se for necessário. Tampe novamente e deixe por mais dez minutos.

5. Serve with white rice. Garnish with cilantro. Season with salt and pepper as necessary.
5. Sirva com arroz branco e salsinha.

    ,astef,

    ,amaa

Candied Papaya (Doce de mamão maduro)

Papaya is a very interesting fruit. Though prized in tropical countries, most Americans don’t care for it. It has a unique flavor that sometimes can be bitter. The spices in this dish negate the odd taste of the papaya, and the raisins add some texture. 

Ingredients:

3 lb ripe papaya 

3 libros mamão maduro

1/2 C sugar

1/2 copo de açúcar

1/2 C golden raisins

1/2 copo de uvas-passa douradas

1/2 t crushed cloves

1/2 colher de chá de crave-da-índia

1/2 t salt

1/2 colher de chá de sal

1 t cinnamon

1 colher de chá de canela

1. Peel and seed the papaya (slice in half. Open and remove the seeds with a spoon. Flip over so the cut part faces down on a cutting board. Peel with a vegetable peeler. Slice off the ends).

1. Abra o mamão e retire a casca e as sementes.

2. Cut the papaya into cubes. Place in a medium bowl and smash with a fork, beater, potato masher, etc. 

2. Corte o mamão e amasse bem. 

3. Put the smashed papaya into a medium saucepan. Add the sugar, raisins, and spices and raise the heat to medium.

3. Coloque o mamão numa panela. Acrescente o açúcar, passas, cravo e canela e leve ao fogo moderado.

4. Cook, stirring often to prevent it from sticking, until the mixture thickens. Depending on the moisture content of your papaya, this could take anywhere from 25-35 minutes. Stay close to the pan and read a book while stirring or something.

4. Cozinhe, mexendo sempre para não grudar, até engrossar, 25-35 minutos.

5. Remove from heat.

5. Desligue o fogo.

6. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate and serve cold with cream cheese and/or toast and crackers. 

6. Sirva gelado com queijo branco e torradas.

   ,astef,

   ,amaa