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.

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

Layered Strawberry and Cookie Custard (Pavê com morango)

This versatile dessert was one of the very first ones I ever had in Brazil. It’s generally made with uncooked egg whites, but I prefer this version because all the egg yolks are cooked into a custard. It can be made without strawberries, with chocolate, or with any berry you choose.

The typical cookie for this is the maizena cookie, a long cookie that fits nicely in a square pan. The flavor is mildly sweet with a consistency much like an animal cracker. Really, you could use any cookie, but I like the Mexican Maria cookies, sold at most grocery stores in the ethnic section and all Latino supermarkets.

The longer this sits in the fridge, the better the cookie molds to the custard. Feel free to experiment!

Layered cookies with strawberries (Pavê com morango)

Servings: 10

Time: 30 minutes

Refrigeration: 4 hours

Total time: 4 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

24 Maria Mexican cookies

24 bolacha tipo Maria

1 14 oz. Can sweetened condensed milk

1 14 oz. lata leite condensado

1 C heavy cream

1 copo creme pesado

1/2 T unflavored gelatin

1/2 colher de sopa de gelatina sem sabor

1 C whole milk

1 copo leite integral

2 egg yolks

2 gemas 

1 T cornstarch

1 T maisena

2 C strawberries, sliced

2 copos morangos, cortado

1 t vanilla

1 colher de chá baunilha

Extra strawberries and cream to decorate 

Morango e creme para enfeitar

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into 1/4 C of milk. Reserve. 

1. Numa tigela pequena, bate a maisena com 1/4 copo de leite. Reserve.

2. In a medium saucepan over low heat, put the rest of the milk, the sweetened condensed milk, and the cream. Add the unflavored gelatin, mixing well to incorporate. Bring to a simmer (with small bubbles).

2. Numa panela média, bota o resto do leite, leite condensado, e creme. Aumente a gelatina, batendo bem para incorporar. Ferva em fogo brando.

3. Beat the egg yolks gently in a small bowl. Add half a cup of the warmed milk mixture one spoonful at a time to temper the yolk mixture. Stir back into the pan.

3. Bate levamente as gemas. Coloque meio copo dos leites aquecidos nas gemas. Devolve tudo na panela. 

4. Add the vanilla and cornstarch slush.

4. Aumente a baunilha e leite com maisena.

5. Raise the heat to medium. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

5. Acresente o fogo. Mexa até engrossar, 8 à 10 minutos.

6. Remove from heat.

6. Desligue o fogo.

7. Place twelve cookies in a greased 8x8 dish, staggering to cover the bottom of the dish. Add one cup of strawberries followed by half of the milk mixture. Repeat the layers (reserving a handful of strawberries), ending with the cream.

7. Em um refratário quadrado, coloque na seguinte ordem: uma camada de bolacha, uma camada de morangos picados, metade do creme. Repita as camadas, terminando com o creme.

8. Refrigerate for at least four hours.

8. Congele na geladeira por quatro horas.

9. Decorate with strawberries and whipped cream before serving.

9. Decore a seu gosto com morangos e creme.

  ,astef,

  ,amaa