6.23.2013

Pear in wine


Pera al vino (Pear in wine)

6 pears
1 bottle of red wine
8 oz of sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
6 cloves

In a pan, combine all the ingredients. Cook in low heat for about 1 hour. If you desire a thicker sauce, remove the pears after cooked and mix 1 tea spoon of corn starch with 1/4 cup water and mix with the wine. Serve hot or cold. You can store in the fridge for about a month. More time passes better it gets.


6.21.2013

Cilantro pesto



The Italian/Brazilian pesto

1/2 cup of salted cashews
1 cup of cilantro leaves
1/2 cup coconut milk
4 Tbsp of smoked tabasco sauce
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of olive oil or palm tree oil

Recipe for Cilantro Pesto:
Mix all the ingredients in the food processor until it gets the pesto texture.  You can also do it by hand using a pestle & mortar.  A blender or immersion blender could work as well.

Other Suggestions for Cilantro Pesto:
If you want to make a sauce with this pesto, just double the quantity of the coconut cream.





**This cilantro pesto goes very well with grilled fish, chicken, shrimps and even in a bruschetta.  
You can jar the pesto or freeze. Once you open the jar, make sure that you have enough olive oil covering the leafs or the leafs will be bro

Escondidinho de Camarão (Cassava and shrimp 'pie')

Escondidinho de Camarão (Cassava and shrimp 'pie')


For the Cassava Mash

2 pounds of cassava
1 cup of coconut cream
1 tbsp of butter
Salt & Pepper to taste


Peel and cut the cassava in pieces.  Boil the cassava for at list a half an hour (or until gets soft).  Take the cassava out of the water and make a mash, mixing the coconut cream, butter, Salt & Pepper. Reserve.

For the shrimps

4 tbsp of palm tree oil
2 tbsp of canola/sunflower/olive oil
2 pounds of shrimps
5 cloves of sliced garlic
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 yellow/red pepper
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp of chopped ginger
1 tsp of hot paprika
1 tsp of pepper corn
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
Lots of cilantro or parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a big frying pan, add the palm tree oil and the canola oil.  Brown the onions and garlic.  Add the peppers and tomatoes. Let the peppers get soft and add the all the spices.  Cook for 10 minutes in medium heat and add the shrimps.  Reduce the liquid for more 10 minutes in high heat and add the cilantro. Reserve.

Making it!

1 cup of cream cheese

In a big tray, add the shrimps mixture in the bottom of the tray.  Then add the cassava mash. Add a half cup of cream cheese in the top  and broil for 10/20 minutes.

*In order to the dish be good, you need to have the shrimps spicy and the cassava mash a little bit sweet.  The sweet and spice is the key of this dish.



Lime Brazilian pie

Lime Brazilian pie

1 cup of condensed milk
1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 cup of lime juice
Lime zest
1 box of lady finger cookies
1/4 cup of rum
1/4 cup of orange juice (or Guaraná)
Whipped cream

In a bowl mix together the condensed milk, the cream and the lime juice. Reserve.
In a small container add the rum and the orange juice.  Dip the lady finger cookies at the juice and rum, but do not soak too much.
In a tray, add the lady finger cookies in the bottom, then the lime mixture with lime zest on the top, then lady fingers again, then mixture again with lime zest. Add the whipped cream at the top and refrigerate for minimum 3 hours before eat.

Brazilian coconut drink (Batida de coco)

Brazilian coconut drink (Batida de coco)

1 cup of condensed milk
1cup of cachaça (can be Rum or Vodka as well)1 cup of coconut milk
2 cups of ice

Blend all the ingredients in the blender or in a hand mixer.  Very good for an aperitif in very warm days.  Very easy to drink but can be dangerous after a while! Serve very cold! 

6.18.2013

Strawberry mousse

Strawberry mousse

1 can of condensed milk
1 small box of cream
2 boxes of strawberries
1 leaf of no flavor gelatin
1/2 cup of warm water

First step:
Dissolve the gelatin with the warm water.

Second step:
Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend all...
Put the mousse in small serving bowls or in a tray.
Refrigerate for about 2/3 hours.

Seven meats ragu

Seven Meats Ragu

The meats:

1/2 cup of chopped Speck or Parma ham
1/2 cup of Mortadella in cubes
1/2 cup of spicy salami
1/2 cup of smoked bacon
1 cup of minced veal
1 cup of minced cow
1 cup of minced pork

For the sauce:

1 chopped onion
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 chopped carrot
3 cups of fresh tomato sauce
Herbs of the season (oregano/ parsley/ thyme/ basil/ rosemary)
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 cup of red wine.

Making in it!

In a big pot, add the bacon and let get crispy, then add the speck, salami and the mortadella to cock in the bacon fat.  After the meats are brown add the olive oil and brown the garlic, onions and carrots, when the vegetables are brown add the veal, pork and the cow. Cook in a slow temperature for about 20 minutes.  When the meat are all very brown, turn the heating on high and add the red wine.  Let to reduce in almost no wine and add the tomato sauce and the herbs... Cook for a long time in a slow temperature, cook for as long as you have patience and add water if reduces to much.  I cook my ragu for about three hours, but is ok if you don't have this time.  Is always better to eat after a day or two!


6.11.2013

Classic Greek Salad


Classic Greek Salad
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice1 garlic clove, crushed2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves250g cherry tomatoes, halved1 large Lebanese cucumber, quartered lengthways, chopped1 small red onion, chopped1 small red capsicum, chopped1/2 cup kalamata olives100g Greek feta cheese
    Place oil, lemon juice, garlic and oregano in a screw-top jar. Season with salt and pepper. Secure lid. Shake to combine.Combine tomato, cucumber, onion, capsicum and olives in a large bowl. Top with feta. Drizzle with oil mixture. Serve.

Spanakopita


Spanakopita
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions, greens and whites
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds baby spinach, trimmed, rough chopped
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 12 ounces crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted, ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 pound phyllo pastry sheets
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Heat olive oil in a large skillet and place over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for 3 minutes until soft. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, and continue to saute until the spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, remove from heat and place in a colander, and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside to cool. The filling needs to be cool and dry to prevent the phyllo from becoming soggy. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with fetacoriander, and nutmeg. Season, then fold in the cooled spinach mixture until well blended. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush 2 baking sheets with some melted butter. Unroll the phyllo dough and lay a sheet flat on a work surface. Take care to keep the phyllo covered with a damp, not wet, towel as you work to prevent drying out and becoming brittle. Brush the sheet with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with some oregano and chives. Repeat with 2 more sheets of phyllo, stacking on top of each other. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the sheets lengthwise into thirds to form 2-1/2-inch strips. Do this with all the sheets of dough. 

Place a heaping teaspoon of filling near 1 corner of the layered phyllo strip. Fold the end at an angle over the filling to form a triangle. Continue to fold the triangle along the strip until you reach the end, like folding up a flag. Brush the top with butter and dust with Parmesan, place on prepared baking sheet, and cover while preparing the remaining pastries. Repeat until all the filling and phyllo strips are used up. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the triangles are crisp and golden. Serve hot, warm or cold. 

Skordalia (Greek Garlic dip)

Skordalia (Greek Garlic dip)

1/2 cup mash potatoes
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup walnuts
extra-virgin olive oil and cracked black pepper, to serve

Using a mortar or a food processor, crush the walnuts and garlic.  In a bowl add the mash potato, the garlic and the walnuts. Beat for 10 minutes or until smooth. Add the olive oil, the lemon juice and the vinegar. Mix all the ingredients until is a paste.

Serving:
Spoon skordalia into bowls. Drizzle with oil and season with cracked black pepper. You can also use as a side dish for meats, sea food and vegetables.

6.09.2013

Whole Grain Bigoli dough

Whole Grain Bigoli dough

Ingredients for 6 servings

500g of whole grain flour
200g of warm water
a pinch of salt

Make a small 'volcano' with the flour, add the salt and the water in the middle. Mix gently until the dough do not stick in your hands. Put the dough at the Bigoli machine and be careful to the pasta do not stick.