Queijadinha (Coconut and cheese muffin)

1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 oz

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
2 egg yolks at room temperature and passed through a strainer to remove the clear yolk membrane
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• Preheat the oven to 350 F ( 180 C). Line a mini or standard-size muffin baking pan with paper baking cups.
• In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients together until obtaining a homogeneous mixture.
• Using a cookie or ice cream scooper, fill 3/4 of the paper cups with the batter. Clean off any stray drips from the baking pan with a wet paper towel.
• Bake for about 13 minutes (mini) or for 20 minutes (standard-size). Remove from the oven, let cool and enjoy! Note: It can be served warm or at room temperature. Yield: About 24 mini queijadinhas or 8-10 standard-size

 

Galinhada (Rice and chicken one pot meal)

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs about 4-5 thighs (or skin-on, bone-in if you prefer)
  
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 tsp black ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 5 saffron threads or 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tsp hot paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small white onion small diced
• 1 large green or red bell pepper small diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 cups white rice long-grain
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 large diced tomatoes skin and seeds removed (or about 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained)
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen peas
  
• 1 cup sweet corn
• 2 limes
• 2 tbsp cilantro, pasrley or basil (fresh and chopped)
• 2 tbsp green onions chopped
  
  
  • Season the chicken with a mixture of salt, pepper, and cumin, rubbing well on both sides. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then, add saffron threads (or turmeric) to the hot water and let it sit for 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, dice and chop the vegetables. Reserve. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp of oil and sear the chicken thighs, skin side down (or top of the thighs side down), for 3-4 minutes without moving or until skin is golden. Flip chicken to the other side and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
  • Transfer thighs to a plate and reserve. Remove excess oil/grease (leave about 1 tbsp). Meanwhile, add and cook the onion and bell pepper over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, or until onion is soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add the rice and sauté for about 1-2 minutes, stirring every now and then.
  • Add the wine and let almost evaporate about 2 minutes. Stir in the saffron, the broth, the tomato paste, and the bay leaf. Transfer the chicken back to the pan, nestling them on top of the rice. Let come to a boil.
  • Then cover the pan with a lid and let cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked and rice is al dente. The rice will absorb the liquids. About 3 minutes before the end of this cooking time, add the diced tomatoes and the corn and peas, cover, and let it cook. Right before serving, squeeze lime over the thighs and add the chopped herbs.
  • OPTIONAL: Before adding the lime juice and herbs, you may brush the top of the chicken thighs with a hint of honey and broil for a couple of minutes if desired.

Corn Chowder

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 large white onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (low sodium)
1 large potato peeled and cut into chunks
1 can sweet whole kernel corn drained (or 3 1/4 cups of fresh corn), 29 oz
1 1/2 teaspoons salt less or more depending how salty the broth is
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain yogurt or heavy cream (low-fat)
2 hot Italian sausage links cooked and cut into chunks (optional)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

• In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat and sweat the onion for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the broth and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the potato chunks, 2 1/4 cups of the corn kernels, salt and pepper; stir.
• Let cook for about 12 minutes or until potato is fork tender. Blend soup with the yogurt or heavy cream in a blender until creamy. Adjust the seasonings if necessary.
• Add the remaining 1 cup of corn kernels and serve while soup is warm. It can be garnished on top with chunks of cooked sausage and chopped fresh chives.

 

Creamy corn cake

1 cup yellow corn -- if using canned corn 

drain before measuring, or 200 g1 cup coconut milk
¼ cup water
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted (plus more to grease the pan), or ½ cup
1⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 cups coarse yellow corn meal
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon baking powder

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (about 177 degrees C). Grease very well a 10-inch (about 25 cm) ring pan and set aside. NOTE: Grease the entire pan well. Do NOT miss one single corner!!
• In a blender, blend together all ingredients until corn is completely pureed and the mixture is homogeneous and creamy. You may need to stop the blender once or twice to stir in the mixture, making it easier to blend together the ingredients.
• Pour mixture in the greased ring pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes (mine baked in 35 mins) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let corn bundt cake cool down completely on a rack (corn bundt cake will break apart if unmolded while still warm) and run a knife gently around the edges. Place an inverted plate on top and invert corn bundt cake to unmold. This corn bundt cake is mildly sweet and can be served either for breakfast or as a snack -- warm with butter, at room temperature accompanied by a cup of coffee, or chilled and drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. 

Brazilian coconut kisses

1 can sweetened condensed milk 14-ounce or 396 g1 cup sweetened coconut flakes plus more for dredging
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter softened (plus more for greasing a plate and your hands)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional

• Mix the condensed milk, coconut flakes, and butter together.
• Cook in a medium non-stick saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture starts to show the bottom of the pan when you scrape it with your wood spoon (about 5-8 minutes). 
• When coconut kisses 'dough' is ready, remove from the heat, mix in the vanilla extract, and spread the mixture onto a greased plate.
• Let cool to room temperature before starting to roll them into balls with greased hands. Use a 1/2 Tablespoon as measurement. Then, dredge gently in the coconut flakes until totally covered.
• Place into paper bonbon cups. Stick a clove atop (center) of each coconut kiss if desired. The clove is only for decoration and must be removed right before eating!!!
• Cloves for garnishing optional
  
  
  
  

Brazilian coconut shrimp

1½ pounds jumbo raw shrimp 

(deveined, both shell and tail removed)5 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
3 gloves garlic 1 minced and 2 coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt divided
1 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
½ large white or yellow onion peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large orange or red bell pepper de-seeded and sliced
1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes
2 leaves large basil plus more to garnish
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley plus more to garnish
1 cup canned coconut milk
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 large lime, juiced)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sweet paprika optional
4-6 oz cream cheese softened (the amount depends on how creamy you want)
1 red jalapeno pepper thinly sliced (optional)

• Place the peeled shrimp in a bowl with 1 Tablespoon of oil, one minced garlic clove, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Toss to coat and let marinade while cooking the vegetables.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and let cook for approximately 3 minutes. 
• Add the 2 coarsely chopped garlic cloves and cook for about 1 minute. Add the canned diced tomatoes, basil, and cilantro/parsley. Let cook for about 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a blender and set aside.
• Add the 2 remaining Tablespoons of oil to the skillet and cook the shrimp for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes or it until starts getting pink. Transfer the shrimp to a plate or bowl.
• Add the coconut milk, chicken/vegetable broth, lime juice, ground ginger, paprika (optional), and the remaining salt and pepper to the cooked, reserved vegetables and blend everything until vegetables are completely ground and mixture is homogeneous. 
• Transfer blended mixture to the skillet and bring to a boil; then reduce to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted and the sauce is creamy and homogeneous. 
• Add the cooked shrimp to the skillet and toss to coat. Garnish with basil leaves, chopped cilantro/parsley, and slices of red jalapeno pepper if desired. Serve over white rice. Enjoy!

Brazilian simple beans

2 cups dried pinto beans
8 cups of water, plus more for washing and soaking
2 bay leaves
3 strips of bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Salt to taste

1. Pick through the beans, discarding the damaged ones and any stones you may find.Wash the beans several times, until the water coming out of the beans is translucent.

2. Soak the beans overnight.
The next day, drain the beans and discard the water.

3. In a pressure cooker, add the beans, the bay leaves and 8 cups of water. Cook over high heat until the pressure builds up. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes or until the beans are tender and al dente but not falling apart. If the beans are not ready, continue cooking in increments of 15 minutes, until they are soft.

4. If cooking in a regular pot, add the beans and 8 cups of water and cook over high heat until the water boils. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, covered, until the beans are tender and al dente.

5. In a large skillet, add the bacon and let it cook in its own fat.
Add the garlic and onion and sauté with the bacon until translucent.
Add a ladle of beans (just grains, no broth) to the skillet and let it cook for a minute or so. With the back of a wooden spoon, mash the beans until you have almost like a paste consistency.

6. Add the rest of the beans (with broth) to the skillet, lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the broth thickens. That should take 10 to 20 minutes. Combine the cilantro or parsley. Season with salt, discard the bay leaves and serve with rice.

Corn and cheese cake

1 cup fine cornmeal

3 Tbsp all purpose flour
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1 can sweet condensed milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp salted butter
1 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp baking powder
Confectioners sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle on top of the cake (optional)

1. Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add all the ingredients, with the exception of the baking powder, to the blender and blend for a few minutes until everything is combined.
3. Add the baking powder and blend again for 5 more minutes.
Transfer the dough to a greased and floured 9X13 cake pan and bring it to the oven for about 40-45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
4. If you want, sprinkle some confectioner sugar mixed with cinnamon on top of your cake.

Simple Brazilian white rice

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  
  1 cup white (long grain) rice (I use jasmine or Basmati if not in Brazil), washed
• 2 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• Pinch of salt
  
  
• 1. Put the water to boil in a tea kettle.
• 2. In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat.
• 3. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. (Be careful not to burn it!)
• Add the raw washed rice and cook, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn, until it starts forming clumps.
• 4. Add the boiling water, bay leaf and the salt, cover and lower the heat to the lowest setting.
• 5. Cook for 20 minutes or until there's no more water in the bottom. (You will see some holes forming in the surface and you won't hear any more water!)
• 6. Turn the heat off and lift the cover slightly.
• Let the rice sit untouched for 5 more minutes.
• 7. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

 

Ham and cheese rolls

1 (1.4oz) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups all purpose flour
10 slices of ham, cut lengthwise
10 slices Mozzarella cheese or 2 (8oz) chunks of Mozzarella, cut lengthwise or shredded
Dried oregano to taste
1 egg + 1 tablespoon water

• 
  
• 1. In your stand mixer bowl, mix the yeast with the sugar and the warm water. Stir and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, letting the yeast proof for 10 minutes.
• 2. Add the oil and the salt and stir to combine.
  
  
  
• Bring the bowl to the stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook. With the mixer running on low, add the flour slowly, letting the mixer work until you have a cohesive dough.
• 3. Turn the speed up (medium high) and let the mixer knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is elastic and smooth.
  You can also do the process by hand, it will only take more time. Around 15 min of kneeding.
• 4. Brush the dough with oil, cover with the kitchen towel and bring to a warm place to rest. The dough should rest for at least one hour or until it has doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two large baking sheets, spraying with cooking spray.
• 5. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts.
• Using a rolling pin, roll each part into a rectangle (about 12 inches) and cut 10 equal triangles from each dough half, 20 total. You can use the scrapes and roll to cut more triangles if necessary!