Pumpkin Bundt Cake glazed with Caramel Coconut Sauce

Posted November 22, 2016

Filed under Cakes, Desserts

p1010415 Make this wonderful cake to serve for breakfast on Thanksgiving day and over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. A great companion for a cup of coffee or tea.

This wonderful moist cake combines the flavors of a traditional American pumpkin cake with exotic Brazilian caramel coconut sauce. Pumpkin and coconut are a very popular combination in Brazilian desserts and caramel coconut sauce is a Brazilian signature, so sweet and loved, its popularly known as “Baba de Moca”meaning literally ” young woman drool”. This recipe can also be vegan if you substitute the eggs for apple sauce and everyone is happy.

Ingredients for cake:

3 1/2 cups cake flour or 3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups of dark brown sugar
3 eggs ( or 1 cup apple sauce if vegan)
3/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup natural apple sauce
2 cups mashed pie pumpkin or 2 cans of pumpkin filing
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp all spice
peel from one orange
1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients for sauce:

1 cup sugar
1 can coconut milk

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350F and grease a Bundt cake pan.
In a large bowl beat sugars, oil and eggs until smooth.
Add all dry ingredients, then apple sauce and mashed pumpkin,mix well ,if dough seems a bit dry add an extra 1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil.
Pour in Bundt cake pan and bake for 1 hour or until fork comes out clean. Let it stand for 15 min before removing from pan.
While cake is baking, melt 1 cup sugar in a sauce until it starts to form a caramel sauce turn heat to low and slowly add coconut milk, stirring constantly until very bubbly and slightly thickened. remove from heat and pour in a glass bowl and let it cool. Sauce will thicken more as it cools. Drizzle sauce over cake and save some in bowl to drizzle over individual pieces. Enjoy!

Feijoada: Witches Brew or Black Bean Stew

Posted October 24, 2016

Filed under Main Dishes, Sides and Appetizers, Soups and Stews

For our Halloween special edition, we made eye balls with pickled red pepper, sour cream and olives. Totally optional!

“Brazilian Black Bean Stew” known in Portuguese as “feijoada” is a hearty combination of several different pieces of beef and pork meat cooked with black beans. It’s usually served with white rice, finely shredded and sauteed collard greens , orange slices and garnished with tomato vinaigrette.

There are different views about the origin of this dish. The popular view is that this was a creation of slaves that were brought to Brazil by the Portuguese during colonial times. The popular view believes that, once the good parts of the meat were served to the slave owners, the pieces thrown away like the ribs and pigs feet would be used by the slaves and cooked in with the beans in a big iron pot.

However, some historians and food connoisseurs believe that feijoada is a variation of other European dishes that combine beans and meat like the cassoulet, which is a combination of white beans and meat substituting the white beans for black beans originated of South America. Others believe it was created in the XIX Century.

There has been a lot of changes to the classic recipe for feijoada and lighter versions are very popular without the pigs feet and other unwanted parts. In my recipe, I only use short ribs, chicken sausage and lean ready cooked bacon.

Ingredients:

1 pound of dry black beans
2 quarts of water
3 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of table salt
1 teaspoon of sea salt
6 pieces of short ribs
1 package of 4 smoked chicken sausages cut into thick slices
6 slices smoked ready bacon cut into small pieces
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
olive oil

Directions:

Marinate short ribs with balsamic vinegar and sea salt, cover and place in refrigerator.
Place beans, water salt bay leaves, onion powder, garlic in a pressure cooker over high heat until pressure builds, approximately 15 min. *
Turn the heat to medium and let it cook for 1 hour. Then turn off the heat and let the pressure built cook for for 30 min. Don’t open the pressure cooker until all steam is completely out.
Drizzle some olive oil in a crock pot and transfer the beans. Cover, turn heat to medium and let it slowly incorporate flavor.
Meanwhile, drizzle a large skillet with olive oil. Brown the balsamic-marinated short ribs and chicken slices. Cover and let them cook until balsamic becomes a glaze.
Add meat and bacon to the crock pot. Turn heat to high and let it cook until beans are bubbly. If beans are too thick, add a cup of hot water.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker you can use a crock pot. Start the cooking process the night before. Place beans, water, olive oil, salt, garlic, onion powder and bay leaves in crock pot at medium heat and let it cook overnight. In the morning, add hot water if necessary and turn heat to high; let it slow cook until beans are tender. Then proceed to cook meat and follow same steps.

For the vinaigrette you will need:

6 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped in small pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped parsley
dash salt and pepper
1 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

To prepare:

Mix all ingredients in a nice ceramic bowl and garnish individually.

Brazilian Yucca Fries

Posted September 5, 2016

Filed under Sides and Appetizers

P1010255

It’s just like French fries but way better! Yucca fries are very popular in Brazil made with yucca root also known as Manioc in Portuguese “mandioca.” They can be eaten as a side dish accompanying black beans, your favorite grilled meat or veggie or by itself as an appetizer, a perfect bar food.

Ingredients:

approximately 3 lb of yucca root (available in most grocery stores)
2 cups of vegetable oil
salt (pink sea salt is my favorite)

Directions:

Cut the skin off the yucca root, chop them in 2 inches size cubes, Put them in a pot with water and le them cook til tender, approximately 20 minutes. Drain water and set aside.
Pour oil in a large frying pan and heat oil at high temperature for about 3 minutes. You can test if oil is ready by putting one yucca in hot oil. It is ready hen it sizzles.
Using a frying ladle, put a good amount of yuccas in hot oil.
Let them fry until golden brown turning them around to brown all sides.
Scoop them and let them rest in a bowl with white paper towel to absorb the oil. You may need to do the frying in two batches. sprinkle with salt and it is ready. Enjoy!

Brazilian Shrimp and Yucca Stew

Posted July 1, 2016

Filed under Main Dishes, Seafood Entrees, Sides and Appetizers, Soups and Stews

Bobo de Camarão

This is a traditional Brazilian cuisine known as “Bobo de Camarão.” It has African roots and it is mainly typical of the State of Bahia where a large number of African slaves concentrated during colonial times but it is largely found all over the nation ,everyone has a version of this dish. It is basically a mash of yucca roots, coconut milk and shrimp. It can be served over white rice or just by itself like a savory soup. Here is my version, enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 pounds raw, peeled shrimp
1 lime
2 pounds yucca root
1/2 large onion finely chopped
4 cups vegetable or fish broth
4 large garlic cloves minced
4 ripped Roma tomatoes chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 large red pepper finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1 can coconut milk
Bunch of chopped cilantro, parsley or basil
Salt to taste
1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions:

Place raw shrimp in a bowl with juice of 1 lime, set aside.
Peel yucca root, chop in cubes and place them in a pot. Add broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat and let them cook until very tender. Remove from heat and mash them. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a big pot (an iron pot would be just perfect). Saute onions, tomatoes, peppers and garlic until soft. Add shrimp, when both sides turn pink add coconut milk, tomato paste and mashed yucca. Stir with a wood spoon.
Add salt to taste, crushed red pepper and let it simmer over a medium heat until bubbly.
Remove from heat and garnish with herbs.

Brazilian Chocolate Fudge Cake

Posted February 12, 2016

Filed under Cakes

Brazilian Chocolate Fudge Cake ” Bolo Brigadeiro”

Simply delicious and super easy to make! make it as is or jazz it up with some coffee liqueur.

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 can condensed milk
1/2 cup milk
12 tbsp butter softened
1 cup brown sugar
pinch salt
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
powdered sugar
chocolate sprinkles
1/2 cup coffee liqueur and 1/2 cup milk ( totally optional if you want to bring it up notch)

DIRECTIONS:

Pre- heat oven to 350F. Grease 2 round cake pans and line them with parchment paper.
Chop 4 ounces of dark chocolate in pieces and place in a sauce pan and add 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Stir until melted and creamy over a water bath. Turn off heat but leave sauce pan in water to keep chocolate mixture soft.
Beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy ( I like to use a food processor) . Add the eggs and beat well. stir in chocolate mixture, add flour, cocoa powder, salt, milk and baking powder.
Place cake batter in cake pans dividing evenly and bake for 30 to 35 min or until fork comes out clean from the center.
While cake is baking, chop the other 4 ounces of dark chocolate in sauce pan, add the other 1/2 cup of heavy cream and condensed milk. Stir constantly over medium heat in a water bath until mixture is bubbly and creamy. Remove from heat but leave pan in water to keep chocolate soft.
When cake is done, let it cool for 30 min. During this time, put chocolate fudge in a bowl and place in the refrigerator.
Remove one cake from pan into a serving platter**, remove fudge from refrigerator and spread a layer of fudge over it . Place the other cake on top and spread the rest of the fudge over entire cake. Dust with powdered sugar and sprinkle chocolate sprinkles.

** at this point, prick the cake all over the top with a fork and drizzle milk and coffee liqueur mixture all over and let cake absorb the liquid then spread the fudge and place the other cake on top and return to instructions.

ENJOY!

Pumpkin Coconut Pie

Posted November 25, 2015

Filed under Uncategorized

Cooking Brazilian

P1010283

P1010285

YUM! Pumpkin Pie with a Brazilian twist!

Pumpkin and coconut combinations are very popular in Brazilian cuisine. It makes delicious fudges, cakes, ice creams and soups. It is a perfect pair ! Oh! and vegans, just omit the Chantilly cream or substitute it for vegan cream or gelatto from your local store.

Ingredients:

2 cups of fresh mashed pie pumpkin .
1 cup brown sugar.
1 can coconut milk.
1 tsp cinnamon.
1 tsp nutmeg.
1 tsp ground cloves.
8 oz ginger snaps.
1/4 cup almond, sun flower or coconut oil.
1 pint whipping cream*.
3 tbsp sugar.*
1 tsp vanilla.*

*If Vegan, omit these ingredients.

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350 F. Grease pie pan with oil.
In a blender or food processor, grind the ginger snaps and place it in pie pan. Drizzle the oil over it and press the crumbles down. Place it in oven for 10mim.

View original post 85 more words

Pumpkin Coconut Pie

Posted November 25, 2015

Filed under Desserts

P1010285

YUM! Pumpkin Pie with a Brazilian twist!

Ingredients:

2 cups of fresh mashed pie pumpkin .
1 cup brown sugar.
1 can coconut milk.
1 tsp cinnamon.
1 tsp nutmeg.
1 tsp ground cloves.
8 oz ginger snaps.
1/4 cup almond, sun flower or coconut oil.
1 pint whipping cream*.
3 tbsp sugar.*
1 tsp vanilla.*

*If Vegan, omit these ingredients.

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350 F. Grease pie pan with oil.
In a blender or food processor, grind the ginger snaps and place it in pie pan. Drizzle the oil over it and press the crumbles down. Place it in oven for 10mim.
Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor mix the mashed pumpkin with coconut milk, brown sugar and the spices.
Pour over the ginger crumbles pie crust and bake for 50 min. let it cool for 10 min before serving. Garnish with Chantilly cream or your favorite vegan cream. Sprinkle Cinnamon on top.
to make Chantilly cream, simply beat whipping cream in a food processor or beaters until fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla slowly folding with a fork. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Passion Fruit Mousse Torte

Posted October 9, 2015

Filed under Desserts

P1010274

Torta de Mousse de Maracujá

This dessert is what I like to call a Brazilian Gem! It is absolutely delicious! Tart, sweet, creamy and cold!

This particular recipe was a bit of a challenge to reproduce because passion fruit and the extract or pulp are very difficult to find in most grocery stores in the USA. You will need to go to an Asian market or preferably a Latin American market to find the extract or frozen pulp. You might be able to find the pulp on line. If you are lucky depending on where you live you may find the fruit at your local market.

This recipe is originally made with lady fingers cookies but they can be difficult to find so I substituted here for graham crackers and it works beautifully. You can also use vanilla wafers cookies.

This recipe is very easy to make but requires some extra time chilling to achieve consistency. Make a day before planing on serving.

P1010270

Ingredients:

2 cups passion fruit extract or defrosted passion fruit pulp.
2 cans condensed milk.
1 pint whipping cream.
10 table spoons of powdered sugar
1 box of Honey Graham crackers, vanilla wafers or lady fingers.
1 and 1/2 cups of sugar (+ 2 table spoons if using fresh fruit and seeds for topping).
2 passion fruits or dark chocolate shavings if you can’t find the fruit.
1 teas spoon corn starch.
1 and 1/2 cups of water.

Directions:

Whisk condensed milk and 1 cup of passion extract or pulp in a glass bowl. Cover and place in refrigerator for one hour.
Meanwhile in a food processor, whip cream until fluffy and slowly fold powdered sugar into whipped cream. Cover and place in refrigerator until needed.
While the creams are resting in refrigerator, let’s make a syrup! Dissolve corn starch in 1/2 cup of water. Then in a sauce pan, mix 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of passion fruit extract or defrosted pulp add the corn starch water and stirr constantly at a high heat. When it starts to boil turn heat to medium low, keep stirring constantly for a few minutes until starts to slightly thicken. Transfer syrup to a glass container, let it cool, cover and place it in refrigerator until needed.
When hour is up fold whipped cream into passion fruit cream. Cover and place in freezer for one hour.
When hour is up, remove mousse from freezer and gently mix by folding it with a fork scraping the sides. Place it back in freezer for another hour.
While mousse is chilling in freezer, in a shallow bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of passion fruit extract or pulp with 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water and place in refrigerator until needed.
Cut passion fruit, scoop pulp and seeds in to a bowl, stir in 2 table spoons of sugar, keep in refrigerator until needed.
To assemble, deep Graham Crackers, lady fingers or vanilla wafers in the passion juice in the shallow bowl, one by one arranging them on the bottom of a rectangular glass dish approximately 9 x 11 inches. Spread some of the mousse on top and place another layer of crackers or cookies deepened in juice. Keep doing this procedure until mousse is finished. The last layer should be of mousse. Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least 2 hours.
Once top is frozen, pour the passion fruit syrup that was chilling in the refrigerator over the top, garnish with the pulp and seeds of the passion fruit or chocolate shavings. Cover and place it back in freezer until ready to serve.
To cut,remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving. Keep in Freezer.

Enjoy!

Marta’s Vegan Orange Cake

Posted August 13, 2015

Filed under Cakes

The original recipe for this cake was given to me by a dear Brazilian friend, Marta Caputo. This cake is super moist and light . It will please everyone. It is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.. enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cup of Brown sugar.
3/4 cup of sunflower oil or coconut oil.
1 cup of orange juice divided in two parts.
Zest of one orange.
1 cup of cake flour .
1 cup of whole wheat flour.
1 tbsp of baking powder.
3/4 cup of applesauce. ( the applesauce substitutes the eggs ).
1/4 cup raw sugar.
1/3 cup powdered sugar.

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 F.
In a blender , food processor or cake beaters, mix apple sauce, sugar, oil, half a cup of orange juice and orange zest.
Transfer to a bowl and flour and baking powder.
Place dough in a floured Bundt cake mold.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until fork comes clean from the center. Let it cool for 10 minutes and transfer cake to a serving platter.
Mix the other half or orange juice with the raw sugar. Prick the cake all over with a fork and drizzle the orange sugar all over perforated parts. Dust with powdered and sugar!

Brazilian Ratatouille

Posted May 19, 2015

Filed under Main Dishes, Sides and Appetizers, Soups and Stews, Vegetarian

Ratatouille is originally a French dish from the Provence region. It is a versatile dish, you can eat it as a stew, a baked casserole or soup. It can also be used as a filling for crepes and omelets. It can be served as a side dish or main course. The Brazilian way is served as a main dish, stewed over rice. Simply delicious! Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant cut into 2 inch cubes
2 zucchini cut into 2 inch cubes
4 Roma tomatoes diced
2 tbsp of tomato paste
2 garlic cloves minced*
1/2 yellow onion finely chopped*
1 red bell pepper
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of vegetable broth or water
1 tsp dried herbs the Provence
fresh parsley or fresh basil chopped
shredded Asiago cheese (optional)

“* If you can’t have onions or garlic, omit those and use 2 celery stalks finely sliced and a drizzle of truffle oil.

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan, add onions, tomatoes and red peppers, salt and pepper and saute until onions are cooked and tomatoes bursting. Add garlic, egg-plant and zucchini. Then add vegetable broth or water, tomato paste and herbs.
Cover and let it cook for 10 minutes or until egg-plant is soft. Let it stand covered for 5 minutes.
Place it in a serving bowl. Sprinkle Asiago cheese, drizzle olive oil and garnish with fresh parsley or basil.
Serve over your favorite steamed rice, white or whole wheat. It is also great over quinoa!

Bon appetit!