Mama Bear Bedtime Books: Brazilian recipes

Showing posts with label Brazilian recipes. Show all posts

November 26, 2017

How to Make Brazilian Brigadeiro Chocolate Truffle

Do you want to WOW your family and guests this Holiday Season? How about treating them with a decadent Brazilian chocolate dessert?

Brigadeiro (BREE-GA-DEY-RO) is a popular soft chocolate sweet made with condensed milk, powdered chocolate (or cocoa), and butter. It's common at Brazilian parties, from birthdays to Christmas, and even weddings! If you ask Brazilians about brigadeiro, they will tell you how amazing and delicious it is!

Brigadeiro comes from a presidential candidate in Brazil in the 1940s named Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes. His wife would make this chocolate fudge sweet and serve it at parties as part of a fundraising campaign. The guests loved the treat and started asking for it at events: “Where's the Brigadeiro chocolate sweet? Can we have more of Brigadeiro's chocolate candy?" Since then, brigadeiro became a sensation throughout the whole country!

I make brigadeiro pretty often in my house and everybody who tries it (husband's family, sons' friends and teachers, co-workers and friends), loves it!

While the brigadeiro recipe is simple and easy, it can be tricky to get the perfect consistency. No worries! My son and I created a how to video with a simple step-by-step guide and a few tips, so you can make a perfect brigadeiro dessert to WOW your guests!
Here's the video:

This article is part of Nestlé Hispanic Holiday campaign, #JuntosConNestlé, so we're going to use La Lechera condensed milk, which is available at Walmart stores.

My son and I had a blast making this video! 😃 The fun part about brigadeiro is that you can get your kids involved in the cooking and decorating process! We hope you enjoy this video, and let us know how your brigadeiro turned out!

Here's the recipe:

Brigadeiro

Serving: 9-20 (based on size) Total Time: 25min

Prep Time: 5min Cook Time: 15min

Ingredients

• 1 can of Nestlé La Lechera (sweetened condensed milk)

• 6 tbsp of Nestlé Nesquick chocolate powder

• 2 tbsp of unsalted butter

• chocolate sprinkles

• non-stick pan

• wooden spoon

• mini baking cups

Cooking Instructions

• Set stove on medium heat

• Put 2 tbsp of unsalted butter in a non-stick pan

• Add a whole can of Nestlé La Lechera condensed milk into the pan

• Add 6 tbsp of Nestlé Nesquick chocolate powder chocolate into the pan

• Stir with the wooden spoon for about 15 minutes. Don't leave the pan unattended

• Brigadeiro is ready when it starts leaving the pan (the video will show this!)

• When your brigadeiro is ready, remove from the stove and stir it for a few seconds

• Take the pot to the freezer for about 5 min

• If the pot is too big, transfer brigadeiro into a container and put it in the freezer

• You want it nice and creamy before you roll it into balls

• To make the balls, spread a little bit of butter on your hands

• Using a spoon, scoop some brigadeiro, and using your hands roll it into a ball

• Roll the ball in the chocolate sprinkles to cover it completely

• Place finished brigadeiro into a banking cup and roll some more

• Makes between 10 to 20 brigadeiros, depending on the size of mini baking cups

• Enjoy!😋

*Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Nestlé. All opinions are my own.

November 12, 2017

Iced Lemon Waffle

Posted by Unknown on 3:51 PM in Brazilian recipes, fun food for kids, Recipes,

Who is hungry for waffles? How about a waffle topped with a bright and citrusy, sweet and zesty lemon glaze? Sounds amazing, right?

This light and fresh lemon glaze recipe is simple, quick, and easy! Your family will love a new twist on waffles and will definitely ask for more!

All you need for the lemon glaze is 1 can of condensed milk, lemon juice from 2 lemons, and lemon zest! That's it! Simple as that! The trick is in the lemon juice. As you add lemon juice to the condensed milk, it will thicken. Continuing to stir, it turns into a beautiful, creamy glaze.

It's unbelievable on top of waffles, pancakes, cakes, and even fruit salads!

Hope you enjoy this recipe! Here's a video on how to make it:

Here's the recipe:

Iced Lemon Waffle

Serving: 3-4 (based on size) Total Time: 25min

Prep Time: 10min Cook Time: 15min

Ingredients:

Waffles

2 cups Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 egg
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Lemon Glaze

lemon juice from 2 lemons (drained, without seeds)
1 tsp of lemon zest
1 can of condensed milk
1 lemon to use to garnish

Cooking Instructions:

Lemon Glaze

*Prepare lemon glaze first, before cooking waffles
Add 1 can of condensed milk into a bowl
Add lemon juice slowly into the bowl with condensed milk
Stir until it starts to thicken
Lemon juice will thicken the condensed milk and turn into a glaze
Add the lemon zest and stir

Waffles

Blend all waffle ingredients together in a bowl (pancake mix, water, egg, and oil)
Grease waffle iron with vegetable oil (*tip: use a cooking brush to brush oil on the waffle iron)
Preheat waffle iron
Cook waffles until golden brown
Set waffles onto a plate
Drizzle lemon glaze on top of waffles and garnish with lemon (see video to learn how to make an easy lemon garnish)
*Tip: Squeeze fresh lemon juice from the garnish over the glaze just before eating for an extra pop!
Eat and enjoy! 😋

November 11, 2014

Quick & Easy Brazilian Black Bean Stew

Posted by Unknown on 5:45 PM in Brazilian recipes, Recipes,

We could all use a few cooking shortcuts, right? With the chaotic work schedule, kids, homework, house cleaning... By the end of the day, we just want to drive through the first fast food place we see and grab food to go! We just gobble it down and barely taste what we just ate...

Alright, but sometimes, don't you crave something a little bit more homey? Something not loaded with grease? Then you'll say, "Yes, but I don't have time to spend hours in the kitchen and then hours cleaning up all the mess!" I get it! Me too! I love, absolutely love a Brazilian dish called, "Feijoada." It's a savory Brazilian black bean stew, usually with pork, served with garlic rice, sautéed collard greens, and a chunky dressing with cilantro, tomatoes, and green onions. It's amazing!!!! But, when I make it for my family on Sundays, it usually takes me all day to prep and cook. It's wonderful but very time consuming...

So, a few days ago after taking the boys to football practice, it was already getting dark, and I was craving feijoada. I really didn't want to get the usual, drive-thru or pizza, for us. I knew I didn't have hours to cook, so I thought, "Maybe I can pull it off with a can or two of black beans." I know canned is not exactly like cooking from scratch, but probably better than pizza or chicken nuggets from a fast food place. Right?

I asked my husband to stop at the grocery store to grab a few ingredients (really, it took us 5 minutes), and when I got home, I was able to prepare a pretty yummy dish in about half an hour.

Now, for this post, I will show you how I was able to prepare the Brazilian black bean stew in a super easy way, where the additional ingredients masked the somewhat unpleasant can taste. I'm not going over the other dishes like sautéed collard greens, garlic rice, or dressing, but if you check out my other recipe post called "Hungry for Brazilian Food?" under Brazilian recipes, I listed the garlic rice and dressing recipe over there.

Ok, for the Brazilian black bean stew you will need the following ingredients:

2 cans of low sodium black beans
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
2 Tsp of minced garlic
Half small onion (chopped)
2 Beef Smoked Sausages or Turkey Smoked sausages (slice them in quarter-inch circles)
3/4 cup of chopped cilantro
2 Tsp Beef Flavor Bouillon (I use Knorr-Caldo Con Sabor de Res)

HOW TO PREPARE:

Sauté the olive oil, garlic, and onions in a 3qt pot in medium heat until it caramelizes (yellow color).
Stir in the sliced smoked sausage circles and cook for about 4-5 minutes over medium heat.
Add the 2 cans of black beans and half can of water.
Add the cilantro and beef flavored bouillon.
Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes. The ingredients plus the bouillon help get rid of the unpleasant taste from the can.
Remove from heat and serve just like that, or serve with rice. Another option, is to serve with garlic rice, sautéed collard greens and the dressing on top (check my other recipes... :D).
You can also add a little bit of Cayenne Pepper Sauce or Tabasco Sauce on the beans to "kick it up a notch!"
Next time, I will show you a great crunchy ingredient to add to the black beans and rice. It's a modified version of an amazing and delicious dish called "Farofa". Since we don't have the manioc flour, I tweaked a little bit, but it's still amazing!

February 2, 2014

Portuguese Pizza! Eggs and Ham, Yes I am!

Posted by Unknown on 3:29 PM in Brazilian recipes, Recipes,

I absolutely love this pizza! I was craving it so much that I had to call my mom to get the recipe. She also gave me 2 nice tips to make the pizza even more tasty! In Brazil, we call this pizza a "Pizza Portuguesa". What a delicious fusion of flavors from the ham, onions, boiled egg, and kalamata olives! Many might be tempted to leave out one of the ingredients like the boiled egg, onions, or olives, but please don't! All these ingredients are essential, as they work together to create an amazing, savory blend!

INGREDIENTS:

1 individual size "ready to bake" pizza dough
1 tsp of olive oil
1 can of undrained whole peeled tomatoes (should create enough sauce for 4+ small pizzas; you will only need approximately 4 tbsp for each)
4 tbsp of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 thin slices of ham
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
5 round slices of yellow onion
14 half slices of kalamata olives
1 tbsp of oregano

HOW TO MAKE IT:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
Brush olive oil on the top of the pizza dough
*TOMATO SAUCE: Pour the entire contents of the can of undrained peeled tomatoes into a bowl and squeeze them with your fingers leaving some thick, irregular chunks of tomatoes to make the sauce more robust. Spread approximately 4 tbsp of this sauce onto the pizza dough, making sure to add some of the tomato pieces
Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce
Top with the 2 slices of ham, onions, egg slices, and olives
*OREGANO: Pour the oregano into your cupped hand and then rub the oregano using both hands over the pizza, making sure to sprinkle the oregano on all the toppings. By rubbing the oregano in your hands, you enhance its flavor.
Place the pizza directly on the rack into the oven and bake for 9 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it cool for 1-2 minutes before eating.

January 9, 2014

Brazilian Ham Lasagna With Red Meaty and White Cheesy Sauce

Posted by Unknown on 9:01 PM in Brazilian recipes, Recipes,

A great friend of mine just had a beautiful baby boy, and BOY OH BOY, I know how tough it is to make dinner and take care of a newborn! So, I offered to prepare her favorite meal. She told me that her favorite dish was lasagna, even joking how she must be related to Garfield somehow... "Lasagna...", I said, thinking that I actually haven't had my mom's wonderful lasagna for a long, long time. I think the last time I ate her lasagna was 8 years ago, when she came to visit us to see her new grandbaby (my first son).

Don't get me wrong, I have eaten lasagna many times in these 8 years, but not her comforting, home cooked, hearty lasagna, filled with both red meaty tomato sauce and a cheesy white Parmesan sauce, layered with slices of ham and mozzarella cheese, and topped with melted Parmesan cheese. Her recipe is very different from the recipes I have seen in the US. My mom doesn't use ricotta cheese or some veggies, instead, she uses both ham and mozzarella, and she also adds two sauces to make the lasagna noodles extra tender.

When I called my mom to get her delicious recipe, she gave me three important tips about the noodles. First she said that I should go ahead and buy the 'oven ready to bake' noodles, since the ones that must be boiled first are harder to deal with and break easily. The second tip she gave me was to prepare the lasagna dish the day before, cover it, and let it set in the refrigerator for a day to allow the sauce to sink in and moisten the noodles (since we are using the 'oven ready to bake' ones). She also told me to make sure to really add extra sauce on the edges of the dish to avoid the noodles from becoming hard and chewy. The last tip she gave me (which came in late, a week after I had already prepared and eaten the lasagna) was to cover the dish with parchment paper instead of aluminum foil. According to my mom, the aluminum from the foil is released into the dish when baking due to the acidity of the tomato sauce. So, we're actually eating aluminum. I don't know about this for sure, and please don't hold me responsible for it. :) Do your own research. But I believe my mom because she has about 45 years of cooking experience... and some of the tips she gave me in the past I saw, years later, in cooking shows like Martha Stewart and Food Network.

By the way, about my friend, I just received a wonderful thank you note from her saying how she loved it, and how her picky-eater son (he's about my oldest son's age) had three servings of it! :D

Here's the recipe. My mom likes to go the extra mile and makes her sauces and seasonings from scratch. I, on the other hand, like to take short cuts. So, this is my "short cut" version of my mom's recipe. This savory lasagna dish serves about 6-8 people and takes approximately 45 min to prep and 1 hour to bake (better to do it the day before and leave it in the fridge overnight):

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 Tbsp meat seasoning (I like Chef Paul Prudhomme's Meat Magic)
26 ounces of tomato sauce (I like Ragu Traditional tomato sauce)
2 cups of milk
1 Tbsp of flour
1 Tbsp of butter
2 1/2 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese (1 1/4 cups for the sauce and 1 1/4 cups for the lasagna layers and topping)
1 can of table cream (Nestle Media Crema)
18 'oven ready to bake' lasagna noodles
18 slices of ham
18 slices of mozzarella cheese

PREPARATION:
RED SAUCE:

Warm the canola oil in a large skillet at medium heat for a few minutes (2-3 minutes). Add meat and sprinkle the seasoning on top. Cook the meat until brown. Drain the fat.
Add the tomato sauce, stir, reduce heat to low, and let it simmer until you're ready to assemble the lasagna. Stir occasionally.

WHITE SAUCE:

In a saucepan, add the milk and butter and cook at medium heat for about 1 minute. Slowly add flour into the saucepan and stir with a whisk. Keep stirring and cook the sauce until the flour dissolves and the sauce thickens (3-5 minutes).
Add the Parmesan cheese (1 1/4 cups) and keep cooking for 2 additional minutes (or until the cheese dissolves into the sauce).
Reduce heat to low, add the table cream and cook for one more additional minute. Remove from heat.

ASSEMBLING THE LASAGNA:

Spread 1/3 of the meat sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise and 2 on each side (you might have to break a few inches off of these 2 noodles to fit better) over meat sauce.
Top with 6 slices of ham (3 on each side).
Spread 1/3 of the white sauce.
Top with 6 slices of mozzarella cheese.
Top with a 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese.
Repeat layers 2x, topping with remaining 6 mozzarella slices and Parmesan cheese.
Cover with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge overnight.
The next day, remove the plastic wrap and cover with parchment paper, making sure the paper does not touch the Parmesan cheese.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand for about 10-15 minutes before serving (remove paper of course).
Enjoy! :D

December 27, 2013

Not Just Your Average Hot Cocoa

Posted by Unknown on 7:52 PM in Brazilian recipes, Christmas, Recipes,

It's winter...and there's nothing like a good cup of rich, creamy, and smooth hot cocoa to warm you up... To make it special for grown ups, I added a tiny spoonful of rum...for the underage kiddos, however, you must skip that part of the recipe. Enjoy and have a Happy New Year!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2):

2 cups of milk
2 packages of Starbucks Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix
1/2 cup of Half & Half (creamer)
3 Tbsp of table cream (Nestle: Media Crema)
2 Tbsp of rum

HOW TO PREPARE:

Pour milk into a small pot and cook at medium heat
Just before it starts boiling, reduce heat to low, add the 2 packages of Hot Cocoa Mix, and stir for 1 min
Add the creamer and stir for about 30 sec
Add the table cream slowly and stir continuously for about 2-3 minutes (until the table cream dissolves)
Add the rum and stir for 20-30 sec
Turn off the heat and serve in a mug
Optional - Add 1 Tbsp of table cream on top with a sprinkle of the left over hot cocoa mix powder from the package

October 10, 2013

Another Delicious Brazilian Tradition: "Moqueca de Peixe" (Fish Stew)

Posted by Unknown on 4:50 PM in Brazilian recipes, Recipes,

Here's another delicious, creamy, authentic Brazilian dish that is pretty easy to make and can be prepared in about 45 minutes. Moqueca de Peixe (fish stew) is a frequent favorite meal in northeastern Brazil, where I lived most of my life. Moqueca is usually made with onions, green and red peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic, and we usually serve it with rice. It's prepared with coconut milk and an oil called "oleo de dende" (palm oil). Dende oil really adds a special afro-brazilian flavor to the fish stew; however, dende oil is hard to find in the US (unless you live in Miami, Boston, or Dallas), so I have been using olive oil as a replacement.
Here's the recipe:
INGREDIENTS:

1 1/5 lbs fish filets (I use tilapia), cut in cubes
Fish seasoning (I like Weber Zesty Lemon)
Juice of one lemon
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tomatoes, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3-4 chopped green onions
1 bunch chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp palm or olive oil
3 cups coconut milk
*For the rice recipe, please check out my "Hungry For Brazilian Food?" Post

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Marinate the fish filets with fish seasoning and lemon juice for about 20-30 minutes.
In a cooking pot, add the olive oil and saute garlic, tomatoes, onion, red and green peppers, green onions, and cilantro for about 3 minutes (medium heat). Add fish and saute for an extra 2 minutes.
Add coconut milk and cook for about 20 minutes on low heat or until fish is cooked.
Serve on top of rice.
Go for seconds! :)

August 26, 2013

Hungry for Brazilian Food?

Posted by Unknown on 11:01 PM in Brazilian recipes, Recipes,

"Feijao Verde com Molhinho, Arroz, Carne, e Batata Frita"... Aaahhhh...This dish is one of my favorites! It brings back so many great memories...

It has been 12 years since I visited my family in Brazil. So, when I crave and long to cook some of my mom's recipes, I can't stop thinking about my family and the times we used to sit at our long table together and pretty much "attack" our food! I remember how loud we were...and happy! All talking at the same time and fighting over the last piece of steak, or french fries... Then came the dessert...wow! I don't want to sound too boastful, but my mom is one of the best cooks I've ever known! She just has such a talent for cooking, and now I regret the so many missed opportunities to learn how to cook when I was a girl. Although my mom would offer many times to teach me how to cook, I didn't care too much about it, most of the times saying, "Maybe later mom". And later it was...Nearly in my thirties, married, living in the US and caring for my newborn son. My mom came to visit us to help care for her new grandbaby, and that's when I finally showed more interest and gratitude towards my mom. She taught me how to cook some of her delicious dishes, and now I find myself calling her all the time asking her to give me a recipe and to teach me some of her cooking "tricks". We spend hours on the phone sharing recipes on weekends, and I think, "Why didn't I ever take this chance to learn from my mom earlier while I was living in Brazil?"

This dish is one of the recipes my mom taught me when she was here in the US...Very easy to do and doesn't require a lot of prep! Of course, I take some short cuts like precooked french fries that I can just bake in the oven, and letting my husband grill the steaks out in the backyard.
For a lower calorie dish, you can take away the rice and french fries! I personally don't because I love eating the rice with the black-eyed peas and the dressing all together in one bite! :D

So, here's the recipe for you. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as my family does! And I hope this dish makes some mouth-watering mealtime memories for you and your family as much as it has for me and mine!

INGREDIENTS
1 frozen bag (small) of black-eyed peas
2-3 filets of steak
1tsp of steak seasoning and 1 pinch of salt for each steak
1-2 servings of frozen fries
1 cup of uncooked rice (we prefer Basmati)
1 tbs of olive oil (for the rice)
1 tbs of minced garlic (for the rice)
1 tbs of salt (for the rice)
2 1/4 cups of water (for the rice)
Dressing:
1 bundle of cilantro
1 red tomato
5 green onions
1 1/2 tbs of olive oil
1 tbs of vinegar
1 tsp salt

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook the black-eyed peas following the instructions in the package (I suggest adding at least 1tsp of salt in the boiling water)
Rub the steak seasoning and salt on both sides of the steak, get your husband off of the couch, and ask him to grill some steaks! ;)
Once the black-eyed peas are cooked, drain the water and set aside in a serving bowl
RICE: In a 4 or 5 quart saucepan, add the olive oil and garlic and saute the garlic (until the garlic turns a golden brown caramelized color- Careful not to burn the garlic!)
Add the uncooked rice, stirring it into the saucepan with the sauteed garlic, and now add the water. Let the water just come to a boil and then turn it down to low heat, cover it, and simmer for 23 minutes.
DRESSING: Chop the cilantro, tomato, and green onions and add them to a small bowl. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Mix them all together in the bowl.
FRENCH FRIES: Bake the fries in the oven following the instructions on the package.

HOW TO SERVE:
Pour the dressing on top of the black-eyed peas and serve with the rice, steak, and fries. The dressing is also delicious on top of the steak! Enjoy it! Laugh! And one more thing, the Brazilian way to say
"CHEERS" with your family is, "SAUDE!" (pronounced sah-OO-djeh!)