Chicken and Jasmine Rice Casserole

In Brazil, a creamy dish like this one is called a fricasse, but I'm calling it a casserole since it's all baked in one big pyrex!

An easy recipe that will yield enough food for a large family of 8 or a small family of 2 like mine and then a ton of leftovers for lunch and dinner during the week! hehehe

All you need is (adapted to the US and my taste from Tasty Demais website)

2 tubs of regular cream cheese, softened
2T milk or half and half
1 bag (8oz) shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar blend or whatever you prefer)
28oz diced tomatoes
1 small bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 chicken breasts (1.25-1.5lb), cooked, shredded
3-4 cups of rice, cooked (I use american Jasmine, 2 cups dry)
handful of parsley
salt & pepper to taste (I use 1 + 1/4 teaspoon salt and just a couple dashes of pepper)
1 teaspoon of paprika (full, don't level)
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
parmesan to broil (about 1/2 cup shredded)

To cook the rice:
lightly sautée 1 clove of minced garlic and 2 T of minced onions in 2T of olive oil. Add 2 cups of dry rice and 3cups of water (or as much as indicated in the packaging of the rice you're using). Let it boil. Cover pan and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it rest for another 10 minutes without opening the pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, soften the cream cheese and whisk it with the egg yolks and milk. Add the shredded chicken and cheese, the diced tomatoes, bell pepper, onion and seasonings. Mix well with a spatula.

In a 9X13 pyrex, add half of the cooked rice after fluffed covering the bottom of the pan. Add half of the creamy chicken mix, another layer of rice and then the rest of the creamy chicken mix. Sprinkle the parm and take it to the oven for 40 minutes and then broil for 3-4 more minutes on high.

Add a side salad or some wilted spinach as side and enjoy!

Roasted tri tip with coarse salt crust

February is almost over and I haven't posted any recipes yet!! 

Let's fix this with an amazing roast beef! So easy but looks and tastes very much the opposite! Even if you can't cook, you can make this one! It's made with an awesome premium cut of beef widely used in my country known as picanha. In the US, theclosest cut would be a tri tip and I find it at Trader Joe's! It's a cut they normally carry, so nothing special or "seasonal", and it's at a friendly $7.99/lb! Another benefit is that they only carry the fully trimmed version so it's not fatty at all, but since it has some marbling, it's still very flavorful and juicy for this prep. Go for it!

All you need is the following:

• 10-12 oz coarse sea salt
• 3 Tbsp of egg whites (or whites from 2 extra large eggs)
• 1/4 cup flour
• thyme or rosemary sprigs (optional)
• 1/2 Tbsp butter at room temperature
• tri tip (about 2-2.5lbs at most)

Cover a large baking sheet or pyrex with aluminmum foil, make a salt bed with 1/4 of the coarse salt. Place the beef on it with the fattiest part on top, if any fat on your cut.
In a medium bowl, mix the rest of the salt with the flour and egg whites. It will feel thick, like wet sand.
Spread the butter on top of the meat. You can skip this step if you have fat on yours.
Cover the picanha in that mix, it doesn't have to be too thick of a layer. Make it stay in place by gently pressing with your hands or a wooden spoon. If the meat is too wet, you may pat dry it with a paper towel before hand.
Cover with the sprigs of herbs if you're using.
Bake in pre heated oven @405F for about 40 minutes. It will depend on the size of your beef cut. I used a meat thermometer and took it out of the oven between 135 and 140F because I like it medium rare, like in the picture. 145-150 if you prefer just pink in the center and about 160-165 if you like it well done.
After taking it out of the oven, cover with some aluminum foil and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
To serve, remove the crust, slice the sides as thin or as thick as you'd like. If the core is still too red, put the crust back on and put it in the oven for 10 more minutes or so.


I served mine with a big salad made from all kinds of mixed greens, cucumber, tomatoes and radishes and also some steamed asparagus. Goes really well with a side of wild rice or spaghetti tossed in butter and parmesan too!

The inspiration for this dinner came from my mom since she gave me the idea when I told her I had a tri tip in the fridge and wasn't sure what to do with it! The original recipe I adapted mine from is here (sorry! It's in portuguese!) - http://gnt.globo.com/receitas/receitas/picanha-assada-com-sal-grosso.htm 

Makes for a tasty weeknight dinner! Leftovers aren't bad either: just slice everytjhing really thin for your doggy bag! Happy cooking!

Colorful Quinoa Salad

Trying to ealt healthier - like every beginning of year (sigh!) - I came up with a colorful and very tasty quinoa salad. Quinoa is a great way to introduce low glycemic index carb and high protein to your dish, it has good carbs and a ton of vitamins, minerals and fibers!


You can adjust this recipe to pretty much anything that you have in your fridge, which is how I made mine. It turned out delicious!

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
1 medium onion, diced
1 bell pepper (any color), diced
1 handful grape tomatoes, not too ripe
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 small persian cucumber, diced - add it only right before eating to avoid it getting soggy and maybe sour
1/2 cup broccoli slaw mix
4 T olive oil
juice of 1/2 meyer lemon (or any kind of lemon)
chopped italian parsley & green onions
1 teaspoon dried herbs
salt & pepper to taste

Cook the cup of quinoa w/1 teaspoon of salt in 2 cups of water (you can also use chicken broth if you'd like). Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Let it simmer covered until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let if finish cooking partially covered, until the water from the bottom of the pan is gone. Reserve.
Dice all the vegetables. Add the chopped onion to a measuring cup and add boiling water to blanch it and remove the strong onion flavor. Drain and rinse in cold water to keep it crunchy.
Mix all diced vegetables (except for the cucumber!) and the coleslaw mix to the cooled, cooked quinoa. Incorporate them gently to avoid pureeing. Season with more salt, the pepper, lemon juice, herbs and olive oil. Add the cucumber right before serving for an extra crunch.

Also delicious sprinkled with walnuts and/or pieces of olives! 

You can serve with grilled chicken or a fish fillet to boost the protein content.

This salad is really healthy especially if you use high quality extra virgin olive oil. It may be a bit more expensive, but considering how bad the regular olive oil can be due to adulteration (even the european ones!), it's definitely worth it! I always use California Olive Ranch, any kind. Nowadays they even sell it at Target and Jewel at really good prices, like $8 or
9 a bottle (500mL). And it tastes so much better too!! Definitely worth the investment! 

Happy cooking!

Justin & Flavia’s Healthy (and yummy!) Chili

Chili is such a hearty dish! If prepared with lean meat it's also a healthy meal packed with protein and lots of other nutrients! I also think this happens to be the best dish to “hide” nutritious veggies that kids (or some adults!) won’t eat.

Every family has their own secret recipe for chili but mine is no secret and it only needs about 30 minutes to make! Here’s all you need:

• 2 lbs cooked beans (or 2 cans of chili beans, I use 1 red and 1 kidney, mild)
• 1 lb ground beef, lean or extra lean
• 34oz diced tomatoes (1 use a 26oz container of diced tomatoes with onions, carrots and celery in it + 1 10oz jar of diced tomatoes with chilies)
• 1 large bell pepper, any color, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pureed
• 1-2T of dry chili powder (to taste. I use 1 but think 2 would be ok as well if you like the flavor)
• ½ T tomato paste (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Frank’s red sauce original
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ½ T olive oil
• 1/3 cup of water or broth (beef or vegetable I feel are more suitable, if you must, but it’s not necessary)

In a medium stockpot, sautée the bell pepper, tomato paste, onion and garlic using the olive oil, until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add ground beef, mixing well to avoid chunks and let it brown. That’s what’s going to give it the best flavor!

Once the beef is browned, add all the other ingredients. Cook on medium heat until it starts to bubble; stirring frequently then let it simmer on low heat for another 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If you don’t have lean ground beef, you may want to brown it first so you can drain the unhealthy fat.

To pack nutrients, consider adding an extra bell pepper, a couple stalks of celery and 2 small diced carrots. I also chop spinach and/or kale and add to the bottom of my bowl for extra healthy stuff! The fact that you won’t overcook the greens but will still warm them up will ensure lots of vitamins to be delivered with your meal!

I serve my chili bowl topped with low fat sour cream, fresh parsley and green onions. Feel free to add regular or 2% milk shredded cheddar, too. Also, add the level of spiciness to your taste. I do not like spicy food so if you do, you may think this needs a kick. Try adding a couple diced jalapeños, more chili powder and some extra hot sauce.

Voilá! I guarantee you will think you’re indulging and you’ll want to go for seconds! A great meal, easy enough for week nights! A bonus: it will freeze amazingly!

Happy new year!

Cinnamon Rolls

Simple and simply delicious, these are super easy and quick to make!
Follow the instructions to the T and in less than an hour you will have a tray of treats out of the oven!

DOUGH
3 to 4 cups of flour
2 packets of dry yeast (I used instant)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk + 1/4 cup water, warm (~130F)
1/2 cup (= 1 stick) unsalted BUTTER, melted

FILLING
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

ICING (optional)
1.5 cup confectioner's sugar
1 T unsalted butter
3 teaspoons hot water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pre heat oven to 375F.

Making the dough:
Mix 2 cups of the flour with the sugar, salt, yeast, melted butter and warm milk + water mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon or your Kitchen Aid bread hook. (I used the latter!)
Once it's a homogeneous paste, add the egg and another cup of flour. Mix well. Keep adding flour little by little until an elastic dough ball forms. Knead for 5 minutes or so, put it back in the bowl, cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Filling
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl using a spatula forming a spread.

Once the dough is ready, roll it out in a rectangle about 1/4" thick. Spread the filling leaving the edges. Roll it tight like a jelly roll.
Using a serrated bread knife cut the roll into 12-15 discs. Set them spread apart in a 9X13 pan lined with non stick aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until golden on the top and filling is bubbly.

Serve immediately with a huge cup of black coffee and try not to eat the whole tray!!
Keep in air tight container for up to 3 days (otherwise it starts drying).
Microwave for 20s if not eating straight from the oven!

Really Moist & Really Rich Chocolate Cake

I’m always searching for the perfect chocolate cake recipe. I do have some really good ones (like the one I always use for my Almond Joy cakes) but this one wins!  It’s REALLY moist! If you don’t want to moisten it with liquid after baked you don’t even have to. It’s also fluffy, not too dense and it makes the perfect combination with any frosting or filling.  I found it on the internet but can't remember where! Modified a bit as usual so I guess I'm not copying, right!? ;)

Note this is NOT for those who don’t love chocolate! Feel free to go sweet on the filling and/or frosting as this batter will be really dark, rich and not overly sweet.

My filling of choice, as usual is coconut cream made from condensed milk and organig shredded coconut; and the frosting, semi-sweet ganache. But you can do whatever you want: chocolate buttercream, strawberries and vanilla cream...

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

½ cup corn starch

2 cups granulated sugar

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon  good quality instant coffee

1 cup of milk (any kind)

1 cup boiling water

½ cup olive oil (or any vegetable oil)

2 extra-large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

In a  small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with vanilla. Reserve.

In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. Add milk and fold in. Add oil and fold in. Add beaten eggs and incorporate well without beating or stirring too much. Mix in boiling water. 

I like to make my cakes by hand so they are as fluffy as possible.

Divide batter into 2 - 9” round pans (spray with baking PAM or grease the pans and spread cocoa powder),  and bake in preheated oven @350 degrees F for 30 minutes. 

Batter will be very liquid, but do not fear!

Tips:

• You can use the proportion I recommend of flour and starch but if no starch is available, feel free to use 2 cups of flour only. Corn starch helps with fluffiness.
• Instead of instant coffee + boiling water, you can add 1 cup of hot coffee.
• Feel free to substitute buttermilk for the milk. (or milk + 1T vinegar).
• Careful to really incorporate the egg in the batter before adding the boiling water as you don’t want pieces of scrambled eggs in your batter. UGH!
• Take cakes off the mold 5-10 minutes after baking is done and let them cool. If you’re really handy, this cake is tall enough for you to cut each one in half and make it with 3 layers of filling!
• If the cake is for the day after you bake it, make sure to keep it covered so it doesn’t lose moisture. Some press and seal will do. Keep it in the mold or at least with the ring on if you're using a spring form pan to help maintain shape.
• If transporting, like I was, wrap the cake in kit kats and a nice bow. For this one I used 10 or 11 white kit kat bars I purchased on Amazon.

I’m dreaming about making this cake replacing the cup of water with a cup of Guinness or other dark beer! Maybe that will be the cake for my husband’s bday!!

Enjoy!

Kitchen Cabinets Reno DIY

This is not a post about food but it's about KITCHEN! So I thought it would fit here in my blog. My main purpose actually is not just to show off a project I'm proud of but it's also to warn people when taking up on a big project like that if you choose the Rust-Oleum Transformation Kit.

We had cream/peach looking kitchen cabinets that just didn't have any contrast with the sand/tan wall color we chose and backsplash that came with the house. I just needed my cabinets to look nice and clean, without chipped paint and with nice hardware.

At first, everything was going great! A lot of work, but moving. We bought the kits, watched the DVD, prepared the entire kitchen, cleaned , bought great quality brushes (= $$$)  and started working as planned and as directed.
The first step, deglossing, was hard work. A lot of elbow grease but we were up to it! I felt like I was working out but I knew that step was really important since my cabinets weren't solid wood and I needed a bare, rough surface for any paint to stick. All done, and wiped (we used A LOT of towels!) with damp cloths then dried. As the pamphlet explained, we gave it a bit more than an hour for it to dry before painting.
Then we got on with the first coat of paint. We chose linen, a beautiful, simple and clean off-white. We had light cabinets and just needed a fresh coat of paint so 2 coats looked enough. We gave 3 hours between layers of paint and before we applied the clear coat. It turns out 3 coats looked better!

We then moved on to applying the top coat, a very tricky step as it is a very liquid product that needs to be applied thin and evaporates quickly. No biggie, it was going good, color looked great and exactly what I wanted. I was so happy! Suddenly, some pieces were turning yellow as I was applying the top coat! My cabinets were going from great to gross in just a few seconds! 

We stopped everything! It was already almost 10 o'clock at night and we had been working on it for 11 hours straight. My husband and I did some research to see if some people ran into the same issue and to try and figure out a solution. I was not going to put old & dirty-looking cabinets back up! As it turns out, the clear coat that comes in the kit is not the greatest. The best option we found to solve our problem was to lightly sand the top coat (220 grit) and give it another couple layers of paint on those pieces. The parts that we hadn't applied the top coat to, we decided to just give it a third coat of paint. The next step was mixing good acrylic poliurethane 3:1 with the paint and applying 3 coats of that to the cabinets. That was enough to cover for the yellow and my cabinets do look really good! But I'm so mad because I wasted a whole day of my 4-day holiday for nothing! I'm going to ask Rust-Oleum for my money back but they will never replace my time... Oh, well! What matters is that my kitchen looks just like I wanted: clean and nice! 

Hopefully this look lasts for a good while as I'm done with kitchen reno for a while!

Lessons learned (some I learned the hard way! :/)

- Preparation is the foundation for a good transformation. Don's spare product nor elbow grease!
- A good cleaning and rinsing with damp cloth the day before is not a bad idea but the deglosser will take care of it if you don't have anything thick on
- Have lots of rags in hand and be prepared to throw some away depending on the state of your cabinets previously. Use damp towels to wipe and rinse every corner of your cabinets.
- Use good quality soft tape and make sure your lines are as perfect as you can make them. Protect dishwasher, microwave, stove, etc... 
- Tarp or old shower curtains are a must to protect floors, countertops and appliances.
- Use plastic or towels to protect things inside your cabinet but no need to get every single thing out unless they're really close to the edges.
- Buy good quality brushes! There's no sense in going cheap if you want smooth long lasting surfaces. Cheap brushes will leave brush stroke marks and you don't want that!
- Mix the acrylic top coat with the paint for the top coat. 3 parts clear 1 part paint. That will make the top coat easier to apply as it won't be as runny and it won't evaporate as quickly.
- Have a couple different sizes of brushes for the different surfaces: large smooth surfaces require a 2.5 or 3' brush.
- Smooth strokes and small amounts of paint are the way to go!
- One set of tools per person working:  pail with a magnet for the brush (so handy!), a couple different sizes of brushes
- If you have a chance, keep your hinges! Spray painting them could make the chip with use and getting new ones, unless they're a match with your previous ones, can be a pain and expensive. Pick hardware with the same finish if you like what you have. You can do that and still make your kitchen look updated and fresh.
- Focus on the end goal: your beautiful looking kitchen! That will make the hard journey a little more fun!
- Use a cordless drill to tighten the screws. Manual screwdrivers will make putting everything back together too slow.
- Linen = off white. Frost looked to have some blue undertones. Iffy!

Main PROS:
The kit has most of the things you need. 
For a large project like transforming kitchen cabinets, this is the easiest choice as it does not require sanding.
Not expensive but gives a million-dollar feel to your kitchen!

Main CONS:
Top coat can make your cabinets bleed through or look streaky depending on what you had when you started.
Time consuming.

Lemon Streusel Cake

Is it a crumble cake? Is it a cheesecake? Is it a breakfast cake? Yes, yes AND YES! All of my 3 beloved cake recipes together in one lemony heaven!
Just baked it for my neighbors and they said it was delicious so this time I'm posting it without trying it on, but I trust their word. And for the smell of it, you should too! (Slight modification of original recipe from www.shugarysweets.com )
To bake this deliciousness you'll need: (please know the picture doesn't do its justice!)


For the cake
1 cup of flour
1/4 cup of corn starch
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
6 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1 lemon squeezed
1/4 cup milk
zest of 1/2 lemon

For the cheesecake filling
8oz cream cheese full fat, softened
1 egg
zest of 1/2 lemon
2T butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar

For the streusel
1/2 cup brown sugar, light
1/4 cup sugar1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup flour
5 T butter, melted

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1T milk
1T lemon juice
juice of 1/4 lime (small)

Prepare a 9-inch springform pan and pre heat oven to 325F.

Cake: Mix the dry ingredients with a whisk. With a wooden spoon, mix in the eggs, softened butter and remaining cake ingredients. Don't over mix. Pour over prepared pan.
Filling: In a large bowl using a whisk or a mixer, mix the cream cheese with egg, lemon zest and sugar. Pour over cake batter making sure it doesn't spread to the sides of the pan. Feel free to swirl it a bit, very gently, with the cake batter.
Streusel: Whisk the sugars and flour together and then drizzling in the melted butter mix it with a fork then form a crumble with your hands.
Bake for 40-45 minutes and then cover with the glaze. Transfer to a plate when cooled.
I'd say keep in the fridge if you think the cream cheese mixture could go bad.
That is if you have any leftovers after eating the cake. If you were able to wait for it to cool before eating, you're a hero! I had to use every bit of will power not to eat my friend's cake straight out of the oven! Only because you had surgery, Laura! Otherwise the cake wouldn't have made across the street...

I heard it's delicious with a tall glass of cold milk but personally, I think I'd have it with a bucket, I mean, a cup of coffee, Get ready for lots of compliments on this summery cake that can be eaten year round!

Happy & Healthy Monday

Motivational Monday! That's the mantra! Working out, taking care of the house, the garden... To top off a good day and fuel the week, nothing like a healthy meal that doesn't keep you in the kitchen for too long but still puts a smile on your face!
My inspirations were summer veggies (which are already in season but can't wait for even juicier ones later on), and my old friend, the crockpot!

When I was grocery shopping this weekend I saw this beautiful organic whole chicken and I just had to throw it in my cart. I was going to make something with it. I was determined. When I came home I started searching if more people were crazier than me and actually put to the test what I had in mind: throwing a whole chicken into a crockpot. It turns out, there were TONS of recipes so I had the confirmation I needed: my chicken was going to be ok!

Sunday night I grabbed a few sprigs of lemon thyme and oregano off my garden and made a paste/rub with paprika, olive oil, salt, a touch of tomato paste, horseradish mustard and a splash of a really vinegary bbq sauce, just for flavor. I spread my rub under the chicken skin, put in the crockpot and cover with aluminum foi so all I had to do Monday morning, was pop it in the electric piece, turn it on and get out!

When I arrived from the office, the house was flooded with delicious smells from the herbs I seasoned the chicken. I knew deliciousness awaited!

To pair with it, I quickly threw a mixed leaves salad with some cherry tomatoes on the side and made the most delicious ratatouille. The chicken and the veggies were quite a match! You must give it a try! Make it your next week night dinner and you won't regret as this is an explosion of flavor and it is also super healthy!



For the CHICKEN:

Mix into a paste pproximately
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 T horseradish mustard (or chipotle mustard)
1/2 T tomato paste
1 T BBQ sauce (vinegar based is preferred, but to your taste)
fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano, basil, whatever you have!)
salt & pepper to taste
dash of olive oil

Rub the chicken with the paste under it's skin and leave some to cover the bird just slightly.
Make 2 large alumin foil balls and use as a " rack" for the chicken. Add about 1 cup of water or broth. Cook it for 5-6 hours on low, or until internal temperature reaches 165F, breast facing down.
The meat will be falling off the bone, so if you don't like that, 4 hours is probably enough. Test with a probe.

For the RATATOUILLE:

1 zucchini or squash cut lengthwise in fine strips
1 red bell pepper cut in strips
1 medium eggplant diced in medium pieces
1 small onion diced medium
2 cloves of garlic or to taste, minced
3 tomatoes chopped roughly
2 large bay leaves.

Using some olive oil, sautee the bay leaves with garlic and onions only until fragrant on medium-high, about 2 minutes. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 more minutes. Add the other veggies and cook until desired texture. I like it a bit firmer, so I only cooked about 6 more minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and fresh basil. If you like it, a sprinkle of garlic powder could enhance the flavors.

Have a great week!

Homemade Chocolate Amaretto Pudding

For less than 140Kcal a serving! Sounds dreamy? Tastes even dreamier and you only need 15 minutes to make it!

1 can of evaporated milk 2% (you may use whole or FF too, as you wish)
1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
1/4 cup corn starch
1/3 cup of water
1/2 T unsalted butter
1 T half and half
2T Splenda blend Brown Sugar or equivalent of sweetener of your choice
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon almond flavor
cherries or almonds for garnish

In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients with a whisk. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, add the water, almond extract and evaporated milk and disolve your dry mix into it while still cold. Keep pan in medium heat stirring until it starts to bubble and pudding is thick and creamy. No need to boil. Incorporate the butter and half and half. Give it a quick stir.

Pour into 4 little ramekins and garnish with the almonds or cherries. Let it chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or so before serving.
Make it any flavor you'd like by adding different extracts or pieces! Vanilla, coconut, pumpkin spice, cinnamon...

Yum!

Empanadas Argentinas/Argentinian Empanadas

Nossos hermanos são caprichosos! Inventaram os tango e alfajores, são bons de bola e de churrasco (mas não melhores q os brasileiros! Hehehe) e, na minha opinião, fazem as melhores empanadas do mundo!

Aqui uma versão adaptada meio brazuca do calendário culinário da Nestlé de 2014 (adaptei pq não usei caldo Maggi picanha nem os 300g de carne moída da receita original.)

- Massa

500g farinha + extra para salpicar e abrir a massa

½ xícara de manteiga gelada

1 xícara de água ligeiramente morna (30s no microondas)

1 col (chá) sal

1 gema batida para pincelar

- Recheio

750g carne moída (não muito magra)

1 cebola picadinha

1 col (sopa) azeite

1 col (sopa) molho inglês

1 col (chá) Orégano seco (ou temperinho de chimichurri se vc tiver)

1/2 col (chá) páprika

1/2 col (chá) mostarda em pó (ou Dijon, se vc ñ tiver o pó)

Salsinha fresca

1/8 col (chá) cominho

Sal e pimenta do reino

2 col (sopa) farinha

2 col (chá) molho de pimenta (ajuste de acordo com o grau de picante desejado)

Pitada de pimenta calabresa seca

Azeitona picada a gosto (aprox 2 col de sopa)

Água para fazer um caldinho grosso (aproximadamente ¼ xícara. Vc tb pode usar caldo de carne, se preferir)

PREPARO

- Recheio

Em uma panela de fundo grosso, frite a cebola no azeite e doure a carne. Acrescente a farinha e misture bem. Adicione os temperos (exceto a salsinha)e a azeitona e cozinhe a carne por completo. Acrescente a água aos poucos só até formar um calsinho grossinho. Mexa bem e deixe cozinhar em fogo baixo por aproximadamente 8 minutos, mexendo de vez em quando, sem deixar a carne secar por completo. Acrescente a salsinha e misture.

Enquanto a carne esfria, faça a massa:

- Massa

Em um bowl grande coloque a farinha e a manteiga em pedaços. Misture grosseiramente e acrescente a água aos poucos. Misture bem com a mão e acrescente um pouco mais de farinha caso seja necessário. A massa deve desgrudar das mãos. Não é necessário sovar, aliás, melhor não sovar para não formar muito glúten e a massa não ficar elástica!

Abra a massa sem deixá-la muito fina. Corte as empanadas com um copo de boca larga ou um cortador de biscoito redondo de 25cm de diâmetro. Cada receita deve render entre 20-24 empanadas.

Recheie sem exagerar a metade de cada disco e feche-o dando o formato da empanada. Grude as bordinhas do disco e use um garfo para “selar”. Pincele cada empanada com a gema batida e leve ao forno (180C) por aproximadamente 20-25 minutos ou até que as empanadas fiquem ligeiramente douradas. Sirva com molho de pimenta!

Recipe in English:

Argentinian Empanadas

Dough

1.1lb all-purpose flour

1 cup lukewarm water

½ cup cold salted butter

½ teaspoon of salt

1 yolk, beaten (to brush each unit before baking)

Filling

1.5 lbs ground beef  (85/10 or 85/15)

1 small diced onion

1 T EVOO

2 T flour

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon dried mustard (or Dijon if you don’t have it)

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1 T Worcestershire sauce

A pinch of red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon Frank’s Red sauce

Approx. ¼ cup beef broth

S&P

A handful of Italian parsley chopped fine

2 T minced green olives

Sauté the onions in the olive oil and then add the ground beef. Let it brown. Add all the seasoning and flour (except for parsley). Mix in and cook completely, approximately 10 minutes on medium heat. Add the broth little by little just to thicken and make beef moist. Make sure not to add too much liquid.

Let it cook on low heat for 8 more minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.  Add the olives and parsley.

Make the dough while beef cools.

In a large bowl, add the flour and salt. Whisk together. Add the butter in pieces and the water little by little. Mix with hands until dough isn’t sticky and it comes off your fingers. Add a bit more flour if necessary. Don’t knead so empanadas aren’t chewy.

Sprinkle some flour on a surface and open the dough. Using a cookie cutter (12”) cut 20-24 empanadas. Careful not to make them too thin!

Stretch each disk a bit to make them slightly bigger and fill each half with a generous portion of the cooked, cooled beef mixture. Cover it by pulling the opposite half of the disk giving the empanadas a half-moon shape. Using a fork, seal the edges.

Brush the beaten egg yolk on each empanada and bake (preheated 375F) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy with a dash of hot sauce. I dare you to eat only one! My husband ate probably 8 at once and he wasn’t even “THAT” hungry!

Lemon & Almond flour cupcakes with blackberries buttercream frosting

Just a good recipe with a twist for lemon cupcakes.

The buttercream frosting with fruits is a show stopper even you're not a fan. It just has such a beautiful color! Make the buttercream as tart as you'd like by adjusting the amount of sugar. Add some slightly mashed blackberries for added texture and color if you don't mind the seeds.

I made a batch for a friend's b-day at the office and my husband stole one. He's not much a sweets kind of guy but all I know is that he came back upstairs and said he loved it! Made my day so I felt like this recipe was worth sharing.


For the cupcakes
1 stick (8 T) unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup (leveled, minus 1 T) sugar
1/2 T lemon extract
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs whole plus 1 yolk
1 cup milk
1 T lemon juice or vinegar
1 T half and half
1 cup cake flour (preferably)
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 T baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a stand mixer, cream the butter with the eggs and sugar. Add this last one little by little. While it's creaming, add the lemon zests and extracts (vanilla and lemon). Set aside.
In a measuring cup, stir the milk with half and half and lemon juice. You'll use it in a little bit.
In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: cake flour, almond flour, salt and baking powder.
Turn the mixer back on on low speed and add the dry mix and liquid, alternating, finishing with liquid. About a third at a time.

For the frosting
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temp (= 8 tablespoons)
2-3 cups of confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 T pureed blackberries, seedless

In a little food blender or chopper, puree approximately 1/2 cup of blackberries. Transfer it to a sifter and push it through with a spoon.
In a large blender, cream the butter and add the confectioner's sugar little by little. Halfway through, add the blackberries puree and the vanilla extract. Add 2 cups for a softer frosting and 3 cups for extra hard, sweeter frosting according to taste. Also, the more sugar, the lighter your frosting will look if you follow the amount of blackberries here. You could probably add more blackberry puree with 3 cups of sugar and the consistency will still hold. I just haven't tried yet.
Fill a 24 in decorating bag and use a large cupcake decorating tip. Leave it in the fridge for an hour or longer.

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Bake the cupcakes into a 12 tin pan or 10 of those taller liners (mini cake) for approximately 15-20 minutes (depending on the liner size you're using) or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool for an hour or 2 before decorating. Take the frosting out of the fridge 15 minutes before piping so it's softer and easier to decorate.

Make sure not to add too much sugar to the cakes since the frosting is already pretty sweet! Adjust sugar in the frosting to your taste!

Double the recipe if you also want to use this as filling!

Happy baking!

Tip

Cake flour is just an excuse the large flour producers found to charge you more for something extra cheap! All purpose flour is not the best for cakes, indeed, but all you need to do is replace each cup of flour from the recipe by 3/4 cup of flour + 1/4 cup of corn starch, leveled and sift before mixing in the recipe. Pretty easy! Fluffy cakes guaranteed! That's what my grandmother and my mother always did when baking cakes. Little did they know they had a secret in their hands!

Spanish Tortilla

Eggs are definitely my favorite ingredient to work with!
They are so versatile! They can be used for sweets and savory dishes, they give cakes structure and they last forever if kept in the fridge (as they should be here in the US since eggs are pre washed prior to going to stores and any minimum moisture left in an egg shell can serve as a growth medium as well as allow growing bacterias to get into your egg! UGH!)

Which reminds me of a very interesting article I once read (below) that explains different handling methodologies for eggs in the US versus Europe. Very interesting if you have time for the reading: http://www.forbes.com/sites/nadiaarumugam/2012/10/25/why-american-eggs-would-be-illegal-in-a-british-supermarket-and-vice-versa/

 But anyway... Back to the recipe!

So I had to make a quick lunch today and realized I had no leftovers in my fridge and nothing to thaw in my freezer! Before I started to panic, I opened the fridge and saw the carton of eggs and half an onion. But I didn't want to eat a plain omelet... Then it hit me! A dish my mom used to make all the time when I was a kid: SPANISH TORTILLA! I didn't really like it back then, I'll be honest, as I'm not a huge fan of potatoes but then I realized I could sautee them first and make them crispy to help improve the flavor. I also had leftover cream and parmesan in my fridge so I knew any dish I decided upon couldn't taste bad. Grab that old potato there in the back of my pantry and voilà... A fast feast!

Spanish tortillas are basically a thick omelet  with potatoes and, as far as growing up where I did, some onions sometimes too. Feel free to skip these if you don't have any or if you don't like them. Sautée the potatoes and onions for extra flavor but don't feel guilty if you don't have time for this step as the dish will work just fine without it.

> Ingredients: (for 4)

1 large potato, steamed, diced small
4 eggs (any size!)
1/2 large onion diced small
1/2 T vegetable oil
1/2 T butter
1/8 teaspoon of paprika
salt & pepper to taste
3 T heavy cream (optional, I had in my fridge so I used it. Can be replaced by milk)
1 T Corn starch mixed with 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder (optional, only if you're using the milk or cream)

1. Pre heat oven to 400F.
2. Beat the eggs in a bowl with the paprika, salt and pepper. Add the cream (or milk) mixed with the corn starch and baking powder if you're using them. Set aside.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil in high heat and sautée the diced onion and potato cubes. Let them form a nice crispy brown outside, sautee them (or stir) every now and then adding the butter halfway through.
4. When they're golden brown and fragrant, about 5-8 minutes, lower the heat to medium, spread them roughly in the bottom of the pan, cover with the egg mixture and let the bottom cook for about 5 minutes.
5. Throw the skillet in the preheated oven to finish baking, 5-10 more minutes at the most, depending on how much it cooked on the stove top. Use a knife or toothpick that when inserted in the dish comes out clean to make sure the center of the pan is fully cooked. If you have any cheese in your fridge, cover the mixture with it before taking the pan to the oven.

Let it cool for a couple of minutes before slicing it.

Serve with toasted slices of buttered bread or a salad if you're trying to take it easy on carbs (remember your fancy omelet has potatoes in it!)

Hint: I had a small piece of parmesan in my fridge that I grated and incorporated to the batter. It tasted really good!

Quinoa Cauliflower bites

Feeling creative and looking forward to a healthy meal disguised as a treat I came up with these yummy bites! Lots of people don't know what to do nor how to cook quinoa so this is a nice basic recipe for beginners and experts!


It's not 100% clean, I'll be honest, since it has parmesan and turkey sausage but it was healthy and clean enough for my dinner! Especially considering amounts of these items are very reasonable.

Adjust to what you have in the fridge. All you have is broccoli and some old slices of turkey breast? No problem! Leftover zucchini and a piece of swiss lingering in your fridge? I'm sure that will work too.

Try these as an afternoon snack or as a side for a nice meal.

Base ingredients:

1/2 cup of quinoa
1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth (optional)
1 small head of cauliflower, steamed, chopped tiny
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
2 extra large eggs, free range preferably
2 T of extra virgin olive oil
2 small shallots
1 handful of fresh herbs (parsley, chives, thyme, oregano...)
1/2 package of smoked turkey sausage (approx. 7oz), diced small
1/4 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch of nutmeg
ground black pepper to taste

Cook 1/2 cup of quinoa by adding it to 1 cup of boiling liquid. I used chicken broth. As soon as it boils again, lower the heat and let it simmer covered. When water is absorbed and dries from surface, let quinoa finish cooking with the lid off until all water evaporates. A total of 20 minutes, approximately. Set aside.

Steam a head of cauliflower in a spaghetti pot for about 7 minutes or until vegetable is tender but still has a firm bite to it. Chop it carefully into small pieces after it cools. Do not let it cool inside the pot as it will keep cooking and form a puree! (Which, now that I think about, could work for this as well... )

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Fill a nonstick muffin tray with the mixture, flattening the surface of each one with a spoon to compact contents.

Cook in pre heated oven @385F for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from tray.

NOTES

> If desired, you can top each muffin with more parmesan or any cheese and broil it for a few extra minutes.

> I pan fried the diced shallots with the sausage for extra flavor!

> The best olive oil for this is the Mild & Buttery by Olive Ranch California

> Try using 1 cup of cheddar instead of the parmesan for a more moist and compact bite. (a bit fatter, too!)

> If you don't let it cool, it will be very hard to get the muffins out of the tray without crumbling.  Plan ahead!

> Hubby said he would be ok if I replaced the turkey sausage with real bacon and fried the shallots in its grease. I was aiming for something a bit healthier but, hey... Whatever works for you! Give it try if you're anything like Justin! It does sound delicious!

Fresh cod with tomato & shrimp sauce

Weekday menus need to be simple, healthy and tasty. But some weeks, we feel stuck to what we always eat. For us, we try to include fish every week and always make it a different preparation. That makes us feel creative and refreshed!

If you or your family usually don't eat fish because you're not sure on how to make it, this could become a favorite.
Give it a try! Double ingredients for a larger meal, as needed.




Serves 2:

4 thick fresh cod fillets seasoned with paprika, lemon and salt + pepper on both sides
1 lb of clean, skinless, uncooked shrimp, any size
1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon garlic or onion powder
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 small onion, diced
a sprinkle or crushed red pepper
1 small bell pepper in stripes (optional)
a handful of chives or italian parsley, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Let the shrimp marinate for a few minutes in the lemon juice and garlic powder while you prepare the sauce.
In a large skillet, pan fry the onion with some oil spray or a dash of vegetable oil until traslucent, about 3 minutes.
Add tomato sauce and bell pepper. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add the seasoned fish fillets and cook for 5 minutes. Add the shrimp, geltly stirring without breaking the fillets and let it cook for 5 more minutes or until shrimp is pink. Let it sit for an extra 5 minutes and add the herbs before serving. Don't overcook or your shrimp can pratically disappear, depending on how small the ones you chose are!

Usually this would be served over white or brown rice but you can just serve a nice iceberg lettuce salad or with a side of olive oil tossed pasta.


Have a happy week!