Saturday, December 1, 2012

I need some recipes!

Hi there!  We are so fortunate to have a great helper (empregada) come 3 times a week.  She cooks, cleans and irons.  And on some days she watches the kids for me while I run to the store, or schedule a dentist appointment, or run errands.  But we're kind of in a recipe rut.  So, I'm asking my fellow expats in Brazil for some inspiration.  What Brazilian recipes do you like to make?  What do you have your empregadas make?  Here's what we currently do:

Strogonoff

Costelinha

Cozido

Bife (frango, lombado, ou boi)

Frango milanesa


So, what do you guys like?  I notice that we are very heavy on the meat, so I'd love to get your suggestions.  The other challenge I have is that we have kids (i.e. picky eaters) and there is a dairy intolerance issue (a certain someone can't eat strognoff, so we don't have it all that often.  Thanks!

15 comments:

  1. Our international club here in Sao Paulo puts out a cookbook with recipes in English and again in Portuguese that is a collection of members' favorite recipes. I promise I'll scan some and post or email to you so you can post!!

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  2. Do you know bife a rolet? My favorite! We make it there and here. SOOO good, and dairy free...

    Bife a Rolet (Steak Rolls)
    INGREDIENTS:
    10 thin slices of beef, about 5 inches wide and 10 inches long
    5 bacon slices, cut in half
    1 tomato
    1/2 onion
    1/2 bell pepper
    1 carrot
    1/4 cup vegetable oil
    1 lime
    1 teaspoon of salt

    DIRECTIONS:
    1. In a dish, season the meat with the juice of the lime and the salt. Set aside.
    2. Chop the tomato, onion, bell pepper, and carrot into 5 inch-long slivers -- ten of each vegetable.
    3. Taking one piece of meat at a time, place one piece of bacon and one of each of the vegetable pieces. Roll like a burrito, tightly wrapping it so each end is covered and nothing can fall out. Secure with toothpicks (2-3).
    4. Add the oil to the bottom of the pressure cooker. Place the beef rolls inside. Cook in the pressure cooker on medium-high heat for about 20 minutes after the pressure builds up. When it is finished, be careful to let the pressure die down before you open the lid.

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    Replies
    1. Love bacon...if I don't ask our help to make it, I will make it myself! Thanks!

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  3. Try this:
    http://www.pinkbites.com/2009/04/brazilian-peanut-candy-squares-pacoca.html

    And then move on to the main page of the site, good stuff.

    If you do try the paçoca recipe please post your results.

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    Replies
    1. Wow, that's dangerous. I'm in the states for xmas, so I might give it a try here. Yum!

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  4. http://www.brazilianfoodie.blogspot.com.br/2012_06_01_archive.html

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  5. If your maid can read well enough to follow a recipe, you don't have to limit yourself to Brazilian cuisine. To renew our "menus", every so often I select recipes (Brazilian and foreign) that appeal to my family, and that have cooking techniques that don't differ too much from the Mineira ones, from Gula and Verdemar magazines and online recipe sites.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Carla! I've had her make Fish Tacos (using Rap 10), but I haven't ventured much beyond the Miniero options...but I remember you talking about Shrimp Curry. I'll probably give this a try after the holidays!

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  6. Shelley, let me suggest ENSURE!! Surely there somewhere in BH you can buy it!! Many different flavors.........CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I AM OFF MY DIET OF ENSURE!!!!!!!!!! I will mail all my extra supply to YOU!

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  7. "Angu com carne moida" is a delicious mineiro´s food! And Your helper will certanlly know how to cook it, and is also a cheap option!
    For fish I suggest "moqueca de peixe" but it has coconut milk!
    For shrimp , "camarão na moranga" is very tasty but pricey!
    And the delicious "Fricassê de Frango" also uses cream, but it so dam good!
    Other very easy option is "torta de liquidificador" you can do it with different fillings, is very cheap and easy to do!
    Just google the name of the recipes, they are all very popular in Minas Gerais! I am also from BH!

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    Replies
    1. I had her make a torta last week, and it was great! Thanks for the suggestion!

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  8. Torta Salgado, it's a layered bread tort with various salgado spreads between each layer, the completely covered in another veggie spread. You can change it up every time (the center layer is usually a sweet layer, like strawberry jam). Check it out.

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  9. Thanks--I do use Pinterest, but I've never thought to search in Portuguese! I'll give it a try!

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