Brigadeirão

Brigadeirão - From Michelle Robinson

This is a yummy cake-like Brazilian dessert.

2 T butter
2 T sugar
1 cup cocoa
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can of cream
3 eggs

Blend eggs and butter. Add everything else and blend. Pour into well-greased and sugar-dusted microwave safe bowl. Microwave 8 to 11 minutes or until set. Chill before serving.

You can place a greased cup in the middle if you want to get a bundt-like effect. After cooking, remove the cup and invert the Brigadeirao onto a serving platter.

Feijoada

Feijoada - From Michelle Robinson

(Brazilian black beans and pork stew)

1 lb varied pork sausages (we use mild Italian)

1 lb pork (tenderloin, shoulder, etc), cubed

some slices of bacon

1 can of black beans or 2 cups dried beans

2 T vegetable oil

salt (or Tempero Completo if you have it)

minced garlic, chopped onions, bay leaves

Brazilian method:

Pressure cooker: Heat oil in pressure cooker. Fry onions and garlic in oil, then add bacon, pork, and sausage until browned. Add dry beans, bayleaves, and salt. Add water to 1½ to 2 inches above the rest of the food. Bring to to pressure according to pressure cooker instructions and cook on low or medium low (the pressure cooker should just barely be steaming) for 50-60 minutes or until beans are soft.

Rice: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, fry some chopped onion and garlic in oil in a large pan with lid. Add rice and salt (to taste) and fry rice with garlic and onion until rice turns goldenish. Pour boiling water into pan with rice; cover and cook on low for 15-20 minutes or until rice is done.

Americanized (canned beans) method:

Add canned black beans to a medium sized pot with oil, salt, garlic, onions, and about 6 bay leaves. Cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat and set aside.

In a separate pan, cook cubes of pork and slices of bacon with salt and garlic. Add the sausage and stir over medium heat until all the water is gone.

Add the cooked meat to the pan with the black beans. Cook for 10 minutes. Serve over white rice.

Pão de Queijo

From Michelle Robinson

Pão de Queijo

“Pão de queijo” is typical Brazilian and it’s a delicious snack, which can be found at every bread store in Brazil.

1 cup water

1 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 package tapioca starch (450 g)

3 eggs

200 grams grated parmesan cheese

Bring to boil in a big pan the water, the milk, the oil and the salt. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tapioca starch. Mix well with a wooden spoon and let it cool down.

P ut the mixture in a bowl, add the eggs and knead well. Add the grated cheese and keep kneading until the dough is smooth. Roll 1 tablespoon of mixture into small balls. Tip: Grease your hands with oil before making the balls. Wash your hands once in a while if necessary.

Place the balls on a baking tray greased with oil or lined with baking paper. Bake the cheese rolls in hot oven (350 degrees) for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes:

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This recipe makes about 70 small cheese rolls.
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Tapioca starch can be found in Asian grocery stores. It comes in a clear plastic bag, or a white paper bag, and the standard pack has either 400 or 450 grams.
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Brazilians usually knead the dough by hand, but it is easier to use a mixer to knead the dough.
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Formed “Pão de queijo” can be frozen and baked directly from the freezer. Place the cheese rolls on a tray lined with baking paper. Put the tray in the freezer. When the cheese rolls are frozen, put them in a plastic bag and put them back in the freezer. It works great to freeze "pão de queijo", but cooking time will be approximately double.