Vegetarian Baked Kibbeh (quibe vegetariano de forno)

 

Kibbeh is one of many middle-eastern foods Brazilians love. It is normally made with ground beef (and bulgur) and it can be baked like a pie or shaped into fritters and deep-fried. I love making this vegetarian version of  baked kibbeh. Instead of meat, I use potatoes  to bind the pie and ricotta cheese to keep it moist. There are numerous variations of kibbeh found in Brazil, you can make a cheese filling, you can make it with sweet potatoes, there is even fish kibbeh, if you want to be really unconventional. To me, there are two flavours that I need to taste on a kibbeh: limes and mint. The combination of  white and black pepper and cinnamon completes this dish. The kibbeh tastes even better with a squeeze of fresh lime .

 

 

 

Vegetarian Baked Kibbeh Recipe:

makes 1 9x13 inch pie

You will need:

500 grams of bulgur wheat

500 grams of potatoes, peeled

1/2 cup of fresh mint, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1 onion, shredded (use the large wholes of a box grater)

1 cup of ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon of ground white pepper

1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon of kosher salt

lime wedges, to serve

 

Soak the bulgur in cold water for 1 hour.

While the bulgur is soaking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender. Drain, let cool and mash the potatoes. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain the bulgur and squeeze it with your hands to remove any excess water.

In a large bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, the bulgur and all the other ingredients. Mix well.

Coat a 9 x 10 inch baking dish with oil or butter. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. If you like to, make a diamond shape pattern by crossing the top a toothpick.

 

Bake until set and golden, about 45 minutes.

Let it cool before cutting into slices. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime.

 

Creamy Tomato and Basil Soup with Walnut Pesto and Goat Cheese Crouton

 

If you are looking for a light soup recipe, the kind that will help you keep up with your new year’s resolutions, you might want to skip this post. This is definitely not a resolution-keeping, weight-loss, figure-friendly soup. However, if you are interest in a creamy, indulgent, rich soup that reminds you of the best soups you tried at restaurants….then read on.

This soup is so rich that it’s intended to be served in small portions, like an appetizer. It is creamy and delicious and just what I crave on those rainy and grey Seattle days.  The walnut pesto and the goat cheese croutons (which aren’t technically croutons) are a perfect compliment to the soup. The pesto lends a fresh and garlicky touch and the goat cheese crouton gives tang and texture. I like using coarse cornmeal to coat the goat cheese because it gives it a wonderful contrast of textures with the soft cheese.

 

Creamy tomato and basil soup with walnut pesto and  goat cheese crouton recipe:

makes 6 servings

 

You will need:

 

For the tomato and basil soup:

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

3 cups of chopped tomatoes (use fresh when in season, otherwise use good quality canned)

3 cups of tomato juice

10 fresh basil leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

1 cup of half and half

4 tablespoons of butter

 

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot and cook the onions and garlic until they soften, about 10 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato juice and simmer for 20 minutes, until soup thickens slightly.

Blend the soup along with the basil leaves, return soup to pot and season with salt and pepper. With the soup on low heat, add the half and half and the butter, stirring until it’s all combined and the butter is completely melted.

 

Spoon soup into small bowls, drizzle with the walnut pesto and top with a piece of goat cheese crouton.

 

For the walnut pesto:

makes 1/4 cup

1 packed cup of fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

1 garlic clove

4 tablespoons of olive oil

4 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

 

Pulse the basil, garlic  and the walnuts in a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil (use more or less until you get the desired consistency, I like my pesto loose and more on the liquid side). Pour pesto into a small bowl, stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep covered and refrigerated.

 

For the goat cheese croutons:

makes 6 “croutons”

1  log of goat cheese (8 inches)

1/4 cup of coarse corn meal

1/2 tablespoon of olive oil

 

Place the cheese in the freezer for 10 minutes. Spread the corn meal in a deep dish.  Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet. Slice the cheese into 6 rounds, coat each piece with cornmeal and shallow fry it in the oil until golden, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer to a paper towel to dry.

Red Wine Tapioca Pudding with Vanilla Whipped Cream (sagu de vinho tinto com chantili de baunilha)

 

 

This is my first post of the year, and I would like to start by wishing everyone that reads my little blog a Happy 2010. I didn’t mean to neglect this space for so long, but life has been just a little too crazy for me lately. Hopefully I am ready to start posting more often. I miss this place, I miss coming here, sharing recipes with you and reading your comments. The first recipe I post this year is an old fashion Brazilian recipe: red wine tapioca pudding.

Cooking tapioca in red wine (or grape juice for kids) is a very common practice in Brazil. This is not your usual tapioca pudding, it tastes less sweet and it’s not as rich as the ones cooked with milk or cream. I like to make some fresh whipped cream to top the tapioca pudding and vanilla is one of my favourite flavours. Use the larger tapioca pearls if you can find them. A full-bodied wine works best for this recipe, but you may use grape juice if you want to avoid the alcohol.

Red Wine Tapioca Pudding with Vanilla Whipped Cream Recipe:

makes about 1 quart

You will need:

 

For the tapioca pudding:

2 cups of tapioca pearls

3 cups of water

1 bottle of red wine (Zinfandel or Cabernet)

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 cinnamon stick

10 cloves

 

For the vanilla whipped cream:

1 cup of heavy whipping cream, chilled

2 tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar

1/2 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract

 

Make the tapioca pudding:

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add the tapioca pearls. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring often. While the tapioca cooks, use another pot to heat the wine, 1/2 cup of sugar, cinnamon stick and cloves and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain wine mixture into the pot with the tapioca and continue simmering until the pearls are translucent. At this point, if you thing the Add the rest of the sugar (1 cup) and remove from heat. Let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

 

Make the vanilla whipped cream:

 

Beat the cream and the sugar until soft peaks form, add the vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Spoon the chilled tapioca pudding into cups or bowls, top with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream and serve immediately.

Chocolate Salami

 

 

This is an old Brazilian recipe that has been on my list of things to cook for quite a while and I am so happy I finally made it, it was easy to do and the end result was quite delicious. No, it’s not a sweet salami. In fact, it’s not a salami at all. This is a sweet, chocolaty treat made with cocoa, nuts, sweet condensed milk and a touch of cognac. Sounds good? It gets even better: this is a one-dish, no-bake recipe that requires less than half an hour of hands-on time.  It’s called “salami” because this log shaped treat resembles a salami, both from the outside or when sliced. Even if the salami resemblance is not that obvious,this dessert will for sure make a good conversation piece.

 

Chocolate Salami Recipe:

makes 3 logs

You will need:

1/2 cup of raisins

4 tablespoons of cognac, divided

2 packages of Maria cookies (400g total)

1 cup of blanched almonds

1 1/2 cup of melted butter

2 cups of cocoa powder

1 can of sweet condensed milk

confectioner’s sugar for decorating

Soak the raisins in 2 tablespoons of cognac for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, break the cookies with your hands into medium size pieces. Add the almonds, butter, cocoa powder and sweet condensed milk. Add the soaked raisins and stir it all very well. This will be a very stiff dough and the best way to mix it all is by using your hands. It may seem like it’s not going to come together, but it will, just keep mixing it up until all ingredients are well incorporated, forming a dark, moist dough.

Roll a double layer of plastic wrap onto a clean work surface and place one third of the dough in the middle. Using your hands, shape dough into a log about 2-3 inches in diameter. Place log towards the end of the plastic wrap and start rolling the plastic tightly around the log. Twist the ends of the plastic like a candy and tuck them under the log. Refrigerate log overnight.

When ready to serve, use a small sieve to sprinkle the outside of the logs with confectioner’s sugar (or, if you prefer, sprinkle the confectioner’s sugar on a kitchen towel and roll the log on it).

Slice it with a sharp knife. Enjoy it!

 

 

Perfect Tempura

 

 

 

I had it in my mind that I would learn to make perfectly crunchy tempura at home, the same you get at (good) Japanese restaurants. I tried doing tempura at home in the past and the results have always been mediocre. This time around, I was determined to make it right. I had a secret weapon though, that not everyone may have: a Japanese co-worker that happens to also be a great cook. She told me there are two important things to consider for a perfect tempura:

1- the batter as well as the vegetables and seafood have to be very cold. The temperature shock between the hot oil and the cold veggies help create a crispy tempura.

2- the batter cannot be a smooth one. It is best to leave it lumpy, it will help create the bumps we see on the outside of the veggies and shrimp tempura.

The last tip I got was on how to make tempura sauce. I know you can buy it ready at most supermarkets, but I wanted to learn to make my own. The sauce ingredients need to simmer for a few minutes and then be strained. Do not let them boil.

For my homemade tempura adventure I used shrimp (the largest ones I cold find), sweet potatoes, yams, eggplants and onions. It turned out really nice and crispy. I could actually hear the sound of the batter cracking on our neighbour’s mouth as she enjoyed some of the shrimp tempura.

 

Tempura Recipe:

serves 4

Equipment needed: (this is not a mandatory list, but I found that it helped me a lot)

1 wok or very large pot

1 medium strainer, or “spider” to remove tempura from oil

1 cooling rack set over a baking tray to drain the tempura

chopsticks to mix the batter

 

You will need:

For the tempura:

1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced about 1/4 inch thick

1 yam, peeled and sliced about 1/4 inch thick

1 onion, peeled and cut into rings

1 small eggplant, sliced into rings about 1/4 inch think. Cut each ring in half

1 dozen large shrimps, deveined, tails on, flattened*

canola oil for frying

* To flattened the shrimp, make an shallow cut along the back of the shrimp and press it down to flatten it.

 

For the batter:

1 large egg, cold

150ml iced water

200g of flour, cold (leave four in the fridge to chill it)

 

For the tempura sauce:

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of water

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)

1/4 cup of bonito flakes

 

Make the sauce:

 

Put all ingredients in a saucepan and gently simmer for about 2 minutes. Strain and discard solids. Set aside.

 

Make the batter:

In a medium size bowl, lightly beat the egg, add the water and  mix it well. Add the flour and mix it using two chopsticks. Do not over mix it, leave a few lumps of flour. If the oil is hot and the vegetables and shrimp are ready, dip each into the batter and fry until the outside is golden and looking crispy. The vegetables will first sink to the bottom of the wok (or large pot) and rapidly come to the top. Drain in a cooling rack set over a baking tray. Serve immediately with the sauce for dipping.

 

Note: keep all ingredients chilled until you are ready to fry the tempura. I first prepared the veggies and shrimp, then left them in the fridge while the oil heated and I prepared the batter. If the oil is not ready by the time you finish the batter, leave in the fridge as well until ready to use.

 

 

 

Vegetarian Pho

 

Six years ago I didn't know what Vietnamese food was.  I had never seen any Vietnamese restaurant in Brazil or anywhere else.  Andrew was the one who introduced me to this cuisine, and now we both enjoy going out for Pho and salad rolls. Since  not many Vietnamese restaurants serve vegetarian pho soup, I decided to make my own broth at home. It was easier than I thought. If you ever did a vegetable broth, than you can make veggie pho. Everything goes in a large pot for boiling, then strained and served over rice noodles and your favourite pho fixings.

Bonus points for this recipe for filling the house with wonderful aromas of anise, cinnamon and cloves.

 

Vegetarian Pho Recipe:

serves 4

You will need:

 

For the broth:

1 onion, peeled and halved

1 large piece of ginger

2 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 quarts water

2 small leeks, well washed

5  star anise

1 cinnamon stick

10 whole cloves

1 tbs coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon sugar (or to taste)

1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce (or to taste)

2 tablespoons of salt (or to taste)

 

For assembling the soup:

1 package of banh pho (rice noodles)

4 oz of canned straw or button mushrooms

8 oz of fried tofu pieces

1 tablespoon of canola oil

4 oz of fresh shitake mushrooms, sauteed in oil

1/4 cup of cilantro leaves, chopped

 

Fixings:

bean sprouts

Thai basil

sliced onions

green  or red pepper, sliced

lime wedges

hoisin sauce

 

Make the broth:

First, grill the onion and ginger on a a barbecue grill until charred. You can do this in the oven broiler as well.

Once the onions and ginger are browned, place all broth ingredients, except soy sauce, salt and sugar,  in a large pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook it over medium heat for about 45 minutes. Season with sugar, soy sauce and salt to taste. Strain the broth and return to pot. Keep warm.

 

Make the noodles:

Cook the noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes or until soft. Drain and rinse with cold water . Divide the noodles into 4 large soup bowls.

 

Assemble the soup:

Divide the tofu, canned mushrooms, shitake mushrooms and cilantro evenly among the 4 bowls. Ladle the hot soup over the noodles and mushrooms and top it with beans sprouts, Thai basil, onions and other toppings you might want. Enjoy it hot.

 

 

 

Pumpkin and Coconut Sweet (doce de abóbora com coco)

This is such a perfect dish to cook on a November day when pumpkins are in season and the crisp air outside makes us want to stay in, turn on the stove and cook something warm and comforting.

This dish is really simple to make and it fills the house with wonderful aromas of cinnamon and cloves while it slowly simmers. The ingredient list couldn't be shorter: pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon cloves and coconut. This is a very typical Brazilian dessert and it's normally served with a slice of fresh cheese. Here in the States I pair it with feta cheese and it makes for such a treat.

Pumpkin and coconut sweet recipe:

makes about one 16 oz container

You will need:

2 lb of pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into large chunks

2 cups of sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

10 whole cloves

16 oz of shredded coconut

Put all ingredients, except the coconut, in a large pot and cook on medium-low heat until the pumpkin is very soft, about 30 minutes stirring occasionally.Add the coconut, mix well and remove from heat. You can mash any large pieces of pumpkin with a potato masher, or, if you prefer, leave it more chunky.

When it's cooled down a bit, transfer it to an air tight container and store it in the fridge. Serve it cold or at room temperature. I like to eat this sweet with a slice of feta cheese, or spread over a piece of crusty bread, always accompanied by a good cup of coffee.

Enjoy it!

Raspberry Oatmeal Squares

This is a simple treat I make quite often since the ingredients are all staples here at home. Raspberry is the most common flavour I make, but you can use your favourite jam. I even thought about making this with Nutella or dulce de letche. I bet it would be wonderful... If anyone decides to give it a try, I would love to know how it turned out! If you take your jam straight out of the fridge, it might be a little too hard to spread. A quick 5 seconds in the microwave should take care of that.

These oatmeal squares are best eaten the day they are baked, but they will keep well in an airtight container for a couple of days. They go very nicely with a cup of tea, perfect on a lazy afternoon.

 

Raspberry Oatmeal Squares Recipe:

makes about 25 squares

You will need:

1/2 cup of all-purpose flour

2 cups of rolled oats

1 cup of brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

2 sticks (1 cup) of cold butter

1 1/2 cup of raspberry jam

 

Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter a square 9 inch baking pan.

In a food processor, blend the flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut the butter into pieces, add to the food processor and pulse a few times until large crumbs form. Divide the dough in half.

Press one half of the dough into the prepared pan, covering the bottom and a little bit up the sides (about an inch).

Spread the jam over the dough evenly and cover it with the other half of the oatmeal dough by just sprinkling it overtop (do not press it).

Bake in the preheated oven f0r 55 minutes. Let it cool before cutting the squares.

 

Chicken Lasagna

I have been thinking about my grandma a lot lately. She turned 87 last month. She doesn't cook anymore these days, but when she was younger, she was a wonderful cook and I would always look forward to eating her pastas and desserts. I always enjoyed spending time with my grandparents, but I regret not spending as much time with them in the kitchen. I could never imagine, back then, that cooking would be such an important part of my life. Because of that, I never got to see how my grandma prepared her legendary chicken lasagna... Now it's too late to ask, so this is my attempt to recreate it. The most important thing on a lasagna for me is the sauce. It has to be a white sauce, not ricotta cheese. For the filling, a nicely seasoned cooked chicken and tomato sauce will do just fine. Choose your favorite lasagna noodles. I use the "no-boil" ones, it's easier.

Chicken Lasagna Recipe:

makes 1 lasagna (9x13 inches)

You will need:

For the chicken filling:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 can of chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

For the white sauce:

5 tablespoons of butter

4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

4 cups of warm milk

2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

For assembling the lasagna:

1 package of lasagna noodles (I use the "no-cook" type)

1 lb of shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup of grated parmesan

Make the chicken filling:

Cook the chicken breasts in water along with the bay leaf until cooked through. Drain and shred the meat. In a large pan, heat the oil and cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Mix in the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Make the white sauce:

Melt the butter in a medium pot or pan. Add the flour and cook it until it's no longer raw, about 3 minutes, stirring. Add the warm milk slowly to the pot, whisking it constantly until all the milk is added and the sauce is smooth. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg and continue cooking until the sauce thickens it up enough to cover the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the stove and set aside.

To assemble the lasagna:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spoon some of the white sauce on the bottom of a large (9x13 inches) baking dish. Make one layer of lasagna noodles (4 sheets per layer), cover it with some of the chicken filling and top it with some mozzarella, then white sauce. Make sure the white sauce is spread evenly, specially on the sides of the dish, so you won't end up with dry edges. Keep making layers of noodles, chicken mozzarella and white sauce, finishing with the white sauce remaining. Top everything with the grated parmesan. Cover the lasagna dish with foil, being careful not to let the foil touch the sauce. Bake it for 40 minutes, remove foil and let it get golden and bubbly, 10 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and wait 10 minutes before cutting the lasagna.

* If using the type of lasagna sheets that don't require pre-boiling, like I did, make sure there is enough sauce to cover the entire lasagna, or it will be dry. If you think there is not enough white sauce, thin it out a little bit by adding more milk into it, a tablespoon at the time and whisking well after each addition. Re-season if necessary.

Pretzels

I never thought making pretzels would be so easy and so much fun. I decided to make them for a German party last weekend and didn't have any idea what to expect. It turned out it was pretty straight forward to make and relatively fast too (there is a 1 hour resting time, but I suppose this could be shortened with quick rising yeast). The pretzels were delicious especially when still warm. My friend had some German sweet mustard that was wonderful with the pretzels. Now that I made my first batch of pretzels, I am thinking about experimenting and making sweet ones (I always loved the cinnamon and sugar ones at the mall...) or perhaps adding raisins to the dough, who knows.

Be sure to salt it well before the pretzels hit the oven otherwise then can come out quite bland in taste.

Pretzel Recipe:

makes 8 large or 16 small pretzels

You will need:

1 1/2 cups of warm water

1 tablespoon of sugar

2 teaspoons of salt

7 grams of active dry yeast

4 1/2 cups of flour

4 tablespoons of butter, melted

2/3 cup of baking soda

egg wash (egg and water beaten together)

salt (I don't have pretzel salt, so I used kosher salt)

Make the dough:

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or a large bowl if making pretzels by hand), add the sugar, salt, warm water and yeast. Mix well and let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it begins to foam. Add the butter and flour and mix (use the dough hook) until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it looks uniform. Turn it into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let it rest in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in volume.

When the dough is almost done resting, bring 2 quarts of water along with the baking soda to a boil in a large pot. You will boil the pretzels in it before they go in the oven, so make sure it's a pot large enough to hold one large pretzel at the time. Preheat the oven to high (450 degrees).

Lightly spray two baking sheets and a clean work surface with oil. Turn the dough into the oiled surface and dived it with a sharp knife (8 large ones or 16 small ones). Make a long log by rolling the dough back and forth on the surface with the palms of your hands. For large pretzels, it should be about 24 inches long and 12 inches if making small ones. Shape the pretzels by holding each end, twisting in the middle and attaching the ends to the bottom of the pretzels. Place pretzels in the oiled baking sheet. Carefully place one pretzel at the time in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Do not leave the pretzel in the water for more than 30 seconds or they will start falling apart.

Transfer each pretzel back to the baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle with salt and bake each baking sheet for about 10 minutes, or until pretzels are brown and puffed.

Enjoy warm with some sweet mustard!