Canja (Brazilian Chicken and Rice Soup)

Found these authentic Brazilian recipes by Cynthia Presser by luck! This soup was the main course for my lunch during my Brazilian Food Week in November 2016! Pretty filling and very yummy! As suggested this could literally lift you up while you are sick or down with a bad cold, etc.! Recipe here: http://www.cynthiapresser.com/brazilian-recipes-south-american-cuisine/brazilian-main-courses/379-canja-brazilian-chicken-and-rice-soup

Serves 4 to 5

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 to 2 medium carrots, peeled and cubed
• 1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and finely shredded 
• Salt and pepper
• 6 cups water (I used the stock from cooking chicken)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice 
• 1/2 cup frozen or freshly cooked corn
• 2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped

Preparation

• Set a pan or pressure pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and allow to heat up. Add onions and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes.
• Add shredded chicken and stir. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add water or chicken stock and allow it to come to a light boil. Stir in rice. 
• If using pressure pan or cooker, you could pressure cook rice and continue to cook on low heat after releasing the pressure until the soup has thickened. 
• If not using pressure pan or cooker, reduce heat to low and partially cover pot once the water returns to a light boil. Simmer over low heat for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until soup has thicken and the rice has nearly incorporated into broth.
• Remove from heat. Fold in corn and scallions, add more salt if needed. Cover with lid and let it seat 30 minutes off the heat.
• Serve warm, topped with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (optional).

Chicken Parmigiana (Frango à Parmegiana)

One of the dishes I tried for my Brazilian Food Week in November 2017 and served over linguini as suggested in the recipe. Had to make only one substitution for Panko breadcrumbs as it is not available in our Indian markets. Did turn out very good - my nieces can vouch for that! Recipe here: http://www.cynthiapresser.com/recipe-blog/main-dishes/chicken/313-chicken-parmigiana-frango-a-parmegiana

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 4 fillets
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs (I used 1/2 cup extra bread crumbs)
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (I used fresh) 
• 2 tablespoons basil, finely chopped
• 4 slices ham
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used mozzarella - a combination of cheeses can be used)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded

Chicken Parmigiana

Served over a bed of linguini

Preparation

• Season chicken fillets with salt and pepper. Keep bread crumbs in a bowl. 
• Dip fillets into egg, and then dredge in the bread crumbs mixture, letting excess drip off.
• Place 2 tablespoons olive oil on a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, fry chicken fillets 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer fillets to a baking dish.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Add remaining olive oil to the same pan. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat until soft, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Reduce heat to medium and add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Fold in basil.
• Top chicken breasts with tomato sauce, ham, shredded cheese, and parmesan. Bake until chicken is cooked through and cheeses have melted, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve over a bed of linguini. 

Coxinhas (Brazilian Chicken croquettes)

I came upon this recipe in Olivia's Cuisine for my Brazilian Food week in November 2017. It is a wonderfully delicious snack which can be used as main dish for dinner too and which it was for me! Recipe here: http://www.oliviascuisine.com/the-world-cup-gourmet-series-brazil-coxinhas-chicken-croquettes/

Makes: 30 

Ingredients

For the Filling

• 1.5 lbs chicken
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning (Recipe below)
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• 1 package of cream cheese (I used substitute - given below)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Dough

• 1 large potato
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cube of chicken bouillon
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• Breadcrumbs
• Bowl of almost freezing water
• Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation

• Pressure cook the chicken and potato with 1 chicken cube. After pressure is released, drain and reserve 2 1/2 cups broth for the dough.
• Mash the potato and reserve.
• Shred the chicken in a food processor or blender and reserve.
• Add the broth to a pan with the mashed potato and butter. Bring to a boil and add the flour, little at a time, stirring constantly till it forms a dough. Turn off heat.
• Knead the dough while it is still warm until smooth.
• To make the filling, sauté the onions and garlic until translucent and the add the chicken, poultry seasoning and the parsley. Mix everything together and season with salt and pepper. Add the cream cheese and cook until the cream cheese is melted and everything is incorporated.
• To make the coxinhas, take a little piece of the dough and form a ping pong sized ball. Flatten it into a disc, hollowing up the middle for the filling. 
• Spoon a tablespoon of the filling into the middle of dough.
• Press the dough closed around the filling, shaping it like a teardrop.
• To coat the coxinhas with breadcrumbs, first wet one of your hands with cold water and pass it on the coxinha. Then, coat the coxinha with breadcrumbs. Set it aside in a baking sheet and continue to coat all the coxinhas.
• Heat oil in a saucepan and fry them in batches till they are golden brown.
• Place them on kitchen tissues and serve with hot sauce.

Note:

Recipe for Poultry Seasoning:

• 2 tsp ground sage
• 2 tsp ground thyme
• 1 tsp ground marjoram
• 3/4 tsp ground rosemary
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
• Mix thoroughly and store in airtight container

Substitute for cream cheese:

Strain yoghurt overnight in cheesecloth and use as substitute for cream cheese.

Vatapa (Brazilian Fish and Shrimp Stew with Coconut Milk)

I was looking for authentic Brazilian recipes for my Brazilian Food Week in November 2016 and came upon this very easy and yummy recipe in The Latin Kitchen by Aaron Sanchez. This seems to be a popular street food in Brazil made with fish fillets, shrimp and coconut milk. Recipe here: http://thelatinkitchen.com/r/recipe/vatapa-brazilian-shrimp-and-fish-coconut-stew

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried shrimp
• 1/2 lb shrimp, (medium or large), shelled and deveined
• 1/4 lb sea bass fillet, cut into cubes
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 green chilli, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cashew nuts, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup almonds, blanched and finely chopped
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 cup fish stock
• 1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/8 cup olive oil, plus 1 tbsp 

Vatapa - Brazilian Fish and Shrimp Stew with Coconut Milk

Served with Brown Rice

Preparation

• Soak the dried shrimp in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain and puree in blender to a fine paste. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the onions, garlic, green chilli, cashews, almonds and dried shrimp paste for 10 minutes. Add the fish stock and coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the sea bass cubes and poach it in the sauce for about 12 minutes or until the fish becomes flaky.
• Add the shrimp and cilantro and cook for another 4 minutes or until shrimp is cooked.
• Drizzle with one tbsp olive oil and switch off. Serve hot with white or brown rice.

Greek Pastichio (Pastitsio)

I wanted to do an authentic, traditional Pastitsio for my Greek Food week in October 2016. I was looking at a flood of recipes and was not sure if they were authentic when I suddenly came upon this video on my screen. I decided that this was original and authentic when the person in the video was very particular about how certain things were done to honour the Greek heritage. I was so taken up by the video that I visited her blog immediately and found so many other Greek dishes there too. I was so happy that I found this blog. Thank you, Didi, for the recipe and the blog!!!. Of course, as usual, I could not find some ingredients in my place and had to do some substitutions. But the end product was definitely out of the world and my two nieces could vouch for that. Recipe and video here: http://www.dishinwithdidi.com/2013/03/homemade-greek-pastichio-video.html

Serves 4

Ingredients
For the Sauce:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (I used 450 grams fresh tomatoes, pureed in a blender)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 stick cinnamon or 3/4 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

For the Bechamel (White Sauce):

• 2 cups milk
• 55 grams butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 5 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup Kefalotyri cheese (I used Parmesan)
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg 

For the Pasta:

• 225 grams long macaroni (I used Penne Rigate)
• 1/2 cup Kefalotyri (I used Parmesan)

For the Topping:

• 1 tbsp Kefalotyri (I used Parmesan)
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  
  

Preparation

• Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan with a couple of pinches of salt.
• In another large saucepan, add the ground beef and saute till completely browned. Add the onions and saute for 3 to 5 minutes till onions are soft and succulent. Add the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste and the cinnamon. Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the pasta now to the boiling water and allow to boil till al dente, about 15 minutes. Drain the pasta and keep it under running water to stop the cooking process. Drain well, add to a large bowl and sprinkle the cheese. Toss to mix well.
• Take a baking pan and brush it with butter. Arrange the pasta, one next to the other facing one direction. Now add the beef mixture over the pasta.
• Meanwhile, take another saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour and cook for a minute. Then add the milk, whisking all the time till the bechamel thickens, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat, add in the cheese, pepper, salt and nutmeg.
• In a small bowl, ladle 2 to 3 spoonfuls of the hot bechamel. Add the beaten eggs to it. Once incorporated, add the tempered Bechamel to the bechamel in the saucepan. Whisk thoroughly to mix well. 
• Pour the now tempered Bechamel sauce over the beef mixture in the baking pan, sprinkle with a topping of cheese and some nutmeg and bake in a preheated oven at 175 degree Celsius for about 55 minutes or till the edges are starting to become brown. 
• Remove from the oven, let rest for about 20 minutes and serve.

Greek Omelette with Spinach and Feta

I was looking for different omelette recipes for dinner while I found some Greek omelette recipes with gyro meat, grilled chicken, etc. I then found this recipe which said My Big Fat Greek Omelette. Having watched the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I became interested immediately and checked it out. It seemed to be quite a healthy one with spinach and I tried it out. came out good and yummy. Recipe here:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/80046/my-big-fat-greek-omelet/

Recipe tried and tested in October 2016

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup spinach, dunked in boiling water, squeezed dry and chopped finely
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved (I used normal ones, diced)
• 1/2 tsp oregano, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp pepper, divided
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

• In a bowl, mix tomatoes with 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper and stir in feta cheese.
• Beat eggs in another bowl, stir in spinach and the remaining oregano, salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat and add the egg mixture to it. Push back the eggs that have set with a spatula, tilt the skillet and allow the uncooked egg mixture to run into the empty portion of the skillet. Continue doing this till the omelette is moist but cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes. 
• Reduce heat to low and add the tomato mixture to half of the egg. Carefully fold the untopped half over the filling, remove to a plate and allow to let stand for a minute. 
• Cut the omelette into two portions and serve immediately. 

Chicken, Spinach and Feta Mini Loaves with Dill Mashed Potato Topping

While I was looking at my new found food blog of Didi Dabala with eagerness and anticipation in October 2016, I came upon the newest recipe that was posted in it: Turkey, Spinach and Feta Mini Loaves with Dill Mashed Potato Topping and this seemed to be exactly what I was looking for to do for dinner that night and it also seemed to be super easy! Except that turkey meat is not available in our local markets during this time and so I decided to do it with chicken! The mini loaves so looked like beautiful cup cakes!!! Recipe here: http://www.dishinwithdidi.com/2016/10/turkey-spinach-feta-mini-loaves-with.html

Makes 6 mini loaves

Ingredients

Mini Loaves

• 225 grams chicken mince
• 1/2 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup oats (I had only steel cut oats though the original recipes instructs not to use steel cut oats)
• 1/2 bunch fresh spinach, blanched, squeezed and chopped (the original recipe calls for 512 grams frozen spinach, chopped and squeezed)
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning (I used homemade one: mix 1 tbsp dried basil, dried parsley, dried oregano each, 1/3 tbsp garlic powder, 1/3 tsp onion powder, thyme, rosemary each, pinch pepper powder, roasted pepper flakes together to get about 4 tbsp seasoning)

Mashed Potato

• 2 cups mashed potato (Boil 2 large potatoes, about 500 grams) till tender but firm and mash it with a potato ricer or a grater (I used the murrukku mould). Melt 2 tbsp butter and 1/2 cup milk till butter is melts and blend it with the mashed potato until smooth and creamy)
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp dried dill
• pinch salt and pepper
• 1/2 egg
  

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
• Add all the ingredients for the mini loaves in a bowl and mix them thoroughly.
• Place them in a muffin mould sprayed with a cooking spray. (As I do not have a built in oven and do all my baking in the convection oven of my microwave oven, I used small glass bowls and brushed them with oil.)
• Bake them for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile prepare the mashed potatoes and place them in a plastic bag.
• When the mini loaves are done, take them out and pipe the mashed potato topping over them. If you are using the muffin mould, you have to take the mini loaves out of the moulds and place them on a baking sheet.)
• Return to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes when the potatoes start to become golden. 
• Remove from the oven, let rest for about 5 minutes and serve with salad of choice.