Brazilian Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

This recipe was part of my Brazilian Food Week in November 2016. Turned out to be very yummy after all the elaborate process involved! Found this at Olivia's Cuisine. 

Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients

For the tortillas:

• 1 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cups flour
• 1/2 cube beef bouillon

For the filling:

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small tomato, cubed
• 1/8 cup milk
• 1/2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup sliced green olives, chopped
• Chopped parsley to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cube beef bouillon
• Pinch of sugar if needed (I did not use it)
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the assembling:

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• Parmesan cheese to taste
• Chopped parsley to decorate

Preparation

To make the filling:

• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic and onion until translucent.
• Add the ground beef and cook until the meat has browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add the tomato, the olives and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
• In a cup, mix the flour and the milk and add it to the skillet along with the chopped parsley.
• Let this mixture cook for 5 more minutes. Reserve.

To make the sauce:

• In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent.
• Add the crushed tomatoes and the beef bouillon and cook over medium/low heat for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and reserve. (Use sugar here if needed)

To make the tortillas:

• Put the milk, flour, beef bouillon and eggs in the blender and blend everything together until you have a very smooth batter, similar to pancake batter.
• In a medium skillet (sprayed with non stick spray), preheated over medium high heat, add a ladle of the batter and tilt the skillet so the batter coats the whole surface. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes and turn to cook the other side. Reserve the cooked tortillas. The batter makes 3 or 4 tortillas.

To assemble the enchiladas:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cover each tortilla with cheese and then add the filling to 1/4 of the disc. Roll the tortilla, forming an enchilada, and place it, seam side down, in a baking dish. Continue until you've used all the tortillas or filling.
• Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and grate the desired amount of Parmesan on top.
• Bring it to the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Garlic and Cilantro Soup with Poached Egg and Croutons

This Garlic and Cilantro Soup with Poached Eggs and Croutons is a diabetes-friendly version of a classic Portuguese-influenced Brazilian soup created by Brazilian chef Leticia Moreinos Schwartz as part of the American Diabetes Challenge. I found this at The Latin Kitchen, which had recreated this diabetes friendly version. Makes an excellent and filling dinner or even lunch! Recipe taken from My Rio de Janeiro: A Cookbook. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 4 eggs
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 to 3 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves (can be substituted with Parsley)

 

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350˚F. Place the bread cubes in a bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top. Season with pepper and toss. Toast in the oven until it just begins to get crunchy, about 15 minutes, mixing once during baking time. Remove from oven and reserve.
• Prepare a bowl of iced water. Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Add the vinegar and mix well. Break each egg into a cup, and gently pour the egg from the bowl into the simmering water, coming as close as you can to the water. Poach the eggs until the whites are set but the yolks remain runny, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove each egg from the simmering water and transfer to the iced water bath for just a few minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Cover loosely with foil.
• In a pot, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic; cook over low heat until it just starts to get golden and develops a fragrance, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and stir slowly with a wooden spoon. Season with pepper. Add the cilantro leaves just when ready to serve.
• Distribute the cubed bread and egg among each soup bowl, ladle the soup on top and serve.