#167 Brazilian Bread : Pao de Queijo

The first time we had this was in  February of last year, at Fogo de Chao in San Jose, it's a Brazilian Steak House. It was so good. I didn't know until recently that it is gluten-free and grain-free! I was very excited to make it and hoped that the recipe works!

I was lucky to have tapioca flour in the pantry and after 10 minutes prepping it, I was watching my little bread balls baking in the oven closely... I wondered if it was going to crack, pop..or burn?! I was hoping for the best. 20 minutes later, I was enjoying my hot Pao de Queijo! It was crispy on the outside, rubbery on the inside. And that's how it is supposed to be, I was glad it turned out great!

PAO DE QUEIJO

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups tapioca flour
2 teaspoons garlic
2/3 freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 beaten eggs 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a large saucepan, add olive oil, water, milk and salt, bring to boil and then remove from heat immediately.
3. Stir in tapioca, mix well until well blended, around 10 minutes by hand, 5 minutes using a mixer.
4. Form little bite sized balls with well-oiled hands. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
5. Bake until tops are lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

Found a hero in this... Love it!!!

If you enjoyed this post, follow this blog as we will be posting 198 more recipes! 198 recipes to discover, learn to cook, take pictures and post here to complete the goal of 365!

 Will I finish this big task? Check back often to see my progress!

xo V. 

#163 India's Murgh Makhani/Butter Chicken

I first tried butter chicken at my client's restaurant. I really liked it and since then I have been looking for a simple recipe to use. Now I found it! 

In this dish, the chicken is cooked in mild curry sauce. It is known to be developed by the Moti Mahal Restaurant in Delhi, India in the 1950's. The chicken is flavorful because it is marinated for several hours in the fridge before cooking. The house smelled like delicious curry and I am getting hungry just thinking about it! :)

My first butter chicken is not that thick because I didn't use cashew paste or any flours for thickening. I used yogurt and cream. I had to omit peanuts, because I am very sensitive to it. It is very interesting how I have developed sensitivity to it after many years of not ingesting it due to my daughter's peanut and tree nut allergies. 

After much anticipation, this butter chicken recipe turned out to be so good, it is super creamy..rich in flavor and uber simple to prepare. I ate it with Quinoa, but this dish goes perfect with basmati or brown rice.

Although I listed "organic" ingredients which just means I used organic by choice, you don't have to buy and use the organic variety for the ingredients. I'm sure it will still taste as fantastic as this dish!

MURGH MAKHANI or INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 full-fat organic Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons organic lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons turmeric powder

2 tablespoons garam masala

2 tablespoons ground cumin

3 pounds organic chicken thighs, on the 

1/4 pound unsalted organic butter

4 tablespoons canola oil

2 medium-size organic yellow onions, diced

4 cloves organic garlic, minced

3 tablespoons organic fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

2 medium sized organic tomatoes

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

salt to taste

2/3 cup organic chicken stock

1 1/2 cups organic cream

1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons ground almonds

1/2 bunch cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large steel or glass bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala and cumin. Mix thoroughly. Add the chicken, mix well, until fully coated with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours. You can make this ahead and cook the next day too, do not refrigerate for more than a day.
2. In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter in the oil until it starts to foam. 
3. Add onions, and cook until translucent. 
4. Add the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds.
5. Add the cinnamon stick, tomatoes, jalapeños, and salt and let cook for about 10  minutes.
6. Add the chicken and brown, then add the marinade to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add chicken stock and bring to boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.
8. Add the tomato paste and stir. Simmer until chicken is cooked, about 15 minutes.
9. Add the almonds.
10. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
11. Enjoy!

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#161 Chicken Tikka Masala

"Chicken tikka masala is a dish of roasted chunks of chicken (chicken tikka) in a spicy sauce. The sauce is usually creamy, spiced and orange-coloured."

I enjoyed making this dish. It turned out great! I needed to be a little careful handling the kitchen, I used disposable gloves  since I had to thread it onto the skewers before broiling it in the oven. I was too lazy to fire up the grill! Well actually, I didn't want to grill the chicken, I do not enjoy working with the grill, too much smoke gets into my eyes and heat on my face all the time..and so I decided to turn to the oven. I can get very creative in order to make things happen, as you can see in the photos below, I used a glass baking dish to hold the skewers and catch the juice.  Suddenly the dreadful task of grilling became easy, thanks to the oven! When you start making this dish, you will need a lot of patience, just know that in the end, you will have an out-of-this-world yummy dish! I was easy on the cayenne and the fresh jalapeño peppers, but that's just because I am not a fan of too much heat in my food anymore. You can add more if you want firecrackers in your mouth with every bite, I'm pretty sure it will be spectacular.

Here are a few fun facts I found on the internet about this delicious dish, with links provided to the source:

In 2001, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook declared that "Chicken Tikka Masala is now a true British national dish, not only because it is the most popular, but because it is a perfect illustration of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external influences." He went on to explain that "Chicken Tikka is an Indian dish. The Masala sauce was added to satisfy the desire of British people to have their meat served in gravy."

The claim that Chicken Tikka Masala is a British "National dish," however met with both acclamation and skeptical opposition.

A 2012 survey of 2,000 people in the United Kingdom claimed that it is that country's second most popular foreign dish to cook, after Chinese stir fry.

Source HERE 

Ready to make your own?   

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA 

Ingredients 

Marinade:

• 1 cup organic yogurt (Greek)

• 1 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons ground pepper

• 1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

• 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1/8 cayenne pepper

• 3 boneless organic chicken breasts

• bamboo skewers

Sauce:

• 1 block of organic butter

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced (I used 1/4)

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 2 teaspoons paprika

• 1 can tomato sauce

• 1 cup heavy cream

• salt to taste

Garnish:

• fresh cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large glass bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients, and the chicken, mix thoroughly. Cover and store in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. Thread chicken onto skewers
3. Broil chicken in the oven, or grill--oil the grate to make sure the chicken does not stick onto it. I broiled it around 5 minutes, or until you achieve that "grilled or broiled look--see pic above". 
4. Once chicken is cool, remove the chicken from skewers.
5. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium low heat,  add garlic until brown and jalapeño.
6. Add the rest of the ingredients, simmer on low heat.
7. Add the grilled chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes.
8. Check salt and heat, add more according to your taste. 
9. Enjoy!

  

That was lovely, so much fun learning to cook a new favorite! (^.^)

#158 Chicken Paprikash

Before moving to the US, I never used Paprika in my cooking. And I remember the first time I bought a bottle of the spice, it was for the Goulash that I made almost two years ago. Now, thanks to this blog, I learned that there a few varieties, and that the Hungarian Paprika has the strongest flavor of them all, and so I bought a bottle last weekend. This recipe is bursting with flavors! If you have kids or anyone joining for dinner who cannot stand the heat, then I recommend decreasing the amount of this fragrant red spice and the red pepper flakes. If you don't and you like intense heat, then by all means, dump as much Paprika as you can take, personally, I can never really have too much of it! :)

I also omitted the flour from this recipe, but if you need to thicken the sauce, then you can add about 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. It was still definitely delicious without it. :) I also list organic ingredients, but this is optional, it simply means I used the organic variety for that ingredient. I also created Spaetzle from scratch, it's a pasta that is highly recommended as a side dish, since I have eliminated all grains from my diet, my daughter gladly taste tested it and loved it. 

CHICKEN PAPRIKASH

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsps olive oil
•  2 large organic onion, chopped
•  3 cloves of organic garlic, minced
•  1 cup water
•  1 whole organic chicken, cut into pieces
•  1 tsp. crushed
•  red pepper flakes
•  4 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
•  1 8 oz. organic canned diced tomatoes  
•  1 8 oz. organic sour cream
•  2 tbsps. flour (optional, you can do without)
•  salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil, add onion, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and paprika. Stir together until onion is translucent. Add chicken and the water. Cook over medium heat for 1 hour, adding more water if necessary.
2. Stir in tomatoes, reserving liquid. Stir liquid into a medium bowl with sour cream; mix until well blended, then slowly add mixture to chicken, stirring constantly. Cook until well blended. If adding the flour, stir it with the sour cream and diced tomatoes liquid and cook until the sauce is thickened.  Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy it! 

Here are my pre-shopped ingredients  for you, just click on each image and it will take you to Amazon.com :

#157 France's Daube de Beouf (with rosé)

About a month ago, we had dinner at the Left Bank Brasserie in Santana Row. That night a Braised Short Ribs was the special. They cooked it in wine, we were curious and so we tried. It was nice, different and the meat was really tender. Since then, I was on search of a good beef French recipe. I found one, and tweaked it. Since I only had a rosé from the Copolla Winery, I used it instead of running to the grocery store. One thing I learned from making this dish, is this: the wine truly intensifies the flavor of the meat and herbs.  I also bought a dutch oven, which I have always procrastinated in buying. I am now a proud owner of one and a learned more about French flavors. It was delicious!

 DAUBE DE BEOUF

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds trimmed grass fed beef chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces

• salt

• white pepper

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 3 medium onions

• 12 oz. rosé wine

• 4 garlic gloves

• 4 cups organic beef broth

• 3 springs of organic fresh thyme, fresh parsley and fresh bay leaves in cheese cloth

• 10 organic potatoes

• 2 large organic carrots

• 1 tablespoon red vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Season the beef with salt and white pepper. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add beef and cook until browned all over, about 5 minutes; reduce the heat if the meat browns too quickly. Transfer the meat to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and beef. 
2. Add onions for about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the casserole. Add the beef back to the casserole along with the stock and herb bundle. Bring to a boil, cover and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is super tender.
3. Add the potatoes and carrots carefully into the stew, cover and bake for about 25 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked according to your taste. Discard the herb bundle. Stir in the Dijon and vinegar, season with salt and white pepper and then serve.

Note: The enameled cast-iron casserole is very heavy, handle carefully to prevent burns. 

Recipe adapted from here

It was perfect!

#156 Cuba's Ropa Vieja

I learned today that Cuban Cuisine is a mix of Native America Taino food, Spanish, African and Caribbean Cuisine. Rice, Beans and Meat are omnipresent, soups and stews are commonly prepared. For flavor, they use a lot of citrus fruits, tomato, vinegar, garlic, onions, peppers, capers, olives, white wine or beer.
This dish was delicious. Ropa Vieja means old clothes in Spanish. It is a shredded beef dish simmered in tomato sauce. I made it in the slow cooker and cooked it for more than 4 hours. The result? The meat was falling apart and bursting with flavors! I didn't eat it with yellow rice and fried plantain bananas and beans.. I will make sure to include those items the next time I make it for a more authentic experience.

ROPA VIEJA

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil

• 2 pounds grass-fed flank steak

• 2 cups beef broth

• 1 large onion 

• sliced red bell pepper

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste

• 1 tsp. ground cumin

• 1 tablespoon organic olive oil

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

• chopped cilantro and sour cream for garnishing (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown beef in heated organic coconut oil. 
2. Transfer beef in a slow cooker and then add the next 10 ingredients. Cook in high for 4 hours.
3.  Serve with rice, friend plaintain bananas, and if you like, sour cream and freshly chopped cilantro.

I love it! Can't wait to make it again!

Below are ingredients I pre-shopped for you, click on each item and it will take you to Amazon.com:

#155 Eggless Tapioca Pudding

I love to eat pudding as a dessert or a savory dish. The word pudding is believed to come from the French word boudin , originally from the Latin botellus, meaning "small sausage". Where did it originate? Nobody really knows where exactly, but the British claim it as part of their culinary heritage. 

I make ahead a couple or jars or two, this helps a lot during my busy week day schedule. It keeps in the fridge for 7 days with no problem! :) 

This is so easy to make. We omitted the eggs, and so this pudding only has 3 ingredients. Ready?

EGGLESS TAPIOCA PUDDING 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1/4 cup tapioca pearls
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 1/4 cups milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Soak tapioca pearls for about 30 minutes. Do not drain.
2. Add milk, cook in medium heat until boiling then simmer in lowest heat for 15 minutes, or until done. 
3. Sweeten to taste, or add fruits to sweeten. Enjoy!

Buy your Tapioca Pearls on Amazon.com, just click on the image below: