Pão de Queijo (Brazillian Cheese Bread)

My friend Gal is from Brazil and she has made Brazilian Cheese Bread many times.  I have wanted to attempt to make the rolls, and I finally did.  The local asian market I go to had the tapioca flour needed to make these the traditional way.  I found the real Brazilian cheese at a Brazilian market that Gal recommended.  The typical recipe is yummy, but my husband and I agreed they were bland, so I added more cheese.  

These are delicious warm served with the Feijoada (Black Bean Stew).  My husband
 will tell you they are great in soup.

Ingredients:

1 cup Whole Milk
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
2 cups (10 ounces) Tapioca Flour or Cassava Flour
2 Eggs
2 cups Minas Cheese (Parmesan cheese can also be used)

Preheat oven to 450 Fairenheit.

Heat milk, oil, and salt in medium sauce pan over medium heat just until bubbles
come to surface. Stir occasionally.

Remove from heat and add all flour and mix until no more flour is dry.

A wooden spoon is easier to use to stir mixture.

Either continue stirring with spoon or transfer to a mixing bowl with attached paddle.

Mix until the dough has cooled enough to touch.

Whisk eggs and pour half mixture into dough and mix until combined and add
remaining beaten eggs.

Remove paddle and use whisk.  Set the mixer on medium and beat the mixture until
smooth and elastic.

Add all the cheese and whisk until combined.

Prepare two sheet pans lined with parchment paper.  

Portion dough with small ice cream scoop, or tablespoon and roll into balls.

Place sheet pans with puffs in the oven.  Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350 Fahrenheit.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until they have puffed and are dry on the outside and just begin to color.

                                      

Enjoy!

Pão de Queijo (Brazillian Cheese Bread)

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 cup Whole Milk
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
2 cups (10 ounces) Tapioca Flour or Cassava Flour
2 Eggs
2 cups Minas Cheese (Parmesan cheese can also be used)

Process:

Preheat oven to 450 Fairenheit.

Heat milk, oil, and salt in medium sauce pan over medium heat just until bubbles come to surface. Stir occasionally.

Remove from heat and add all flour and mix with a wooden spoon until no more flour is dry.

Either continue stirring with spoon or transfer to a mixing bowl with attached paddle.

Mix until the dough has cooled enough to touch.

Whisk eggs and pour half mixture into dough and mix until combined and add remaining beaten eggs.

Remove paddle and use whisk.  Set the mixer on medium and beat the mixture until smooth and elastic.

Add all the cheese and whisk until combined.

Prepare two sheet pans lined with parchment paper.  

Portion dough with small ice cream scoop, or tablespoon and roll into balls.

Place sheet pans with puffs in the oven.  Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350 Fah renheit.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until they have puffed and are dry on the outside and just begin to color.

Enjoy!

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Remember when I made almond butter? I had this great idea to make cookies with the almond butter. I couldn't just make simple cookies, these cookies were meant to be unique.  Keep in mind these are my own creation.  The recipe will include some ideas for how to make the cookies with alternate ingredients.  These cookies are even gluten free, go me.

Cookies, cookies, these cookies are even Cookie Monster approved.

Ingredients:

2 cups Almond Butter
4 Eggs
1 1/3 cup Oat Flour (quick cooking oats can be substituted)
4 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
2 cups Light Brown Sugar
2/3 cup Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 Farhenheit.

Whisk almond butter, and brown sugar in mixer bowl until combined.

Add eggs one at a time and whisk to combine, then add vanilla and whisk.

Mix flour (or quick cooking oats) and baking soda and add to creamed sugar and almond butter.  Whisk until combined.

Using a wooden spoon stir in chocolate chips.

Bake cookies on greased cookie sheets for 10-12 minutes. 

COOKIES! Me like cookies!

Enjoy!

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies
Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

2 cups Almond Butter
4 Eggs
1 1/3 cup Oat Flour (quick cooking oats can be substituted)
4 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
2 cups Light Brown Sugar
2/3 cup Chocolate Chips

Process:

Preheat oven to 350 Farhenheit.

Whisk almond butter, and brown sugar in mixer bowl until combined.

Add eggs one at a time and whisk to combine, then add vanilla and whisk.

Mix flour (or quick cooking oats) and baking soda and add to creamed sugar and almond butter. Whisk until combined.

Using a wooden spoon stir in chocolate chips.

Bake cookies on greased cookie sheets for 10-12 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Ham & Bean Soup

Maybe it's the nesting instinct, or maybe pregnancy cravings.  Either way I wanted to make this recipe. Most of us grew up with a certain red label soup brand made famous by a certain artist.  One of the soups I enjoyed from those red label cans was Ham and Bean soup.  I don't buy canned soup anymore, so that left me with my all time favorite cooking.  Taking recipes that are traditionally pre-packaged and canned that I grew up with, and making them the old fashioned way. This way is so thrilling for me.  You don't have to agree with me, it's okay.  This is a simple recipe, truthfully, so why wouldn't you try it at least once.

All that ham and beans, oh my goodness yes!

Warning, IGNORE the potatoes they were photo bombing.

Ingredients:

1 lb. soaked/brined Navy Beans

1 large Yellow Onion

1 large Carrot

4 cloves Garlic

2 lbs. Smoked Sliced Ham

Water

Peel and dice onion and carrot.

Cut ham into one inch pieces.

Place all ingredients in pressure cooker pan, add enough water to have 13 cups.

Set pressure cooker on high for 30 minutes.   Allow pressure to naturally release.

Enjoy!

Ham & Bean Soup

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 lb. soaked/brined Navy Beans
1 large Yellow Onion
1 large Carrot
4 cloves Garlic
2 lbs. Smoked Sliced Ham
Water

Process:

Peel and dice onion and carrot.

Cut ham into one inch pieces.

Place all ingredients in pressure cooker pan, add enough water to have 13 cups.

Set pressure cooker on high for 30 minutes, allow pressure to naturally release.

Enjoy!

Corn Pudding

A few weeks ago I bought a huge, gigantic bag of corn on the cob from a Long Island farm market. When I say gigantic I mean 55-60 ears of corn.  Yes, you read correctly.  This bag of corn was needing to be eaten, so I went on a recipe hunt for any main dish, side dish, dessert, anything to use this corn.  This recipe has my husband's approval, so I figure that is a seal of approval for posting here.  When I was looking at other corn pudding recipes, I determined it would be easy to condense and have a small ingredient list and still achieve the same end results.  

Do you like sweet corn?   This is the a great way to eat it.

Ingredients:

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup Water
1 stick of Butter
1/2 Maseca (Cornmeal can be substituted)
3 ears of Fresh Corn removed from Cob
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt

Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit

Place oven proof dish in oven with 1/2 stick of butter, melt butter in dish.

Fill medium pan with water and bring to boil over high heat.  Add salt, stir and add corn.
Boil for 1 minute and drain in colander.

Place corn in oven proof dish with butter.

Mix milk, water, and Maseca. Pour over corn.

Thinly slice remaining butter on to top of the corn mixture.

Bake corn pudding for thirty minutes or until golden brown around the edge.

Enjoy!

Corn Pudding

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup Water
1 stick of Butter
1/2 Maseca (Cornmeal can be substituted)
3 ears of Fresh Corn on the Cob
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt

Process:

Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit

Place oven proof dish in oven with 1/2 stick of butter, melt butter in dish.

Fill medium pan with water and bring to boil over high heat.  Add salt, stir and add corn.  

Boil for 1 minute and drain in collander.

Place corn in oven proof dish with butter.

Mix milk, water, and Maseca.  Pour over corn.

Thinly slice remaining butter and place on top of the corn mixture.

Bake corn pudding for thirty minutes or until golden brown around the edge.

Enjoy!

Avocado Salsa

As many of you already know, I am originally from California.  I was born and raised in California. Two years ago, on October 20, we moved to Queens New York.  One of my favorite restaurant condiments from my California days comes from the restaurant El Pollo Loco.  Sadly they don't have a location here.  The condiment in question is their Avocado Salsa.  I wanted that avocado salsa to go with my pork and potato flautas.  This recipe is my take on the salsa, since I did not have the ingredients for the copycat recipe I found online.  This avocado salsa is better than the restaurant sauce, at least I think it is.  

Silky, creamy, lime flavored, avocado goodness waiting to be paired with your favorite
 Mexican food.

Ingredients:

1 ripe Hass Avocado
2 Limes
1/4 of Yellow Onion
1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Cup Water
1/2 Avocado Oil( can be substituted with Canola or Vegetable Oil)

Remove avocado from skin and place in blender along with rough chopped onion and the
other ingredients.

Blend until smooth.

 That's it, you now have avocado salsa.

Pour salsa into lidded container to store in the refrigerator, if you have any left after the meal.

Enjoy!

Avocado Salsa

Printable recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 ripe Hass Avocado
2 Limes
1/4 of Yellow Onion
1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Cup Water
1/2 Avocado Oil( can be substituted with Canola or Vegetable Oil)

Process:

Remove avocado from skin and place in blender along with rough chopped onion and the other ingredients.

Blend until smooth.

Pour salsa into lidded container.  Serve right away or refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

If you happen to be like me and enjoyed tuna noodle casserole when you were younger, this recipe is for you.  My mom made tuna noodle casserole like every other woman out there in America, you know, with the cream of chicken or mushroom soup, thanks to a certain red labeled soup manufacturer.  When my husband and I were first married, I continued using the same cream soup and making food similar to what he and I had grown up eating.  It wasn't long before I decided to find my own cooking identity and make food in a different way.  Since I don't use canned soup and my children haven't grown up with me making casseroles, they don't like them very much.  My husband requested tuna noodle casserole, so I decided that our casserole ban would be lifted and we would enjoy a new take on a classic favorite from my husband's and my childhood.  This casserole continues to remind me of my childhood, and now that I came up with this recipe we can enjoy it in a whole new way, without sacrificing the comfort food part of this recipe.

Growing up we ate this more like a creamy noodle dish rather then a crumb topped baked casserole.  This is a combination.   My husband didn't want the overcooked noodles you get when it is baked 

but still wanted the casserole with the crunchy topping.

Ingredients:

12 ounce bag of Wide Egg Noodles
2 Cans Albacore Tuna in Water
1 cup finely grated Grana Padano (Parmesan Cheese will also work) plus 2 tablespoons
3/4 package of Ritz Crackers
1 bunch Green Onions
3 large cloves Garlic
1 Yellow Onion
2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
2 tablespoons Cold Water
Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
2 teaspoons Fresh Thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Thyme
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 cup softened Butter

Dice onion, cut green onion, and press garlic.

Saute onions in a deep saute pan with the olive oil over medium heat until tender, add garlic
and cook  until tender.

Add cream, salt and pepper to taste.

Add Grana Pardano, stir and cook over medium heat until cheese has melted.  Stir in drained tuna.

Cook noodles in large stock pot of water, al dente, to the tooth.  Cook for the shortest recommended time on the package, remove from pan and drain in colander.

Add cooked noodles to cream sauce, green onions, and thyme.

Crush the Ritz Crackers.

Pour tuna noodle mixture into a butter baking dish.

Cover noodles with crushed crackers, cheese, and dabs of butter.

Broil until crumbs brown, cheese melts and bubbles.

Doesn't that look like a plate of comfort food to make any one remember a happy childhood?

Enjoy!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

12 ounce bag of Wide Egg Noodles
2 Cans Albacore Tuna in Water
1 cup finely grated Grana Padano (Parmesan Cheese will also work) plus 2 tablespoons
3/4 package of Ritz Crackers
1 bunch Green Onions
3 large cloves Garlic
1 Yellow Onion
2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
2 tablespoons Cold Water
Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
2 teaspoons Fresh Thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Thyme
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 cup softened Butter

Process:

Dice onion, cut green onion, and press garlic.

Saute onions in a deep saute pan with the olive oil over medium heat until tender, add garlic and cook  until tender.

Add cream, salt and pepper to taste.

Add Grana Pardano, stir and cook over medium heat until cheese has melted.  Stir in drained tuna.

Cook noodles in large stock pot of water, al dente, to the tooth.  Cook for the shortest recommended time on the package, remove from pan and drain in colander.

Add cooked noodles to cream sauce, green onions, and thyme.

Crush the Ritz Crackers.

Pour tuna noodle mixture into a buttered baking dish.

Cover noodles with crushed crackers, cheese, and dabs of butter.

Broil until crumbs brown, cheese melts and bubbles.

Enjoy!

Feijoada (Brazillian Black Bean Stew, or Chili)

Recently a friend from church had a baby.  I wanted to make a dinner for her and her husband that would be comforting and remind her of her home country of Brazil.  When I was looking up recipes from Brazil, I learned about a Brazilian Black Bean Stew, Feijoada.  Since I had all the ingredients to make the stew, it was a win win.  We had leftovers, so on another night the stew got an upgrade and the recipe below is the upgrade.  This stew was very delicious, so much so, that my husband requested I make it again for a church social.  I made it this afternoon, third times the charm for our church Halloween Party Chili Cook-off.  I added some pepper flakes to the recipe to make it more like chili.  I brought this "chili" and blew away the judges and won first prize.  I think they liked the three kinds of pork, not a traditional chili with beef.  This recipe can be made very easily, and cheaply, depending on your preferences.  At a nearby grocery store, we have blemished discount produce that isn't perfect enough to be sold with the other pretty produce.  On a wonderful whim, I looked at the discounted produce at my local grocery store and struck cheap produce heaven and found bell peppers to use for this recipe.

Look at all that pork, so very yummy.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Black Beans
Kosher Salt
Garlic Powder
3 Green Bell Peppers
2 Red Bell Peppers
2 Yellow Onions
1 lb. Chorizo
4 lb. Pork Shoulder
Left Over Ham Bone (with left over ham and fat)
3 Pints Canned Whole Tomatoes
5 slices Bacon
2 teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Water

Soak black beans over night in water, 3 inches above beans and 2 tablespoons kosher salt.

Cut up the bacon into 1 inch pieces, add bacon, ham bone (remove meat and fat), soaked beans
to a pressure cooker pot or a stock pot on a stove.  If you do not have a ham bone, add more bacon.   Pour enough water to cover beans by 3 inches.  Cook beans in pressure cooker on high for
30 minutes or on the stove simmer covered for 1 hour or until beans are tender. 

Rub kosher salt and garlic powder all over the pork shoulder.  Place on spit of rotisserie or put

 on a rack set into a roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. Continue to cook for 3 hours. 

My ham bone is leftover so it still has meat and fat on it.  I freeze leftover bones and use them
for other recipes.  Remove meat and fat from ham bone and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. If you do
not have a ham bone with leftover meat on it substitute a ham steak.

Place ham and fat in a stock pot over low heat. We are rendering the fat (melting the fat),
although fat is yummy, it is better melted than having to chew it.  Remove meat when slightly
fried, remove cooked fat when fried.  Leave the melted fat in the stock pot.

Dice the onions, and bell peppers.  Saute the onions and bell peppers in the melted pork fat left
in the large stock pot over medium low heat.

Remove chorizo from the skin.  Break apart with a wooden spoon and cook over medium
 heat in a large 12 inch skillet.

Cut roasted pork into 1/2 inch cubes.  Place ham, fried fat, and pork in the same pan as the chorizo. 

Add the pork to the stock pot with the sauteed vegetables, add drained beans, add whole tomatoes
and cut with a spoon.  Stir and add red pepper flakes.  Cook over medium heat until bubbling.

This is a Brazillian Black Bean Stew, if you omit the pepper flakes, and with the pepper flakes
 it is great as a chili.

Enjoy!

Feijoada (Brazillian Black Bean Stew, or Chili)

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 lb. Black Beans

Kosher Salt

Garlic Powder

3 Green Bell Peppers

2 Red Bell Peppers

2 Yellow Onions

1 lb. Chorizo

4 lb. Pork Shoulder

Left Over Ham Bone (with left over ham and fat)

3 Pints Canned Whole Tomatoes

5 slices Bacon

2 teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Water

Process:

Soak black beans over night in water, 3 inches above beans and 2 tablespoons kosher salt.

Cut up the bacon into 1 inch pieces, add bacon, ham bone (remove meat and fat), soaked beans to a pressure cooker pot or a stock pot on a stove.  If you do not have a ham bone, add more bacon.  Pour enough water to cover beans by 3 inches.  Cook beans in pressure cooker on high for 30 minutes or on the stove simmer covered for 1 hour or until beans are tender.

Rub kosher salt and garlic powder all over the pork shoulder.  Place on spit of rotisserie or put

on a rack set into a roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. Continue to cook for 3 hours. 

Remove meat and fat from ham bone and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. If you do not have a ham bone with leftover meat on it, substitute a ham steak.

Place ham and fat in a stock pot over low heat. We are rendering the fat (melting the fat), although fat is yummy, it is better melted than having to chew it.  Remove meat when slightly fried, remove cooked fat when fried.  Leave the melted fat in the stock pot.

Dice the onions, and bell peppers.  Saute the onions and bell peppers in the melted pork fat left in the large stock pot over medium low heat.

Remove chorizo from the skin, break apart with a wooden spoon and cook over medium heat in a large 12 inch skillet.

Cut roasted pork into 1/2 inch cubes. Place ham, fried fat, and pork in the same pan as the chorizo. 

Add the pork to the stock pot with the sauteed vegetables, add drained beans, add whole tomatoes and cut with a spoon.  Stir and add red pepper flakes.  Cook over medium heat until bubbling.

Enjoy!