We just finished a culture dinner for a missions event at our church. We served Italian, Brazilian and Central Asian meals in three different areas that were set up to give a hint of a cultural experience. There were close to 200 in attendance at this event. As a result, many have asked for recipes for some of these dishes. We have, in the past, promised to give recipes and then neglected to get them out to folks. So... I came up with the idea of putting them on our 'family blog' a few at a time.
This first one is a Brazilian dish that we have served on two different occasions. It is a black bean dish that is served with rice and fresh salsa. In our research we found that 'Feijoada' originated during the Colonial era of slavery in Brazil with the African slaves. Basically, they were given the undesirable parts of the beef or pork, discarded and disdained by the upper class. Beans were cheap and soon it all ended up in the same pot, ears, tails, feet... you get the picture. Add some onion and garlic and you have a delicious, hearty meal. Today, in Brazil they still serve those undesirable parts in the 'Feijoada'. We found several recipes and adapted them to our general American palette. Tom always adds his own secret flair, which cannot be duplicated, but here is a basic easy-to-do recipe.
Feijoada
1 lb. total weight of varied pork sausages (preferably smoked varieties)
1 lb. pork tenderloin in 1" pieces
some slices of bacon
1 15.5 oz. can of black beans
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
salt, garlic and 1 or 2 bay leaves which are essential to feijoada.
Brown all of the meats
Saute the onions in the oil
Put all of the meat, onions, beans (with liquid from the can) all in a crock pot or baking dish or even a medium sauce pan. Season with salt, garlic (we prefer fresh, chopped garlic but you can use the powder), and bay leaves. Slow cook with low heat for an hour or more. Serve with Coconut rice and fresh salsa.
some slices of bacon
1 15.5 oz. can of black beans
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
salt, garlic and 1 or 2 bay leaves which are essential to feijoada.
Brown all of the meats
Saute the onions in the oil
Put all of the meat, onions, beans (with liquid from the can) all in a crock pot or baking dish or even a medium sauce pan. Season with salt, garlic (we prefer fresh, chopped garlic but you can use the powder), and bay leaves. Slow cook with low heat for an hour or more. Serve with Coconut rice and fresh salsa.
Coconut Rice
2 cups long grain rice
1 Tbsp. oil
1 can coconut milk
water
salt
chopped parsley
You may follow the directions on the rice package using the coconut milk as part of the water, but we never do it the "gringo" way. We learned better ways to cook rice when we were cooking for the MK school in Colombia. So...
Heat the oil in bottom of medium sauce pan, add the rice and slightly brown it.
Put the coconut milk in a large measuring cup and add water to make 4 cups, pour over the rice and give it a quick stir. Bring to a boil on medium high heat, continue to boil until the liquid is just about gone (small bubbles breaking on the surface of the rice). Turn off the heat and put the lid on and let set until ready to serve. If some of it gets scorched on the bottom of the pan you have succeeded! The 'pega' on the bottom is every one's favorite part.
1 Tbsp. oil
1 can coconut milk
water
salt
chopped parsley
You may follow the directions on the rice package using the coconut milk as part of the water, but we never do it the "gringo" way. We learned better ways to cook rice when we were cooking for the MK school in Colombia. So...
Heat the oil in bottom of medium sauce pan, add the rice and slightly brown it.
Put the coconut milk in a large measuring cup and add water to make 4 cups, pour over the rice and give it a quick stir. Bring to a boil on medium high heat, continue to boil until the liquid is just about gone (small bubbles breaking on the surface of the rice). Turn off the heat and put the lid on and let set until ready to serve. If some of it gets scorched on the bottom of the pan you have succeeded! The 'pega' on the bottom is every one's favorite part.
Fresh Salsa
Chop equal amounts of onion, red and green peppers (yellow too if you want), toss with a couple tablespoons of white wine vinegar. If you want this to have salt, only put it in at the last minute before serving, as it causes the vegetables to break down and get soft (which is okay for some types of salsa, not this one) The word salsa does not particularly mean hot or spicy, it just means sauce. So, we learned in Colombia that beef gravy is salsa de carne.
Another thing we learned while researching on the Internet is that "caipirinha" is a drink often served with Feijoada. It is a fairly tart limeade that helps to wash down all of the heaviness of this meal. There are several versions, some with other fruits or alcohol. Here's our version...
Another thing we learned while researching on the Internet is that "caipirinha" is a drink often served with Feijoada. It is a fairly tart limeade that helps to wash down all of the heaviness of this meal. There are several versions, some with other fruits or alcohol. Here's our version...
Caipirinha
1 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
bring the water to a boil and dissolve the sugar in it then add
1 & 1/2 cups lime juice
Club soda to desired taste
pour over ice
float a lime slice on top or attach it to the rim of the glass
Okay, there you have it for one entry. Next time the chicken kabobs from Central Asia.
1 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
bring the water to a boil and dissolve the sugar in it then add
1 & 1/2 cups lime juice
Club soda to desired taste
pour over ice
float a lime slice on top or attach it to the rim of the glass
Okay, there you have it for one entry. Next time the chicken kabobs from Central Asia.
