Vegan Butternut Squash Quibebe with Garbanzo Beans and Coconut Milk (Quibebe com Grão de Bico e Leite de Coco)

The development of this vegan version of a traditional Brazilian dish (as well as, other traditional recipes from Brazil that I promise to start releasing soon) has a story behind it. In fact, it’s a story that makes me feel quite proud of myself.

At the beginning of last summer, my husband and I got to go on a fantastic vacation in Australia – which included visiting my sister and meeting my brother-in-law. We had an amazing two weeks down under – and the food and wine were among the highlights of the trip. For two weeks, we ate delicious food, we drank delightful wines, we saw beautiful places, and we did not exercise. It was awesome!

Although, when I got back to the US, I was feeling the consequences of my (very worthy) time of indulgences. I was swollen, bloated, and my energy levels were low.

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Creamy Rice with Shrimp and Hearts-of-Palm (Arroz Cremoso com Camarão e Palmito)

Velvety and creamy, loaded with sweet shrimp and mildly tangy hearts-of-palm, with just a hint of citrus, this recipe is one that I am proud to have created from scratch. I try to always solely post recipes that are delicious and, also, relate to my background; but occasionally, I dare to say that I created a simply incredibly flavorful dish, that also reflects some of the most amazing tastes of Brazilian cuisine. This time, it is the case.

I am not going to call my Creamy Rice with Shrimp and Hearts-of-Palm an easy recipe – it involves many steps, but they are all very achievable. I promise it is not difficult. Here is what I am begging you: MAKE THIS! YOU WILL LOVE IT!

Enough said.

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Coconut-Chicken Brazilian Yuca Pot Pie (Escondidinho de Frango com Leite de Coco)

Looking at the picture, probably not many people would believe that this is a very popular Brazilian bar food item. In fact, it’s one of my favorite appetizers! 

If you have been following my recipes for awhile, you may have noticed that I shared several different versions of this dish – two of them using shrimp, one using Brazilian jerk beef, and the latest with chicken and coconut milk. Yes, I do love this dish and all its versions! And yes, it is bar food that requires utensils… But I can explain.

In Brazil, bars are set up differently than here. Rarely people stand around just ordering drinks. These places, called “botecos”, are filled up with tables and chairs, and food is part of the experience. Food in the “botecos” is usually heavy, fried, and portions are big enough to be shared - exactly the kind of stuff people crave after consuming alcohol. So, everyone shares a bunch of different things. When I am in Brazil, having bar food at “botecos” is one of my favorite activities!

So, please meet my Coconut-Chicken Brazilian Yuca Pot Pie (Escondidinho de Frango com Leite de Coco). Normally, this dish doesn’t have coconut milk, but I decided to jazz it up for fun, and it turned out very tasty! 

Besides coconut milk, I added a bit of red palm oil for an extra layer of aromatics – and gorgeous color – but you can skip if you cannot find the exotic ingredient. The yuca purée tops the sauce, hiding the deliciousness – therefore, the name which literally translates to “Coconut Milk-Chicken Little Hidden One”. I decided to make it simpler and I rebaptized this version as Coconut-Chicken Brazilian Yuca Pot Pie (I think it looks like a cross in between a pot pie and a Sheppard’s pie). 

If you are short in time, skip the ramekins and assemble the dish into a large oven-proof dish. Invite your friends over to share, just as if you were in a Brazilian “boteco”. Bom apetite!

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Brazilian Chocolate Fudge Cup (Brigadeiro de Copinho)

In the past few years, our beloved Brazilian chocolate fudge balls, the famous Brigadeiro, has gotten a new version! This has happened recently, and I got to know about it during one of my visits there, and honestly, this is quite a genius!

Brigadeiro is an extremely popular Brazilian bonbon. Delicious, creamy, irresistible, decadent – I could keep going with more adjectives here – this famed dessert is also very easy to make! But there is a trick: rolling the mixture into little balls can take a long time. So, I guess to make the process faster – and possibly to jazz up the presentation – somebody had the idea of pouring the mixture into small dessert cups and serve it with a spoon. It looks like a mousse and it has the texture of soft fudge. And it is just as irresistible as the original version.

Cover the top with chocolate sprinkles (I like to buy the real chocolate sprinkles, not the fake sugary versions), or sprinkle with other delicious things: nuts, coconut flakes, or anything that you like to combine with chocolate (bacon?). Adults and kids will love it!

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Strawberry Mousse Pie (Torta Mousse de Morango)

We are having an unusually colder beginning of Spring down here in Florida and, as I notice plenty of people praising this weird weather, I find myself on the opposite side: all I am craving are those regular warmer days! Guess what gives me hope? Florida strawberries! And yes, I am having a lot of fun with our early strawberry season. 

Last week, I made those scrumptious Strawberry Bonbons and they were rich, creamy, and so delightful… Just like the flavors of my childhood in Brazil. So, this week, I wanted to have a lighter dessert, and my Strawberry Mousse Pie sounded like the perfect choice!

This pie has an incredible fluffy filling with a very good balance of sweetness and tartness. The sauce on top is like a strawberry explosion, with just the right amount of chunkiness. The crust is right up my alley: a ridiculously easy Graham cracker base that gives the perfect crunchy texture that this pie needs. 

All that I can think of at the moment are warmer Spring days spent by the pool. A slice of my Strawberry Mousse Pie and a glass of Prosecco to bring the word perfection to my daydream. I hope you enjoy!

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Strawberry Bonbon (Bombom de Morango)

Strawberry season is upon us, and to celebrate one of the most beloved fruits in the culinary world, I want to share one of my favorite sweet recipes of all times.

Strawberry Bonbon (or Bombom de Morango, in Portuguese) is the Brazilian “improved” version of a simple chocolate dipped strawberry. In Brazil - especially in the southern part, where strawberries can be more easily found than in the North - we have these bonbons commonly sold at bakeries and pastry shops (called confeitarias, in Portuguese).

So, our “improved” version, receives an extra coat of sweetened condensed milk-based custard around the strawberry, before getting dipped in the chocolate bath. That extra layer adds richness and creaminess to the dessert, which makes it taste sweeter and even more decadent. Therefore, it does get improved :)

I love this so much! I grew up eating this bonbon at birthday parties (but they would be served only at fancy parties, due to the price of the fruit that could get expensive), and at pastry shops. It was a widely available treat. Well, not in the US… And, once again, I was craving something that I had never tried to make.

I looked at several recipes, and the method is simple. The only tricky part was to find out the best way to do the chocolate covering. If I used real chocolate, which would have the best taste, I would have to temper the chocolate… I was not quite sure if I was willing to endure such a fussy method. So, I skipped that. After doing some tests, I chose Baker’s dark chocolate dipping as the winning method – it was easy to use, it tasted great, and the bonbons looked smooth and glossy!

This Brazilian strawberry dessert proves that the extra sweet cream coat takes this traditional treat to the next level! I wish everyone a delicious strawberry season!!

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Brazilian Veggie Pot Pie (Empadão de Palmito)

During the colder months, I feel like we eat a lot of pot pies here in the States – at least, that’s when I more often see recipes of it being taught on cooking shows or shared on magazines. Creamy and comforting, the (allow me to call) American pot pie is a perfect dish for when it’s cold outside.

In Brazil, people are obsessed with pot pies. I am obsessed with pot pies! Our version, though, is more adaptable to, let’s say, a wider variety of climates… Most of the country is warm year-round; therefore, our very own version of the dish has a filling that is moist and creamy, but not as soupy, which tastes great either warm or at room temperature. Since the filling is less runny, the pie can be assembled in a springform and unmolded in a serving platter – which is my favorite way to present it. But setting it up in a deep-dish is also fine (and easier).

If you haven’t yet met my Brazilian Chicken Pot Pie or my Shrimp and Hearts-of-Palm Pot pie, please let me introduce you to my Brazilian Veggie Pot Pie! This recipe has hearts-of-palm as its main star which gives this pie its distinct zesty flavor. Black olives, corn, and green peas are some of the other featured ingredients, but you can add or subtract accordingly to your taste (just keep proportions balanced so you don’t end up with less – or too much – filling).

I truly enjoy this recipe since I have been a little girl, at any season of the year. I hope you do too!

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Brazilian Jeweled Rice and Lentils (Arroz à Grega e Lentilhas)

I am going to start this conversation with a very straight forward question: “Do you want to be as lucky as a Brazilian in the next year?”. Ok, let’s assume that your answer is: “Yes, I absolutely do!”. I am so glad that you have chosen the only right answer to my question!!! So, I am going to tell you exactly what to do – or eat – to achieve such good fortune in the upcoming year.

People might roll their eyes at us, Brazilians, since we have this reputation for being superstitious. But… It doesn’t hurt to try, right?! And in this case, the worst that can happen is that you will end up enjoying some really delicious food over the New Year's Eve – or Réveillon, as we call it.

Traditionally, Lentils and Brazilian Style Jeweled Rice cannot be absent from our New Year's feast – which happens only after midnight (yes, we do not eat until after the new year has made its debut). Both dishes are normally served as sides to proteins such as pork or seafood (no chicken or beef allowed in the occasion). This side dishes are colorful, tasty, and they can be prepared somewhat quickly, although their best feature is to bring good fortune in the upcoming year.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy year! Peace, love, and joy. XO- Cynthia

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Avocado-Chimichurri Skirt Steak with Mashed Cauliflower

Red meat isn’t always seen as a healthy meal choice. A juicy and delicious steak is, many times, seen as a heavy, hard to digest, fatty kind of dinner. As much as I love steak, I do find myself avoiding from “Monday-through-Friday”, which gives it the status of a weekend indulgence.

Growing up in the Southern part of Brazil, where meat is the go-to protein, I used to not think of meat that way at all. We had red meat on our table almost every day. It wasn’t a crazy, gigantic 16 ounces portion of rib-eye; at a daily basis, smaller portions of meat were served as the main course at every table. Forget about those standardized, all-you-can-eat, Brazilian steak houses. Those are, indeed, a weekend indulgence. On week days, steak is always portioned right.

November is celebrated as the “Eat Smart Month” by the American Heart Association, and I was thrilled to be invited to be part of it. Their big fundraising event was sponsored by NBC Channel 8 in Tampa, and my job was to show viewers how to prepare a colorful and healthy meal. They asked me if I could look at their recipe file to possibly find something we could develop together. Since the cause is one worth embracing, I decided to be open minded.

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Coconut Frapê Cake (Bolo Frapê da Tia Dorian)

Fall has just started and, although it barely feels like fall in Florida, our brains have that shift of mood and we begin to crave comfort foods. This is the season to get cozy with family and friends, and everything remind us of that feeling of togetherness. It is so nice!

I learned to love fall once I moved to the US, since in Brazil we don’t truly have all the four seasons. For me, fall sometimes makes me miss my family in Brazil even more. It also makes me crave the sensations and flavors that I experienced with them growing up.

Read more: Coconut Frapê Cake (Bolo Frapê da Tia Dorian)