Brazilian Stroganoff (Estrogonofe de Carne)

Believe me or not, this recipe is comfort food in Brazil! Down there, it is served with white rice on the side, instead of pasta. This traditional Brazilian recipe is fairly easy and quick to make and everyone has it's own version. My recipe has some gret flavors from rosemary, cognac (or brandy), brown sugar, and fresh mushrooms. The use of good quality, tender steak is important; since the meat is seared and then cooked for just a few minutes into sauce. I hope my friends from all over the world (including Brazil) enjoy this easy dish!

Read more: Brazilian Stroganoff (Estrogonofe de Carne)

White Wine, Paprika, and Rosemary Marinated Pork Tenderloin

This dish is perfect for outdoor entertaining.  Enjoy this light, delicious meal with a side of roasted asparagus, and, of course, a glass of Pinot!

Read more: White Wine, Paprika, and Rosemary Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Apricot-Cranberry Pork Chops

This recipe was one of those situations when I had a few ingredients on hand but no recipe to use them, so I went online, googled some things, added some twists and Voila!

Read more: Apricot-Cranberry Pork Chops

Eggplant Cannelloni

I don’t just make this dish just because it tastes great. I also make it because it is a delicious way for me to watch my carbs!

Read more: Eggplant Cannelloni

Tenderloin Strips with Orange and Cognac Sauce

This dish is one of my husband's favorites. That's how I got him to marry me!

Read more: Tenderloin Strips with Orange and Cognac Sauce

Fake and Steak

This is a low-carb dish, but being low-carb is not the main purpose of this recipe. It's main purpose is simply to be delicious! So feel free to use the steak sauce over diferent bases like pasta or rice. You can also use the spaghetti squash with other sauces, like white sauce with chicken. The idea here is to experiment with a healthy and delicious ingredient.

Read more: Fake and Steak

Steak Lulu with Gnocchi

When a Brazilian girl decides to venture in the Italian cuisine, the result has to be a little unusual... And very delicious! In this recipe, the gnocchi is submerged into this abundant sauce, loaded with steak strips and unexpected flavors (at least under an Intalian's perspective) of red bell peppers and scallions. This steak sauce recipe is versatile, because it goes well over different kinds os pastas and rices; but my husband's favorite is over gnocchi, probably because unconsciously he relates this to a steak and potato dinner. In fact my husband loves this dish so much he decided to give it a cute name: Steak Lulu with Gnocchi (not sure if you will think it's cute, but we did). Easy and delicious, this is a great dish for a cold evening! Enjoy with a glass of red wine, just like a true Italian would.

Read more: Steak Lulu with Gnocchi

Brazilian Baked Cauliflower “Rice” (Arroz-de-Forno de Couve-Flor)

In the last year or so, cauliflower has become a trend ingredient for healthy lifestyle. With this versatile vegetable, people have figured out ways to make low carb recipes in which the cauliflower usually replaces the flour, or rice.

I don’t always go for those trends, but this time I believe this fashion will survive the test of time and simply become a regular item on people’s diet. The reason? Cauliflower makes truly delicious tacos, pizza doughs, fried rice, etc… It’s not something I eat just because “today is Monday so I will try and cut my carbs”. I make and eat recipes in which the carbs are replaced by cauliflower because I enjoy them!

In Brazil, rice is on our table every day. And oh my, we tend to make a boat load of rice at once! So, of course, this often leaves us with more rice than the family can possibly eat. To put those leftovers to good use, Brazilians usually make “Arroz-de-Forno” which consists of leftover rice that is mixed with ANY other ingredient that is available, then baked in the oven with a ton of cheese. It’s comfort food that is often served for Sunday lunch. It’s creamy and cheesy – and by using those two words to describe this dish, you already know that it is delicious! 

I recently used cauliflower in lieu of rice on this recipe, and it turned out just as good! My mom said that she found it comforting, yet lighter if compared to the regular recipe. But she said that she did not miss the rice at all.

You can use all sorts of pantry ingredients that you like. I keep mine very Brazilian – well, I tend to have a very “Brazilian pantry” – so hearts-of-palm, corn, chicken, tomatoes, media crema, and scallions are always there, but you don’t have to limit yourself to those. When I have olives, split peas, and other fresh herbs, I like to throw in the pan too. And lots of cheese of course – which can be any kind that you like – in this case I used a mix of gruyere and swiss that I found in my fridge, but you can use mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, or whatever you have on hand.

This “clean your pantry” meal is easy, low in carbs, and lighter than its regular version. So, if you haven’t yet tried riced cauliflower, you are missing out! Enjoy!

Read more: Brazilian Baked Cauliflower “Rice” (Arroz-de-Forno de Couve-Flor)

Coxinha (Brazilian Chicken Croquette)

It's been a really long time since I've been wanting to share a recipe for Coxinha. I love this Brazilian traditional snack SO MUCH, that the recipe had to be more than perfect… So my recipe had to be perfected to the point of this being the best Coxinha recipe ever.

Well, first of all, if you are Brazilian or if you have ever been to Brazil, chances are that you know Coxinha. It is one of the most popular finger foods/appetizers/snacks down there. Recipes and sizes can vary quite a bit, but the one thing that all of the Coxinhas have in common is its “chicken leg” shape – in fact, Coxinha literally translates to “little chicken leg”. I am not going to lie, achieving that shape can be time consuming. Making Coxinhas is the perfect example of labor of love… Time consuming, but absolutely worth it!

I usually make Coxinhas when there is someone around who can help me. Then, it can become a lot of fun! This time, it was a total family affair… My parents were around, so my dad helped with the pictures and my mom helped with shaping the little chicken legs. In between sips of wine, watching the boys, and frying some batches in advance (we were so hungry and excited to try that we had to fry a few even before they were all ready) we had a great time during the process!

In Brazil, Coxinhas are sold at “lanchonetes” or “confeitarias” (snack stores), and at bars (as an appetizer to have while enjoying a cold beer). They are also served in birthday parties – usually a smaller, finger food style version. For me, hands down, the Coxinha from the “confeitaria” Edelweiss in Curitiba (where I grew up) had always been the absolute best one! Well, so far… I will never forget the face that my husband did when he tried a bite of the Coxinha I served him… It was like he had died and gone to haven at that second!! It turned out that amazing!!

Read more: Coxinha (Brazilian Chicken Croquette)

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Casseroles are the go-to dinner for weeknight family meals: they usually feed a ton of people and, even better, left-overs from casseroles are delicious the next day too! My Chicken Enchilada Casserole is definitely one of those meals. Yet pretty simple to make, I have decided to give you two alternative recipes for the method to use for preparing the chicken. You know me; I am a girl who goes for full flavors… So the first option involves roasting a whole bird, which results in a more flavorful and moister sauce. If you don’t have the time or patience, you can definitely use chicken breast instead. One last thing, this recipe was modified from the Chicken Enchilada Casserole I ate 3 weeks ago at my Husband’s aunt’s (Angie Dennig). Her good friend, Jean Ricchiute, made a recipe that had me craving more and more. I could not stop stop thinking about it, that’s how good it was (yes, pregnancy does that sort of stuff). So huge thank you to Jean for sharing the recipe that inspired me to make my own Chicken Enchilada Casserole. I hope you enjoy!

Read more: Chicken Enchilada Casserole