Warm Portabello Salad

We all (probably) have a food out there that we really just do not enjoy. For me, I find mushrooms to be just unappetizing in every way. Periodically I try to eat them, but often find they return to my (very short) list of foods I avoid.

How then can you explain the mystery when in my produce box appeared this large almost romantically beautiful portabella mushroom? It sat in my fridge for 3 days. And every time I opened the door it seemed to be calling out to me, begging for my attention. One day, I couldn't take it any longer and I gave in. But, how would I enjoy this mushroom when half way through I knew it would once again feel slimy, taste dirty and remind me of its manure filled origin.

The only solution was to add as many of my favorite foods, while still highlighting this mysterious fungus.

First step: butter. I knew the taste would be a challenge therefore adding a bit of butter might help me to dive deeper into the mushroom. After I sliced the mushroom paper thin, I lightly sautéed them in a drizzle of coconut oil with just a bit of butter. The slices of portabella were ecstatic as they danced with the two fabulous fats, but I couldn't stop adding flavor. Thyme, white wine, and then as if a glorious cherry on top I splashed the mess with balsamic. It was a powerful punch and the sizzle and puff of smoke were almost overwhelming.

As the mushrooms melted with flavor I threw a large pile of one of my favorite, bitter greens, arugula into the middle of a salad plate. Once the portabella was satisfyingly hot I spread it onto the greens and watched them sigh and wilt slightly under the heat. I then shaved long slivers of parmesan cheese and a handful of crunched up fresh walnuts to decorate the top. My artwork was complete, but now for the taste by my worst critic... myself!

I loved it. The mushrooms are vinegary, but almost caramelized, the arugula bites back with bitterness that is sweetly met by the walnuts, which complement the rustic charm of the parmesan. So simple and yet my mysterious mushroom craving was finally met. Now, when I talk about mushrooms, I say I prefer not to eat them, unless of course they are in my Warm Portabella Salad.

Warm Portabella Salad
Serves 4-6

2 large portabellas, rinsed & dried to remove the dirt
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or other high heat vegetable oil)
1 tablespoon butter
3 sprigs fresh thyme
¼ cup white wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 cups argula and/or spinach
¼ cup walnuts, broken into pieces
2 ounces parmesan cheese, peeled

To begin, lay the portabella on the rounder side and slice thin. In a medium skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once it becomes hot and liquid-y add in the butter. As soon as the butter starts to sizzle, spread the mushroom slices in the pan. Allow to sizzle on one side for 4-6 minutes until it is lightly golden. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Continue until all slices are sautéed. When the pan is full of the cooked up mushrooms, add in the leaves of the fresh thyme and the white wine. Allow the wine to absorb for about 1 minute and then toss in the balsamic vinegar. Take care not to inhale the balsamic fumes.
Arrange the arugula and/or spinach on plates or in a salad bowl. Drizzle the balsamic sauce and portabellas on top of the greens, sprinkle with the walnuts and top with the Parmesan strips.

Here are a few other dishes for those who LOVE mushrooms:
Earthy Fig, Chicken & Mushroom Salad - I love the idea of adding Figs!
Bacon, Mushroom, Asparagus Salad -and adding bacon is always a good idea for masking a least favorite food ;)

Brain fry (Moollai poriyal)

Very easy to cook item. Children will love this. Similar to egg. So cooked along with egg to increase the quantity. Little bit sweet in taste. So those who want it to be hot can add chili powder to the recipe. This is made just like scrambled egg.

Ingredients
Goat brain-1
Chopped onions-handful
Green chili -3 or chili powder-1 teaspoon
Eggs-2
Pepper powder-1 teaspoon
Procedure
Chop the onions and the chili. Break the eggs and beat it a little. Add the brain into the egg and mix it well. I always use my hand to smash the brain and mix it nicely into the egg so that it gets mixed well. Add the pepper powder also into this. In a kadai in one teaspoon of oil sauté the onions and the chili and once it is sauted, add the egg brain mix and stir continuously. The whole thing will turn like egg scramble. Those who want the fry to be hot can add little bit chili powder into the egg brain mix. Brain will get cooked fast. So the cooking time will just be 5 to 6 minutes in low fire.

“Refogar” - a quintessential technique in Brazilian cooking

  

            Nearly all Brazilian dishes start with a “refogado”, that is, chopped onion and/or garlic (see variations below) sautéed in vegetable oil - or some other fat - until golden brown. To this, the ingredients to be cooked are added and briefly sautéed before the addition of liquids (if any). It is that simple, but it can make a huge difference in the final dish. For example: it is this initial step that sets Brazilian rice apart from other rice cooking methods, giving the grains a chewier and firmer texture, as well as a sautéed onion flavor.

            “Refogar” (the verb) can be the initial and, sometimes, the only cooking technique used to prepare a vegetable, as you will see from the recipes bellow. But most often it works as the “browning” step for braising (to cook food slowly in a small amount of liquid), a technique which is also widely used in Brazilian cuisine.

            The secret to a good “refogado” is: i) chop all the ingredients about the same size, so they will cook uniformly; ii) add garlic (if using) after onion, as it browns much faster; iii) sauté onion, garlic, etc. until golden brown, over moderate to high heat, without covering the pan - to sweat them (cook slowly in fat without browning) will not produce the desired taste and appearance.

            The fat of choice is, again, vegetable oil, although it was pork lard until a few decades ago, before vegetable oil became more readily available - very tasty, but not very healthy considering nowadays lifestyle. You can also use olive oil, butter (preferably clarified, so it will not get burned) and bacon drippings. Here are some other ingredients to include in your “refogado”:

• chopped bacon (use less oil, add onion, etc. only after bacon is golden brown)
• chopped scallion / green onions (add green parts after white ones, if using)
• celery (finely chopped)
• leek (sliced, white parts first)
• green bell pepper (finely chopped, in small quantities)

            Now, a couple of very simple recipes for you to try. They all pair well with Brazilian rice and beans and the protein of your choice (braised pork loin seasoned with salt, black pepper and lime juice, in this picture).

Abóbora refogada

(Braised Squash / Pumpkin)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 Tbsp thinly sliced onion

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

3 cups 1-in cubed peeled pumpkin, butternut or acorn squash

1/2 cup water, approximately

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 Tbsp chopped parsley and/or cilantro

1. In a heavy pan, heat oil over medium heat.

2. Add onion and sauté for a few seconds. Add garlic and sauté until golden brown.

3. Add squash and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add half the water, to start with, and stir well. 

5. Lower the heat and cook, covered, adding more water if necessary, for 15-20 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated and the squash is tender and begins to fall apart.

6. Right before serving, sprinkle with chopped parsley and/or cilantro.

Verdura refogada

(Sautéed Green Leaf Vegetable)

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp finely chopped onion

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

4-5 cups finely shredded collard greens, or kale, or escarole, or mustard greens, or cabbage, or any other tough, green leaf vegetable

salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a large, heavy pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.

2. Add onion and sauté for a few seconds. Add garlic and sauté until golden brown.

3. Add shredded vegetable and toss well so the onion and garlic are not in contact with the bottom of the pan anymore (or they will get too brown and become bitter).

4. Lower the heat, cover the pan and let cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally (or to the doneness of your preference - I like mine al dente). Add a few drops of water, if necessary.

5. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper (Brazilians would probably add pepper only to the cabbage) and serve.

Tip: if you are preparing cabbage, add 1 ripe tomato cut into wedges or cubed to the pan before covering it.

Bom apetite!

Black-Eyed Peas & Collards

I have spent very little time in the Southern states and I am always intrigued by the beautiful and well-established food culture that seems so foreign to my palate. I have cooked for a lovely Southern couple for quite a while now and at the start they commented that my cuisine is more California then Southern and if there is an opportunity to put fat or sugar in a dish- I should go for it. You have to enjoy that license to cook!

I love the idea of black-eyed peas and the simplicity of preparing them even from scratch. I am came up with this recipe when I was following a detox and needed a clean, vegetable-bean dish that felt hearty and filling. Since I am no longer on the detox I occasionally toss in a few ham chunks, but without them this dish is Vegan. To give a smokey flavor I add in one of my favorite spices, smoked paprika which I buy from the lovely Savory Spice Shop. I am sure my clients would tell me without the ham hock in this dish more 'Californian' but what can I say- I spent a few years there and maybe Black-Eyed Peas needed a little West Coast love... or interpretation.

Black-eyed Peas unlike other beans do not need to be soaked prior to cooking. You can throw them in a pot rinsed & dry, cover with water and cook up for 45 minutes to an hour. If you want to speed things up a Pressure Cooker makes beans cook up like pasta- since it is only about 10-12 minutes in a pressure cooker.

Creole Black-eyed Peas with Collard Greens

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans black eyed peas or 2 cups cooked black eyed peas
15 ounce can diced roasted tomatoes
1 (generous) teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tbls fresh oregano
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon hot sauce (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 ounces ham, cut into chunks (optional)

In a large pot over medium heat drizzle in the olive oil, sauté the onion and celery for about 5-6 minutes until tender. Add in the remaining ingredients, except the spicy cayenne, hot sauce and black pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then start adding the spices seasoning to your desired taste. Stir in the ham chunks if using. Serve with the collard greens on the side.


Collard Greens
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced fine
1 bunch of collard greens, rinse of all of the dirt, shake dry & slice into short strips
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the olive oil and garlic. Warm up and once the garlic starts to sizzle slightly (usually soon- so be ready) toss in the collard greens and sauté until the greens have just wilted.

Complete this meal with a side a cornbread! Maybe try out this Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Cornbread.

Here is a Black-eyed Pea Soup with Collards that looks lovely as well!

The "rice-and-beans" of Brazilian food

Rice and beans are so important for Brazilian cuisine that when we say something is “o arroz com feijão” (the rice and beans) of something else, we mean “the basics”, “the foundation”. So, let me try and explain some of the most basic, general differences between Brazilian and North American eating habits and their food staples to start with.

Brazilians usually have three main meals a day - a light breakfast right after waking up, a substantial lunch between noon and 2 pm, and dinner around 7 or 8 pm - in general, lighter than lunch (a full size soup with bread, or a salad, or some pasta, etc).

For breakfast, most people have coffee (strong coffee!), or coffee and milk (called “média”, when it's lighter, or “pingado”, when it's darker), and “pão francês” (similar to a baguette, but smaller and with a softer center - see picture; I’ll write more about it later) with butter. Some people make the meal more substantial by adding some cheese and ham to it, but bacon, sausage and even eggs are regarded as lunch / dinner (or maybe brunch) items, not breakfast. A variety of fresh fruit and their juices, sometimes mixed with milk instead of water, may be consumed as accompaniments. And there’s also the “pão-de-queijo” (a savory tapioca starch roll with cheese)... But this is worth a post itself, so I’ll leave it for later.

For lunch, people usually have rice and beans, a small amount of protein (about 5 oz; beef, chicken and pork are the most popular meats), at least one cooked vegetable (frequently braised) - such as pumpkin, chayote, and broccoli, shown in the first picture of this post - and salad greens (lettuce, arugula, watercress), with tomatoes and/or other raw or cold additions, such as grated carrots or beets, hearts of palm, cucumber and sliced onion.

Well, this is the basic “rule” - which means there are countless exceptions. My point here is just to state that: i) rice and beans are the base of Brazilian cooking, and the preferred accompaniment to everyday meals, as opposed to, say, mashed potatoes in the U.S.; ii) although meat is an important part of the meal, it is usually consumed in smaller amounts. In a country where hunger has been an issue for so long, the “rice-and-beans” diet may have saved many impoverished people from starvation and even malnutrition, as rice and beans, when eaten together, constitute a high-quality, or complete, protein - containing the 20 essential amino acids.   

Brazilian rice is prepared more or less like a pilaf, but the fat of choice is vegetable oil (a plain, flavorless one, preferably) - as you can see in the recipe below. Beans are mostly cooked in a pressure cooker with water only and, after that, seasoned with garlic and salt, among other things (later I’ll post the recipe for cooking beans in a pressure cooker; for now, check the recipe with canned beans).

There are many types of beans in Brazil - the largest consumer and producer of the legume in the world, with approximately 3.5 million tons harvested every year. The most popular beans are “feijão carioca / carioquinha” (similar to pinto beans), with 85% of the market, followed by black beans, with 10% (more common in Rio de Janeiro state, but mandatory in the preparation of the Brazilian national dish, “feijoada” - more soon!). The remaining 5% of sales are specialty beans, such as “jalo”, “fradinho”, “rosinha”, “bolinha”, “branco”, “verde”, “azuki” and “roxinho”.

Brazilian white rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1 cup white rice (long grain)

2 cups cold water, approximately (preferably filtered)

1 tsp salt

- If rice is not pre-washed, rinse it until water is clear and let it dry in a colander before using. Beware that you’re probably going to use less water to prepare it in this case.

- Heat oil in a saucepan and add onion. Fry over medium heat until it is soft and translucent.

- Add rice. Fry, over medium heat, stirring constantly, until grains are whitish and chalky (grains start forming lumps).

- Add 1 1/2 cups of the water and the salt. Stir well. When it starts boiling, lower the heat and cook, partially covered, until water has almost completely evaporated.

- Add remaining water (less, if rice was rinsed) and continue cooking until all water has evaporated and the grains are cooked but slightly al dente (cooking will continue after you turn off the heat).

- Cover the pan, remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Brazilian beans

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon diced bacon (optional)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 (16 oz) can pinto beans (or small black beans), cooked with salt only

1 cup water, approximately (preferably filtered)

salt to taste

1 tsp green onion or chives, finely chopped

- Place the beans in a colander and rinse in cold water until there’s no more frothing on top of the beans.

- Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon, if using, and fry until golden brown.

- Add chopped garlic and fry until golden brown. Lower the heat.

- Add beans and, using the back of a spoon or ladle, smash some of the beans into a paste.

- Add about 1 cup of filtered water. Bring to a slow boil and cook until the broth is thick (heavy cream consistency) and brown colored - you might need to add a little more water. Season to taste with salt. Add chopped green onions or chives before serving.

Bom apetite!