Feijoada is Brazil’s stew of choice for lazy Saturdays and potluck Sundays. At it’s absolute best, Feijoada is a massive pool of black beans piled high with a glorious assortment of meat. One plateful will provide enough slow-burning energy for a marathon, although you won’t be able to run after eating it! This is definitely a meal for elastic pants. Originally, Feijoada was made with pig ears, tails, and feet. Today, this hearty dish is typically made with dried beef (carne seca) and pork meats – usually sausages, like paio, and ribs. According to my Brazilian classmate from high school, “cow tongue is also super popular (and yummy).” Like chili in the USA or Beef Bourguignon in France, there are as many recipes as there are mammas (and papas) cooking. Serve Feijoada with farofa (manioc flour pan-toasted in butter), sweet orange slices, and white rice. Sauteed kale is a popular side dish too. Although this green is bitter, you’ll be glad you made it because feijoada sends diners begging for veggies to balance out the beans …
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Serves 2-4 I love this easy, no-nonsense, super healthy side dish from Botswana. Simply steam spinach in its own juices until all the vegetables are soft. If you’d like to leave the tomatoes a little firmer, add them half way through cooking. Ingredients: 1 lb baby spinach 1 large onion, sliced thinly 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 green pepper, sliced thinly oil salt pepper Method: 1. Add all ingredients to a large skillet or wok. Cover and heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until all vegetables are soft. Serve hot. The thinner the onion, the quicker it will cook and become tender. Look how pretty – you can see the knife through the onion! 🙂 ‘ Bostwanan Stewed Spinach Greens Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe I love this easy, no-nonsense, super healthy side dish from Botswana. Simply steam spinach in its own juices until all the vegetables are soft. If you’d like to leave the tomatoes a little firmer, add them half way through cooking. CourseSides …
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Serves 2-4 Prebranac is rich, comforting, and tasty. This baked bean dish is like a warm hug from Bosnia, the “Heart of Europe.” The key is to slowly cook the onion until the golden, sweetness develops. I will be making Prebranac over and over again. I suggest you do the same! 🙂 Ingredients: 1 cup dry Lima beans, cooked (or 2 cans, drained) 2 medium onions, chopped 1/8 cup olive oil 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 Tbsp paprika seasoning salt pepper 1 Tbsp of flour Method: 1. Preheat oven to 400F. Heat up olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden. 2. Add garlic, paprika, flour, salt, and pepper. Cook a few minutes until spices are fragrant and flour is moistened. 3. Add beans and stir to combine. 4. Pour into a casserole and bake until crusty on top, about 15 minutes. Enjoy hot! Just look at all those ooey-gooey, sweet onions! Awesome. Balkan Baked Beans | Prebranac Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Prebranac is rich, comforting, and tasty. This baked …
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Serves 4 Bolivian peanut soup is a delightful way to serve up good old fashioned meat and potatoes. Cook this soup gentle and slow. If you do, the beef will be moist and tender and the potatoes will bursting with the flavor of their juices. The most unusual part of this soup is biting into the occasional crunchy peanut. Serve with Bolivian Hot Sauce. Ingredients: olive oil (or peanut oil) 1 large onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp cumin 1 lb beef, cubed 1 quart stock (beef, or chicken, depending on the meat you chose – even water works in a pinch) 4 medium potatoes 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts 1/4 cup white rice 1/2 cup frozen peas 1 cup milk parsley, to taste salt pepper Method: 1. Add some oil to a large pot and heat over medium. Cook onion and garlic with oregano and cumin. When onions are softened, add beef, stock, potato, and peanuts. Simmer gently until potatoes are just tender. I cooked this soup on super low …
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Serves 4 This crab dish contains a classic Beninese combination: onion, pepper, and tomato. Please use fresh tomatoes… I only had canned and the flavor of the can totally takes over (in a bad way). I know, I know. I should have my blog taken away from me for doing it, but I forgot to buy fresh at the store. Just proof that I’m human 🙂 Ingredients: 1-2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup onion, minced 1/2 cup diced tomato (I didn’t have fresh on hand so I had to use canned. I just chopped them a little finer) 1/2 serrano chili, minced (1 Tbsp of more mild jalepeno or even milder poblano can be substituted) 1/2 lb fresh lump crabmeat 3 medium eggs salt & pepper about 1/2 cup bread crumbs or gari Method: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Add garlic, onion, tomato, chili pepper, crabmeat, egg, salt, and pepper to a medium bowl. 2. Spoon into 4 ramekins (these hold 3/4 cup ) (or clean crab shells, if you have access to them). 3. Sprinkle evenly with bread …
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Serves 2-4 Although there are many variations on Stew Chicken, most traditional recipes keep it simple – just chicken, red recado, onion, and water. I added bell pepper, Habanero, and lime juice because this variation seems a little more lively. Ingredients: 2 lbs chicken (I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs because I didn’t want all the work of a whole chicken this time) 1/2 cup red recado (see recipe) 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 Habanero, optional a splash fresh lime juice or vinegar to taste Method: 1. Marinate chicken in red recado overnight (or for at least 1 hour) 2. Heat up oil in a pot over medium. Add chicken and brown in batches as necessary. 3. Remove chicken and add bell pepper and onion and cook until soft. 4. Return chicken to the pot. Toss in optional Habanero (whole for mild spice, or cut up for an intense heat). Cover chicken with water. 5. Stew chicken until meat is falling apart (or off the bones, if you use bone-in meat). Add …
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What is Red Recado? Red Recado is a seasoning paste used throughout Central America, particularly the Yucatan peninsula. The paste tastes strongly of annato and ancho chili powder, an earthy blend a little bit like paprika or saffron. However, because there are several other ingredients included in Red Recado, the flavor profile is much more complex and so totally different. Some say that chicken cannot be served in Belize without Red Recado. This week we’re making “Stew Chicken” with our recipe for Recado. If you order Recado online you’ll find the seasoning comes in a pasty ball that gets dissolved into your cooking liquid. My recipe is more like a wet mud mask. Hmm. That’s not too appealing. Let’s say it’s more like super tasty red mud. 🙂 Warnings: Annato is used as a dye in food, cheese, and clothing. Use caution when handling or you’ll end up with stained fingers or permanently splattered clothing. Recipe: The three hard to obtain ingredients in Red Recado are annato seed, Mexican oregano, and ancho chili powder. I …
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Serves 2-4 (on a bed of French fries) Stoofvlees is a typical stew in that there are as many variations as there are people making it. Depending where you live in Belgium, Stoofvlees might have more or less vinegar, slightly different spices, and a textural range from soupy to thick and sludgy. My thick, hearty version sits well on fries, but if you want it more “soupy,” feel free to add more beef stock. Ingredients: For the marinade 1 pound stew beef, cubed 1 onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 rosemary sprig 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/4 tsp pepper 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tbsp coarse mustard 2 tbsp oil For the stew vegetable oil 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 1/2 cup Belgian beer 1 – 1 1/2 cups beef broth 2 bay leaves 1 Tbsp molasses salt pepper Method: 1. Add meat to a small casserole with lid (or plastic bag). Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over meat and squish around to combine. Refrigerate for at least an …
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Serves 6 This soup is popular all over eastern Europe, specifically in the Ukraine. This version hails from Belarus where they add big chunks of potatoes. The longer it cooks, the happier this Borshch tastes. Ingredients: 1 large onion, chopped 1-2 large russet potatoes, as desired 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 beets, diced 2 carrots, sliced 2 turnips, diced 1/2 a green cabbage, sliced thinly 6 oz can of tomato paste 1 Tbsp sugar 2 Tbsp vinegar salt and pepper 32 oz beef stock water as needed sour cream, for garnish (optional, leave out for vegan) Method: 1. In a large pot, cook onion in vegetable oil until soft and slightly golden. Add the rest of the ingredients, except sour cream. Add water as needed to “cover” all the veggies. NOTE: I added the beets after the cabbage had some time to cook down, making room in the pot. 3. Bring to a low simmer and cook for at least an hour. I simmered mine for a couple of hours and the flavor was wonderful. Here it …
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Serves 4 Peas n’ Rice really is “beans” and rice. This savory side will go with almost anything – chicken, pork, fish, vegetables – especially grilled or roasted. In Barbados Peas n’ Rice is often served with fried fish. Ingredients: 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, diced 1 Anaheim pepper, minced 1 habanero pepper, minced (optional) 3 cups water + extra as needed 1/2 cup dried black eyed peas, soaked overnight 1 1/2 cups rice 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 Tbsp fresh parsley Method: 1. In a large pot, add oil and fry onion, Anaheim pepper, and habanero pepper (if using) until golden, about 15 minutes. Add the black eyed peas, stir and sauté for about 5 minutes. 2. Add 3 cups of water, and simmer covered until the peas are almost done (just slightly hard still). This might take 45 minutes or so. Just taste a bean every once in a while. 3. Add salt, pepper, and rice. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for about 3o minutes or until rice is done, stirring occasionally. …
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Makes about 7 average fish cakes Two kinds of fish cakes are popular in Barbados: deep-fried balls and pan-fried patties. This recipe makes lovely golden pan-fried patties. The sweet potato in these Bajan Fish Cakes is subtle and provides a great variation for those who don’t like a lot of heat. Serve with hot sauce for those who enjoy it! Ingredients: 1/2 lb cooked sweet potato (about 1/2 an average sweet potato) 1/8 cup milk (only add as needed) 1/2 onion, grated (about 1/8 cup) You can also mince the onion if you want the texture, but you may need more milk to make up for minced onions not being as wet as grated. 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 egg, beaten 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley 12 ounces skinned, deboned, cooked mahi mahi (or other white fish) Tip: The skin is thick. Have them remove it at the fish market, you’ll save the cost of several ounces 1/2 cup flour for dredging vegetable oil for deep-frying Method: 1. Mash sweet potato, using only …
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Serves 4 The haunting spice of the panch phoron (fennel seed, mustard seed, black nigella, golden fenugreek and brown cumin seed) really makes this dish unique. Panch phoron is not blended into a powder. Instead the seeds are added whole, creating a subtle crunch. Very tasty variation on spinach. Ingredients: 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 3 green chili peppers 1 small onion sliced thinly 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp panch phoron 1 lb chopped, frozen spinach 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper Method: 1. Heat the oil in a skill over medium-high. Add chili and toast for 2 minutes. 2. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and panch phoron. Spices will start to pop and crackle when ready. 3. Add spinach, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to meld. Spinach Bhaji | Palong Shaak Bhaji) Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe The haunting spice of the panch phoron (fennel seed, mustard seed, black nigella, golden fenugreek and brown cumin seed) really makes this …
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