Moqueca (easier version)

2 lbs. of fish filets, cut in large portions
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 large tomatoes, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
3 cups coconut milk
2 Tbsp of dendê (palm) oil
juice of one lime
1 bunch cilantro
2 Tbsp of green onions, chopped
2 Tbps of parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Marinate the fish filets with salt, pepper and lime juice for 1/2 hour. Sauté garlic, onion, tomatoes, peppers, green onions, parsley and cilantro in palm oil for about two minutes; add fish and coconut milk. Cook for about 15 minutes in low or until fish is cooked. Serve with white rice and dendê farofa. Serves 4.

Taken from: http://www.maria-brazil.org/moqueca.htm

Feijoada (Brazilian Black Beans)

8 cups dried black beans
3 pounds carne seca (Brazilian salted cured beef)
2 pounds sweet sausage (I use Portuguese choriço when available)
2 pounds baby back spareribs
2 bay leaves
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil

The night before, soak the beans in a large bowl with water to cover at least 3-4 inches. Soak the carne seca in water to cover. The next morning, drain the beans and place in a large pot with water to cover by at least 3 inches. Bring the beans to a boil in medium heat.

Meanwhile, cut the carne seca into 1-inch pieces. Cut the sausage into 1-inch pieces. (When I use the Portuguese sausage I usually prick it with a fork and simmer it for ten minutes in enough water to cover; then I cut it.) Cut the ribs into 2-rib sections.

Add the carne seca, sausage, ribs and bay leaves to the beans. Simmer for about 2 hours or until soft (Goya brand black beans usually take about 2 hours) , stirring from time to time, adding water as necessary to keep beans covered. Keep an eye on the beans so they don't burn at the bottom!

Chop the onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden brown. Add two ladlefuls of beans and mash them. Put this back into the pot. It will thicken and season the beans.

Continue to simmer gently for at least another hour, adding water as necessary. A good feijoada should have a creamy consistency when done. Remove the bay leaves. Some people take the meats out at this point and serve them separately on a platter. I like to leave them in with the beans, it keeps them hot. Serve the feijoada and garnishes in ceramic bowls and platters, it will add a touch of authenticity!

To serve feijoada, put a mound or rice on your plate and place a ladleful or two of feijoada on top. Arrange oranges and couve around the sides. Sprinkle the beans and couve with farofa and add a spoonful of sauce to the side.

From: http://www.maria-brazil.org/feijoada.htm

Strawberry Margaria Smoothie

2 ounces tequila
1 ounce triple sec
3 ounces lime juice
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
Sweetner to taste
1/2 cup crushed ice
Salt to rim the glass

Preparation
Puree in blender until smooth. Garnish with a strawberry on the rim.
http://www.smoothieweb.com/

Frostie Fruit Smoothie Recipe

Simple and elegant, for a smoothie. The pineapple juice really give it a taste kick.

3/4 cup chilled pineapple juice
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 ripe banana
ice cubes
Place all ingredients in blender. Process until smooth.

http://www.smoothieweb.com/

One Pan Chili Chicken

2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken cut into cubes
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/2 pound small red potatoes cut into quarters, about 8 potatoes
Coarse salt
Cracked pepper
1 cup shredded carrots
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (15 ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
3/4 cups long grain rice
1 1/2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas

Heat the oil in a non-stick paella pan, wok pan or 12-inch skillet. Add the chicken, and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the onions and potatoes and cook, stirring often, until onions have softened and are lightly golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add carrots, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, tomatoes, rice, broth and the cooked chicken. If it appears too dry, add more liquid. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove cover, add the peas to the top without stirring in. Cover and cook 5 minutes more or until rice is cooked through and soft.

[Morph] This is super easy to turn into a seafood mock paella by adding shrimp, clams, scallops or pieces of fish during the last 5 to 8 minutes of cooking. Or reheat leftover One Pan chicken chili on the stove with some water or chicken stock to moisten. Place shellfish on top and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the shellfish opens. Discard any that don't open.

[Morph] Thin the batch out with chicken broth or canned tomatoes and water to soup consistency and you've got a super hearty stew/soup meal.

Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis per serving
Calories 370.1
Fat 6.8 g
Saturated Fat 1.6 g
Carbohydrates 47.8 g
Fiber 7.5 g
Protein 28.4 g
Recipe courtesy Kathleen Daelemans
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_22556,00.html?rsrc=search

Thai Shrimp Stir-fry with Tomatoes and Basil - Slimmed

You won't have to sacrifice taste or satisfaction to save calories with our Thai Shrimp Stir-fry. With 400 fewer calories than a similar sized serving of Shrimp Scampi, this is a dish worth trying.


2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons Southeast Asian fish sauce
4 teaspoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon grated, peeled, fresh ginger
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 medium red onion, cut in 1-inch dice
1 medium yellow pepper, seeded, cut in 1-inch dice
1 jalapeno chile, thinly sliced into rounds
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Serving suggestion: Jasmine rice

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, fish sauce, and sugar; set aside. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and chile flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until pink but still translucent in the middle, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the onion, pepper, and chile to the skillet, and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan along with the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil, and stir-fry until the sauce glazes the shrimp, about 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes and stir until coated with sauce, about 15 seconds. Remove pan from the heat, stir in the basil, mint, and lime juice. Transfer to a serving dish, serve immediately.

From: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_21495,00.htmlCopyright 2003 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Nutrition Information
Calories 286

Fat 13g
Saturated Fat 2g

Carbohydrates 17g

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Fresh Herbs and Ginger

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, like soy or peanut

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 ounces each

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 tablespoon)

3 tablespoons chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned

2 teaspoons finely grated ginger

1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn

2 tablespoons packed fresh mint leaves, torn

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and place them skin side down in the pan. Cook, turning once, until firm to the touch, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate.

Add the lime juice to the skillet, and scrape up any browned bits that cling to the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken broth and ginger, and bring to a boil. Off the heat, add the basil and mint to the pan and swirl the pan to combine.

Divide the chicken between the 2 plates and spoon the herb sauce over the chicken. Serve.

Low Carb Recipe From Food Network Kitchens

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Waffles

- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 to 7 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups milk

Preheat the waffle iron. Sift the dry indredients into a medium sized bowl. Separate the eggs, putting the egg whites in smaller bowl. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff. (If you are using an electric mixer, you can beat the egg whites first, then beat the batter without having to wash the beaters. The reverse is not true. If you beat the batter first and you have to wash the beaters before beating the egg whites.) Add the egg yolks, oil and milk all at one time to the dry indredients. Beat until there are no lumps in the batter. Fold the egg whites into the other batter using a spatula or other flat utinsel. Put a full 1/2 cup of batter in your waffle iron to make a 9-inch round waffle. This recipe makes about eight 9 inch waffles.
If this recipe makes too many waffles for one setting, try freezing the waffles you do not eat. After the waffles have been cooked in the waffle iron, put them out on a cooling rack. When they are cool, place them in a plastic bag taking out as much air from the bag as possible. Then freeze the bag of waffles. The next time you want a quick waffle, microwave one from the freezer for about 45 to 60 seconds. They are almost as good as fresh waffles.

From Joy of Cooking/http://lonestar.texas.net/~fitch/recipies/waffles.html

Suco de Abacaxi com Hortelã (Pineapple and Mint Juice)

Por porção: 49 calorias
Ingredientes
- 1/2 xícara (chá) de abacaxi descascado e picado (1/2 cup of pineapple, peeled and chopped)

- 200 ml de água (a little over 3/4 C)

- 5 folhas de hortelã (5 mint leaves)

- adoçante a gosto (sugar to taste)

- gelo a gosto (ice to taste)

Modo de Preparo
1. No liquidificador, junte todos os ingredientes e bata até obter um líquido homogêneo. (In a blender, add all the ingredients together and blend until you obtain a homogeneous liquid)

2. Desligue o liquidificador e transfira o suco para um copo. (Turn off the blender and tranfer to glasses)

3. Sirva a seguir. (Serve)

From: http://panelinha.ig.com.br/site_novo/receita/receita.php?id=1182

Moqueca de Camarao (shrimp stew, Bahian style)

(Serves 4)

Plan ahead, the shrimp needs to marinate for 30 minutes.
Juice of 1 lemon
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Black pepper to taste
1 cup thin coconut milk*
1/2 cup thick coconut milk*
2 to 3 tablespoons dende oil**

Make a marinade with lemon, onion, garlic, vinegar and salt. Marinate the shrimp for 30 minutes. Put mixture into a sauce pan and add cilantro, tomato paste and black pepper to taste. Add thin coconut milk and cook over low heat until the shrimp are cooked. Add the thick coconut milk and dende oil. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
Serve with rice.
*Bottled or canned coconut milk can be substituted. Also see recipe.
**Dende oil is a palm oil high in saturated fat. It is available in specialty food stores.

from: http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/brazil/moqueca.html