Brazilian White Rice

Brazilian White Rice

Rated: Submitted By: Nandabear Photo By: AZ Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 45 Minutes Servings: 8

"White rice is the main side dish made in Brazil. This is the way my mom would make it and taught my sister and I. What makes this so different is that we fry it in oil with minced onion and garlic before adding water. You can also use part water, part chicken broth. The secret is to not let it overcook because it should come out loose and not sticky."

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups long-grain white rice 2 tablespoons minced onion 2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon salt 4 cups hot water

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Place the rice in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water; set aside.

2.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion in the oil for one minute. Stir in the garlic and cook until the garlic is golden brown. Add the rice and salt and cook and stir until the rice begins to brown. Pour hot water over rice mixture and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover the saucepan, and allow to simmer until the water has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/brazilian-white-rice/detail.aspx

Chili

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds ground beef chuck 1 pound bulk Italian sausage 3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained 1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste 1 large yellow onion, chopped 3 stalks celery, chopped 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped 1 tablespoon bacon bits 4 cubes beef bouillon 1/2 cup beer

1/4 cup chili powder 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon dried oregano 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™) 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon white sugar 1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos® 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
2.	Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3.	After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.
4.	To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/boilermaker-tailgate-chili/detail.aspx

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta
Source: adapted from Chaos in the Kitchen and The Girl Who Ate Everything
Makes: about 3-4 servings

Ingredients:
4-6 ounces fettuccine or linguine 
6 Tablespoons butter, divided 
8 ounces fresh, sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried basil if that's all you have)
2/3 cup boiling water (reserved from your noodle pot)
1 pound cooked shrimp, tail off

Instructions:
1. Boil and generously salt a large pot of water and cook your pasta according to the package directions. If you like your pasta loaded with toppings lean towards 4 ounces of pasta or cook 6 ounces if you like moderate toppings.

2. While your pasta is cooking, cook your shrimp if they are raw for a couple of minutes in a pan or until pink.

3. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and saute mushrooms until soft and brown. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Reserve cooked mushrooms and melt remaining butter in the skillet. Add minced garlic, cream cheese, and herbs. At this point, the cream cheese will look scary and lumpy. Don't worry, it will smooth out later when we add the water.

5. Simmer cream cheese mixture until well blended. Get a scoop (2/3 cup) of boiling pasta water from your noodle pot and mix it in, stirring quickly to smooth out the sauce.

6. Keep sauce hot and add shrimp and mushrooms, mix well and simmer (stirring often) until everything is hot and thickened, about 5-6 minutes.

7. Toss sauce with cooked noodles and serve.

Cream Cheese Pancakes

Yield:
Makes 12 (4-inch) pancakes

Ingredients:
2 cups self-rising flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 to 2 cups milk
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

Combine self-rising flour and sugar in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.

Combine egg and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.

Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto a hot, lightly greased griddle. Cook pancakes until tops are covered with bubbles and edges appear cooked; turn and cook other side. Serve pancakes with warm maple syrup and, if desired, bacon.

Masaman Curry

2 tsp olive oil
1 - 1 1/2 lbs stew meat (any desired meat i.e. chicken or pork)
1/2 large onion
4 - 6 cloves of minced garlic
4 potatoes cubed
3 cans of coconut milk
1 - 2 tbs Masaman curry (we use Mae Ploy)
1 - 2 tsp fish sauce
Handful of cashews
Salt, pepper, seasoning salt

Saute garlic and onions in olive oil until garlic is light brown. Add stew meat (season with seasoning salt and pepper if desired). Brown stew meat with fish sauce. Turn the heat down and add 3 cans of coconut milk, curry, cashews, and potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are done. Add salt to taste. 

Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites & Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

from Created by Diane

1 30 oz package Pillsbury Gingerbread Cookie Dough (refrigerated section)
4 oz cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Roll two teaspoons of cookie dough into a ball for each cookie. Place balls of dough into paper lines mini cupcake/muffin pan. Make a well/indentation into each ball of dough with a flour dipped mini rolling pin or the back of a measurement teaspoon.
Beat room temperature cream cheese with powdered sugar. Stir in vanilla. Place filling into a piping bag, cut off edge of bag. Place one teaspoon of filling into each cookie dough.
Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes or until cookie tested with tooth pick comes out almost clean.
Don't over fill the cookies or filling as they will rise when baked.
Let cool before removing from cupcake pan.


Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Frozen Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie

Makes one 9 inch pie or three 4 inch mini pies. Preparation: Lightly butter springform pan if it is not non-stick. If you do not have a springform pan line a cake pan with a piece of lightly buttered foil leaving a one inch over hang around the edges for easy pie removal or alternately use a traditional pie pan.
Ingredients:

• 24 oreo cookies, crushed
• 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 2 ½ cups Cool Whip
• ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup confectioner sugar
• ½ cup crushed Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

Instructions:
Oreo Crust:

1. Place Oreos in a food processor or blender and pulse until cookies are finely crumbed. Alternatively, place Oreos in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.  Mix in the melted butter and then firmly press crumbs into pan to create a crust. Bake crust at 350 degrees F for 7-10 minutes.

Reese Peanut Butter Pie Filling:

1. Place peanut butter and confectioner sugar in a pan over low heat and stir until combined and peanut butter is melted. Set aside for five minutes to cool. Gently fold in peanut butter mixture into Cool Whip until combined. Gently fold in crushed Reese’s pieces into peanut butter Cool Whip mixture.
2. Pour mixture into Oreo crust and freeze for 3 hours. Garnish with caramel and chocolate drizzle (for added decadence rim with chopped Reese’s pieces).

Cream Puffs

Ingredients

• 2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
•  
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs

Directions

1. Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3. In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.
5. When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells. 

 

from allrecipes.com 

Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups ketchup
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 4 teaspoons hickory-flavored liquid smoke
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, wine vinegar, molasses, liquid smoke and butter. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, celery seed, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper.
2. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for up to 20 minutes. For thicker sauce, simmer longer, and for thinner, less time is needed. Sauce can also be thinned using a bit of water if necessary. Brush sauce onto any kind of meat during the last 10 minutes of cooking. 

 

from allrecipes.com 

Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients

• 7 quarts plain popped popcorn
• 2 cups dry roasted peanuts (optional)
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans. You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans. Add the peanuts to the popped corn if using. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.
3. Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat. Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated.
4. Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes. Line the counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags. 

 

from allrecipes.com 

Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 medium bananas, sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the butter mixture until smooth. Finally, fold in the sour cream, walnuts and bananas. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

from allrecipes.com 

New York Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 15 graham crackers, crushed
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

 

• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving. 

from allrecipes.com

Artisan Bread

I had no idea Artisan Bread was so easy to make until I watched someone make it.  Since then, it's been my go-to bread and has never failed me.

Artisan bread needs a dutch oven-type atmosphere.  We own a ceramic dutch oven but my mother-in-law says it's most important to "create an oven within an oven."  It needs to be a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot like cast iron, enamel, Pyrex, or ceramic.

3 cups flour
1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients into a bowl.  If you want to make a flavored bread, now is the time to add ingredients.  In the past, I have added garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and grated Parmesan cheese.  If you are adding other ingredients, increase yeast to 1/2 tsp.

1 1/2 cups water

Add water to the dry ingredients and mix until all flour is incorporated.  The dough will be stiff.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap.  Let dough rest for 12-18 hours at about 70 degrees.  However, I've stopped the resting at 7-8 hours and the bread has turned out fine.

You will know the dough is done resting when there are little bubbles dotting the surface of the dough.

After the rest, place dough on well-floured work surface and lightly sprinkle dough with flour.  Create a surface tension by gently kneading the dough for about 7-8 kneads.

Place dough into a well-sprayed non-stick bowl.  I usually use the same bowl and cover the inside of the bowl with non-stick cooking spray.  Place dough into bowl, seam side down.

Cover the bowl.  Let the dough rise for 2 hours.  Dough will be ready when it has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

After dough has been rising for about 1 1/2 hours, preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place covered 6-8 quart pot in the oven for 30 minutes.

When dough has risen for 2 hours, carefully remove HOT pot from oven.  Turn dough over into the pot (seam side should be up).  Cover and bake for about 25 minutes.  At this point, my bread is always done but you can also uncover the pot and continue baking for about 5-10 minutes or until browned.

Cool on wire rack before cutting.

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Enchilada Sauce

10 soft taco shells
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan
2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.
5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

From Joyful Momma's Kitchen