Canadian Brasilian Recipes

Chili Sem Carne

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 15:45:00 +0000

For those of you who loved our first recipe, Chili Con Carne, here is an invention by Urso Branco, me. It is Chili Sem Carne or Chili without Meat. Vegetarians will love this!

Have you ever started to make your favourite dish and then realized you had not bought the major ingredient? Just imagine you were going to make Chili Con Carne and you had no carne and the stores were all closed.

What do you do? Abandon the recipe? NO! Just make the same recipe but without the carne.

The creating is done exactly the same as our recipe for Chili Con Carne . . just leave out the carne.

In this recipe you can add whatever vegetable you like.

Cut up the onions in small pieces and put them in the pan.

Peel and chop the tomatoes and put in the pan with the onions.

For extra flavour, add a chopped green pepper.

Mix them all in the pan.

Add the Club House chili dust or substitute your own mix of spices.

Add kidney beans or beans of your choice.

Add Black Pepper, or Chili Pepper to taste.

Cook for 1 hour to blend all the tastes.

Hints for serving Chili Sem Carne!

You can boil potatoes with or without the skins and pour the Chili Sem Carne over them,

Put a bowl of Pasta on the table with the Chili SEm Carne served in a bowl.

Pour the Chili Sem Carne over the Pasta.

You can use mashed potatoes instead of whole potatoes.

If you have lots of liquid you can use toast to sop up the liquid or pour Chili Sem Carne over the toast.

You can do the same with plain white or brown bread and cover it with Chili Sem Carne.

Whichever serving method you use it will be absolutely delicious. I have eaten Chili Sem Carne using all these serving styles.

Of course you serve Chili Con Carne exactly the same ways!

Enjoy!!!

Photos by Urso Branco

Abacaxi! Abacaxi! Abacaxi!

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:52:00 +0000

This is not a Canadian Brasilian Recipe but it is so delicious I had to show it to you.

A vendor drives around town with a truckload of Abacaxi (Pineapple) for sale at R$2 each.

He has a ten minute recorded message that talks non stop about his Abacaxi! Abacaxi! Abacaxi! Doce! Doce! Doce! Sweet! Sweet! Sweet! Pineapple.

We see him about once a month and always buy five to appease my sweet tooth. These ones are still a little green but they will be perfect in a couple days or so.

One guy drives the truck while two guys run the street giving samples to people.

This guy was too shy to show his face but he will gladly let you have a free sample.

The truck is loaded with 1000 abacaxi.

We bought five and brought them home.

This is how a Canadian prepares abacaxi. He lets his Brasilian wife do the work!!!

First she cuts off the top.

Then she cuts off the bottom!

Then she slices off the sides!

The delicious treasure is exposed!

Almost done!

She discards the outer peel and slices the inside lengthways.

She cuts all the sides and leaves the hard core. I like to eat the hard core so there is no waste.

She cuts the abacaxi into smaller pieces and puts them in her serving pan!

As a final step . . .The Canadian EATS THEM. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Photos by Urso Branco

Redneck Scrambled Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Mon, 26 May 2008 16:44:00 +0000

This fabulous recipe was invented by two people on two different continents.

Urso Branco invented it in Canada and Judy invented it in Brasil around the same time. So this is really a Canadian/Brasilian recipe.

I have deferred to Judy in giving it its name. Judy called it Redneck Scrambled Eggs because when she and her kids lived on a farm here in Brasil they had a variation of this dish often.

It is Scrambled Eggs here just because I couldn't be bothered making it into an omelet. The marvelous part of this simple and nutritious meal is you can, as my mother used to say, put in everything except the kitchen sink.

So let's start.

Take as many eggs as you wish and break them into a bowl.

Take the cheese of your choice. It is best with Canadian Cheddar.

Slice the cheese and then cut it into small pieces. I suppose you could even use shredded cheese.

Open a bottle, carton or can of fresh milk. It can be whole, partly skimmed or skimmed.

Pour as much milk as you have egg into the bowl and add the cheese.

Stir vigourously!

Open a can or box of mixed vegetables. If you prefer to bother cut up fresh vegetables.

Pour off the water then add everything to a greased or oiled frypan. Cook stirring frequently to break it all up for scrambled eggs. If you prefer an omelet just don't break it. Cook and fold in two then turn over when browned.

Sprinkle the mix with black pepper and paprika (or whatever spices you like).

Here is the finished dish ready to serve hot from the pan.

Of course any scrambled egg or omelet just MUST have ketchup (no mattter how it is spelled).

Now here is something special we discovered here in Brasil. Canned vegetables are being phased out to avoid waste preoblems in favour of cartons which are biodegradeable.

Either way, here in Brasil, there is ALWAYS one black pea in the can or box. Why? I guess it is to see who is the lucky one to get the special, rare pea. They must have one person in the factory whose job it is to puit one and only one black pea in each container.

So there you have a simple and quick recipe for breakfast or lunch. You can even have it for supper.

Variations:

Add anything you find in the fridge or cupboards such as Vegetables, Chicken, Pork, Beef, Mortadella Bologna or Sausage. Anything goes if you like it. I don't think jello is a good idea though. Maybe fruit would be nice.

Photos by Urso Branco

Cheese Omelet

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:17:00 +0000

Here is another simple meal for breakfast or lunch. For that matter, for anytime. However, neither my Mother nor my Grandmother invented it. If you go to Google and type Cheese Omelet you will find lots of different recipes with lots of different stuff added to them.

It is the weekend and time for another simple and delicious meal.

All we need is eggs, cheese and milk plus some pepper and paprika to taste. I never cook with salt because of my heart condition. But add it if you wish.

I like a three egg omelet so I broke three eggs in the bowl.

Add some milk (about 1/4 cup). The milk makes the omelet bigger and fluffy. Just don't add too much milk because it will fill the pan. Stir until well mixed.

I prefer to use Cheddar Cheese. It is firmer and has a terrific taste, particularly, in an omelet. Cut the cheese into small pieces. You can use your own choice of cheese.

Lightly oil the fry pan or use a cooking spray so the eggs don't stick to the pan. Pour in the mixture of eggs and milk.

Add some paprika and black pepper to taste.

Once the omelet has cooked a bit and is no longer runny, sprinkle the cheese all over the omelet.

Once everything is firm fold the omelet in half. In this case I folded too soon and it didn't look pretty. But that doesn't matter. Notice how it is golden brown.

With a large omelet it helps to cut it in half before turning it over. Cook each side until golden brown.

This omelet was not pretty at all. Here it is fallen to pieces. But, don't worry it will still taste lovely.

Here is a two egg cheese omelet. It is easier to handle and looks pretty!

I cut it in half before turning it over.

Now that is more like it. This one looks pretty!

You can eat it alone or with sausage as shown here or with bacon, ham or any meat you choose. Notice I love ketchup so I put a big spoon full on the omelet.

This omelet tastes fantastic because of the Cheddar Cheese. Of course you can use the basic eggs and milk recipe and add anything you like, such as green pepper and ham for a Spanish Omelet.

Like the French Toast in the previous post, this is quick, simple and delicious.

Photos by Urso Branco

French Toast

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:15:00 +0000

According to Wikipedia

French toast (often known as eggy bread in most of the UK - the exception being Scotland, pain perdu in French, pain doré in French-speaking parts of Canada) is a popular breakfast food in North America and Europe.

French toast is made with bread and eggs; some common additions are milk, water, or orange juice to thin the eggs, sugar, and spices such as allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Vanilla may also be added to the egg mixture. In restaurants throughout Canada and the United States, the bread is usually thick white bread made especially for use in French toast; when made at home, regular sliced bread is often used. Although often served as a sweetly spiced dish in the United States, others prefer a savory version, seasoned with salt and pepper instead, or even topped with a melted slice of cheese.

The Truth about French Toast!

My Grandmother invented it back in 1795 when she came to Canada.

She needed a fast nutritious meal for her husband and kids one day after a hard morning working in the fields. so she dreamed up Genuine 100% Canadian French Toast. Back in those days they gave the meals foreign names to make them seem better. But Grandma knew better. She just made the best meals.

First you gather the tools and ingredients. All you need is bread, milk, eggs and cinnamon.

You lightly oil the frying pan, or use cooking spray such as Pam. Then put three eggs in a bowl. That is enough for one person. Since I was alone today that is all I used.

Add milk.

Stir vigourously to thoroughly mix the milk and eggs.

Sprinkle in cinnamon to taste. Or add whatever spice you like or even leave it out.

Preheat the frying pan to medium. Then drop a slice of bread into the bowl and soak thouroughly with the egg and milk mixture.

Turn the slice over and soak the other side.

Put the soaked bread slices in the frying pan and cook for about one minute to a minute and a half.

Turn the slices and cook the other side for about another minute to a minute and a half.

See how they are golden brown now.

On the table I show three possible toppings. The first, on the right , is Genuine Canadian Pure Maple Syrup. This is pure heaven. In the middle there is a jar of Jabuticaba Jam. See the previous post about making the jam. On the left is Brasilian Honey made by Flavio Carvalho. See our Blog Mel do Brasil for more about the honey made here in Águas da Prata.

Now we are ready to eat.

I chose Maple Syrup first. I don't think it is available in Brasil. We brought this treasured bottle all the way from Canada.

The next slice was covered in honey. What a fabulous treat it is too.

The third and fourth slice were covered in Jabuticaba Jam. Very delicious!!!

There was enough egg and milk mix left for two more slices. The excess mix is just poured on top.

Notice these slices look rich in egg and milk mix.

These last two slices were covered in Jabuticaba Jam.

So there you have it. A very simple dish that only took about ten minutes to make. If you have more people dining just add more eggs and milk.

French Toast makes a lovely breakfast or lunch. It also goes great with sausages or bacon.

I hope you enjoy making and eating this simple Canadian meal.

Photos by Urso Branco

Canadian made Jabuticaba Jam

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:30:00 +0000

Today we had a revolutionary change in Águas da Prata. Urso Branco made Brasilian Jabuticaba Jam. The is that beautiful jam made from the Jabuticaba Berries grown in our yard and all over Brasil. See our other Blog Amazing Jabuticaba for more information and a video about making the Jabuticaba Jam.

So this is not 100% Canadian, It is more like 98% Brasillian with a 2% Canadian content. Urso Branco made it under that watchful eye of his wife Judy, the expert (she made it twice already).

Here are step by step instructions to make Jabuticaba Jam (Geléia de Jabuticaba). All you need is the berries and some sugar and an empty jar with a screw top lid.

First gather as many berries as you want. We only intended to make 1 jar this time so we had a small amount of the berries. By the way, if you don't live in Brasil, Tough Luck! Come and Visit us to make your own Jabuticaba Jam.

Put the berries in a pot.

Use your fist to smash the berries.

Cover the berries with water.

Now boil some other water in a small pot. We will use it to sterilize the jar.

Pour the boiling water into the jar and the lid. Swish it around, dump it out then set the jar aside.

Now boil the Jabuticaba berries.

Every so often take a sample and see if it is getting dark.

When it is dark enough it is ready for the next step. The juice should have thickened enough to drip slowly from the ladle or spoon.

Pour the juice from the berries into a sieve over a pot.

Don't press unless you feel you must. Just dump the skins and seeds.

Now you have a pot with delightful juice ready for the next stage.

Pour it into a glass bowl and mark where the juice comes up to in the bowl.

Pour the juice back into the pot.

Get a bag of crystal sugar.

Put it into the bowl up to the mark you made with the juice. This doesn't have to be exact. I just used three fingers on the side of the bowl. That was close enough.

Put the sugar into the pot with the juice.

Stir well to mix the sugar into the juice.

Now boil it!

Stir occasionaly.

Bring it to a vigorous boil.

It may take 5 to 15 minutes depending on how much juice you have. Then take a small pot or a ladle and scoop the juce from the pot.

Pout it into the sterilized jar. Then cover immediately.

It should look exactly like this. Let it stand for two to three days to thinken.

Now you are ready to serve the finest jam you ever had. It goes nice on toast.

So if I can make it you can too! Try it.

I guess this process will work with most berries. Try it an let us know how you make out.

Photos by Urso Branco

Potato Salad - The Brasileira way

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000

What could be better on a hot summer day than that old standby Potato Salad (Maionese).

Potato Salad (Brasilian style) is the first meal Judy's grandmother taught me to make. Her grandmother invented Maionese and it has become a Brasilian favourite ever since. Every Brasilian Family makes this meal at least once a week in the summer!!

Here is how to make 100% genuine Brasilian Maionese and all the trimmings. It is simple, economical and tasty.

Now you can make it too and compare it with Canadian Style.

Pick the potato(es) of your choice and peel it along with carrot(s).

Cut them in small pieces to cook faster.

When cooked mash the potatoes.

Add some mayonnaise to help mix the mashed potatoes.

Add the chopped (not too small) carrots.

Chop some onions.

Add to the mix.

Mix it all together.

Add some peas.

Add some chopped green pepper.

Mix well.

Take a can of tuna. (in water is best)

We added half the can here because we were making a small maionese.

Mix thoroughly.

We used a different brand of Mayonnaise but that doesn't matter. Use whatever you normally use.

Put in the bowl and mix well.

Now put a layer of mayonnaise on top and spread all over.

Now make a crater in the middle. The potato beside the dish shows the type we used.

Peel a tomato, thick, and coil it up in the crater to garnish the dish. Add parsley for colour.

Now put the finished dish ion the refrigerator to chill it.

Here is the finished dish along with "Eggs on a Horse". That is what Brasileiros call eggs on steak.

Now the table is set for a lovely summer lunch. See the cucumber on the plates too.

This is a great dish to compare with the Canadian version.

Recipe Variations.

Potatoes - use any type you like
Veggies - add any type you like
such as: Cucumber, Green Onions, Tomatoes, Peas, Corn, Cabbage, Carrots, Red Pepper, Green Pepper, etc.
Just be sure to chop them into small pieces.
Use whatever Mayonaise you like. I select very low fat, ultra light for health reasons.
Garnish with Tomato and parsley.
Add tuna (in water is best).
Let stand in the Refrigerator to blend the flavours.

As in the Canadian version you can add whatever pleases you and use as much or as little of any of the ingredients as to your taste. This was a small dish to serve two. If you have 30 or 40 of your best friends over for lunch just make more of the same.

If you do have a big party it would be fun to make both styles so they can all enjoy Canadian and Brasillian cooking.

Now it is your turn to make the maionese. Try it and let us know how you like it.

Judy was the chef here and Urso Branco just took photos! He was also chief taster too!

Photos by Urso Branco

Coffee Cake with Chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:50:00 +0000

Santa Rita Coffee Cake with Chocolate

Santa Rita changed their coffee bag from the gold on the right above, to the red. They included a bonus with the new package. On the back of the bag is a recipe for Coffee Cake with Chocolate.

So we had to try it out.

This is not a Canadian Recipe adapted to Brasil but rather a full Brasileiro Recipe that I thought you might like to try to prepare for yourself.

The recipe calls for uniquely Brasileiro measuring instruments. The mention a Tea Cup and a Coffee Cup so that is exactly what we used. The teacup is on the right, below, and the coffee cup is that tiny one on the left. The teacup is one cup in Canada but I am not certain of the equivalent in Canada of a coffee cup. It appears to be approximately 1/3 of a cup.

They also say use a soup spoon. In Canada that would be a Tablespoon. As in all recipes measurements are alway flexible to suit your taste.

They also say use a soup spoon. In Canada that would be a Tablespoon. As in all recipes measurements are alway flexible to suit your taste.

First you separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs. We use both so don't throw anything out.

The recipe calls for two eggs.

Add a cup of sugar.

Add 1/2 cup of butter.

Beat it until it is creamy.

Now add a glass of skim milk.

Plus 2 cups of wheat flour.

Now pretend you are a mixer and beat it all smooth.

Pour on 100g of semi-bitter chocolate.

Add 1 coffee cup of coffee. Of course the recipe calls for Santa Rita Coffee but maybe other brands will be satisfactory. *SMILE* Stir until completely smooth.

Now take the egg whiter and pretend you are a mixer again and beat them until they are white as snow.

Take an Angel Food Cake Tin and oil it lightly. Since we have chocolate in the recipe, oil is better than butter for this purpose.

Now add the yeast to the mix.

And stir, stir, stir.

Drop in the "snow" and stir gently until it disappears.

Add the mix to the cake tin.

Now it is ready for the oven.

Put the cake in a prewarmed average oven and bake for an hour or until a stick put in the cakes comes back out clean.

While the cake is cooking someone must clean the cake mix bowl. That time honoured tradition fell to Urso Branco. Notice the technique . . . use fingers, no spoons. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Now if you are Brasileiro(a) have a brasileiro coffee while the cake cooks.

But if you are a Canadian (or American) have a real coffee. *SMILE* Maybe even 2 mugs.

Here is the finished Masterpiece.

The Master Tester approves!!!!

Note: The Pastry Chef was Judy and Urso Branco assisted a little while taking photos.

The Recipe on the Coffee Bag is written in Portuguese, of course, but here is the English Translation.

RECIPE - Coffee Cake with Chocolate

Beat the whites of 2 eggs until white as snow. Mix the egg yolks with 1 teacup of sugar and 1/2 teacup of butter and beat well until the mass is creamy. Add 1 cup of skimmed milk and 2 teacups of wheat flour. Continue beating per 10 minutes. Add 100g of semi-bitter chocolate (the recipe said melt the chocolate - we used powdered chocolate). Aadd 1 coffeecup of coffee and mix well. Later add 1 soup spoon of yeast in the mix and I beat quickly. Remove and add clear in snow, mixing delicately. Pour the mix in a cake mould that has been coated lightly with wheat flour. Bake in an average, prewarmed oven, for 1 hour, or until a stick in the cake comes out.

This English translation provides the correct details but not the colourful Brasieiro terminology.

Photos by Urso Branco

Potato Salad - A light summer meal

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 16:41:00 +0000

What could be better on a hot summer day than that old standby Potato Salad.

Potato Salad (Canadian style) is the first meal my mother taught me to make. Mother invented Potato Salad and it has become an International favourite ever since. Every Canadian Family makes this meal at least once a week in the summer!!

Here is how to make 100% genuine Canadian Potato Salad and all the trimmings. It is simple, economical and tasty.

The most important thing to know is, "Anything Goes!"

So first get some potatoes. I prefer the white flesh, light skinned variety call "New Potato" in Canada. I discovered a very similar potato in Brasil. Be careful not to use the ones for making mashed potatoes because they do not stay firm when cooked. See the recipe for Maionese Brasileiro later.

Peel the potatoes with your special peeler you must have bought by now if you have been following our recipes.

Cut them into small pieces so the cook faster. Don't cook so long that they crumble.

While cooking the potatoes boil some eggs. when done, put both potatoes and eggs into the refrigerator to chill them.

Cut up a variety of vegetables that you like. I select green onions (Spring Onions to some people). Cut them into tiny pieces. I also used green pepper, chopped.

Peel (thick) a cucumber. Then cut into tiny pieces like the onions above.

Notice the little dish in the background. We put half the veggies there and the rest in the bowl with the potatoes. A peeled chopped apple adds great flavour.

Mix the potatoes and veggies. Add mayonaise. Then garnish with paprika. It adds great colour.

Next chop up some cabbage, add the rest of the veggies froim the small dish, add mayonaise and garnish with paprika also.

Put the potato salad and the cabbage salad into back into the refrigerator to chill the mixes.

Slice up the cucumber you have left after you peeled it. Put it in a bowl with water and white vinegar mixed 1/2 1nd 1/2. Put it in the refrigerator also.

Next, take some fresh lettuce and lay it on a serving dish. Add sliced ham and tomato wedges.

Now you are ready to eat a fine summer meal. Delicious!

Recipe Variations.

Potatoes - use any type you like
Veggies - add any type you like
such as: Cucumber, Green Onions, Tomatoes, Peas, Corn, Cabbage, Carrots, Red Pepper, Green Pepper, etc.
Just be sure to chop them into small pieces.
Use whatever Mayonaise you like. I select very low fat, ultra light for health reasons.
The Cabbage salad is made pretty much the same way with the same ingredients.
Garnish with Paprika and sliced hard boiled eggs.
Add slices of ham or any cold cuts you prefer.
Let stand in the Refrigerator to blend the flavours.

Notice I did not include quantities of anything. It is all a matter of personal choice and availability. For example, in Canada, I used chopped Celery but we haven't found any locally in Brasil.

The quantity makes no difference to the recipe. Just make as much as you wish. Add amount of ingredients you feel you need. The amount shown here is suitable for one or two people.

Enjoy the meal. It is simple and very very good on a hot day.

Photos by Urso Branco

Christmas Dinner - Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 18:03:00 +0000

Here is what Christmas Dinner looks like in Canada.

Ever Canadian Family has this meal, exactly, almost, as shown here, maybe.

This meal was invented by my ancestors when they arrived in Canada in 1604 at Port Royal in Nova Scotia. There were plenty of wild turkeys to be had and the sage used in the stuffing was growing naturally in the wild.

The recipe calls for a turkey, some bread, some sage, an onion, roast or mashed potatoes and a few other items. Read this story and prepare for your next turkey dinner. Did you know that in Portuguese a turkey is called Peru? Turkey and Peru. What a coincidence.

Christmas Dinner in Brasil, 2007.

To begin, a few days in advance buy a turkey. If it is frozen thaw it out inside the fridge for three days and then wash it off before you start preparations at 8 a.m. Christmas morning.

The secret to success is to get a loaf of bread and dry it over night.

Cover it to keep flying guests off it.

Next morning gather the essentials and start cutting the bread into small cubes.

Put them in the turkey roasting pan. Every Canadian home has one!

Chop or cut an onion (or two to taste) in small pieces and put them into the pan.

Now cut an apple in small pieces and throw them in the pan. Peel the apple but do not throw away the peel. We will use it later for a very special purpose,

Some people even add sausage to the mix. We added two today.

Now we add spices that we enjoy, especially sage. In Brasil use Maggi Fondor. We also added some black pepper.

Now we use the apple peels. We feed them to the poor starving chef! Hahahaha!

Now, as suggested in other recipes, it is a good idea to start by washing your hands because now you have to dig in and mix all ingredients by hand.

Now you takes hands full of the dressing and push it hard into all cavities in the bird.

If you were lucky the butcher who cleaned the turkey for you left decent skin flaps to close the cavities that are full of dressing.

Tie up the bird and put it on a rack in the turkey roasting pan.

Preheat the oven t0 325° F or 175° C then put the bird in the oven.

This one has one of those red popups that tells you when it is cooked.

OOOOPS! We forgot to cover it with aluminum foil.

Cook for about an hour per kilo. or 1/2 hour per pound. Uncover the bird for the last half hour to give it that rich golden colour.

By the way. We went a little overboard on the dressing. We had a little left over.

We put it in the fry pan with some margarine and cooked for about 20 minutes and ended up with a good supply of delicious Stove Top Stuffing. So never worry that you made too much.

Here comes the Master with his Masterpiece!

Now his next task is to carve the turkey for the assembled guests.

We had roasted potatoes, potato salad (Mayonnaise in Brasil), peas, rice, turkey gravy, and a host of other traditional Brasilian foods to go with this Traditional Canadian-Brasilian Christmas Dinner.

It all turned out to be a perfect meal. Now you try it. MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Photos by Urso Branco

Meat Loaf

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 18:11:00 +0000

Meat Loaf is a Canadian invention. It was invented by my mother during the depression. It was an economical meal, very nourishing and very delicious.

She let the world in on this recipe and now some consider it a candidate for Canada's National Dish.

Every Canadian Family, all across the country, eats this superb meal at least once a week.

The first thing you must do is wash your hands thoroughly in soap and water. You will see why later.

Now gather all the tools you will need and most ingredients. Notice how clean my hands are.

Now put almost 1 kilo (2 pounds) of ground beef in a bowl. Some people like a mix of beef and pork. I don't.

Next chop up an onion and put it in the bowl with the meat.

Now get 2 cans (or in this case two boxes) of vegetables such as peas, corn, carrots etc.

Put them in the bowl.

Now the mix is starting to look colorful.

Cut up one or two slices of bread and add to the mix along with 1, 2 or 3 eggs. The eggs act like glue to hold the finished meat loaf together. They also add taste.

Now add the remnants of that almost empty ketchup bottle you have in the fridge. Any ketchup will do as it is being cooked. I used Heinz Ketchup in Canada but here, in Águas da Prata, I find Hellman's tatses almost the same.

Now add as much black pepper as you wish.

I used Club House Meat Loaf seasoning in Canada. I even brought some here. But we used it all up and now we must improvise. Here we are adding a disolved boulion cube.

Now comes the best part. Put you hands deep into the bowl and start to knead the whole mixture thoroughly. Now you see why I said wash your hands first.

After you have mixed everything completely and put it in a roasting dish or pan your hands will look like this. *SMILE*

Put the dish in a 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven and cook for an hour.

Now it is optional if you want to wash your hands again or just wipe them on your T-shirt. I chose to wash again.

An hour later it is cooked. Look at the look of anticpation on the Chef's face!

The table is set and it is time to eat.

Oh My God, that looks and smells lovely.

After it cools put the remains in the refrigerator for tomorrow. If you can resist the temptation to snack tonight you will have a wonderful lunch/supper tomorrow. Notice this dish is beside the jar of Geleaia de Jabuticaba that Judy made. To read about that go to http://amazingjabuticaba.blogspot.com/

The Meat Loaf is excellent hot, cold, alone, or with other things like potatoes. It is fabulous in sandwiches hot or cold. Some people love to smother Meat Loaf in gravy. It is very versatile to serve any way you like it.

Now you can enjoy an authentic, almost 100%, Canadian meal in Brasil or anywhere else. This is extremely delicious. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Recipe:

2 pounds of ground beef
1 onion
Peas, corn, carrots
2 slices chopped bread
2 eggs
seasoning to taste
pepper
ketchup

Mix it all together then cook for one hour.

Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes or even with rice.

You can substitute any veggies or spices or even leave them out. Use your imagination. It is difficult to make a mistake making Meat Loaf. Enjoy!

Photos by Urso Branco

Deluxe Grilled Cheese Sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 15:33:00 +0000

This recipe is 100% Canadian Style
Deluxe Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

History of cheese according to Wikipedia

Cheese is an ancient food whose origins predate recorded history. There is no conclusive evidence indicating where cheesemaking originated, either in Europe, Central Asia the Middle East, but the practice had spread within Europe prior to Roman times and, according to Pliny, had become a sophisticated enterprise by the time the Roman Empire came into being.

Of course that is a lot of crap because we all know cheese was invented in Canada when they invented cows!!!

The Canadian Cheese Encyclopedia

Throughout the pages of our encyclopedia, you will find information that will satisfy any cheese lover: how cheese is made, its unique characteristics, its nutritional value, etc. Learn more about the proper method of storing and freezing cheese and discover great recipe suggestions using Canadian cheese.

Balderson Premium Aged Cheddar Cheese

From the crossroads in the village of Balderson to the leading cheese shops across the world, award winning Balderson Cheddars are internationally renowned for their classic cheddar flavour, creamy texture and traditional cheddar sharpness. Balderson has won all the top prizes and in my opinion is the very best cheddar cheese you can get.

Now lets prepare a Brasilian verson of the Great Canadian Deluxe Grilled Cheese sandwich.

First gather all the necessary ingredients. Margarine, Cheese, Bologna or similar meat and bread.

If you don't get pre-cut pre-packaged meat just be sure to slice it failry thin.

Put the slices into the elecytric frypan.

Throughly cover the bread with the margarine. I use Becel because it is good for my heart.

Brown the meat on both sides. Then remove it from the frypan.

Place the bread, buttered side DOWN in the pan. Be sure it is buttered side DOWN!!

Place one slice of cheese on the bread.

Then place one slice of browned meat on the cheese.

Place another slice of cheese on the meat.

Then place the other slice of bread on the cheese, buttered side UP. Be sure it is buttered side UP.

When cooked Golden Brown turn over and repeat on the other side. Man that looks great eh?

Now it is ready for the table.

Serve with the best ketchup you can find. A glass of juice is excellent with this sandwich. I discovered Maguary Nectar de Pessego (Peach Juice) when I came to Brasil. It is lovely!

Now you can make your own Super Deluxe Grilled Cheese Sandwich just like a Canadian. This is served in all the fine homes across Canada every Saturday for lunch. It is an Ancient Canadian Tradition. By the way, it is terrific served with pickles, but here in Brasil pickles are hard to find.

Photos by Urso Branco

Corned Beef Hash

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 18:34:00 +0000

This recipe is 100% Canadian Style
Corned Beef Hash.

Beef Cut :Brisket
Steak Type: Corned Beef

Some people will try to tell you this is a British dish. Don't believe them. John Kennedy came to Canada in the year 1604 and saw the Indians making this fabulous dish of corned beef, onions, potatoes and spices, to help them celebrate Canadian Harvest.

So John took the recipe back to Toronto and showed it to all his friends (and they were many) and they declared it was "Made in Toronto". Then the French Canadians saw it and took the recipe to Montreal and decided to improve on it. However even the best French chefs couldn't make it better.

Wikipedia says:

Corned Beef is a cut of beef, usually brisket, but sometimes round, cured or pickled in a seasoned brine. The "corn" in "corned beef" refers to the "corn" or course grains of salts used to cure it. The Oxford English Dicionary dates the usage of "corn", meaning "smallhard particle, a grain, as ofd sand or salt to the year 888, and the term"corned beef" to 1621. The term "corned beef" can denote different styles of brine-cured beef, depending on the region. Some. like American-style corned beeef, are highly seasoned and often considered delicatessen fare. In Britain, corned beef is usually bought at the delicatessen, or maybe in chilled packs or can be found in trapezoid cans, imported from South America. American corned beef is similar to Canadian smoked meat.

The very best Canadian Canned Corned beef actually is from "Fray Bentos" in Brasil. So here we have a perfect Canadian Brasillian dish.

I brought several cans of Brasilian Corned Beef from Canada when I moved to Brazil because we could not buy it here. Go Figure! When that was used up we figured, "No more traditional Canadian Corned Beef made with Brazil's best."

But today, July 22, 2007, to my surprise and delight I found Brasileiro Canned Corned Beef in our local Supermercado! O Joyous day.

RECIPE:

Brasillian Canned Corn Beef - 320 grams
Onions - 1 to 2 small as to taste

Options
Black Pepper
Paprika

Note all quantities are approximate and can be changed more or less, to suit your taste.

Following are Photos and instructions showing a REAL CANADIAN producing a REAL CANADIAN dish in Brasil.

**********

Select a few potatoes and peel them.

When they are all peeled get a sharp knife

Cut the potatoes in small pieces so they cook faster

Put in a pot and cover with water.

Cover and cook about 1/2 hour (in the mountains)

Pick a small onion (or more if you love them)

Peel it

Cut into fairly small pieces

Put the onions in a large bowl

Open a can of Brasilian Corned Beef (The best in the World)

Cut in to fairly small pieces

Put the Corned Beef in the bowl with the onions

Put the cooked potato pieces in the bowl with the onionas and Corned Beef

Mash it all together and stir well.

Dressed in approprtaite Canadian Chef attire (This recipe might not work otherwise) spray the frypan with Pam Cooking Spray. If you don't have any, very lightly oil the frypan. This is just to keep the food from sticking to the pan.

I prefer an electric frypan. We brought this one from Canada, of course.

Put the Corned Beef, onions and potatoes in the warmed frying pan.

Add black pepper and Paprika, to taste. Some people like to add garlic.

Liberaly add he Paprika. It is not only good for you it also adds colour to the mix.

Cook until crisp and turn over. Cook some more. This should only take 15 or 20 minutes.

Bring the frying pan to the table and serve directly from the pan.

Real Connoiseurs slather the corned beef with Ketchup. Normally I use the very best, Heinz, but I can't find it in Brasil so I substitute Helmans which is the closest I can find to Heinz.

Then chow down Be ready for a great Canadian Brasillian meal.

We had a lovely Brasilian wine with out meal. This is Riesling, white semi dry fine wine from Rio Grande do Sul in the south of Brasil from Chateau Duvalier. The label says SAFRA 2002. I don't know what that means but it ia likely an appelation to indicate when it was made.

Some time after eating we had a Canadian Brasilian Traditional Desert, originating in Canada also in 1604. The Indians had been growing rice in the paddies of eastern Canada for centuries and showed the new Canadians how to make rice pudding from Canadian grown rice and Canadian grown raisins. *SMILE*

RECIPE:

Rice - Lots
Milk - Some
Raisons - almost 200 grams

Options
Cinnamon

Note all quantities are approximate and can be changed more or less, to suit your taste.

Cook a large pot of rice. It takes about half an hour

Add Milk

Add Raisins

Stir then cook uncovered for 5 minutes.

Put in suitable bowls then sprinkle with Cinnamon and put in the refrigerator.

Desert fit for a king!

This is a simple but nutritious meal and a tasty desert. Every typical Canadian Family eats this at least three times per month. Just don't believe everything you read on the Internet! *SMILE*

Photos by Urso Branco

Canada Day

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 16:26:00 +0000

Happy Canada Day

Feliz Dia do Canada

July 1 - julho 1

Canada is a country of many fine traditions. July 1 is Canada's birthday. Canada's first birthday was July 1, 1876. One of the finest traditions honoured in by every Canadian is Canada day Food. So as an expatriate I like to carry on the Canadian Traditions but with a Brasilian flare!

Here we see the Canadian Flag displayed for everyone in Brasil to see.

Canada Day is a day of parades from coast to coast. But the greatest Canada Day Tradition is when EVERY FAMILY eats the tradition Canada Day Food. HOT DOGS! Everyone goes to the Parliament Buildings or the City Hall to get FREE HOT DOGS!

So, true to tradition, we cooked Canada Day HOT DOGS and gave them to everyone who showed up at our house.

Here is one lady who showed up (Judy). Notice she has dressed in true Canada clothes for the event. She is ready to eat her FREE Canada Day HOT DOG.

She was joined by Urso Branco (her husband) who was also dressed for the occasion. Here he is enjoying his Free Canada Day HOT DOG.

Following the Canada Day HOT DOGS everyone was served Free Canada Day ICE CREAM.

Judy is really enjoying her Free Canada Day ICE CREAM

Urso Branco also enjoyed his Free Canada Day ICE CREAM.

Even many of the children showed up. Pedrita has her head on the table, Nine (Black) watches, Cometa (white) is under the table in case anything falls off the table and Bambina looks up at Judy in anticipation of her Free Canada Day ICE CREAM.

It was a great party and we all loved it.

Recipe:

Hot Dogs
Hot Dog Buns
Ice Cream

Cook the dogs any way you wish; we boiled them. These were Brasilian Hot Dogs. The Buns were also Brasilian Hot Dog Buns. The Ice Cream was Brasilian Ice Cream.

So we have a perfect example of Canadian Fine Cuisine easily adapted to Brasil.

We hope you enjoyed seeing how we celebrate Canadian Food adapted to Brasil.

Photos by Judy Kennedy and Urso Branco

Chili Con Carne

noreply@blogger.com (Urso Branco) — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:47:00 +0000

This recipe is 100% Canadian Style
Chili Con Carne.

Some people will try to tell you this is a Mexican or a Texas dish. Don't believe them. Juan Valdez came to Canada in the year 1604 and saw the New Canadians making this fabulous dish of beans, tomatoes, onions and spices to help keep them warm in the cold Canadian Winters.

So Juan took the recipe back to Mexico and showed it to all his friends (and enemies) and they declared it was "Hecho em Mexico", made in Mexico. Then the Texans saw it and took the recipe and decided to improve on it and turned it into Culinary Dynamite. They put every hot spice you can think of into the pot.

Go to these sites and read about the annual Cookoff and see other recipes:

http://www.chilipaper.com/FPepper/the_chili_cookoff.htm
http://www.chilicookoff.com/Event/Event_Home.asp
http://chilicookoff.com/

Real Hot Chili Lovers must have cast iron stomachs.

Here is a mild Canadian recipe, adjusted to use foods available at local supermarkets in Águas da Prata, SP, Brasil. This story was produced in fun but it is a really delicious meal for a cold winter day. Enjoy.

RECIPE:

Ground Beef - 1 lb or 1/2 kilo
Beans (preferably Kidney Beans) - lots or one 14 oz can if available
Tomatoes - 6 or 8 small - or one 19oz can if available
Onions - 2 to 4 small as to taste
Seasoning - Preferably Club House Chili - 1 packet

Options
Black Pepper
Hot Chili Pepper,
Very Hot Chili Pepper
Extremely Hot, Mouth Searingly Hot Chili Peppers

Note all quantities are approximate and can be changed more or less, to suit your taste.

Following are Photos and instructions showing a REAL CANADIAN producing a REAL CANADIAN dish in Brasil.

**********

First you assemble the correct tools and ingredients.

We bought this perfect frypan in Toronto at Linens and Things for Cdn$19.00. What a pleasant deal that was. It is a large pan 3 inches deep (7.5cm). It is the perfect size to cook our chili.

You need a cutting board, a plastic spatula for browning the meat, a sharp knife for cutting the vegetables,a large plastic or wooden spoon for stirring the pan. Notice that little peeler on the board between the spoon and the knife, this handy gadget is super for peeling potatoes, carrots and any soft veggies like tomatoes. It is inexpensive and once you master it, it is indispensable.

This is the magic ingredient that makes this dish so special. This is Chili Seasoning put out by CLUB HOUSE in Canada (in the US too?) Unfortunately we cannot find this in rural Brasil so you may have to compromise. I brought this with me when I moved to Brasil from Canada. After tonight there is only one left! What will we do?

You need about six to eight small tomatoes. Use more or less to suit your taste.

Four small onions. You may want more or less.

Some ground beef. I have used anywhere from a quarter pound to a pound. Use whatever you want. I have never tried pork, chicken or fish. Who knows what it would be like. It might be interesting to try the different meats.

I prefer my chili a little hot so I added some black pepper tonight. You can also add extra chili pepper if you wish. Back in Canada I made chili the way I like it, EXTRA HOT! I added lots of black pepper and a lot of Chili Pepper. It was fabulous, however no one else in the house in Brasil would eat it. So I cool things off now. But you can GO WILD!

Some nice potatoes. In Canada these are "New Potatoes". They are white flesh with thin skins and usually washed when you see them in the market. They are also great in potato salad. In Brasil they mash the potatoes and call the salad Mayonnaise.

In Canada I used Libby's Kidney Beans in Harvard Sauce. I brought some cans to Brasil with me and they were a big success, such a success that we used them all up. So now we compromise with these beans. You can use any beans you like. We soak these ones over night then cook them for an hour.

Here comes the Chef. Notice he is appropriately attired for cooking a Real Canadian Dish, including his chef's cap. Well he doesn't have a real Chef's cap so he uses this MasterCard Canadian Touque. This Chef owes his soul to the Mastercard store. The chili just wouldn't taste the same if the chef was not appropriately dressed. See the can of Pam Cooking Spray.

The cooking spray is Pam Original recipe. Cooking spray comes in many styles and flavours but this one has no cholesterol. You spray a light film into the pan to prevent the chili sticking and you DO NOT ADD OIL. Remember, just use a light film. This is not a cooking oil.

You drop in as much ground beef as you wish. This is one pound or half a kilo.

Break up the beef and spread it around to brown it evenly.

Take the handy peeler and peel the skins off the tomatoes. That is at Judy's request. If it was just me I would leave the skins on.

Slice (or chop) the tomatoes into small pieces so they blend easier and faster.

Slice the onions.

Cut (or chop) the onions into small pieces like the tomatoes.

Put the tomatoes and onions into a bowl and set them aside.

When the meat is sufficiently browned dump the bowl of tomatoes and onions into the pan. If you use lean or extra lean beef there is no need to drain off the fat. There won't be any!

Put all the beans into the pan, including the water they were cooked in.

Fill the pan with water, almost to the top.

Sprinkle in the seasoning mix. Either the one you bought or any mix you make for yourself.

Stir thoroughly to mix the ingredients.

Cover and cook for one hour on medium heat. Watch carefully to make sure the pan does not boil over. It can be quite messy!

Once in a while remove the lid and stir. Notice the extra precautions taken here by the chef! Safety Glasses, Safety Gloves and that ever present Chef's Hat.

Now, a half hour before the chili will be ready, prepare the potatoes. You can peel them if you wish. I prefer to leave the skins on. They are very nutritious. Cut the potatoes into small pieces so they cook faster.

Add water and cook for half an hour. Don't overcook! They should stay a little firm. If you wish add salt. I never cook with salt.

The table is set for a delicious Canadian Dinner in Brasil.

A Feast Fit For A King!!

Notice that we dress formal for dinner in Brasil. This is a Real Canadian. dressed as all Real Canadians do, to eat the Genuine Canadian Style Chili Con Carne, modified to be made in Brasil.

Now you cook it then let me know how yours turns out.

Leave your comments in our Guest Book or in the Chat Box in the sidebar or in the comments at the bottom of this post. We would love to hear from you.

Bon Apetite!

Photos by Judy Kennedy and Urso Branco