Aubergine Soup

http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=11979

Ingredients:

2 x aubergines peeled, and
cut into 1" dice
1 lrg onion diced
2 lrg zucchini cut 1/2" dice
3 lrg tomatoes cut 1/2" dice
1 head garlic separated into clove
1/2 lb mushrooms quartered
1/2 cup olive oil
6 cup chicken broth or water - (to 7 cups)
1/2 cup red wine
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
2 tbl chopped basil
2 tbl chopped oregano
2 tbl chopped parsley (optional)

Method:

• Toss aubergine, onion, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic and mushrooms with olive oil. Layer vegetables evenly on 15- by 9-inch jellyroll pan. Roast at 350 degrees until browned, stirring occasionally for even browning, about 1 hour. Be careful not to scorch.
• Remove from oven and cool. Puree roasted vegetables in blender and transfer to saucepan. Add broth and wine. Simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 20 minutes. (For thicker soup, use less liquid.)
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add basil and oregano. Remove from heat. Serve in heated cups or bowls and garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.
• This recipe yields 8 servings.

Mandioca Frita (Fried Manioc or Yuca)

http://www.maria-brazil.org/

Manioc, also known as yuca or cassava in Central America and the U.S., is a white starchy tuber with a delicate taste (many people I know say that fried manioc beats potatoes anytime). It has been a staple of the Brazilian Indians' diet for centuries, and it is from their language, Tupi, that we have the names mandioca (madi'og) in Southern Brazil and aipim (ai'pi) in Rio de Janeiro for the root and tapioca (tipi'og) for its starch. For fried manioc you can buy the frozen yuca sold in Hispanic markets. It comes cut into rounds. Follow the package directions to cook the yuca, but cook only until tender. Some brands will say 30 minutes or more, but in reality it won't take longer than 10 minutes. Don't ask why! In northeastern Brazil, manioc is known as macaxeira.

Ingredients:

1 pound cooked yuca cut into 1/2 inch wedges
1 quart canola or peanut oil for frying

Just before serving fry the yuca in a deep fat fryer or in a skillet. When I use a skillet, I pour about 2 inches of oil. Fry the yuca in several batches until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Blot on paper towels and serve hot. My friend Steven Raichlen, a cookbook author and newspaper columnist from Miami, likes to sprinkle the fried yuca with onion or garlic salt.

Farofa (Toasted Manioc Meal)

http://www.maria-brazil.org/

This is a simple recipe for toasted manioc meal (farinha de mandioca). The farofa can also be very fancy with olives, prunes, bacon, sausage, cashew nuts, banana, etc. added to it.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of butter
3 cups manioc flour
Salt to taste

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Add manioc meal and cook over low heat stirring constantly until golden. Sprinkle with salt, to taste. Serve in a small ceramic bowl.

Arroz (Brazilian Style Rice)

http://www.maria-brazil.org/

Ingredients:

4 cups long grain rice
8 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped (or two garlic cloves, finely chopped)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until limp. Do not let it brown! Add the rice and sauté until the grains become shiny. Add the water, cover the pan, and cook over low heat until all the water is absorbed and the grains are tender. Serves 12.

This recipe can be made with chopped onions and garlic combined, or with garlic alone. For feijoada, I always go with the onion.

Picadinho de Milho (Brazilian Chopped Beef with Corn)

http://www.maria-brazil.org/

I just had this wonderful "botequim" dish in a restaurant called Doce Delícia in Ipanema. Try it with Brazilian rice, farofa and mandioca frita. Or, with just rice and a poached egg. Simple and delicious. (This is my version of the recipe.)

Ingredients:

1 lb filet mignon chopped by hand into small squares
1 onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 15 oz can of sweet corn
1-2 Tbsp of sunflower oil (I use this because it adds a wonderful flavor to my dishes and it is ideal for frying and the Brazilian method of cooking called refogado.)
1 Tbsp of tomato paste, optional (tip: buy the Italian tubes of tomato paste because they will last longer and will not spoil)

Sauté onion and garlic until limp. Add beef and brown. Add tomato paste (if you want to use it) and a little water to make a bit of juice. Cook for a few minutes to have a nice sauce. Add corn and salt and pepper to taste.