BRAZILIAN DINNER WITH FRIENDS

Welcome to Foodie Friday!

Last weekend while we were in Florida our very close friends invited us to a dinner party. My friend is Brazilian and her husband is Italian. He's the grillmaster, she's the chef. They are quite a team!!

Our menu for the evening was outstanding. Our grillmaster cooked our meats to perfection and our chef's side dishes were outstanding. We love to try cuisine from other countries. 

Our meal was so delicious I just had to share it with all of you. When I asked my friend for the recipes, she told me she would be "happy" to jot down exactly how she prepared each recipe. 

**My apologies for the quality of my photos. It was a very dark evening.

We feasted on: 

Brazilian Beef and Chicken
Crispy Smoked Sausage
Sauteed Collard Greens
Farofa 
Brazilian Rice
Brazilian Black Beans

Our featured drink:

Caipirinha shorties (my favorite)

Brazilian Rice

Saute garlic and olive oil until it begins to slightly brown. Add the rice and saute for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Cover the mixture with HOT water, approximately 2 inches above the rice. Add salt to taste. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Cook at medium heat for approximately 20 minutes.

Black Beans

Saute green onions and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add as

many cans of drained beans as you require. Then add 1/2 can of water for each can of beans used. Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

***She occasionally adds bacon or fresh basil also.

Collard Greens

My friend buys her Collard greens already chopped (Costco) but if you prefer you may chop your own. She prefers not to use the middle vein as it can be a bit tough. Saute garlic in olive oil until it slightly browns then add the greens and cook until softened. Salt and pepper to taste.

Farofa

Farofa is the most well known accompaniment in Brazil. It is toasted manioc (yucca) root. This may be purchased in most Latin supermarkets.You may add any of the following ingredients to this; eggs, sausage and chicken. In a fry pan mix all ingredients together. Saute and serve over rice and beans.


Crispy Grilled Smoked Sausage

Our grillmaster cut smoked sausage into tiny bite size pieces and grilled them so that when you bit into them they were nearly all crispy except for the soft center. They were outstanding.

Brazilian Chicken and Beef Sirloin

My friend used chicken thighs for our dinner. First wash the chicken in a white vinegar and salt bath. Add fresh or ground garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Marinate in vinegar and olive oil for a few hours. Grill when ready.

Our grillmaster used Top Sirloin beef. He sprinkled it very liberally (as they do in Brazil) with coarse salt and pepper to taste. 


Caipirinha--Brazil's National Cocktail

Ingredients:

1/2 lime, quartered

1 tsp. white sugar

2 1/2 fluid ounces cachaca

1 cup ice cubs 

In large glasses squeeze and drop in 2 eighths of lime. Add sugar,crush and mix with spoon. Pour in cachaca and add plenty of ice. Stir well.

There's nothing like spending an evening with good friends especially with the added bonus of taking a trip to Brazil for dinner!

I hope you all enjoyed today's blog and make your own Brazilian dinner. It's so delicious......you will love it!

Many thanks to our friends for treating us to such a lovely evening! 

Wishing all of our TLB friends a wonderful weekend with your friends! 



Kathleen