Peanut Butter Cookies

These nutty little treats are light and crispy on texture but heavy on deliciousness.

1 cup shortening (preferably butter flavored)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup natural peanut butter (preferably 1/2 chunky and 1/2 creamy)

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoons salt

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Cream together the shortening, brown and white sugars until smooth; add eggs and vanilla and fully combine. Stir in the peanut butter. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix thoroughly but don't overmix. Roll into walnut-sized balls and press flat with tines of fork to make a pretty design. Bake for about 10-12 minutes.

Moqueca

If you like fish, you'll love this. It may be my favorite Brazilian recipe. If you don't like fish, forget it. I'm not going to pretend there's hope for you.

Read the recipe through and be sure you know that it's relatively involved, but oh so worth it. Make plenty of Piri Piri to use the next time you want to cook this. If you make it once you'll want to make it again and you'll be happy to not have to make the Piri Piri twice.

1/2 lb. red snapper, cut into 2-inch pieces (or substitute with any white fleshed fish)

1 cup roughly chopped onion, plus 1 cup julienned onion

2 cups roughly chopped tomatoes, plus 2 tomatoes sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

2 cloves garlic, plus 1 TBS minced garlic

5 TBS chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tsp. salt

3 TBS fresh-squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Piri Piri*

1 (14.5-ounce) can coconut milk

Place the fish in a large non-reactive mixing bowl. In the carafe of a blender, combine the chopped onion, the chopped tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon of cilantro, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the lime juice. Blend until smooth in the blender, then pour directly over the fish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan, and once hot, add the julienned onions to the pan and saute, stirring often until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic to the pan and saute for an additional 30 seconds. Pour the fish and the marinade into the saute pan and add the remaining teaspoon of salt, the Piri Piri, and the coconut milk and stir to combine. Once the liquid comes to a boil, dot the top of the pan with the sliced tomatoes and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the flesh starts to flake, about 10 minutes.

Remove the cover from the pan and sprinkle the remaining 4 tablespoons of cilantro over the fish. Serve accompanied by steamed white rice.

* Piri Piri

1 TBS, plus 1/2 cup olive oil

5 cloves garlic, smashed

4 cayenne chile peppers, stemmed, ribs and seeds removed, and rough chopped

(or substitute other hot red peppers)

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

Heat a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and peppers to the pan. Saute, stirring often, until the edges of the garlic start to turn brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the pan, and remove from the heat.

Place the contents of the saute pan in a blender and add the salt. Puree the peppers and garlic in the blender until mostly smooth. Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil through the feed tube of the lid of the blender. Let cool before using, and store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Jambalaya

Thanks to Leslie, one of the best cooks I know, for this recipe. I lived in New Orleans before I knew anything about cooking so I didn't take advantage of the Cajun recipes in Louisiana. Good thing you did. The only thing I changed was doubling the ingredients to make more.

1/2 cup oil

2 cups finely chopped green onions

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1 finely chopped bell pepper

16 oz. tomato sauce

4 tsp finely chopped garlic

2 cups raw rice

4 cups water

4 tsp Worcestershire

dash Louisiana Hot Sauce

2 pounds meat: raw shrimp, chicken, sausage, andouille sausage, etc.

In medium-sized saucepan, sauté the onions, parsley and bell pepper in oil

until the onions are clear. Stir in the tomato sauce and garlic and

continue cooking until the sauce starts to boil. Stir in the rice and

mix well, then add water, Worcestershire, hot sauce and shrimp.

Stir occasionally on medium high. After the water disappears from the

top, turn heat to low and cover tightly. Let steam undisturbed for 45

minutes. Stir to make sure that the rice is well cooked. If not, cover

and check often. Be careful to not overcook.

Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole

Everyone in my family loves this recipe.  The only thing we're missing for it in Brazil is sour cream. 

2 cups cooked rice   

3 cups diced cooked chicken 

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed 

1 can (11 to 15 ounces) Mexican-style corn, drained 

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, slightly drained 

1 tsp. dried cilantro leaves or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro, optional 

1 tsp. ground cumin 

½ tsp. garlic powder 

½ tsp. dried leaf oregano 

1 TBS. chili powder 

¼ to ½ tsp. ground red or chipotle pepper, to taste 

4 TBS. butter 

2 TBS. flour 

1 cup milk 

½ cup chicken broth 

¼ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper 

½ tsp. salt 

½ to 1 cup Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, optional

In a large bowl, combine rice, chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, and hot pepper. Stir to blend.  In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; stir in flour until well blended and bubbly. 

Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir into the rice and chicken mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper as needed. 

Pour into a 2-quart casserole sprayed lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly. If desired, sprinkle with the cheese about 5 to 8 minutes before done. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and chopped green onions and tomatoes, if desired.