Ekins Express

Brazilian Meal with Recipes

Yum, yum, yum! Something so simple but oh so tasty. Matt has me hooked on Fejada (Brazilian's everyday meal of black beans and rice) and Brazilian Limeade! So easy and plenty leftover for days (although the limeade is best when gulped the first day). It's especially good and Brazilian-style to serve the meal with a green salad topped with sliced tomatoes, olive oil, sea salt and pepper. I like to take a bite of everything combined - salad with beans and rice.

Fejada (Black beans and rice)

(Recipe sent from friend "Lou" who served her mission as well in Brazil)

3 cups black beans
6 cups water (just like rice, you use double the water as beans)
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound bacon (I use pre-cooked bacon and just heat it up in a pan)
2 bay leaves
salt to taste (sea salt preferably)

Soak the beans overnight, so measure out the 3 cups and go through the beans to take out any bad ones (really shriveled or discolored). It's an extra little step, but worth it because bad beans are nasty if left in. Put beans in a bowl and cover with water. Next day, dump water and you are ready to go.

Cut up bacon and fry to a crisp. Chop up into small pieces. use some of the bacon grease and sautee onions and garlic. Put beans, water, onion/garlic, and bacon into a crockpot. Add salt until the water tastes pretty salty, like you would want it to taste when done cooking. Add bay leaves and cook on high for 6 hours.

Brazilian Limeade

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they're the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)

1 C sugar

6 C cold water

6 T sweetened condensed milk

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

Wash limes thoroughly with soap (I just use regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off because you're using the WHOLE lime, baby. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.

Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a find mesh strainer (I just use a regular noodle strainer) over a pitcher (the one you'll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash.

Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk; you may want to taste it ast this point. If it tastes bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk.

Serve immediately over lots of ice. Serves 4, plan on 1 1/2 servings per person because it's so yummy.