Easy Brazilian Cheesy Bread Recipe

If you've ever been to a Fogo de Chao or a similar churrascaria/brazillian steak house then you've probably had these and though omg they are soooo delicious! 

Easy Brazilian Cheesy Bread Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes

The recipe as presented is fairly basic. Feel free to dress it up a bit with herbs or spices of your choice. (I don't do that, bc I like it the way it is!)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 egg*
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup milk
• Scant 1 1/2 cups (170 grams) tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup (packed, about 66 grams) grated cheese, your preference, though we got the best results from Mexican farmer's cheese - queso fresco (I usually use parmesean and grate it myself and use some other cheese with it too, like either mozzerella or the mexican shredded mix if you can't find the queso fresco cheese)
• 1 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste)

Special equipment recommended:

• One or two mini muffin tins. Mini muffin tins are about half the size of a regular muffin pan. The muffin openings are about 1-inch deep, and 1 3/4 inch wide at the top. (I used a regular muffin pan because it's all I had the first time I made it)

*It helps when baking with eggs to start with eggs at room temperature. If you don't plan ahead (that would be me, usually) you can put the egg in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes to gently take off the chill of the fridge.

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a mini-muffin tin. Put all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. You may need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender so that everything gets blended well. At this point you can store the batter in the refrigerator for up to a week.

2. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until all puffy and just lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes. (You don't want to over cook them, so they will be soft, if anything take it out just a tad bit earlier!)

Eat while warm or save to reheat later. - Best served fresh! 

Enough batter for 16 mini muffin sized cheese breads.

*Note that Brazilian cheese bread is very chewy, a lot like Japanese mochi.

Original recipe from:  http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_brazilian_cheese_bread/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+elise/simplyrecipes+(Simply+Recipes)

Plantain Chips & Chimichurri Sauce/Dip

These pics were taken from the first time I made this, but I've gotten better at it! :) It's yummy!!

Chimichurri Sauce/Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped (or use less see below)
• 1/4 cup cilantro (I usually use more cilantro (1 cup/1 bunch) and less parsley (1/4 cup))
• 2 bay leaves (I usually don't have this so I omit it)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1  1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped (I usually used dried oregano from my spice rack)
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1  1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor, pulse/blend until combined. Put the sauce in a container, using as needed. Chimichurri will last for up to 1 month, refrigerated. Great for plantain chips and on beef or chicken! Especially skirt/flank steak!

Plantain Chips

Ingredients:

• 3 large green plantains (I usually like to make more so I use at least 6 plantains or more)
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• Kosher salt, for seasoning

Directions:

1. With a sharp knife or a butcher knife, take off the peel/outer layer of the plantain and I usually like to slice the plantains in half so that the chips are shorter.
2. Using a mandoline, or sharp knife, finely slice plantains into thin chips (for fancier presentation slice them lengthwise into ribbons).
3. In a heavy based pot or wok, heat vegetable oil over medium heat (to 375 degrees F). You can test to see if it's ready by a drop of water or a small piece of plantain.
4.  Fry the plantains in small batches until crisp and golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Make sure you don't burn or over cook them. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel or two. Season with a little kosher salt immediately after each batch. Enjoy!

I want a better mandoline slicer, but right now I just use a cheap slicer I got from Walmart and it works okay. Here is the one we have: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=16565405&findingMethod=rr