Taco tuesdays include using vegetable and protein varieties

Taco Tuesday Ideas

Need help putting together a taco Tuesday dinner or gathering? Understanding the toppings, side dishes, and beverages best for a “taco theme” will help you serve a delicious meal and create lasting memories.

rosebudatlanta.com gathered the following information about having a taco Tuesday dinner, a versatile taco recipe, the most popular toppings, appropriate side dishes, authentic beverages, and irresistible desserts.

Why is it Taco Tuesday?

In October 1933, the White Star Cafeteria (St. Regis Hotel in El Paso, Texas) held a weeklong campaign to let customers and local residents know they were offering “Mexican tacos” each Tuesday. Over the next several decades, many restaurants had designated Tuesday as the day for deals on tacos. Subsequently, the phrase and the “tradition” caught on all over the US in restaurants and homes, making “Taco Tuesdays” what they are today (any day of the week).

What do You Need for Taco Night?

Planning a taco night (Tuesday, Friday, Sunday, or any day) at home is a perfect opportunity for great family time. From easy-to-fill, easy-to-hold taco shells to savory fillings and fresh toppings, you will find it easy to make your taco night a weekly or monthly tradition. Consider the following taco night recipes and suggestions and be inspired to make it your own:

Hard and Soft Shells – Instead of debating which shells to use on taco night, serve them both and let everyone choose.

  • Hard shells can be warmed in the oven
  • Soft shells can be warmed in a skillet

Taco tuesdays include using soft and hard shells

Tip: Your shells are already cooked. You want to serve them warm, adding to the taco’s flexibility and enhancing the incredible flavors within.

Savory Protein Fillings – The options are endless and can include cubed, braised, or shredded:

  • Chicken
  • Steak
  • Pork
  • Ground Beef (lean)
  • Ground Turkey
  • Fish (salmon or tilapia)
  • Shrimp
  • Chorizo (mixes well with chicken and beef)

Taco tuesdays include using multiple proteins

Try preparing multiple fillings to create a taco bar. For those who prefer vegetarian tacos, make plant-based burgers, crumbled tofu, shiitake walnut taco meat, or beans available.

Tip: Give your ground beef an extra layer of flavor by cooking a medium-sized (cubed) russet potato with the meat.

Typical seasonings include:

  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Chili Flakes or Powder
  • Garlic Powder

Most food outlets carry taco seasoning mixes corresponding to whichever protein you are preparing.

Toppings – Elevate your taco night experience with fresh herbs. Fresh cilantro, oregano, and parsley go well with Tex-Mex cuisine and bring bright color and exceptional flavor to the standard taco night experience. Consider the following popular toppings to serve with your shells and fillings:

Taco tuesdays include using a variety of vegetables spreads and dips

  • Monterrey Jack, Sharp Cheddar, Queso Fresco, and Cotija Cheeses (shredded or crumbled)
  • Sour Cream (chilled and whipped)
  • Diced tomatoes (seasoned with oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper)
  • Guacamole (use the recipe by the Culinary Institute)
  • Pico De Gallo
  • Salsa (serve mild, medium, and hot homemade or store-bought options)
  • Hot Sauces (homemade or store-bought)
  • Chopped onions or scallions
  • Sweet Corn (cooked until semi-caramelized)
  • Refried Beans
  • Cilantro Rice
  • Lettuce (chopped iceberg, spinach, chard, or kale)
  • Bell peppers (thinly sliced or diced)
  • Black Olives (pitted and sliced)
  • Green Chiles (diced Hatch Valley variety)
  • Jalapeños (diced)

The space in your taco shells is limited, so be sure to slice and dice your toppings small.

Note: When dicing Jalapeños, you will likely get choked up and start sneezing while your eyes tear up (the chemical piperine found in peppers irritates the nerve endings inside the mucous membrane). This is normal and worth the temporary torture (minimize these effects by keeping your prep area well-ventilated).

Taco tuesdays include using diced jalapenos and peppers for flavor

Tip: Serve a dish of lemon and lime wedges. Freshly squeezed lemon or lime on tacos is refreshing and delightful.

Beverages – While you could serve soda with your tacos, why not create a more authentic Tex-Mex experience with any of the following beverages:

  • Classic Margarita (there’s no better drink to go with Mexican-style food than a Margarita)
  • Horchata
  • Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Water)
  • Raspberry Hibiscus Iced Tea
  • Agua Fresca (Mexican Strawberry Water)
  • Agua Fresca de Pepino (Cucumber Limeade)
  • Beer (ice-cold lager)
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Dry rosé

Taco tuesdays include serving lager beer

Tip: If you do serve booze, include alcohol-free options for those who do not drink or will operate a vehicle after your taco night.

Desserts – By now, you’ve flexed your culinary muscles and impressed all your guests. The only thing left to do is bring out an authentic Mexican dessert to put a final “wow” on your taco night. Consider the following desserts you can make at home or find (already made) in some multicultural bakeries:

  • Churros (deep-fried dough coated in cinnamon sugar and dipped in chocolate or caramel)
  • Dulce de Leche (sweetened and reduced milk best used as churros dip or ice cream topping)
  • Caramel Flan (custard made with sugar, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract)
  • Mexican Buñuelos (a cross between a donut and a churro)
  • Rice Pudding (made with milk, sugar, rice, and cinnamon)

Taco tuesdays include having traditional desserts like flan

By serving a variety of desserts, from caramel flan to churros, you will satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth after an amazing taco night.

Taco Dinner

In this article, you discovered how to make and serve tacos to your friends and loved ones when you decide to have Taco Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday, etc.

Knowing how to make fresh, delicious tacos with all the right toppings and side dishes will make your taco night authentic, fun, and memorable.

Not knowing what to do for a taco dinner may leave you disappointingly serving the wrong toppings and sides for what should have been a delicious, easy meal.

Sources:
aei.org/technology-and-innovation/lebron-taco-tuesdays-and-trademarks/
dinnertonight.tamu.edu/tacos/
nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/fcs/2018/06/23/building-a-healthy-taco-using-local-produce/

Better your health and keep yourself at a stable weight by incorporating more salads with greens into your diet

5 Delicious Salad Recipes

Discover tasty recipes to prevent a diet full of processed food, sugar, and saturated fats. Incorporating healthy salads into your meals will help you eat less, feel better, and most critically, preserve your health.

rosebudatlanta.com gathered the following information, recipes, and prep instructions for 5 popular and easy-to-make healthy salads.

Salad Benefits

Salads are an excellent way to get essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber into your diet. However, not all salads are as healthy or nutritious as they are portrayed to be. It greatly depends on what is in the salad. It is perfectly fine to add small amounts of dressing and toppings; however, if you overdo it with high-fat or high-sugar add-ins, your salad can cause you to exceed your daily calorie needs, contributing to weight gain and declining health.

Prepare salads with colorful vegetables. You get healthy, disease-fighting nutrients with fresh vegetables in the salad. Consider the following salad recipes:

1. Caprese Salad

Better your health and keep yourself at a stable weight by incorporating more salads like caprese into your diet

A Caprese salad is a simple Italian salad made with sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil, seasoned with salt and olive oil. It is typically arranged on a plate in fancy restaurant practice. The first iconic story for Caprese salad dates back to post-World War I Italy. A patriotic mason crafted a dish that would be a tribute to Italy and visually incorporated the “tricolor” into its presentation. Like a Margherita pizza, it features the Italian flag’s colors: green, white, and red.

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces of thinly sliced mozzarella
  • 3 ripe, thinly sliced large tomatoes (heirloom)
  • 1 bunch of lightly chopped sweet basil
  • Large pinch of salt (to taste)
  • Large pinch of black pepper (to taste)
  • 2 cups balsamic glaze
  • Olive oil (drizzle to taste)

Instructions:

  1. Place the sliced tomatoes and mozzarella on a platter. Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella in an alternating pattern.
  2. Scatter the basil leaves over the tomatoes and mozzarella.
  3. Season with salt and black pepper.
  4. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic glaze over the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
  5. It’s done. Serve immediately.

2. Spinach Salad

Better your health and keep yourself at a stable weight by incorporating more salads like spinach into your diet

This spinach salad is topped with dried cranberries, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, avocado, and a creamy balsamic dressing. This recipe is perfect as a side or topped with protein for a complete meal.

The salad starts with fresh spinach leaves and then gets sprinkled with loads of deliciousness: apple slices, candied pecans, avocado, red onion, feta cheese, and a homemade balsamic dressing. All of these flavors mingle together to create an amazing and healthy salad.

Ingredients:

  • 10 oz baby spinach
  • 1 cup sliced mini cucumbers
  • ⅔ cup crumbled goat cheese
  • ½ cup sliced red onions
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup raw walnuts
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • Fresh cracked pepper for serving
  • Creamy Balsamic Dressing
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

  1. Add walnuts to a small skillet over medium heat to toast. Let cook, frequently tossing for 3-5 minutes until fragrant and starting to brown. Remove from pan and let cool.
  2. Prepare the dressing by whisking together all ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly combined and creamy.
  3. Prepare the salad by adding spinach to a large bowl, and top with cucumbers, goat cheese, onions, cranberries, toasted walnuts, and sliced avocado. Top with fresh cracked pepper.
  4. Drizzle dressing over salad, thoroughly toss, and serve or plate the salad and serve it with the dressing on the side.

3. Tomato Feta Salad

Better your health and keep yourself at a stable weight by incorporating more salads like tomato and feta

A tomato & feta salad is a fresh explosion of flavor, color, and texture. Ready in minutes, this stress-free salad is a perfect accompaniment to any meal.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes, red or mixed colors
  • ¾ cup small-diced red onion
  • 2 tablespoons good white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • ¾ pound feta cheese

Instructions:

  1. Cut the tomatoes in half and place them in a large bowl.
  2. Add the onion, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley, and toss well.
  3. Dice the feta into a ½- to ¾-inch dice, crumbling it as little as possible.
  4. Gently fold it into the salad and serve at room temperature.

4. Superfood Salad

Better your health and keep yourself at a stable weight by incorporating more superfood salads into your dietary plan

The high vitamin and mineral content found in superfoods can help your body ward off illnesses and keep you healthier. When incorporated into a well-balanced diet, these foods can promote heart health, weight loss, improve energy levels, and reduce the effects of aging.

Ingredients:

  • 5 cups roughly chopped kale
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup grapes
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries
  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1/8 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup shelled edamame

For the dressing:

  • 1/8 cup oranges (orange juice)
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
  • 1/8 cup Greek yogurt

This dressing is light, tangy, and creamy and is made by mixing the yogurt, olive oil, garlic, and orange juice. 

Instructions:

  1. Cook the quinoa and edamame according to the package instructions.
  2. Then, prep the rest of the ingredients (halve the grapes, chop the dried cherries, etc.).
  3. Add the salad dressing ingredients to a jar and shake until creamy and combined.
  4. Toss the superfood salad ingredients and dressing together, and serve.

5. Cobb Salad

Better your health and keep yourself at a stable weight by incorporating more salads like cobb into your diet

Cobb salad is the quintessential American salad (first put together on a whim by Robert Cobb of the former Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles) when he needed to feed Sid Grauman late one night in 1937.

A chef salad and a Cobb salad both have lettuce, cheese, meats like chicken and bacon, and hard-boiled eggs. However, what distinguishes a Cobb salad is the addition of tomatoes and avocado. Additionally, a Cobb salad typically uses a variety of lettuce types.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 head romaine
  • 1/2 head Boston lettuce
  • 1 small bunch frisée (curly endive)
  • 1/2 bunch watercress, coarse stems discarded
  • 6 slices of fully-cooked bacon
  • 2 ripe avocados, seed removed, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 3/4 pound total), halved, cooked, and diced
  • 1 tomato, seeded and chopped fine
  • 2 large hard-boiled eggs, separated, the yolk finely chopped and the white finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Roquefort

Instructions:

  1. Cook the bacon in a skillet (on medium heat) until crisp on both sides. Remove from skillet and lay on paper towels to absorb any excess fat. Allow the bacon to cool. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
  2. Toss the various lettuces In a large salad bowl.
  3. Compose the salad by decoratively arranging the chicken, bacon, tomato, and avocado over the greens and garnish with chopped egg and chives.
  4. Make the vinaigrette in a small bowl by whisking the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together. Slowly add the oil and whisk the dressing until it is emulsified.
  5. Stir in the Roquefort and add sugar to taste. Serve the dressing separately or toss it in with the salad.

Salad Recipes

In this article, you discovered 5 recipes for delicious, healthy, and filling salads that are easy to prepare and fun to serve.

Incorporating healthy salads into your daily meals will help curb your appetite, maintain your energy levels longer, and help you better control your weight.

Ignoring the need to eat healthier can lead to severe vitamin deficiencies, cardiovascular issues, difficulty controlling your weight, and feelings of laziness.

Sources:
medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002132.htm
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31278048/
scu.edu/sustainability/gardens/resources/recipes/forge-crafted-recipes/caprese-salad.html
eskenazihealth.edu/news/recipe-of-the-month-easy-spinach-salad
nicholls.edu/culinary/2017/09/06/tomato-and-feta-salad/
cih.ucsd.edu/nutrition/recipes/kale-and-quinoa-superfood-salad
cs.cmu.edu/~mjw/recipes/salad/cobb-salad.html

Popular bar drinks include those with hard liquor and spirits

5 Popular Bar Drinks

Stop looking inexperienced or making the same boring drinks when entertaining friends. Knowing the recipes and what booze goes into making the most popular bar drinks will help enhance your bar menu and entertain your guests with confidence.

rosebudatlanta.com gathered the following information, recipes, and suggestions on making and pairing 5 of the most popular bar drinks.

1. Bloody Mary

Popular bar drinks include bloody marys

The creation of the Bloody Mary is often credited to Fernand Petiot in the 1920s while a young bartender at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. However, it appears he simply spiced up an existing and well-established combo of vodka and tomato juice while working at the St. Regis Hotel, New York City, during the 1940s.

Ingredients – A classic or traditional Bloody Mary includes:

1 teaspoon sea salt, or as needed
Ice cubes, as needed
¾ cup spicy tomato-vegetable juice cocktail (such as V8®)
1.5 ounces vodka
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 dash of hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 stalk celery
2 garlic-stuffed green olives, threaded onto a toothpick

Salt the rim of your cocktail glass and fill with ice. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, add vegetable juice cocktail, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Cover and shake until the outside of the shaker has frosted (20 seconds). Strain Bloody Mary into the prepared glass and garnish with a celery stalk and olives.

Taste – The earthy flavor might catch you off guard if you’re not familiar with this cocktail. It’s spicy, salty, and has an overall savory flavor. You get the taste of tomatoes and hot sauce, along with all the other ingredients.

Pairs with – While many foods can be paired with a Bloody Mary, here are some of the more popular pairings:

  • Meatballs
  • Mozzarella Sticks
  • Red Pepper Hummus and Toasted Pita
  • Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
  • Shrimp

Non-alcoholic Version – Virgin Bloody Mary (Same recipe without the vodka)

2. Caipirinha

Popular bar drinks include Caipirinha

This cocktail was invented by farmers in the Piracicaba region in the interior of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, during the 19th century as a local drink for ‘high standard or elegant’ events and parties, reflecting the strong sugarcane culture in the region.

Ingredients – This spectacular cocktail contains the following:

1 lime, quartered
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 ounces cachaca (Brazilian rum)
1 ½ cups ice

Combine sugar and lime quarters in a pint glass. Crush and mix together using a cocktail muddler. Add cachaca and stir. Fill with ice and stir again.

Note: Change the name to “Caipiroska” when using vodka instead of cachaca.

Taste – A caipirinha tastes like a sweet lime juice with a grassy aftertaste.
Pairs with – Drink Caipirinhas with the same foods and snacks you’d have with a Margarita, Daiquiri, or a Mojito, like salsa and tortilla chips, guacamole, etc.
Non-alcoholic Version – Virgin caipirinha (made with ginger beer)

3. Cosmopolitan

Popular bar drinks include cosmopolitans

Bartender Neal Murray states that he created the cosmopolitan in 1975 at the Cork & Cleaver steak house in Minneapolis. According to Murray, he added a splash of cranberry juice to a Kamikaze, and the first taster declared, “How cosmopolitan.”

Ingredients – All traditional “Cosmos” are typically made with the same ingredients, including:

1 ½ ounces vodka
¼ ounce lime juice
¼ ounce triple sec
¼ ounce cranberry juice
1 cup ice
1 lime wedge for garnish

Combine vodka, lime juice, triple sec, and cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, cover, and shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

Taste – Cosmopolitan cocktails are sweet with a touch of tang from the lime.
Pairs with – The sharpness of the cocktail is well-complemented by a soft brie cheese and crunchy cracker. A small piece of cherry or tomato adds to the fruity flavor of the drink.
Non-alcoholic Version – Virgin Cosmopolitan (Substitute the alcohol with sparkling water or soda)

4. Long Island Iced Tea

Popular bar drinks include long island iced teas

According to “legend,” The first Long Island iced tea was allegedly crafted by Robert “Rosebud” Butt in 1972 while tending bar at the Oak Beach Inn in Hampton Bays on Long Island.

Ingredients – A classic Long Island Iced Tea includes:

1 (1.5 ounces) jigger vodka
1 (1.5 ounces) jigger gin
1 (1.5 ounces) jigger rum
1 (1.5 ounces) jigger triple sec liqueur
1 teaspoon tequila
2 teaspoons orange juice
2 ounces cola-flavored carbonated beverage
1 lemon wedge

In a cocktail mixer full of ice, combine vodka, gin, rum, triple sec, and tequila. Add orange juice and cola. Shake until frothy. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice, and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Taste – A Long Island Iced Tea tastes like cola with lemon and orange flavoring added.
Pairs with – Dishes like buffalo chicken wings along with other hot and hearty dishes pair well with the refreshing taste of a Long Island Iced Tea.
Non-alcoholic Version – Alcohol-free Long Island Iced Tea

5. Manhattan

Popular bar drinks include Manhattans

The Manhattan cocktail is most likely an ode to the Scottish outlaw and folk hero, the Rob Roy Manhattan was created in 1894 by a bartender at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan, New York City.

Ingredients – This simplistic beauty of a drink is made with:

2 ounces bourbon
½ ounce sweet vermouth
1 maraschino cherry
½ cup ice

Pour bourbon and vermouth over ice in a shaker, then shake well and pour into a cocktail glass, garnishing with a cherry.

Taste – The Manhattan is a classic cocktail of choice for whiskey-lovers due to its subtle bitterness and herbal undertones.
Pairs with – A Manhattan achieves a perfect pairing with a succulent rack of lamb.
Non-alcoholic Version – Alcohol-free Manhattan (Uses apple juice and alcohol-free red wine)

What Drinks Can You Order at a Bar?

In this article, you discovered 5 immensely popular drinks, their ingredients, preparation, taste, and food pairing suggestions.

Knowing what drinks to order at a bar will help you seem knowledgeable while properly pairing them with the right foods.

Not knowing what it takes to make the best cocktails can lead to boring drinks, less business, and bad flavor pairings.

Sources:
chatham.edu/alumni/alumni-reunion-weekend/pdfs/bloody-mary-recipe.pdf
bizeconreporting.journalism.cuny.edu/2013/05/23/caipirinhas-everywhere-brazilian-cachaca-ready-to-take-over-the-american-market/
observer.case.edu/how-to-make-a-cosmopolitan-the-grown-up-vodka-cran/
dks.library.kent.edu/?a=d&d=tks20150408-01.2.33&e=——-en-20–1–txt-txIN——-
crescent.edu/post/manhattan-cocktail-the-classy-drink-with-a-cherry-on-top

Popular comfort foods include feijoada brazilian black bean soup

The Perfect Feijoada Recipe

Avoid the embarrassment of serving unpopular dishes to your friends and loved ones at your next dinner party. Knowing how to make feijoada (fey-zhoo-ah-dah) will help you feed everyone well and leave your guests in awe.

rosebudatlanta.com gathered the following recipe, tips, and suggestions on making one of the most iconic Brazilian dishes, feijoada.

What is Feijoada?

Before cooking a single bean, it is crucial that you know the history packed into the national dish of Brazil. While several types of salted and smoked pork and beef are used in this black bean stew, the name actually comes from the Portuguese word for beans (feijao). The current incarnation of feijoada originated during the time Portugal was colonizing Brazil. This dish came about in Portugal, and variations of it can be found in countries that were later settled by Portuguese explorers.

Brazilians typically eat feijoada on Wednesdays and Saturdays (this is when restaurants traditionally offer it on the menu), and families prepare it for social gatherings. Nowadays, all social and economic classes eat feijoada since it is a low-cost dish. In some parts of Brazil, feijoada is only prepared during the winter months.

The long-believed folklore is that feijoada was created by enslaved people on Brazil’s sugar cane plantations who used the scraps of meat tossed aside by their masters (pig’s ears, feet, and tails) and cooked them with black beans, which were native to Brazil and the staple of the enslaved people’s diets. However, recent studies are beginning to unveil that the enslaved people at the time were likely the first to make feijoada but were, in fact, making it for their masters.

How To Make Feijoada

Preparing feijoada is an act of love that requires time and TLC to make. A good recipe is a useful and flexible guide for recreating feijoada in your home. Consider the following:

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped red, yellow, or white onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped shallot
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound choriço sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick (see tip below)
  • 1 pound “carne seca” or other salted or cured beef cut, soaked overnight, and cubed
  • 1 pound baby back spareribs, cut into individual ribs or one tenderloin cubed
  • 1 pound of black beans
  • 10 cups water
  • 4 cups collard or kale greens, sautéed in olive oil
  • 4 cups cooked white rice
  • Hot sauce

Tip: Choriço is a dry sausage heavily spiced with garlic and paprika, surprisingly similar to Spanish chorizo. If you cannot find it, it can be substituted with fresh chorizo, Mexican chorizo, or a domestic smoked hot sausage.

Feijoada Cooking Directions

Popular comfort food includes meals prepared with black beans

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add the following in this order:

  1. Oil
  2. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions, shallots, and garlic
  3. Crush the bay leaves and add to the pan
  4. Season with pepper (do not add the salt yet)
  5. Sauté for 5 minutes
  6. Add the choriço sausage (or its substitute)
  7. Cook for an additional 4 minutes
  8. Add the cubed beef, ribs, beans, and water
  9. Bring the water to a boil, then turn to medium-low and simmer until the beans are tender. This will take about 2-1/2 hours
  10. Add hot water when necessary to keep the beans covered
  11. Use the back of a ladle to mash 1/4 of the beans
  12. Reseason your feijoada with salt and pepper

Tip: Mashing 1/4 of the beans releases starch, making the dish thicker, richer, and smooth.

Note: Salt is only added when the beans are fully cooked. When salt is added at the beginning of the recipe, it hardens the bean shells, requiring considerably more time to thoroughly cook.

How To Make Farofa

Farofa is a traditional Brazilian topping, garnish, or side dish made with toasted yuca flour/cassava flour, or how it is referred to in Portuguese: “farinha de mandioca.”

Ingredients for 2-½ cups

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2-1/2 cups yuca, cassava, or manioc (mandioca) flour
  • Salt

Farofa Cooking Directions

In a large sauté pan, over medium heat:

  1. Melt the butter
  2. Add the flour
  3. Season with salt
  4. Sauté until golden (about 3 to 5 minutes)
  5. Remove from heat.

Plating Your Feijoada

Popular comfort foods for dinner include feijoada

Consider the following when serving feijoada:

  1. Spoon some greens and rice onto your serving plate(s)
  2. Spoon a helping of Feijoada over the rice
  3. Shake some hot sauce over the plate
  4. Garnish with orange slices and farofa

Note: Today, there are several variations of this famous black bean stew, which go from the complete “original” recipe, including pig’s ears, tails, and feet, to the recipes that use the finest pork and beef cuts and the most expensive ingredients.

Feijoada – Brazil’s National Dish

In this article, you discovered information about Brazil’s most cherished dish and an easy-to-follow recipe to help you make the perfect feijoada.

A well-prepared feijoada dish will have your guests and family raving about your cooking skills and ability to combine flavor with texture to create an incredible, mouth-watering dish.

Relying on typical American dishes to satisfy everyone can leave your invited guests disappointed and wanting more impactful flavors in their food.

Sources:
folklore.usc.edu/recipe-sao-paulo-brazil/
myllu.llu.edu/utilities-fileManager/action:image/?item=%2Flivingwhole%2Frecipes%2FFeijoada+%28Brazilian+Bean+Stew%29.pdf
u.osu.edu/rio2015springbreak/2015/03/19/fejihoda-and-charrusco/
siue.edu/~psterli/story.html