RECIPE - Rice with Carrot and Cashew Nuts (Arroz com Cenoura e Castanha)

Rice Week races to its conclusion...

Most of the time Brazilians are quite content to eat a portion of plain boiled white rice with their mid-day meal (for Brazilians the idea of eating rice at night is rather strange). But sometimes the rice that accompanies their beans and beef or chicken is tarted up a bit - flavored with chopped or shredded vegetables, fruits or nuts. The idea is a bit like the pilafs and pullaos that are found in the great crescent from India, through Iran and Iraq and on to the Levant - the vegetables and seasoning ingredients are briefly sauteed, then the raw grains of rice are fried for a short time and finally the rice is steam-cooked in broth.

The flavor is richer and more complex than plain rice, and the nutritional profile is improved by the addition of vegetables. Vegetables that are commonly mixed with rice and treated this way are kale, broccoli, onions and, in this recipe from the tiny northeastern state of Alagoas, shredded carrots. And to make the dish even more party-fancy, cashew nuts are tossed in to provide additional crunch and a nice flavor boost.

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RECIPE - Rice with Carrot and Cashew Nuts (Arroz com Cenoura e Castanha)
Serves 8

5 cups light chicken or vegetable broth (can use water if desired)
2 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup shredded or julienned carrot
2 cups long-grain white rice
1 cup roasted, unsalted cashew nuts
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Heat the broth until simmering. Reserve at simmer point.

In a large saucepan with a cover heat the oil over medium-high heat and saute the chopped onion until it's transparent but not browned. Add the rice and the shredded carrot and cook, stirring constantly just until all the rice is coated with oil and the grains are beginning to turn transparent. Stir in the cashew nuts, then add the 5 cups of hot broth.

Let the broth come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan tightly and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat, leave covered and let stand for 5 minutes.

Put the rice in a decorative serving bowl, fluff with two forks and serve immediately.

RECIPE - Carrot Cake with Coconut Oil and Gianduia (Bolo de cenoura com óleo de coco e gianduia)

When we were doing research for the previous post on Flavors of Brazil, about virgin coconut oil, we came across a recipe on a Brazilian food blog called Sabor Saudade for an amazing sounding carrot cake made with coconut oil and marbled with the Italian hazelnut-enriched chocolate known as gianduia. If you're familiar with the Italian chocolate spread called Nutella, you'll know what the taste of  is all about, though industrially-produced Nutella is far inferior to good quality  gianduia. The recipe on the blog was accompanied with mouth-watering photographs, a couple of which we've included on this post.

As discussed in the last post, if you're contemplating purchasing coconut oil, be sure to buy only virgin oil. We've even seen coconut oil labeled extra virgin, though we're not sure what differentiates garden-variety virgin from extra-virgin. In any case, do not buy processed or hydrogenated coconut oil - it is very high in saturated fats and trans fats.
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RECIPE - Carrot Cake with Coconut Oil and Gianduia (Bolo de cenoura com óleo de coco e gianduia)

2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
3 medium whole eggs
2/3 cup (200 ml) unrefined white sugar
1/2 cup (250 ml) all-purpose white flour
1/3 cup (100 ml) virgin coconut oil
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 Tbsp gianduia paste
pinch of salt
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Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease a tube cake pan (or Bundt pan, reserve.

In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients with the exception of the gianduia. Blend or process until you have a homogenous batter, thoroughly mixed. Pour the batter into the greased cake pan.

Spoon the gianduia paste onto the top of the cake batter, in spoonsful of about one Tbsp each. With a rubber spatula, fold the gianduia into the batter, but do not over-mix. You want pockets of melted gianduia in the cake when you serve it.

Place the cake pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, let cool in the pan, then reverse the cake onto a cake platter. Let cool completely before serving.