A Contradiction in Terms? Vegetarian, Organic Feijoada Arrives

Properly made, a plate of feijoada, Brazil's most popular candidate for the status of "national dish", is a vegetarian's nightmare. Centered around a bubbling pot of black beans laden with chunks of all the fattest, greasiest parts of the pig, feijoada must seem like the devil's dish itself to someone who eschews animal-derived food. The cauldron that is the centerpiece of a feijoada table is likely to contain, hidden under the glossy, pitch-black surface of the beans, things like fat links of sausage, racks of smoked ribs, salted pig's tails, ears and feet - anything and everything that's full of animal flesh and fat.

But the love of feijoada runs deep indeed in Brazil, and even vegetarians and veganBrazilians can't imagine living a feijoada-less existence. In São Paulo, at least, they no longer have to. A small enterprise called  Comida & Consciência (Food and Consciousness in English), in the city's upmarket Higienópolis neighborhood, has come to their rescue. Every Saturday (the traditional day for eating feijoada) the owners of Comida & Consciência make organic, vegetarian feijoada for their loyal customers, thus allowing those folks to share in Brazil's weekend ritual of feijoada.

Comida & Consciência is in the business of making and delivering home-cooked ready-to-eat vegetarian meals to their customers' apartments, houses or offices. Because many of their customers get their meals delivered every day from the shop, there are no repetitions on the monthly menu - except for feijoada, that is. It, by popular demand, is available every Saturday. Originally started by two friends who shared a common interest in healthy, organic eating and who began sharing their vegetarian dishes with likeminded friends, Comida & Consciência has become a way for the two women to share not only their philosophy of food, but also, as they say, their "consciousness of life."

Comida & Consciência's feijoada contains black beans, of course, but instead of cooking the legume with smoked pork products, their vegetarian version uses smoked tofu, soya cutlets, zucchini, parsley stalks, beets and strips of dried coconut to give the beans depth and richness. The beans are accompanied by traditional accompaniments - rice, sauteed kale and toasted oat flour, which stands in for the traditional toasted manioc flour. All the ingredients are organic, and the dish is completely vegan. Each serving of feijoada costs R$20,00, or just USD $10 at current exchange rates, plus a small delivery charge which varies depending on distance.

Lighter, less heavy and much healthier than traditional feijoada, Comida & Consciência's feijoada might just be the proof (literal in this case) of making a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

With material from the food section of Estado de S. Paulo newspaper,

RECIPE - Palm-Heart Moqueca (Moqueca de Palmito)

We mentioned in our last post that an authoritative Brazilian dictionary tells us that a moqueca can be made from fish, seafood, meat or eggs, plus other ingredients. In traditional Brazilian cooking that's probably true, but in today's culinary environment in Brazil traditional cooking styles and ancient dishes are being reinvented on a daily basis.

Although Brazilians are generally a carnivorous bunch, there are an increasing number of vegetarians in this country, and inventive chefs and clever restaurant managers are beginning to cater to them. When adapting traditional dishes like moquecas the trick is to find a central or identifying ingredient to substitute for the fish or meat that is found in the traditional dish. One excellent substitution for these animal proteins is palm hearts (aka hearts-of-palm). They have the advantage of still being distinctly Brazilian and their solid consistency gives them the substantiality and consistency of the missing meat or fish. This recipe comes from a Brazilian website of Seventh-Day Adventist recipes.

In Brazil, as elsewhere, most palm hearts are preserved in a light brine solution and canned or bottled. This recipe calls for these palm hearts - you do not have to search out fresh ones. The cans or jars can easily be found in most North American and European supermarkets, or certainly in gourmet grocery stores.
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RECIPE - Palm-Heart Moqueca (Moqueca de Palmito)
Serves 4

1 lb (500 gr) drained palm hearts
2 medium onions
2 cups (500 ml) coconut milk
1/2 cup (125 ml) dendê oil
1 small green bell pepper
1 small red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves and small stems only, chopped
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and seeded
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Cut the palm hearts into thick slices, about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick. Slice the onions, the bell peppers and the peeled tomatoes.

In a saucepan or large frying pan layer alternatively the palm hearts, onions, peppers and tomatoes. Drizzle a bit of dendê oil over each layer as you work. Sprinkle the top layer with salt, the chopped garlic and the chopped cilantro. Pour the coconut milk evenly over all.

Put the pan on a large stove-top heating element and gently bring it to a simmer. Do not let it boil vigorously. Cook until all the vegetables are softened and the sauce has thickened slightly.