Skip to content
WhatToEat.Today
Login

All recipes

572

Vegetarian, or something you can't eat? Set your diet once and we'll hide recipes that don't fit.

572 recipes

Torta de limãoLime meringue pie

Torta de limão is one of Brazil's best-loved desserts, made in home kitchens from São Paulo to Belo Horizonte for birthdays and Sunday lunch, and sold by the slice in padarias (bakeries). A crumbly crust of butter biscuits holds a no-cook filling of condensed milk and plenty of lime juice that thickens like magic, topped with a cloud of glossy meringue that is browned in the oven. Brazilian limes (limão taiti) are juicy and very sharp, so use fresh limes, never bottled juice. The usual mistake is adding all the lime juice at once: pour it in gradually while whisking, or the filling can turn grainy. The meringue is done when the peaks are golden brown. For anyone pregnant, very young, older or with a weakened immune system, make sure the meringue is well browned and the egg whites cooked. Chef's tip: grate the zest over the filling just before the meringue goes on; the fragrant oils stay bright.

55 minBrazilianDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sopa criollaCreamy beef noodle soup

Sopa criolla is the soup Lima turns to on grey winter evenings, when the garúa mist hangs over the city: a beef broth reddened with ají panca, full of thin noodles and strips of beef, enriched with evaporated milk and finished with a poached egg. It arrives with toasted bread for dunking. The common mistake is boiling the soup after adding the milk; it splits into specks. Lower the heat first and stir it in gently. The beef strips are thin, so they cook through in a few minutes. Chef's tip: crack the eggs straight into the barely simmering soup and leave them alone for three minutes; the whites set into soft ribbons that thicken the broth.

45 minPeruvianSoups
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mandioca fritaFried cassava

Mandioca frita, called aipim in Rio and macaxeira in the Northeast, is a must at Brazilian botecos (neighbourhood bars), served in a basket with lime and a little hot sauce on Friday nights, or alongside picanha at a Sunday churrasco. Fat cassava batons are boiled until tender, then fried until the outside crackles and the inside is fluffy, like the best chips you have ever had. Cassava must never be eaten raw: peel off all the brown bark and pink layer and boil it until completely soft right through. The usual mistake is frying it before it is fully tender; it stays hard and woody in the middle. Boil until a knife meets no resistance and the batons start to split. Chef's tip: let the boiled cassava cool and dry completely on a rack, or even chill it overnight; dry cassava fries crisper and splatters less.

55 minBrazilianSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Crema volteadaBaked caramel custard

In Lima, crema volteada is the dessert that appears at Sunday lunch in Miraflores and Barranco homes and at every birthday where an aunt is in charge of the sweets. It is firmer and richer than a Spanish flan because it is made with both evaporated and condensed milk, so it slices cleanly and tastes of toffee. The usual mistake is baking it in an oven that is too hot: the custard boils, fills with tiny holes and weeps. Keep the water bath at a bare simmer and take it out while the centre still wobbles slightly. Chef's tip: chill it overnight before turning it out; a cold custard releases in one piece and the caramel has time to melt into a pourable sauce.

80 minPeruvianDessertsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Arroz tapadoRice dome with beef filling

Arroz tapado means covered rice, and it is the thrifty weekday lunch of Lima homes and school canteens: garlic rice pressed into a bowl, filled with a sweet-savoury beef mince and turned out like a dome. The filling of minced beef with onion, ají panca, raisins, black olives and hard-boiled egg is the same picadillo that goes into papas rellenas. The usual mistake is leaving the filling wet: the dome collapses and the rice turns soggy. Simmer it until the pan is almost dry. Minced beef must reach 71 °C, so cook it until no pink remains. Serve with a spoonful of salsa criolla. Chef's tip: brush the bowl with a little oil and pack the rice firmly with the back of a spoon; a well-pressed dome holds its shape on the plate.

60 minPeruvianMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tamales peruanosChicken corn tamales in banana leaf

In Lima, tamales are a Sunday breakfast, bought warm from street vendors calling 'tamaleeeeros' or made at home for Christmas, and eaten with crusty bread and a pile of salsa criolla. Peruvian tamales are larger and softer than Mexican ones, made from corn dough coloured with ají and wrapped in banana leaves, hiding chicken, a black olive, a slice of egg and a peanut. Peanuts are an allergen, so leave them out if needed. The usual mistake is a dry dough: the tamales turn crumbly. Beat in enough warm stock to make a soft paste that just holds its shape. The chicken must reach 74 °C before it goes in. Chef's tip: fat makes the dough tender; beat the oil and dough for a full 5 minutes until light, as Lima cooks do with pork lard.

150 minPeruvianChickenGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ceviche peruanoLime-cured white fish

Ceviche is Peru's national dish, eaten at lunchtime in the cevicherías of Lima's Surquillo and Chorrillos markets, because the fish must be fresh off the morning boats and cevicherías traditionally close in the afternoon. The classic is raw white fish 'cooked' in lime juice with red onion, chilli and coriander, served with sweet potato and corn. Lime juice does not kill bacteria or parasites, so this version first poaches the fish for a minute until just opaque, then dresses it, which keeps the classic flavour and texture far safer. Even so, it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. The usual mistake is leaving the fish in the lime for an hour: it turns chalky and the juice goes bitter. Chef's tip: squeeze the limes gently by hand and stop before the pith; over-squeezed limes make bitter leche de tigre.

40 minPeruvianFishGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Lomo saltadoBeef stir-fry with chips

Lomo saltado was born in the chifas of central Lima, where Chinese cooks met Peruvian ingredients, and today it is the lunch every Peruvian family makes when they want something fast and a little indulgent. Strips of beef are seared in a smoking-hot wok with red onion, tomato and yellow chilli, splashed with soy sauce and vinegar, then tossed with chips and served beside white rice, so you get both starches on one plate. The common mistake is crowding the wok: the beef stews in its juices and turns grey and chewy instead of charring. Cook it in two batches over the highest heat you have. Chef's tip: add the chips at the very last second, or serve them on the side, so they soak up a little sauce but stay crisp.

45 minPeruvianMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

X-tudoBurger with everything

The x-tudo (say 'shee-TOO-doo'; 'x' sounds like 'cheese' in Portuguese) is the late-night king of Brazilian lanchonetes (snack bars) and street food trailers in São Paulo, Curitiba and Rio, eaten after football or a night out. A soft bun is stacked with a beef patty, melted cheese, ham, bacon, a fried egg, lettuce, tomato, sweetcorn and crunchy potato sticks, all held together with mayonnaise. It contains pork (ham and bacon) and egg. The common mistake is building it on a cold bun: toast the cut sides in the burger fat so they don't go soggy under all the fillings. The patty is done when there's no pink in the middle and it reaches 71 °C. Cook the egg until the white is fully set; for anyone pregnant, a young child or older or vulnerable people, cook the yolk firm too. Chef's tip: press the bun flat on the hot plate with a spatula for 20 seconds once built, the way lanchonetes do; it melts everything together.

35 minBrazilianFast Food
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Arroz con mariscosSeafood rice

Arroz con mariscos is the weekend dish of Callao and the beach towns south of Lima, served in cevicherías as the hot partner to a cold ceviche. It is moister than a paella, closer to a risotto, coloured with ají panca and ají amarillo and finished with peas and a little Parmesan-style cheese, as many Lima cooks do. The common mistake is adding all the seafood at the start: the squid turns rubbery and the prawns shrink to nothing. Cook the rice first and add the shellfish only for the final minutes. Discard any mussels that are open before cooking and do not close when tapped, and any that stay shut after cooking. The cheese is often made with animal rennet; use a vegetarian hard cheese if you prefer. Chef's tip: simmer the prawn shells in the stock for 10 minutes; they give the rice its deep seafood taste.

60 minPeruvianFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

BrigadeirãoBaked chocolate fudge pudding

Brigadeirão is the big, sliceable version of the brigadeiro, the chocolate fudge ball found at every Brazilian children's birthday party. Home cooks in São Paulo and Rio bake it in a ring tin in a water bath for Sunday lunch desserts and family parties: condensed milk, cocoa, eggs, cream and butter set into a dense, fudgy, truffle-like pudding, then it is turned out and showered with chocolate sprinkles. The common mistake is unmoulding it warm: it tears and slumps. It needs at least 4 hours in the fridge to firm up. It is done when the edges are set, the centre wobbles only slightly, and a skewer comes out with moist crumbs, not liquid. The eggs are fully baked. It contains milk and egg. Chef's tip: wrap the outside of the tin in foil and use hot, not boiling, water in the bath; it stops the pudding curdling into bubbles at the edges.

75 minBrazilianDessertsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pescado a lo machoFried fish in spicy seafood sauce

Pescado a lo macho is a classic of Lima's seafood restaurants, the dish people order for a long Sunday lunch near the sea in Chorrillos: a fillet of fried white fish smothered in a thick, spicy sauce of ají panca and ají amarillo packed with prawns, squid and mussels. The name boasts that you need to be brave for the chilli, but you can turn it down. The common mistake is overcooking the seafood while the sauce reduces; add it only when the sauce is already thick. Discard mussels that are open and do not close when tapped, and any that stay shut after cooking. Chef's tip: dust the fish in flour seasoned with cumin and fry it last, so it reaches the table crisp under the sauce.

55 minPeruvianFishSpicy
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Strogonoff de frangoCreamy chicken stroganoff

Brazil adopted Russia's stroganoff and made it its own: strogonoff de frango is everyday family food in São Paulo, Rio and all over the country, cooked for weeknight dinners and Sunday lunch and served with fluffy white rice and a pile of crunchy potato sticks (batata palha) on top. Strips of chicken are seared, then simmered in a pink, gently tangy sauce of tomato, ketchup, mustard and mushrooms, finished with cream. It is mild, so children love it. The common mistake is boiling the sauce after adding the cream: it can split and turn grainy. Stir it in at the end over a low heat. The chicken is done when no pink remains and the thickest piece reaches 74 °C. Chef's tip: brown the chicken in two batches in a very hot pan; the golden bits on the bottom dissolve into the sauce and give it real depth.

30 minBrazilianChickenGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

BeiruteRoast beef and egg pita sandwich

The beirute was born in São Paulo's Lebanese-run lanchonetes and is now a late-night dinner order all over the city: a whole pita split, filled with thin roast beef, melting cheese, tomato, lettuce and a fried egg, toasted on the griddle and cut into wedges with a sprinkle of za'atar or oregano. The common mistake is overloading it with wet lettuce and tomato before toasting, which steams the bread soft; add them after. Chef's tip: toast the pita cut-side down in the pan first so the inside is crisp and keeps the juices out.

15 minBrazilianFast Food
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Platte kaas met radijsjesQuark and radish on brown bread

In Flanders the evening meal is often a boterham, a plate of open bread slices, and one of the most loved toppings in Ghent and Antwerp is platte kaas: fresh, soft quark seasoned with chives, salt and pepper, spread thickly on brown bread and covered with crunchy radish slices. It is cool, light and ready in five minutes, a good supper after a big lunch. Some quark and fresh cheeses are set with a little animal rennet, so check the label for a vegetarian one. The common mistake is using thin, low-fat quark straight from the tub, which is watery and slides off the bread; stir it well and drain off any liquid first. Chef's tip: slice the radishes paper-thin and salt them only at the moment you serve, so they stay crisp.

5 minBelgianSnacks & Starters
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pan con butifarraHam roll with onion salsa

Pan con butifarra is Lima's evening sandwich, sold in old-school sangucherías and made at home for a light dinner with coffee: a crusty roll filled with jamón del país, a spiced Peruvian pork ham, under a heap of salsa criolla, red onion sliced thin and soaked in lime with chilli. Outside Peru, use a good cooked pork ham. The common mistake is leaving the onion harsh; give it a quick rinse in salted water before dressing it. Chef's tip: a leaf of lettuce under the ham stops the lime juice soaking straight into the bread.

10 minPeruvianMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

MexidãoRice and beans scrambled with egg

Mexidão, the 'big mix-up', is a late-night favourite in Belo Horizonte and the farm kitchens of Minas Gerais: yesterday's rice and beans fried in one pan with onion and garlic, scrambled with egg, tossed with finely shredded couve and finished with toasted cassava flour. Many versions add bacon or sausage; this one stays vegetarian and is just as satisfying. Leftover rice is only safe if it was cooled within an hour of cooking and kept in the fridge, and it must be reheated until piping hot. The common mistake is piling everything into a cold, crowded pan so it turns mushy instead of crisping at the edges. Chef's tip: toast the cassava flour in the pan until it smells a little like popcorn before adding it.

15 minBrazilianRice & GrainsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

TripleAvocado, tomato and egg sandwich

The triple is the soft, layered sandwich of Lima's cafés and bakeries, eaten at lonche, the Peruvian late-afternoon meal, or as a light supper: three slices of crustless white bread layered with avocado, tomato and sliced hard-boiled egg, all held together with mayonnaise. It looks neat, tastes fresh and is loved by children. Shop-bought mayonnaise is made with pasteurised egg, so it is safe for everyone. The common mistake is letting wet tomato touch the bread, which turns it soggy within minutes. Chef's tip: pat the tomato dry and sit it between the avocado and egg, then press the sandwich under a board for a minute before cutting.

15 minPeruvianSnacks & Starters
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sopa teólogaTurkey broth with bread and cheese

Sopa teóloga ('the theologian's soup') goes back to colonial convents in Lima and Arequipa, where it was cooked for feast days, and it is still served at Holy Week and family celebrations. A rich turkey (or chicken) broth is thickened with soaked bread, milk and fresh cheese, with yellow potatoes and shreds of turkey, and finished with a little ají amarillo and chopped huacatay or parsley. It is thick, comforting and filling. Chef's tip: blend part of the soaked bread with broth before adding it, which gives the soup its creamy body without lumps.

115 minPeruvianSoups
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Afogado do DivinoBeef and potato stew

In São Luiz do Paraitinga in the hills of São Paulo state, the Festa do Divino Espírito Santo at Pentecost ends with a meal for everyone: huge pots of afogado, beef 'drowned' in a rich broth with potatoes, tomato, onion, garlic and herbs, served with pirão (a cassava-flour porridge made from the broth) and rice. Volunteers cook it in the town's kitchens through the night, and anyone who comes is fed. Chef's tip: brown the beef in small batches so it sears rather than stews, which gives the broth its deep colour.

175 minBrazilianMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Boudin blanc aux pommesWhite sausage with apple compote

In Liège and across Wallonia, Christmas Eve supper often begins with boudin blanc: pale, delicate sausages of finely minced pork and milk, sometimes with a little chicken, gently fried in butter until golden and served with warm, chunky apple compote and bread. Butchers make piles of them in December. Buy them fresh from a good butcher, or poached and ready to fry. Chef's tip: prick nothing and cook gently; boudin blanc is fragile, and a hot pan splits the skins.

30 minBelgianMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

AllerheiligenstriezelBraided sweet loaf

In Bavaria and Austria, godparents give their godchildren an Allerheiligenstriezel on All Saints' Day, 1 November: a large braided loaf of sweet yeast dough, brushed with egg and scattered with almonds or pearl sugar. The braid is said to recall the old custom of cutting a plait of hair in mourning, and the size of the loaf once showed how generous the godparent was. It is lightly sweet, with lemon and vanilla, and is eaten sliced with butter or jam. Some recipes add rum-soaked raisins; these are soaked in warm water instead. Chef's tip: braid four strands for an impressive, high loaf.

85 minAustrianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Espetinho de carneGrilled beef skewers

All through Brazilian Carnival, from Salvador's street parties to the blocos of Rio, the smoke of espetinho grills drifts along the pavements, and a skewer of beef with a spoonful of farofa is the snack that keeps revellers dancing all night. Chunks of rump are seasoned with garlic, coarse salt and lime, threaded onto skewers and grilled hard and fast over charcoal. Marinate the beef in the fridge. The common mistake is packing the pieces tightly, which steams them instead of charring. Chef's tip: soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes so they don't burn before the meat is done.

35 minBrazilianMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Torta capixabaSeafood and palm heart pie

Torta capixaba is the Good Friday dish of Espírito Santo in south-east Brazil, cooked in the region's black clay pans (panelas de barro). Soaked salt cod, crab meat, prawns, palm hearts and olives are cooked with tomato, onion, coriander and annatto, then bound with beaten egg and baked until puffed and golden under a lid of egg and onion rings. It is served hot or warm with rice. Any ovenproof dish works. Chef's tip: fold in the egg whites last and gently, as they give the torta its light, set texture.

105 minBrazilianFishGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Showing 24 of 572 recipes

Show more recipes

Page 1 of 24