BRAZILIAN CHEESE BREAD

I found these little gems on Elise's Simply Recipes. It is really easy to make. You whip up the batter in a blender and it can even be made ahead of time. We had these on Mother's Day and they were delicious. Next time I am going to try it with a different cheese to see how the flavors change. I think sharp cheddar might be tasty. The only unusual ingredient here is Tapioca Flour, but you can find it at Whole Foods.

You will need: Tapioca flour, grated cheese (I used Mexican queso fresco), salt, olive oil, milk, and an egg.

Place all the ingredients in a blender and give it a whirl.

You will have to scrap down the sides of the blender so that all the ingredients get well combined.

At this point you can either bake some cheese bread or you can refrigerate the batter for later use.

I preheated the oven to 400˚. Then pour the batter into a mini muffin pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are turning a light golden brown. I got 24 mini muffin sized cheese breads.

BRAZILIAN CHEESE BREAD

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups tapioca flour
• 1/2 grated cheese (a used Mexican queso fresco)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400˚.
2. Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until all the ingredients are combined. Scrape down the sides and pulse until the ingredients are well blended.
3. Grease a mini muffin pan.
4. Pour the batter into the mini muffin pan.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bread is puffy and the tops are a light golden brown.

FIRE-ROASTED TOMATO BISQUE

This is a yummy soup! My daughter tried it and says that it tastes like pizza. It was a hit. Next time I will make homemade croutons to put on top of the soup.

This is what you will need: chicken stock, sea salt, pepper, fire-roasted tomatoes, sugar, heavy cream, all purpose flour, celery, carrot, garlic, butter, onion.

Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic, one carrot and one celery stalk.

Finely chop one medium onion.

In a heavy bottom pot melt 2 tablespoons of butter.

Add the chopped garlic, onion, carrot, and celery. Cook over medium high heat, until the vegetables are just beginning to brown, about 7 minutes.

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour over the vegetables and stir over low heat until the flour is incorporated.

Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, and sugar and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook the soup over medium heat for about 15 minutes. The vegetables should all be tender.

Transfer the soup (in batches) to the blender and puree until smooth.

Return the soup to the pot and add the heavy cream. Cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. I added a scant teaspoon of salt and a couple of dashes of pepper.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl the soup around until the butter melts.

I decided at the last minuted to add about an 1/8 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese.

Yummy! I might add a little more next time or serve it with a little shredded Parmesan on top.

FIRE-ROASTED TOMATO BISQUE

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken stock
• Two 14 1/2 oz cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/8 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. In a medium pot melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cover and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just beginning to brown, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir over low heat for about 1 minute until the flour is incorporated.
3. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, and sugar and bring to a boil.
4. Partially cover the pot and cook the soup over medium heat for about 15 minutes. The vegetables should be tender.
5. Transfer the soup in batches to a blender and puree until smooth. (I like to have a few vegetable chunks in the soup. It makes it more interesting.)
6. Return the puree to the pot and add the cream and Parmesan cheese and cook until just heated through.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl the soup until the butter is melted.