The Vegetarain Resource Group

http://www.vrg.org/

This website contains tons of informational links about vegetarianism. There are recipes that are guaranteed to keep both children and adults satisfied.

"Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence...."

—Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets

2009

Before coming a Vegetarian, people usually have tons of questions. VRG.org provides a FAQ that has every answer to any question people may have.

• How many people are vegetarian?
• What are the different types of vegetarians?
• How do I become a vegetarian?
• Why do people become vegetarian?
• Help! My teenager wants to become vegetarian. Is it safe?
• What are the nutritional needs for young vegetarians?
• What about protein? Calcium? Iron?
• Where can I find vegan marshmallows?
• Is kosher gelatin vegan? What is pareve?
• What is Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate? What about other "hidden" ingredients?
• Where can I find out about vegetarian restaurants in Nebraska?
• Where can I find non-leather shoes?
• Where can I find a recipe for...?
• I have food allergies. Can I still be a vegetarian?
• What types of resources and brochures does VRG offer?
• What is The Vegetarian Resource Group?

Brazilian Cheese Bread

Pão de queijo




Brazilian Cheese Bread is VERRRY GOOD!

 

If you have not tried it, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is not lactose intolerant and loves to eat CHEESE!

I really like Pao de queijo and have had it from multiple places. You can buy it in the supermarket, keep it in your fridge and heat it up in a toaster oven (which I have had), you can buy it at any Brazilian/Prituguese Bakery (Which I have done), or you can make it from scratch at home! (Which I have not done yet L)

The texture is different from bread in America in the sense that it’s chewier and lighter. I know I was surprised by the texture when I first tried it, however when you eat it more often, the texture just seems normal, and the taste is exceptional! It’s chewy and light and cheesy and bready all in one! American cheese bread is thicker and more dense (at least most cheese bread I’ve tried is), so the lightness is very satisfying once you get over the chewiness texture which may seem a bit weird for bread at first.  

Here is a simple recipe to make Brazilian Cheese Bread-

 

Recipe:

·         1 egg (room temperature)

·         1/3 cup olive oil

·         2/3 cup milk

·         Scant 1 1/2 cups (170 grams) tapioca flour

·         1/2 cup grated cheese (queijo fresco preferred)

·         1 teaspoon salt

 

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a mini-muffin tin. Put all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. You may need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender so that everything gets blended well. At this point you can store the batter in the refrigerator for up to a week.

2 Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until all puffy and just lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes.

Eat while warm or save to reheat later.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_brazilian_cheese_bread/

Brazilian Carrot Cake

Bolo de cenoura com cobertura de chocolate

Brazilian carrot cake is very different from American carrot cake, and at first glance, you might not even recognize that it’s actually carrot cake. The first thing you might notice is that there’s not cream cheese icing on top. Instead there is a layer of chocolate covering the top of the cake which is the traditional way to make the cake in Brazil.

I noticed a discrepancy when I first ate Brazilian carrot cake about three weeks ago and researching it online today. For one, most Brazilian carrot cake is more golden than orange, although the cake I ate looked fairly orange to me (as you can see in the picture). Also, Brazilian carrot cake is supposed to be a lot lighter and less dense than American carrot cake. I did not find this true for the Brazilian carrot cake that my boyfriend’s mom made. It was perhaps a little lighter, but nothing substantial and I would be reluctant to call it “fluffy” as one website described the texture.

Like anything that you make no matter what country, you can always alter recipes and add or substitute ingredients. I have been fortunate enough to have had Brazilian carrot cake made for me more than once. One time, there was coconut in it, and the other time there were coconut shavings and nuts in the cake. Unlike American carrot cake though, there were no nuts in either cake I had.

Here is a recipe I found online, which looks much lighter than the version I had.

Brazilian Carrot Cake • Bolo de Cenoura

Total Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs

Chocolate syrup:

• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons powder chocolate
• 1 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Prepare the cake:

1. Place the eggs, oil, carrots, and sugar in a blender. Beat well.
2. Add dry mixture, bit by bit, into the liquid carrot mixture.
3. With a whisk, mix until turn it becomes a homogenous mass.
4. Grease pan with butter and flour. Pour in the batter.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake for 40 minutes.
6. Remove the cake from oven, and allow it to cool while you make the syrup.

Prepare the syrup:

1. In a saucepan, place sugar, powdered chocolate, milk, and butter.
2. Cook the mixture, stirring continuously, for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
3. The topping is ready when it's the texture of chocolate syrup.

http://brazigzag.com/food/brazilian-carrot-cake-bolo-de-cenoura/