Potato Salad - A light summer meal

What could be better on a hot summer day than that old standby Potato Salad.

Potato Salad (Canadian style) is the first meal my mother taught me to make. Mother invented Potato Salad and it has become an International favourite ever since. Every Canadian Family makes this meal at least once a week in the summer!!

Here is how to make 100% genuine Canadian Potato Salad and all the trimmings. It is simple, economical and tasty.











The most important thing to know is, "Anything Goes!"

So first get some potatoes. I prefer the white flesh, light skinned variety call "New Potato" in Canada. I discovered a very similar potato in Brasil. Be careful not to use the ones for making mashed potatoes because they do not stay firm when cooked. See the recipe for Maionese Brasileiro later.

Peel the potatoes with your special peeler you must have bought by now if you have been following our recipes.





Cut them into small pieces so the cook faster. Don't cook so long that they crumble.




While cooking the potatoes boil some eggs. when done, put both potatoes and eggs into the refrigerator to chill them.




Cut up a variety of vegetables that you like. I select green onions (Spring Onions to some people). Cut them into tiny pieces. I also used green pepper, chopped.




Peel (thick) a cucumber. Then cut into tiny pieces like the onions above.




Notice the little dish in the background. We put half the veggies there and the rest in the bowl with the potatoes. A peeled chopped apple adds great flavour.




Mix the potatoes and veggies. Add mayonaise. Then garnish with paprika. It adds great colour.

Next chop up some cabbage, add the rest of the veggies froim the small dish, add mayonaise and garnish with paprika also.





Put the potato salad and the cabbage salad into back into the refrigerator to chill the mixes.

Slice up the cucumber you have left after you peeled it. Put it in a bowl with water and white vinegar mixed 1/2 1nd 1/2. Put it in the refrigerator also.

Next, take some fresh lettuce and lay it on a serving dish. Add sliced ham and tomato wedges.




Now you are ready to eat a fine summer meal. Delicious!


Recipe Variations.

Potatoes - use any type you like
Veggies - add any type you like
such as: Cucumber, Green Onions, Tomatoes, Peas, Corn, Cabbage, Carrots, Red Pepper, Green Pepper, etc.
Just be sure to chop them into small pieces.
Use whatever Mayonaise you like. I select very low fat, ultra light for health reasons.
The Cabbage salad is made pretty much the same way with the same ingredients.
Garnish with Paprika and sliced hard boiled eggs.
Add slices of ham or any cold cuts you prefer.
Let stand in the Refrigerator to blend the flavours.

Notice I did not include quantities of anything. It is all a matter of personal choice and availability. For example, in Canada, I used chopped Celery but we haven't found any locally in Brasil.

The quantity makes no difference to the recipe. Just make as much as you wish. Add amount of ingredients you feel you need. The amount shown here is suitable for one or two people.

Enjoy the meal. It is simple and very very good on a hot day.




Photos by Urso Branco

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Christmas Dinner - Turkey

Here is what Christmas Dinner looks like in Canada.

Ever Canadian Family has this meal, exactly, almost, as shown here, maybe.

This meal was invented by my ancestors when they arrived in Canada in 1604 at Port Royal in Nova Scotia. There were plenty of wild turkeys to be had and the sage used in the stuffing was growing naturally in the wild.

The recipe calls for a turkey, some bread, some sage, an onion, roast or mashed potatoes and a few other items. Read this story and prepare for your next turkey dinner. Did you know that in Portuguese a turkey is called Peru? Turkey and Peru. What a coincidence.

Christmas Dinner in Brasil, 2007.




To begin, a few days in advance buy a turkey. If it is frozen thaw it out inside the fridge for three days and then wash it off before you start preparations at 8 a.m. Christmas morning.

The secret to success is to get a loaf of bread and dry it over night.





Cover it to keep flying guests off it.





Next morning gather the essentials and start cutting the bread into small cubes.





Put them in the turkey roasting pan. Every Canadian home has one!





Chop or cut an onion (or two to taste) in small pieces and put them into the pan.





Now cut an apple in small pieces and throw them in the pan. Peel the apple but do not throw away the peel. We will use it later for a very special purpose,





Some people even add sausage to the mix. We added two today.





Now we add spices that we enjoy, especially sage. In Brasil use Maggi Fondor. We also added some black pepper.





Now we use the apple peels. We feed them to the poor starving chef! Hahahaha!





Now, as suggested in other recipes, it is a good idea to start by washing your hands because now you have to dig in and mix all ingredients by hand.





Now you takes hands full of the dressing and push it hard into all cavities in the bird.





If you were lucky the butcher who cleaned the turkey for you left decent skin flaps to close the cavities that are full of dressing.

Tie up the bird and put it on a rack in the turkey roasting pan.





Preheat the oven t0 325° F or 175° C then put the bird in the oven.





This one has one of those red popups that tells you when it is cooked.





OOOOPS! We forgot to cover it with aluminum foil.

Cook for about an hour per kilo. or 1/2 hour per pound. Uncover the bird for the last half hour to give it that rich golden colour.





By the way. We went a little overboard on the dressing. We had a little left over.





We put it in the fry pan with some margarine and cooked for about 20 minutes and ended up with a good supply of delicious Stove Top Stuffing. So never worry that you made too much.





Here comes the Master with his Masterpiece!





Now his next task is to carve the turkey for the assembled guests.



We had roasted potatoes, potato salad (Mayonnaise in Brasil), peas, rice, turkey gravy, and a host of other traditional Brasilian foods to go with this Traditional Canadian-Brasilian Christmas Dinner.

It all turned out to be a perfect meal. Now you try it. MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm!



Photos by Urso Branco

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Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf is a Canadian invention. It was invented by my mother during the depression. It was an economical meal, very nourishing and very delicious.

She let the world in on this recipe and now some consider it a candidate for Canada's National Dish.

Every Canadian Family, all across the country, eats this superb meal at least once a week.




The first thing you must do is wash your hands thoroughly in soap and water. You will see why later.





Now gather all the tools you will need and most ingredients. Notice how clean my hands are.





Now put almost 1 kilo (2 pounds) of ground beef in a bowl. Some people like a mix of beef and pork. I don't.





Next chop up an onion and put it in the bowl with the meat.





Now get 2 cans (or in this case two boxes) of vegetables such as peas, corn, carrots etc.





Put them in the bowl.





Now the mix is starting to look colorful.





Cut up one or two slices of bread and add to the mix along with 1, 2 or 3 eggs. The eggs act like glue to hold the finished meat loaf together. They also add taste.





Now add the remnants of that almost empty ketchup bottle you have in the fridge. Any ketchup will do as it is being cooked. I used Heinz Ketchup in Canada but here, in Águas da Prata, I find Hellman's tatses almost the same.




Now add as much black pepper as you wish.





I used Club House Meat Loaf seasoning in Canada. I even brought some here. But we used it all up and now we must improvise. Here we are adding a disolved boulion cube.





Now comes the best part. Put you hands deep into the bowl and start to knead the whole mixture thoroughly. Now you see why I said wash your hands first.





After you have mixed everything completely and put it in a roasting dish or pan your hands will look like this. *SMILE*





Put the dish in a 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven and cook for an hour.





Now it is optional if you want to wash your hands again or just wipe them on your T-shirt. I chose to wash again.





An hour later it is cooked. Look at the look of anticpation on the Chef's face!





The table is set and it is time to eat.





Oh My God, that looks and smells lovely.





After it cools put the remains in the refrigerator for tomorrow. If you can resist the temptation to snack tonight you will have a wonderful lunch/supper tomorrow. Notice this dish is beside the jar of Geleaia de Jabuticaba that Judy made. To read about that go to http://amazingjabuticaba.blogspot.com/


The Meat Loaf is excellent hot, cold, alone, or with other things like potatoes. It is fabulous in sandwiches hot or cold. Some people love to smother Meat Loaf in gravy. It is very versatile to serve any way you like it.

Now you can enjoy an authentic, almost 100%, Canadian meal in Brasil or anywhere else. This is extremely delicious. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!


Recipe:

2 pounds of ground beef
1 onion
Peas, corn, carrots
2 slices chopped bread
2 eggs
seasoning to taste
pepper
ketchup

Mix it all together then cook for one hour.

Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes or even with rice.

You can substitute any veggies or spices or even leave them out. Use your imagination. It is difficult to make a mistake making Meat Loaf. Enjoy!




Photos by Urso Branco

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