Salad
Historically, Brazilians have not been big on salads and vegetables. This is illustrated in "Brazilian Cookery" - the last chapter includes vegetable dishes and the chapter on salads comes after the chapters on desserts (many might say that they have their priorities set right). Part of the reason for disinterest in vegetables is due to the climate. Greens, such as lettuce, do not do well in hot, arid climates. My 1965 cookbook claims that Brazilians "are just beginning to embrace the concept of a salad." The main ingredients of the salads in the cookbook include heartier vegetables such as avocado, potatoes, broccoli, chickpeas, cauliflower and fruits. Classic Brazilian salads are dressed with mayonnaise.When my family lived in Brazil ('64-'68) we were not allowed to eat green leafy vegetables even in the finest restaurants (even if they were on the menu) and at home all fruits and vegetables were washed in iodine water. We also could not drink the tap water nor could we drink fresh milk (believe me, there is no amount of chocolate syrup that makes powdered milk tasty!)
My Brazilian themed salads usually include hearts of palm and avocados in a mixed green salad topped with a simple vinaigrette dressing.
Here are a list of possible ingredients for your salad - I suggest only using a few of the "non-typical" salad offerings:
lettuce (my favorite is Romaine) torn into bite-size pieces
diced fresh, ripe tomatoes or grape tomatoes
cucumber, peeled and sliced
red onion, sliced or diced
hearts of palm, sliced (these can be found in the canned vegetable isle in your grocery store)
green peas (fresh or frozen and thawed)
diced or sliced cooked or canned beets
olives
sliced hard boiled egg
No comments:
Post a Comment