Secret Recipe Club: Baked Coconut (Cocada de Forno)

Learn to make Cocada de Forno, a sweet and irresistible Brazilian delicacy.

Happy February, amigos! Can you believe it's already the second month of the New Year? Not only is today the first day of the month, it's also the first Monday which means it's time once again for The Secret Recipe Club. Yay! My assignment this month is Bewitching Kitchen, written by Sally who aside from being a talented food blogger is also an awesome biochemist. Sally has been sharing her love of food on her blog since 2009 and has an impressive catalogue of recipes to choose from like Feta Cheese Zucchini Loaf, Roast Chicken w/ Clementines, and Cremini Mushroom Meatloaf.  Sally was born and raised in Sao Paolo, Brazil and also shares traditional Brazilian recipes which were what really drew me in. Her Coxinha de Galinha (chicken fritters), Pao de Queijo, and Brigadeiros are all on my "to make" list.

She Made/Ella Hace: Chicken Pozole Verde #SoupWeek

Chicken Pozole Verde is a traditional Mexican chicken and hominy soup in a tomatillo and roasted poblano pepper broth.

For our final entry in our #SoupWeek celebration I have something very special for you... Chicken Pozole Verde AND the return of She Made/Ella Hace with my good friend Heather (aka girlichef) from the blog All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. (Pausing for a 30-second happy dance!) Heather was one of my first blogging friends and she was the mastermind behind us starting She Made/Ella Hace oh so many years ago. I've enjoyed hanging out in the cocina with Heather over the years, and I'm so happy that we'll continue to cook up wonderful dishes together in 2016.

Comfort Food Classics: Pork Chile Colorado #ThrowbackThursday

Pork Chile Colorado is a traditional Mexican stew seasoned with dried ancho and guajillo chiles, oregano, cumin, onion, garlic, and masa harina.

Making a list of my favorite soups and stews would not be complete without Pork Chile Colorado. I first shared this recipe back in 2010, and over the years this recipe has gotten lost in the shuffle, and I thought #SoupWeek was the perfect time to give this beloved family recipe a little #ThrowbackThursday love.

Sopa de Garbanzo (Mexican Chickpea Soup) #SoupWeek

Traditional Mexican garbanzo soup made with smoked pork chops, onion, tomato, fresh jalapeño, carrots, and spinach.

Sopa de Garbanzo (Mexican Chickpea Soup) is another of my childhood favorite soups. My recipe is a combination of both my grandfather's recipe and my suegra's (mother-in-law). Pappy loved making bean soups, and garbanzos were among his favorites. He always made his Sopa de Garbanzo in the crockpot with a couple of patitas de puerco (pig's feet) because he loved the flavor they added. I wasn't a big fan of pig's feet back then (and I'm still not), but Pappy was right in that they added a ton of flavor to the broth. To serve his soup Pappy would garnish it with chopped onion and tomato, and a little crushed oregano. I loved it and it was always a special treat when he made it.

Sopa de Fideo Verde (Salsa Verde Mexican Fideo Soup) #SoupWeek

Traditional Mexican fideo soup in a roasted poblano and tomatillo broth.

January is National Soup Month and to celebrate I'll be sharing some of my favorite soup recipes every day this week (Monday through Friday). First up in our #SoupWeek celebration is Sopa de Fideo Verde, because when I think of my favorite childhood soups, Sopa de Fideo (of any kind) is high atop that list. My abuelita (grandmother) used to make this soup using a can of green enchilada sauce, which always resulted in a delicious soup. But making your own salsa verde with roasted poblano peppers and cooked tomatillos takes the flavor of this soup to a whole other level.

Red Wine Sangria

Bite-size pieces of apples and oranges in a cinnamon infused sangria made with red wine, whiskey, and orange liqueur.

Because I hope we'll all have plenty of reasons to celebrate throughout the year the first recipe I'm sharing in 2016 is my favorite Red Wine Sangria. This fruity sangria has a little bit of everything like fresh apples and oranges, cinnamon, apple juice, orange juice, a splash of lime juice, red wine (of course!), whiskey, and orange liqueur. It packs quite a punch, especially if you forget to add the club soda. (I may or may not be speaking from experience.) For this particular sangria I used whiskey, but you can also use tequila, rum, brandy or vodka. All of which make for a delicious sangria. This is my go-to cocktail to make for family get-togethers because it's super easy to make and it's a definite crowd pleaser.