Panquecas
(Dinner Crêpes)

This is a great favorite with Brazilians everywhere...I've had panquecas in Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, etc. etc. The recipe comes from Aleatha from northern California who got it from her Brazilian "mom." The filling is the one I use in my house.

Panquecas or Crêpes

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp salt

Put all ingredients in blender and and beat until smooth. Cook as you would for crêpes.

Filling

Use your favorite vegetarian filling, the chicken filling for Brazilian chicken pie or this ground beef filling:

1 lb very lean ground beef

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

fresh cilantro, finely chopped (if you can't find cilantro, use green onions and parsley)

oregano to taste

2 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped into small pieces

10-12  pitted green olives

Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil. Add ground beef, cilantro and oregano and cook until brown. It should be rather dry, not very much liquid at all. Remove from heat. Add olives and chopped eggs.

Making the panquecas

Fill each panqueca with this mixture and roll it up. Put panquecas together in a large Pyrex. Cover with tomato sauce, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese, and warm in oven or microwave. Serve piping hot with white rice and green salad. Very yummy stuff!

Maria's Cookbook