Recipes for living well the Rio way
Nourishing Brazilian-inspired recipes rooted in the balance of a traditional prato feito and shaped by seasonal, California ingredients. These healthy, approachable recipes focus on beans & rice, protein, vegetables, and whole foods to make everyday cooking feel simple and satisfying. Inspired by the Rio way of living, this is a fresh, modern approach to eating well at home. Learn more about the Perfect Plate philosophy here .
Recipe Index
Brazilian Lentils for New Year’s (Lucky Lentil Recipe)
Lentils for good luck on New Years.
Palha Italiana (Brazilian Chocolate Biscuit Fudge Dessert)
A recipe thirty years in the making.
Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Bean and Pasta Soup Recipe)
A recipe with a story about cultural belonging.
Quibebe (Brazilian Butternut Squash Mash)
"Oh how I miss Quibebe" said no Brazilian ever. But this version with roasted ingredients just might make it something you long for.
Vegan Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew with Butternut Squash)
I know what you all are going to say. But I promise you won't miss the meat in this smoky bean stew with butternut squash that is perfect for fall days ahead.
Crispy Potato Rösti with Point Reyes Toma Cheese
One daring flip of a pan later and you have a show-stopping potato dish that is crispy on the outside, and cheesy on the inside.
5 Easy Recipes for Fresh Summer Peaches
Sometimes I eat a California peach just to feel something. But here are other ideas.
Brazilian Tapioca Breakfast Cups (High-Protein Egg Muffins)
Ready to upgrade the spongy egg frittata muffin that you pretend to enjoy?
Easy Weeknight Soup Formula
In Rio, where it never really gets cold, we don’t delegate soups to certain months. Year-round soup is my best-kept kitchen secret for balance.
Healthy Brazilian Beef Stroganoff (Estrogonofe Fit)
Cariocas are known for a lifestyle of balance. While not traditional, this recipe "fits" into our habit of taking something we love and waving a healthy wand at it.
Easy Fish Dip (Pastinha de Peixe)
A "Pastinha de Peixe" after my Brazilian heart. I think of this fish dip as a not-tuna, not-salad, tuna salad situation. But better.
Halibut Moqueca with Green Papaya (Brazilian Coconut Fish Stew)
Chef Emme Ribeiro Collins once beat Bobbly Flay with a Moqueca. Here is one of her takes on this traditional Afro-Bahian seafood stew.
Welcome to my Kitchen
Brazilian-ish & California-esque.
Raised in Rio de Janeiro, I grew up in a family where food was a daily expression of care, connection, and joy, and where some of the best recipes lived only in memory. I’ve made it my personal mission to write, translate and adapt those Brazilian classics, and share them here.
My work is shaped by a decade in the Bay Area food and wine world, hands-on kitchen experience, training at Le Cordon Bleu in Rio, and studies in Nutrition Education at Bauman College.
Today, I create Brazilian-inspired recipes designed for modern American kitchens, using accessible ingredients and simple techniques that make nourishing, everyday cooking feel both intuitive and culturally meaningful.