Moqueca de Peixe: Brazilian Fish Stew

 

Moqueca is a traditional Brazilian fish and coconut stew. It is a rich dish made with an assortment of your favorite fresh seafood. I prefer using a combination of both fish and shrimp. For this particular recipe I chose haddock and tiger shrimp. There are various ways of making moqueca. I followed an adaptation of my mother-in-law's favorite recipe, similar to one found in this edition of Cooking Light.

It is important to note that moqueca is traditionally cooked and simmered in a Capixaba Pan, a large dish made with black clay and mangrove tree sap. Since I don't have a capixaba pan (or even know where to buy one), I just used the largest pot that I own and hoped for the best. Even though it probably didn't turn out exactly the same as if it were made in the proper pot, we were satisfied with the taste. Moqueca can be served alone or over steamed rice.

This dish unites some of my favorite flavors- cilantro, coconut milk and fresh seafood- to create an exotic and flavorful meal. It's all made in one big pot and honestly not that difficult at all, I highly suggest giving it a try!

Moqueca Ingredients

1 ½ lbs Haddock, filleted

1 ½ lbs Tiger Shrimp

Marinade

1/3 cup Lime Juice

2 Garlic Cloves, diced

2 tbsp Olive Oil

½ Onion, diced

1 Green Pepper, diced

1 Red Pepper, diced

1 bunch of Green Onion, diced

1 Bay Leaf

2 Tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup Cilantro, minced

8 oz Clam Juice

2 cups Chicken Broth

1 cup Coconut Milk

Salt and Pepper

Moqueca Directions

Create a marinade by combining lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and onion in a large bowl. Coat the haddock and shrimp with the marinade and store in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Drizzle olive oil in a large pot and set over medium heat. Add onion, red and green peppers, green onions, garlic, and bay leaf. Cook until onions until tender, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high and add tomato. Cook for several more minutes. Add ¾ of the cilantro (reserve some for garnish), clam juice, and broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add haddock and tiger shrimp to the soup and cook until fish is done. Add coconut milk, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cilantro before serving.

Ed's Verdict: It brought back memories of my years in Brasil. The fish was extraordinary. I enjoyed every second of the experience. Certainly a dish I would like to have again and again.

Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes with Spicy Yogurt Cilantro Dressing

So, remember the other day when I made those delicious Yogurt Mustard Mashed Potatoes? (Have you tried to make them yet?) Well, it seems that I made a few too many, and we had some leftovers. With Ed around, leftovers are rare, but, alas, here we are. I didn't just want to heat them and eat them. I wanted to turn them into something different and create an entirely new dish. Enter Mashed Potato Pancakes. This recipe is so easy and gives new life to a leftover meal. To give it a little more piquancy, I served it with a spicy yogurt cilantro dressing.

Leftover Mashed Potatoes Ingredients
Leftover Mashed Potatoes (However much you have! Preferably at least 2 cups)
1 egg
Flour
Oil

Leftover Mashed Potatoes Directions
Beat one egg into 2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes. Form into patties and flour both sides. Then drop patty into hot oil and cook for a few minutes on each side and voila!

Yogurt Cilantro Dressing Ingredients
1/2 cup of plain yogurt
1/2 cup of cilantro
dash of chili powder
salt and pepper


Yogurt Cilantro Dressing Directions
Mix all ingredients together and serve with mashed potato pancakes.

Ed's Verdict: He said, "Wow! this is a lot better than i expected. I was only going to have one, but I will have another. The yogurt cilantro dressing goes really well with it."

Hawaiian Chicken and Coca-Cola Quinoa

I decided on Hawaiian Chicken based on the fact that I had all of the ingredients. I love the way pineapple, red peppers, and cilantro taste together. This dish is simple and fast. As for the Coca-Cola Quinoa, well, I'm pretty sure I might be the only person in the universe who has ever made that dish before. But it is very good and the coke gives the quinoa a sweet flavor. For those of you who have never cooked with quinoa, it is a pseudocereal native of the Andean Mountain region. I used black quinoa, which has a rich, nutty taste. It's a great alternative to rice or couscous and is normally found in the health food section of any major chain grocery store. I have to give credit to my mother-in-law for the idea of cooking it in coke. She is the only person I have ever seen cook rice in Coca-cola. I figured it would probably taste just as good in quinoa. This idea gives way to so many other non-typical combinations: Red Wine Rice? Pale Ale Couscous? Imagine the possibilities...


Hawaiian Chicken Ingredients
2 Chicken Breasts
1 can of crushed Pineapple
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 bunch of Cilantro, chopped
1 hand full of Crackers, crushed
1 drizzle of Olive Oil
salt and pepper

Hawaiian Chicken Directions
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Add chicken to an oven safe dish. Top chicken with pineapple, red peppers, cilantro, and crackers crumbs. Salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with olive oil. Put it in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until chicken reaches internal temp of 165.



Coca-Cola Quinoa Ingredients
1 cup of Black Quinoa
2 cups of Coca-Cola
3 stalks of Green Onion, diced
1 bunch of Cilantro, chopped
1 medium Tomato, diced
salt

Coca-Cola Quinoa Directions
Pour 2 cups of Coke into a pot and bring it to a boil. Add quinoa and return to a boil. Cover and turn the flame to low. Cook for 15 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed. Once the quinoa is done, add the remaining ingredients.



Ed's Verdict: Actually I have to be honest. Ed hates the idea of cooking anything in Coca-Cola. Neither one of us drink the stuff, but we happened to have some left over from a certain 4 year-old's birthday party. I hated to throw it out, so it's been sitting unopened in our garage. I remembered that his mom used to cook rice with it, and I couldn't help but wonder what it would taste like with quinoa. Before Ed realized what was in it, he loved it and thought it was fabulous. After I reveled to him the ingredients, he was less than amused. He has made me promise not to cook anything with coke in it again. Apparently its too non-cavemen/migraine causing. I think Ed's diets are stifling my creativity...