This is a  very rich and creamy dish usually made on Sundays when family, extended family and friends gather for a big lunch. It is made with an unique type of cream cheese you can only find in Brazil, although it can be order on line these days, it is similar to a combination of Mascarpone , Mexican crema or heavy cream and cream cheese. It is called Catupiry.

Catupiry  was developed by Italians in the State of Minas Gerais but the name comes from a Brazilian native language “Tupi” and it means “excellent”. It’s an excellent cream cheese!

This dish is perfect served on top of white rice and butternut squash steamed

Serves 6 people

Ingredients:

• 2 lb uncooked shrimp with tail on
• 2 tbsp butter
• Olive oil
• 1 jar or can of hearts of palms
• 1 pkg of cream cheese
• 1 container of Mascarpone cheese or 1 pint heavy cream or 1 cup Mexican crema
• 2 garlic cloves chopped
• 1 big size shallot finely chopped
• 1 can  diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of fresh shredded Asiago cheese
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 bunch fresh parleys finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add shrimp let it cook for about 5 minutes or until  nice and pink, drain water, place shrimp in a bowl, melt butter and drizzle over.
2. In the same pot used to cook shrimp, drizzle olive oil over a medium heat, add can of diced tomatoes, garlic and shallots. Let it cook for about 5 minutes. Add heavy cream ( or crema , or mascarpone), cream cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Let it cook stirring constantly until bubbly. Then smooth with a hand mixer. Turn off heat and set aside. If you do not have a hand mixer, mix in a blender and return to pot.
3. Remove shrimp tails and place shrimp in a rectangular 13X9 glass or ceramic dish.
4. Drain water from hearts of palms cut them in slices and place them all over on top of shrimp.
5.  Pour sauce over, sprinkle bread crumbs and shredded Asiago cheese over the top.
6. Heat oven to Broil, place dish in oven and broil for 10 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly.

Steamed Rice and Butternut

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white rice
• 1/2 butternut squash chopped in small cubes
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1tsp garlic powder
• salt to taste
• 4 cups water
• parleys for garnish

Directions:

1. If using a rice cooker, drizzle with oil, add rice and chopped butternut, dissolve salt and garlic in water and add to the rice cooker, close top and set it to white rice. Once cooked, transfer to a plate and garnish with parsley
2. To cook over the stove, drizzle oil in a pot turn heat to low, add rice, butternut and stir, then add salt and garlic dissolved in water, stir again and turn heat up to medium, cover pot and let it cook until tender, approximately 15 to 20 minutes but you need to watch in case water dries fast, then keep adding a bit of water as needed.