Category Archives: Seafood Entrees

Fresh Cod and Potatoes in Coconut Milk

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Bacalhau Fresco com Batatas e Leite de Côco

This is a wonderful dish full of flavor. The original recipe is made with salted cod but salted cod is a little difficult to find in Arizona so I developed a variation of the recipe using fresh cod. Salted cod has a richer cod flavor and fresh cod is more subtle but still gives a good taste of what this delicious meal is like. I actually prefer the subtle lighter taste of fresh cod. This is a very elegant meal, perfect served with white rice and any side salad.

Serves 6

Fresh Cod and Potatoes in Coconut Milk, served over white rice.

Ingredients:

8 small baby potatoes thinly sliced

1 yellow sweet pepper thinly sliced

2 lb fresh cod cut into about 4 inch pieces

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots finely chopped or 1 medium yellow onion

4 garlic cloves finely chopped

6 ripe tomatoes cut in edges or 1 16 oz can of stewed tomatoes

1 lemon

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 can coconut milk

Hot water

Salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions:

1. Squeeze lemon over cod pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a large pot like a Dutch oven, add shallots or onions and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes, cover and let cook until tomatoes start to soften and juices come to a light boil.

3. Add potato slices and enough hot water to cover them. Add tomato paste, salt, pepper to taste, cover and let it cook over medium heat until potatoes are softer.

4. Add coconut milk, red pepper flakes, cod pieces and sweet peppers and let it cook uncovered until sauce comes to a boil and cod is cooked and flaky (don’t overcook cod! it will get tougher).

5. Add parsley and chives and serve over white rice.

Enjoy!

Baked Portuguese Cod

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Deliciousness revisited. We have updated this recipe and it is tastier than ever!

Cooking Brazilian

This is a dish I grew up with that is very popular in Brazil, it is inspired by Portuguese cuisine and known as “Bacalhoada.” There are many variations of  this dish. It is originally made using salted cod but I’m using fresh cod in this recipe due to difficulty finding salted cod in Arizona, where I live. Although salted cod is a key ingredient, this recipe with fresh cod still gives you a good taste of this wonderful Portuguese dish and brings me memories of Brazil.

IMG_20191112_224725_038.jpgIngredients:

8 cod fillets

1 bag small Yukon gold potatoes

4 roma tomatoes thinly sliced

1 large yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

3/4 Cup pitted Kalamata olives

1 shallot thinly sliced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 lemon

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

dried oregano

Salt and pepper

fresh Italian parsley chopped

Directions:

  1. Pre heat oven to 375F.
  2. Arrange cod fillets…

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Brazilian Shrimp Curry

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Shrimp cooked in coconut sauce is very popular in the Brazilian kitchen. Brazilian shrimp curry is a fusion of Asian and Brazilian flavors and cooking styles. Some Brazilian shrimp curry recipes actually have no curry. They will use a blend of cumin, turmeric and coriander. I have a bag of a wonderful curry my youngest son brought me as a gift from his travels to Asia and I have been using this wonderful gift in my cooking whenever it’s called for. For this recipe, I used wild caught Argentinian shrimp, which has a mild and sweet flavor. It is my favorite. Brazilian curry can be served as a soup, but it is commonly served over white rice and a side of sautéed spinach on butter.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb. raw shrimp
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • olive oil
  • 2 limes
  • 1 shallot finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 5 ripe Roma tomatoes chopped
  • 2 cups butternut cut into small cubes
  • 1 large potato cut into small cubes
  • 2 large carrots thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper cut into small pieces
  • 1 finely chopped piri piri pepper with the seeds removed. (piri piri is above average in heat and kind of hard to find, so you can use a chilli pepper)
  • 1 cup frozen petit peas
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp. ketchup
  • 1 tbsp. curry
  • bunch fresh basil chopped or sautéed spinach
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Cook shrimp in boiling water for 5 minutes until nice and pink. Drain. Set aside to cool for a few minutes, remove shell and devein. Then, squeeze lime juice, sprinkle salt/pepper and drizzle olive oil. Mix it all together for even flavor. Set aside.
  2. Put the sauté shallots, garlic, and tomatoes with a generous amount of olive oil, in a big pot. When the tomatoes start to burst add carrots, butternut, potatoes and peppers. Stir to coat all vegetables and add vegetable broth. Cover and let it cook until carrots, butternut and potato are softer.
  3. Add tomato paste and ketchup. Stir. Then, add coconut milk, curry and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium, letting it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring ocasionaly until the sauce has thickened a little. This happens when the cooked potato and butternut release their starch.
  4. Wash ice off the peas and add them to the curry.
  5. Add shrimp and let it cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and garnish the shrimp with basil or add sauteed spinach on butter. Why not add both?

Bon Appetit!

Shrimp and Hearts of Palms “Au Gratin” Camarão com Catupiry

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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.

Brazilian Shrimp and Yucca Stew

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Bobo de Camarão

This is a traditional Brazilian cuisine known as “Bobo de Camarão.” It has African roots and it is mainly typical of the State of Bahia where a large number of African slaves concentrated during colonial times but it is largely found all over the nation ,everyone has a version of this dish. It is basically a mash of yucca roots, coconut milk and shrimp. It can be served over white rice or just by itself like a savory soup. Here is my version, enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds raw, peeled shrimp
  • 1 lime
  • 2 pounds yucca root
  • 1/2 large onion finely chopped
  • 4 cups vegetable or fish broth
  • 4 large garlic cloves minced
  • 4 ripped Roma tomatoes chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 large red pepper finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • Bunch of chopped cilantro, parsley or basil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions:

  1. Place raw shrimp in a bowl with juice of 1 lime, set aside.
  2. Peel yucca root, chop in cubes and place them in a pot. Add broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat and let them cook until very tender. Remove from heat and mash them. Set aside.
  3. Heat olive oil in a big pot (an iron pot would be just perfect). Saute onions, tomatoes, peppers and garlic until soft. Add shrimp, when both sides turn pink add coconut milk, tomato paste and mashed yucca. Stir with a wood spoon.
  4. Add salt to taste, crushed red pepper and let it simmer over a medium heat until bubbly.
  5. Remove from heat and garnish with herbs.

 

Baked Portuguese Cod

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This is a dish I grew up with that is very popular in Brazil, it is inspired by Portuguese cuisine and known as “Bacalhoada.” There are many variations of  this dish. It is originally made using salted cod but I’m using fresh cod in this recipe due to difficulty finding salted cod in Arizona, where I live. Although salted cod is a key ingredient, this recipe with fresh cod still gives you a good taste of this wonderful Portuguese dish and brings me memories of Brazil.

IMG_20191112_224725_038.jpg
Ingredients:

8 cod fillets

1 bag small Yukon gold potatoes

4 roma tomatoes thinly sliced

1 large yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

3/4 Cup pitted Kalamata olives

1 shallot thinly sliced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 lemon

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

dried oregano

Salt and pepper

fresh Italian parsley chopped

Directions:

  1. Pre heat oven to 375F.
  2. Arrange cod fillets in a baking dish. Make a marinade with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes and pour over cod. Cover and place in refrigerator.
  3. Cut potatoes in half and cook them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain water, sprinkle salt and pepper and arrange them in baking dish with the cod.
  4. Add sliced tomatoes, sliced shallots, sliced yellow peppers, Kalamata olives,drizzle olive oil and sprinkle dried oregano.
  5. Cover with foil and bake for 30 min. Remove cover and broil for 8 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley.

 

Serve with a side of sautéed spinach or kale with a little butter.

IMG_20191112_225126_262.jpg

Bom Apetite!