Brazilian Fish Stew (Moqueca)

Some people dream of chocolate and cake; I dream of fresh caught fish, still salty wet from the ocean. Visions of azure blue seas with houses set into steep hillsides is my idea of paradise. Anywhere in the Mediterranean would do, although I think the Balearic Islands and Menorca in particular is my ideal.

All fantasies aside, I love discovering new ways of cooking fish and this Brazilian Fish Stew was very intriguing. Bell peppers, lime juice, coconut milk, and of course cilantro make a beautiful combination, transforming "bland" fish (as too many people tell me fish is) into a party in your mouth.

Ceviche Salad with Mango and Avocado

Ceviche is one of those South American dishes that sounds exotic and hard but is really simple and elegant. It's the perfect food to wow guests with and can be made ahead of time so it's great happy hour food at your home with friends after work.

Fish and or seafood marinated in citrus juice - that's it - that's all it takes to make this delicious dish. What I find so incredible is that the juice literally "cooks" the fish - it actually changes it chemically in the same way that heat does. Click here to learn more about that process.

Mixed Seafood and Red Pepper Salad

This is a copy cat dish, similar to one I had at a new neighborhood restaurant, Momed (Modern Mediterranean, fantastic and fabulous! Check it out if you're in the Los Angeles area!)

The original seafood salad included shrimp, calamari and squid (calamari as the equivalent to cuttle fish) in the lightest lemon vinaigrette I have ever tasted until I realized the seafood were actually cerviche, and the salad just had some olive oil added to it. I stuck with the vegetables from Momed's version, thinnly sliced fennel, onion (their's were red) and added some red bell pepper for color. Fantastic lunch over fresh spinach!

Mixed Seafood and Red Pepper Salad

6 large shrimp, deshelled and deveined, cut in half along the vein
12 bay scallops (or 3 large scallops, quartered)
1 whole red bell pepper, diced
1 fennel bulb, sliced as thin as possible
1-2 spring onions, sliced thinnly
6 lemons, juiced
2 limes, juiced
1 jalapeno, deseeded and cut in juilliene
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
olive oil
salt
pepper

Combine shrimp, scallops, garlic, jalapeno and citrus juices in bowl deep enough so that seafood is submerged; marinate for 1-2 hours or until scallops and shrimp are "cooked" ala cerviche style (shrimp will be pink and scallops will have lost their opaqueness.) Remove seafood from marinade, brushing off any garlic pieces and place in separate bowl. Add vegetables and toss all together and allow to sit for 30 minutes, refrigerated. When ready to serve, drizzle olive oil over all and add salt and pepper as desired. Serve on salad greens such as spinach or arugula.

Hugs!

Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Recently I have developed an interest in South American cooking and cruising around the web I came across the term Chimichurri and was intrigued simply by the sound of the word. What a delightful surprise to learn that not only is this gorgeous green sauce easy to make but also bursting with flavors I love: parsley, cilantro, and garlic.

As I've noted in earlier posts, I use fresh green herbs as substitutes for lettuce in my green salads and flat leaf parsley ranks high on my list of favorite salad greens. So any condiment that calls for mashing parsley with other fresh herbs like cilantro or mint or oregano along with garlic is a sure-fire winner in my book. What I found so intriguing is that this condiment is traditionally used by Argentinians on steak. Although I'm not a huge fan of large hunks of meat, I do like the occasional steak and decided this was a good opportunity to try out this fragrant sauce.

Similar in look to basil pesto, Chimichurri has a little more bite to it since there is no cheese or nuts to temper the fresh garlic, and the splash of vinegar delivers a finishing kick. In my search on the web I noticed that recipes vary in their use of vinegar versus lemon juice as well as what type of fresh herbs. I've made it with and without fresh mint and it was good both ways.

Chimichurri is a very versatile sauce and I am enjoying it in cooked rice as well as spread on a piece of toast. My next experiment will be to stir it into some cooked white beans for a bean salad with some canned tuna mixed in. I also think that it would make an amazing salad dressing stirred into some mayonnaise or even a great dip mixed into some sour cream. The possibilities are endless!


Chimichurri Sauce

1 cup cilantro, packed
1 cup flat leaf parsley, packed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 green chilies, chopped (depending on type of chilie and desired heat)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin, ground (for stronger flavor roast cumin seeds and then grind)

Pulse all ingredients in food processor. Adjust for salt and serve. Refrigerated, it seems to last at least a week. I have finished eating it all in that time so I don't know how long it would last. Unlike pesto, it doesn't lose its fresh green color!

Hugs!