Salmon Fish Stew, Brazilian Style
March 28, 2007 | Filed Under Brazil Cuisine, Salmon, Seafood | Leave a Comment
This stew is a salmon version of a Brazilian (Bahia) fish stew called Moqueca, which is normally made from the local fish of the region. I love that you marinate the salmon with limejuice, paprika, cumin, garlic salt, and black pepper; then simmer it with onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, coconut milk, and freshly chopped cilantro. CILANTRO! ;-)))
The fun part of making this salmon stew was layering the cooking pot with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, the salmon, and then doing it all over again. I created my cooking masterpiece, which I topped with cilantro. CILANTRO! I did my happy dance after that.
Yes, I was tired, but after tasting the finished product, my body became rejuvenated and happy. The effort I’d made to prepare this salmon fish stew was definitely worth it. Thanks, Elise for sharing the recipe!
Paz
Cooking in the pot: Salmon in between layers of onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers
Simply Recipes
Marinade ingredients:
The cloves from 1/2 head of garlic, peeled, crushed, minced
2 Tablespoons of fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon of coarse salt
1 Tablespoon of sweet paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons of dry cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper
Other ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of salmon, cut into 2-inch pieces (largish-bite sized pieces)
Olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
1 large bell pepper, seeded, de-stemmed, and sliced
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 14-ounce can thick coconut milk
1 large bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, 1-2 cups
Freshly cooked rice for serving
1 Mix together the marinade ingredients. Let the salmon marinate in this paste for at least 2 hours. The longer, the better.
2 In a large pan (large covered skillet or Dutch oven), coat the bottom of the pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add a layer of sliced onions, and then a layer of sliced bell peppers, and a layer of sliced tomatoes. Place the fish pieces, with the marinade, on top of everything, and start layering again - onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Add about half of your fresh cilantro to the top. Pour coconut milk over the top. Drizzle generously with olive oil over the top (several tablespoons).
3 Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, until the vegetables are cooked through.
Serve with rice; garnish with remaining cilantro.
Serves 6-8.
New York Monday # 65: St. John the Divine
March 25, 2007 | Filed Under New York Monday | Leave a Comment
Hi folks:
Here are a few photos of The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, the world’s largest Gothic-style church. It is also affectionately known as St. John the Unfinished because construction on the cathedral, which started in the 1800s, still continues to this day. Services and events are held there.
My favorite event in the cathedral is The Blessing of the Animals (or the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.). Each year, a celebration of the life of St. Francis is held and people and their animals are invited to come. A patron of animals, this feast celebrates St. Francis’s love for all animals and God’s creatures. It also celebrates God’s love for all creatures. Every October, about 4000-5000 people bring their pets into the cathedral for blessing.
A few years ago, my sister and I decided to take our dogs to participate in the event. Early, one Sunday morning , we went to the cathedral and stood on a long line that snaked around the block. We stood on line for about an hour for tickets to enter. Luckily we were in the front of the line.
While we waited a little girl (about seven), her brother (about ten) and their mother stood in front of us. The girl brought her gold fish (in a bowl, of course) and her brother brought his lizard (in a shoebox). Both were excited about the event. All around us, people came with various animals — cats and dogs (of course), birds, chickens, snakes….
Inside, everyone sat in the pews with their pets. I was really surprised that my dogs were very well behaved, since they normally bark at other dogs. Actually, everyone’s pet was well behaved. There were no barking, fighting, no accidents.
A service was held and afterwards a special group of animals marched down the aisle, the length of two football fields, to begin the blessing ceremony — an elephant, monkey, donkey, camel, horse, llama, cow… It really is a sight to behold, to see the animals strolling into the cathedral.
Later, a fair with activities for everyone was held. Vegetarian food and handicrafts were sold. For the children, there was face painting, puppeteers, a petting zoo was held. Everyone got to enjoy a concert and theatrical performances. Lots of fun.
Have a great week!
New York greetings,
Paz
Plantain, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways #5 - Mangú (Mashed Green Plantains)
March 14, 2007 | Filed Under Plantains, Plantains, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways | 1 Comment
I love that there are so many ways to prepare plantains, my favorite food. Mangú, mashed green plantains, is a typical breakfast meal in the Dominican Republic. It’s become one of my favorite breakfast dishes. To see what a green (unripe) plantain looks like, go here.
I first made mangú, a while ago, when my Dominican friend, Rocío, gave me the recipe. Thank you, Rocío! I was so excited and since then, I’ve prepared it several times. You can serve mangú with onions (preferably red) and sausage, bologna, cheese or fried eggs. I like to eat my mangú with red onions and ox tails. The best thing about knowing how to prepare mangú is that I can eat it anytime I want, not just for breakfast. Yes!
Plantain, how do I love thee? I love thee so many ways!
Paz
Mangú served with red onions, eggs, and sausage
Mangú (Mashed plantains)
Dominican Cooking
Ingredients:
4 unripe (green) plantains
4 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of oil
2 large onions (*Paz note: I normally use red onions!)
1 tablespoon of vinegar
1 cup of cold water
Salt
Preparation:
- Peel plantains and cut into 8 pieces.
- Boil the plantains, adding 2 teaspoons of salt to the water. When the plantains are very tender turn off the heat.
- While the plantains are boiling, heat a tablespoon of oil in a shallow pan. Sautee the onions, add the salt and the vinegar. Reserve.
- Take the plantains out of the water and mash them with a fork. Add the butter and the cold water and keep mashing until it is very smooth.
- Garnish with the onions and serve with scrambled eggs or deep-fried slices of salami.
New York Monday # 64: A Beautiful Day
March 11, 2007 | Filed Under New York Monday | Leave a Comment
Have a great week!
New York greetings,
Paz
Hot Chocolate! Getcha’ Hot Chocolate Here!
March 5, 2007 | Filed Under Drinks | Leave a Comment
If you’re especially a chocolate lover, I think you’ll really like this recipe, which consists of bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, heavy cream, evaporated milk and whole milk. I like how you can make the beverage thicker and richer by leaving out the water and instead adding more cream. Or you can dilute it to make it lighter. Either way, it tastes warm, chocolatey and delicious. This hot chocolate recipe satisfies your chocolate sweet tooth and warms your body.
Paz
Cookies from Mischief Mari Cookies
adapted from The Secrets of Baking
Yield: 6 cups of hot chocolate
7oz (200g) bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 1/2 cups whole milk (or 2 cups milk and 1/2 cup additional cream)
1 1/2 cups water (optional)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
sugar, to taste
freshly whipped cream, to garnish
To make the ganache, chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream and evaporated milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Immediately pour the boiling liquid over the chopped chocolate, then let it sit undisturbed for 1 minute. Stir slowly until everything is smooth and blended.
Bring the whole milk and optional water to a boil over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the ganache. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until well combined and velvety smooth. Stir in the vanilla, sweeten with sugar to taste and serve hot, garnished with a spoonful of lightly-sweetened whipped cream.
Lime-Pistachio Cookies from Mischief Mari Cookies
New York Monday # 63: More on the Hudson
March 4, 2007 | Filed Under New York Monday | Leave a Comment
Have a great week!
New York greetings,
Paz
