Salmon Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew)

I love salmon. I loved it baked. Pan fried. Wrapped in the fluffiness of pastry dough. I love it flaked and breaded and fried. There are numerous ways that I love Salmon. But, I've never had it in a soup or stew. For some reason fish soups scare me. I'm not a lover of soups to begin with. You can thank my stepmom for that one. And no she's not evil. Soup rarely floats my boat. However I was watching an episode about weight loss on BBC Horizon (Gotta love youtube) and soup is supposed to be really filling.

What I love about this soup is how there are so many different layers of flavors. Even though the salmon is the star, the actual broth is it's best supporting actor. You have slight sweetness of the sweet potato, the slighy crispness of the bell peppers, the tartness of the tomatoes and the smooth flavor of the coconut milk that brings the whole dish together.

Like any soup or stew, it's always better the next day as the flavors meld together into a bowl of sheer awesomness.

When cooking with coconut milk, you have to cook it until the oil separates from the coconut solids.

Now for the good stuff.

Ingredients
Fish and Marinade
1 1/2 lbs salmon fillets
28 oz or two 14 oz cans of whole tomatoes, not drained
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup cilantro
2 garlic cloves, cut in half
1 Serrano chile pepper, stemmed and cut in half
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 teaspoon

For the Stew
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 zucchini, chopped into half moons
1 green pepper, large chop
1 red pepper, large chop
1 large onion, large chop
1/2 cup water (or good fish stock)
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup minced green onions, for garnish
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped for garnish

For the Marinade:
Place fish in a shallow bowl (not metal).
Combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, garlic, chile pepper, lime juice, EVOO, and salt in a food processor (or a blender). Process until smooth and pour over fish.
Marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

For the Stew:
Heat the EVOO in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add diced sweet potato and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft (add a little water, if the sweet potatoes start to stick. Don't let them burn!)
Add the zucchini, peppers, and onions. Cook until the onions become translucent. About 5-7 minutes.
Add the water and stir
Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the fish, plus the marinade and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Serve in a bowl, top with the green onions and cilantro. 

I'm back after a long hiatus with a new recipe!!!! Shrimp and Asparagus over Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon Garlic Sauce

Yes, it has been a while. Honestly, I was really in the mood for cooking fresh food. I had been eating out a lot. But like always, when you run out of money, you have to cook what you have on hand. Since I lost a little weight, I also wanted to go back to cooking, because I know that's the only way that I will eat healthier. Now if I can learn to control my portions and not have second or third helpings.

I love using fresh vegetables. When I have no fresh vegetables and plenty of meat, I go bananas and I can't figure out what to make for dinner. This week, I hit up Aldi's (no Whole Foods money this week). I grabbed a bag of frozen EZ peel shrimp and a bunch of asparagus.

I love this dish. It's super simple and it packs a lot of flavor. Also, I didn't steal this recipe from the web, I made it up. It doesn't mean that there isn't a recipe like this out there. There probably is. It's really about taste profiles. What vegetables go well with shrimp? Off the top of my head, I'd say broccoli, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and asparagus.

Always start with your mise-en-place. It's nothing fancy, I swear. It's just prepping all of the items that you will be using before cooking. It makes cooking a lot easier.

Here's a great tip: Always save your shrimp heads and shells. Save fish bones and heads too. You can make a great seafood stock from the shells as long as you have a fine sieve. It also saves you money in the long run. I have plans on making an easy Brazilian fish soup.

This recipe is really simple. Don't walk away while the shrimp are cooking. You can over cook them in a flash and then you're left with rubbery shrimp. Properly cooked shrimp shouldn't be chewy, it should be firm, but also kind of melt into your mouth. Also you can use any type of pasta you have on hand. Angel Hair is my favorite but any type is fine.

I know a lot of people like to put oil in their pasta water. DON'T!!!! Even if you put oil in the water, if you don't stir the pasta, it will still stick. Also, the starch left on the pasta is really sticky and that's a good thing because that means your sauce will stick to the pasta. With oily pasta, that wonderful and flavorful sauce slides off. Also in this recipe you will be adding more oil to the dish than necessary.

Just and FYI, I don't mention how much salt and pepper to use. Always remember to taste as you go along. You can adjust the dish with as much or as little salt and pepper that you like.

Ingredients

1 box of angel hair pasta
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, finely minced (if you don't have shallots, you can substitute with a small onion)
1 bunch of asparagus, bias cut, 1 inch long
1 lb or 16 oz medium shrimp, shelled and deveined (approximately 30-40 count)
3 large gloves of garlic, finely minced
Zest of 1 large lemon
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 stick of unsalted butter
2 TBSP parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Steps

• Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Remember do not add oil to the water.
• While the water is boiling, heat a large pan and add the EVOO. When the EVOO is heated enough, you probably see a little smoke, add the shallots and asparagus.
• Cook until the veggies until they begin to soften, which is about 4-5 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally. 
• Add the shrimp, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice and stir. The shrimp should take about 3-4 minutes to cook. When they turn pink, they are done. Turn off the stove. Add the butter.
• Once the pasta is done, drain (do not rinse the pasta!). Add the parsley to the shrimp and asparagus. Then add the pasta to the pan and stir. 
• When plating top with a small heap of Parmesan cheese and enjoy!!!!