Shrimp and Fish Stew with Coconut Milk Recipe (vatapá)

vatapá is an African-inspired Bahian specialty that has been adopted throughout Brazil. Traditionally it is made with seafood, but it may also be made with poultry.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons [45 mL] vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon [15 mL] dendê oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon [5 mL] ginger, minced fine
• 4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 3 preserved malagueta chiles, minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons [30 mL] cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon [15 mL] parsley
• 4 cups [960 mL] coconut milk
• ¼ cup [60 mL] ground dried shrimp
• ½ cup [120 mL] ground roasted cashew nuts
• ¼ cup [60 mL] ground roasted almonds
• ¾ cup [180 mL] unsweetened coconut, grated
• 1-inch [2.5-cm] slice fresh ginger, minced
• 12 ounces [340 g] raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 pound [450 g] fish fillets, such as sea bass, cod, or tilapia, cut into pieces
• Rice or warm acarajé (see page 150), for service
• Sprigs of cilantro, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. All advance preparation may be found in the ingredient list.
2. Heat the oils together in a heavy skillet and sauté the onion, garlic, and the 1 teaspoon of minced ginger until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the tomatoes, chiles, lime juice, cilantro, and parsley. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, dried shrimp, cashews, and almonds. Simmer for 3 minutes, then add the coconut and remaining ginger. Simmer for 3 minutes more.
4. Remove from the heat and place in the workbowl of a food processor. Purée until smooth, adding a little water or chicken stock if too thick. (The sauce may be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Reheat, then add the shrimp and fish shortly before serving.)
5. Return the mixture to the pan and stir in the raw shrimp and fish. Simmer just until the seafood is cooked, 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Serve the vatapá with rice or with the warm acarajé, split. Fill the acarajé just before serving to preserve crispness of the fritters. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Acaraje

ok its very unlikely i will actually make this item BUT it really is suppose to go with the fish stew recipe thats why i posted it.

Acaraje
Makes 6 appetizer servings, or, with a salad, a light supper

1 pound navy beans or black-eyed peas, cooked and drained
2 pounds small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into ¼-inch dice
Half a small Spanish onion, diced very fine (about ½ cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons fine sea or kosher salt
Half a Scotch bonnet chili pepper or chili pepper of your choice, finely chopped
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
All-purpose flour
Vegetable oil

1. Mash about two-thirds of the beans to a paste in a large bowl. Stir in the remaining beans and then the shrimp, onion, cilantro, salt, chili, black pepper, and cumin.
2. Form the bean mix into six 3 ½-inch patties, lining them up on a baking sheet as you go. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. Refrigerating the cakes will firm them up and make them easier to handle.
3. Pour enough oil into a 12-inch skillet to fill ½-inch, about 1 cup. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until rippling.
4. Meanwhile, spread a thick layer of flour out on a plate. Coat both sides of the patties, handling them gently. Slip the patties into the oil and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and the shrimp is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
Navy Bean and Shrimp Cakes


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Chinese Scallion Pancake

Ingredients


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (cake flour also works, but lacks elasticity)
1 teaspoon yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water + 1 teaspoon sugar to activate yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped scallions
1 teaspoon salt
 add toasted sesame seeds, on top before cooking

scallions to mixer and just run dough through the  kitchenaide pastamaker at the widest setting.  then take a soup can and cut out circles about 3x3 great sized and look for appetizer.

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by the time this recipe is posted I've attempted this item 4-5 times.  I've decided to perfect this item and will bring the same thign to every single event that has to do with food.  Cheap is my keyword.  

Attempt #4   I'm going to attempt this my way following the recipe exactly and only cutting the water by half because the original just has too much water.  I think will just double the original recipe as there's only 15 people attending and still leave enough for myself.

Attempt #3  Mom had an idea to make this but she disregarded my recipe instructions and quantities and dumped all the scallions she got into the mixer, added water to mix it then wondered why she got an oatmeal texture.   Result?  Dense but flavorful stuff.  The texture could really take some lessons from attempt #2

Attempt #2  made 3 days later and it was for another party this time I followed a different recipe one with yeast because I thought it would taste better with a fluffy light cripsy texture.  SUcess! at least on the texture and look.  The flavor could use more intensity as I had to add so much extra flour because of the water amount that I ran out of scallions.  Great texture, size, shape but weak on the flavor.   I actually enjoyed my own cooking which says alot.   Total quantity made:  85 pieces

Attempt #1 it was for a BBQ party and I needeed something simple, cheap, ethnic and tasty so this fit the bill.   I mixed up 2 recipes and didn't realize that there was 2 ways of making this one of them is unleaven dough so no yeast aka no rising.  No wonder this thing as dense, chewy.   Instead of a kneadable dough I had a liquid mix that was oatmeal texture.  I had to pour it on the pan and since time was ticking I made it and brought it with me.  Thank god no one else knew better

Green rice — arroz verde —

Recipe from nytimes.com -- TO BE MADE cuz i haven't actually made it but this recipe brings back memories of my college days when my housemates would occasionally make this dish.   I should tell her that  I found the recipe to her cooking.

Green rice — arroz verde — is a great way to get your kids to eat spinach without realizing it. Serve this rice with just about anything — it has a fresh, herbal flavor. You can make the dish with brown rice, but it won’t have the usual vivid green color. If you use basmati, you’ll have a much larger yield, as basmati expands about twice as much as regular white rice.
Recipes for Health


2 cups chicken, vegetable or garlic stock, or water
1 cup tightly packed baby spinach
1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon canola oil or extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup long grain rice or basmati rice, rinsed several times with cold water
Salt to taste

1. Combine 1 cup of the stock or water with the spinach and cilantro in a blender, and blend at high speed until smooth. Place the remaining stock or water in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer.

2. Heat the oil in a medium-sized, heavy saucepan over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, three to five minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic and rice. Stir together for a few minutes until the rice is beginning to crackle. Add the simmering stock or water and salt to taste (I use about 3/4 teaspoon). Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer five minutes.

3. Uncover, and stir in the blended green mixture from the blender. Rinse the blender with about 1/4 cup water, and add it to the rice. Stir once, raise the heat and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Turn off the heat, uncover and place a clean kitchen towel over the pot. Replace the lid, and allow the rice to stand undisturbed for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a spoon or fork, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve.

Yield: Serves four to six as a side dish.

Advance preparation: You can prepare this several hours ahead. When the rice is done, spread it in a lightly oiled baking dish, uncovered, and allow to cool completely. Then cover with foil, and when ready to serve, reheat in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.

Nutritional information per serving (based on four servings): 231 calories; 4 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 42 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 39 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during cooking); 5 grams protein