Posts Tagged ‘brazil’

This is a tasty fall recipe that uses a pumpkin…a refreshing change from pumpkin pie or pumpkin soup! The recipe is Brazilian and I learned how to make it by assisting at a PCC Cooks class.

Rating: 5 stars

Ingredients:

• 1 medium round-shaped pumpkin
• 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 head of garlic, whole (cut in half horizontally)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. juniper berries
• 2 lbs. fresh shrimp, peeled and cleaned (save the shells)
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp. red palm oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 6 tomatoes, peeled and seeded
• 1 fresh hot pepper (jalapeno), minced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 can coconut milk
• 3 tbsp. bread crumbs (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the over broiler.

Wash pumpkin thoroughly. Cut off a lid and remove seeds. In a medium saucepan, add celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, juniper berries, shrimp shells and cover with water until half full. Bring to a boil. Place the pumpkin open side down over the pan, creating a “steamer”. Turn heat down and steam until pumpkin meat is soft, about 20 minutes. Note: a metal, mesh sieve works great to keep pumpkin from falling into the pot if it’s smaller than the pot opening.

Season shrimp with abundant lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. In a large pan, heat the red palm oil. Add onions; saute 3-5 minutes. Add tomatoes and minced garlic. Saute 5 minutes more. Add shrimp and saute until they start to turn pink. Add the hot pepper (to taste). Add wine and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer, then add salt and pepper to taste. Note: Place unopened can of coconut milk in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before opening. After removing the lid, poke a hole through the creamy coconut and drain off the liquid. This will give you a thicker, creamier coconut milk for the sauce.

To assember the dish, place steamed pumpkin in a baking dish, and pour shrimp sauce inside. Broils for approximately 15 minutes. Add fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime before serving.

Serve with white rice or Farofa (recipe follows).

Farofa

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. red palm oil
• 2 onions, grated
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet; add onions and saute until golden brown. Add the bread crumbs, mixing vigorously. Turn off heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix and serve.