Many people are oblivious to Brazilian cooking. Which is quite a shame considering  Brazil's cuisine is as rich and vibrant as the country itself. We have found ourself craving "Moqueca de Camarao" very regularly here at our house and thought I would share the recipe.

If you find yourself in love with Creole or Cajun cooking. I strongly suggest researching many of the island and South American cuisines, especially, Brazil! Why, you might ask?

Well, the history of Brazil starts with indengionous population that shared with the Europeans many of the herbs, starches, and meats favored by their people. Then, you have the introduction of African, French, and Italian influences as well. However, I feel the African influence is quite strong and may I add DELICIOUS!

If you love gumbos, bisques, or other seafood soups I strongly suggest giving this recipe a go. We enjoy it with white rice or rice with shredded coconut and garlic. MMM!

You can find many of these latin ingredients from Fiesta very easily but I will also add substitutions for certain ingredients that are available nearly everywhere.

Moqueca de Camarao
 "Shrimp Stew" *Simple Version*

 Serves 4

Plan ahead, the shrimp needs to marinate for 30 minutes.

Juice of 1 lemon

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 to 2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 teaspoon fresh cilantro and parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste or puree

2 tablespoons ground dry shrimp OR Shrimp Bouillon Cube

Black pepper to taste

1 cup thin coconut milk*

1/2 cup thick coconut milk*

2 to 3 tablespoons Dende (PALM) Oil OR Olive Oil**

Make a marinade with lemon, onion, garlic, vinegar and salt. Marinate the shrimp for 30 minutes. Put mixture into a sauce pan and add cilantro, tomato paste and black pepper to taste. Add thin coconut milk and cook over low heat until the shrimp are cooked. Add the thick coconut milk and dende oil. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Serve with rice.