Game-day Meal: Feast of the Sea

It's pretty safe to say that the summer heat has certainly settled in around us. Scorching days with record-setting temperatures don't typically inspire us spend a lot of time in our kitchens slaving over a hot stove.

But summertime is the perfect time to cook a dish like the one we're featuring this week. Using fresh fish along with herbs and vegetables straight from your garden or farmer's market, you can create a light and delicious meal without even breaking a sweat.

Many thanks to our South American correspondent for another tasty Brazilian recipe!

São Paulo, BR. -- The fishing tradition and heritage of indigenous culture in Brazil, profoundly influenced regional Capixaba cuisine, making it eclectic, a product of many influences such as Portuguese, Africans and peoples of northern Europe. To explain, Capixaba refers to people from Espirito Santo, a heavily-forested state on the eastern coast of Brazil. Rovena, a member of the All Habs team, is Capixaba.

With the arrival of other European immigrants new dishes were added to the Capixaba cuisine. Among the most famous dishes we can mention is Moqueca, a delicious seafood stew made with onions, garlic, cilantro and coconut milk.

Moqueca

Ingredients

2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup canned or jarred hearts of palm, drained and diced
2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
5 tablespoons dendê oil (you can use extra-virgin olive oil or peanut oil)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 1/4 pounds sea bass, cut into 2-inch chunks
1/2 cup freshly chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup freshly chopped yellow bell pepper
1 1/2 cups fish stock (you can substitute clam juice, low-sodium chicken broth, or equal amounts of both)
1 scallion (white and green parts), chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 small piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup coconut milk

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix together half of the scallion, half of the onion, half of the ginger, and half of the garlic. Add 2 tablespoons of the dendê oil, all of the olive oil, and half of the cilantro. Place the chunks of fish in a resealable plastic bag and add the marinade, pressing the bag to evenly coat the fish. Remove all of the air from the plastic bag and seal it. Place the bag in a shallow bowl, making sure the chunks of fish are completely covered by the marinade, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

2. Take the fish out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 175C(350F)

3. Place the remaining 3 tablespoons of the dendê oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the remaining scallion and onion along with the green and yellow bell peppers, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the remaining ginger and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring to combine, for another minute or until it’s hot. Add the fish stock and let it come to a full boil. Add the coconut milk and tomato paste and return to a boil. Immediately lower the heat to medium-low or so and simmer the sauce, nice and gently, while you prepare the fish.

5. In the meantime, place the fish and its marinade in a gratin or casserole dish. Pour the lemon juice on top and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake until the fish is almost but not quite cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

6. Carefully transfer each chunk of fish to the pan with the gently simmering sauce. Add any juices in the dish from the fish and marinade. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook just until the fish is soft and tender, 5 to 8 minutes.

7. Uncover the pan, add the hearts of palm and tomatoes, and just let them get hot, which will take only a minute or two.

8. Taste the moqueca, season it with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the remaining fresh cilantro.

Variations

Moqueca de Camarão: Substitute shrimp for the fish. A very popular variation.

Use any type of seafood you like: crab, mussels, lobster.

For a lighter stew, substitute water or stock for 1 cup of the coconut milk.


photo credit: www.1-2-3artdinner.com


Share YOUR favourite game-day meal or snack with us! Send your recipe and a photo of the finished product to amy@allhabs.net today!

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Game-Day Meal: Brazilian Treat

MONTREAL, QC. -- Game-day meal. For athletes, the formula for the fuel that propels them to peak performance is often one-third nutritional science and two-thirds superstition or lucky-charm. Fortunately for fans, it's much more rudimentary -- something simple, tasty and manageable without disturbing one's gaze from the action.

At Habs Tweetup, we're all about the social side of the game. That can mean connecting you with other fans who are getting together at one of our All Habs approved venues, or providing tips to improve your viewing experience at home. Our series called Game-day Meal will feature meals and snacks that are easily prepared when you're expecting a few friends for the game or watching alone.

Today's suggestion is truly international originating in Brazil with a touch of old Italy. It comes from one of our South American correspondents. Keep in mind that our sister site AllHabs.net has original content articles written in Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, French and English. 

São Paulo, BR. -- This treat is called Palha Italiana. Despite the name, roughly translating to Italian Straw, the origin of the candy is unknown -- many, however, believe it was created right here in Brazil. It is told that the idea came from the preparation of the chocolate salami, a typical Italian recipe, that is prepared with the mass of Palha Italiana.

It's one of those simple desserts, but everyone loves to eat, and during a game, can't stop eating! The recipe mixes plain biscuits, chocolate, cream and condensed milk. Just looking at the ingredients, we can see that the sweet is a delight, can't we?

Palha Italiana

Ingredients

200ml sweetened condensed milk
100ml heavy cream
30g dark chocolate
50g plain biscuits

Preparation

1. In a saucepan, whisk condensed milk, cream and chocolate. Heat over low heat, always stirring, until is possible to see the bottom of the pan, the mixture won't be sticking to the pan. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes
2. Coarsely chop the biscuits and fold in the warm chocolate mixture. Pour in a greased 15cm square pan. Level with a spoon and let cool completely in room temperature.
3. After the fudge is cooled, cut into squares.


Tip: You can add chopped pecans, hazelnut or Brazil nuts.

(photo credit: Jon Keen)

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Home Cooking with Habs Tweetup: Brasilian Cuisine

It's true, Habs fans are everywhere! They can be found in all corners of the globe and the All Habs Network gladly showcases the talents of its international writers.

This week's edition of "Home Cooking with Habs Tweetup" features fare from Brasil, home of many  proud Canadiens fans. Many thanks to our South AMerican correspondent for sharing a tasty portion of her culture. I know I can't wait to give this recipe a try - Enjoy!

SAO PAULO, BRASIL -- To taste Brazilian cuisine is to taste Brazilian history. The largest country in South America owns a cultural diversity that reflects directly on the cuisine. The tropical weather contributes to the infinite numbers of fruits and vegetables, most of them not found elsewhere on the planet.

The influence of colonization has created several Brazilian recipes such as Feijoada(Brazilian bean soup with various kinds of meat), Churrasco(Brazilian BBQ) and Acarajé(vegetable dumpling with shrimp).

To discover more about Brasil by exploring one of the most delicious recipes, I am pleased to introduce one of the most famous Brazilian snacks: coxinha.

The history of ‘Coxinha’ (as it was named by Princess Isabel) begins with a visit of the Portuguese royal family to a small town in the southern state of Rio de Janeiro.

The snack, before served only to royalty, has now become a common Brazilian food that is usually served at parties and during games as accompaniment to sauces. The recipe is pretty quick and practical and you can find it below.

COXINHA

Filling:
1 kg chicken breast cooked and shredded
2 medium onions chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt to taste
Spice to give a color
oil or olive oil
Chopped red pepper to taste

1. In a pan with olive oil add the garlic, chopped red pepper and onion. Fry until golden brown. Add the shredded cooked chicken breast and saute for a few minutes. Add the salt and the spice. 2. Put the filling on a plate and let it cool down
Dough:1 liter of milk
1 liter of water
1 cup oil
1 spoon (soup) salt
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 / 2 kg flour
cold water and bread crumbs for dredging
oil for frying

1. Put the milk, water, oil, and the chicken broth in a pan. Bring it to boil.
2. Gradually add the flour. Cook slightly and mix well with a wooden spoon until the dough is smooth and loosens from the bottom of the pan.
3. Put the dough on a plate and let it cool down for 5-10 minutes.
4. Take a tablespoon of dough and flatten it in your palm. Put a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the dough and roll it into a chicken drumstick shape.
Coating:2 egg whites
1 cup milk
A dash of salt and pepper
2 cups flour
2 kg of bread flour

1. Beat an egg in a bowl and add the milk, a dash of salt and pepper.
2. Put the breadcrumbs in another bowl.
3. Dip the drumsticks in the egg and then coat them in the bread flour.
To fry:1. Deep-fry the drumsticks in hot oil until golden brown all over.
2. Put the drumsticks on a paper towel.
3. Serve the drumsticks immediately.


photo credit: www.comeketo.com

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