Moqueca de Camarão (Brazilian Coconut Shrimp Stew)

I loved this dish. It was more like a thick curry, delicious with the flavors of the veggies, shrimp, and coconut milk.  It was pretty easy to prepare as well, and healthy! This is a recipe from Cooking with Lucas; the chef I've done quite a few cooking classes with.  During the lockdown, he did nightly cooking shows from his apartment, and later, his boat in Venice.  This video on Youtube is the whole class, if you're interested.  My daughter and I watched and followed along with him live.  It was fun.  During the lockdown, I also made his Chicken & Leeks, plus Focaccia Bread.

Moqueca de Camarão (Coconut Shrimp Stew)
Adapted from Cooking with Lucas

1 tbsp coconut or palm oil
4 cloves of garlic (sliced)
1 tbsp chopped ginger or ginger paste
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 regular can coconut milk
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 kg/ 2.2lbs cleaned, deveined shrimp (I only had one pound- it was fine)
Fresh Cilantro leaves
Dried chili peppers, optional

Cayenne, Paprika, chili powder OR Aleppo chili powder (choose what you want, or something different)
Two limes

1.  In a big pot, fry the ginger, garlic and onions with the coconut oil. After they are getting a bit brown add the peppers and tomatoes. Stir a little bit and let cook with the pot closed in medium/low heat for 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and tomato paste and let cook for another 10 minutes with the pot closed. Don't stir too much. After the 10 minutes add the chopped cilantro leaves, the spices and the shrimp. Close the pan again and let cook for 5-10 minutes on medium heat. Open the pot and squeeze in the lime. Serve with rice and fried cassava or fried potatoes. Top with more cilantro, if desired.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Thai Massaman Curry with Beef

I've had a container of Massaman Curry sitting in my pantry for a few months now, unopened.  I finally put an end to that the other week when I made this beef curry.  It was very good!  Massaman Curry is Thai, but inspired by Indian flavors.  You can make your own curry paste but why would you, when you can buy really good stuff and save yourself so much work?  ;)  (I have made my own yellow curry paste before, but I wouldn't again.... I have some of that (storebought) in my pantry now too.)  This recipe braises for a while, so you can use a tough cut of meat.  I think I used chuck steaks and they were great.
Note: This uses tamarind paste.  I have some my Thai friend gave me from Thailand.  :)  (Thanks!) I've heard you can use lime juice as a sub, to get that sourness, or just leave it out.

Also- this recipe needs to cook for at least 1.5 hours, so plan ahead.

Thai Massaman Curry with Beef
adapted from the Kitchn

For the braise:
1 pound beef chuck roast, cut into large bite-sized chunks
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken or beef stock

For the curry:
1 tablespoon coconut or neutral oil
4 tablespoons massaman curry paste (storebought or homemade)
1/2 cup coconut milk, stirred (just use the rest of the can)
2 large potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
1/4 teaspoon tamarind paste (or 1 tablespoon tamarind water), plus more to taste
Sugar (or palm sugar), to taste
Fish sauce, to taste
1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts

Cooked rice, for serving

1.  Braise the beef: Place the beef in a heavy Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. Pour the coconut milk and stock over top. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, then turn the heat down and cover. Braise on very low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the beef is tender and just holding its shape.

2.  Lift the cooked beef out of the braising liquid. Strain the liquid into a bowl and reserve.

3.  Finish the curry: Wipe out the pot used for braising the beef and replace it on the stove. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and add 4 tablespoons of massaman curry paste. Sauté the paste for a couple of minutes, until fragrant.

4.  Add the coconut milk and the braising liquid to the curry paste. Bring it up to a gentle simmer, then add the beef chunks and potatoes. Season the curry with the tamarind, a few splashes of fish sauce, and some sugar. Bring back to a low simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

5.  Taste and adjust seasonings in the curry, adding more fish sauce, sugar, or tamarind, until the curry is a perfect balance of gentle spiciness, saltiness, tanginess, and sweetness. Stir in the peanuts and serve with coconut rice.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Fudgy Coconut Oil Brownie Bites

I LOVED these brownie bites.  They are so, so good.  The texture is perfect- chewy and fudgy, moist (I said MOIST), chocolaty, with slightly crisp edges.  And a good way to use up coconut oil.  They're so easy to make that my daughter mostly made them by herself, actually.  She just needed a little help lighting the gas stove (but can now do it alone), and some other things, because I was in there anyway making something else.  I need to make these again, soon.  The recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and she mentions that to dress them up a little, she'll pipe a star of cream cheese frosting on them, and then top each with a raspberry.

Fudgy Coconut Oil Brownie Bites
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
makes about 48- easily halved

1 cup coconut oil (8 ounces)
2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (12 ounces)*
1 cup packed light brown sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour (5 ounces)

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin (24-capacity) with cooking spray. (The recipe makes 40-48 so you'll bake two batches.)

2.  In a heavy, medium-sized saucepan, or a double boiler over low heat, melt the coconut oil and chocolate chips stirring often, until the mixture is smooth. Don't overheat the mixture, just heat and stir until the chocolate melts and it comes together - it shouldn't be overly hot.  Remove the pot from the heat.

3.  Stir in the brown sugar and granulated sugar. (Right into the pot.)  Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well.  Stir in the salt and flour until combined.

4.  Fill the mini muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full (you can get pretty near the top and still be ok). Bake for 10-14 minutes until just barely cooked through. The edges will be bubbling lightly with coconut oil; that's ok. As they cool, they'll set up perfectly.

*I almost always use mini semi-sweet chocolate chips in baking, and especially for melting.  They melt beautifully because of the small size, and the bag is also exactly 12 oz.  Regular size choc chips come in 10 oz bags.  

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies were very good- just soft enough, with a tiny coconut flavor, easy to make.... just tasty and an easy recipe to make.  The kids loved them too, although they're not all coconut fans. I used mini semi-sweet chips and real whit chocolate chips in these.  It only makes about 15-20 cookies, so double it if you want more than that.  (I made mini cookies with this recipe, so mine made about 30... maybe.  I don't think I counted.  But it was more than 20.)

Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Culinary Couture 

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, room temperature
pinch of vanilla powder (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or a mix of baking chips)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.  In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

2.  In another bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream together coconut oil and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well-combined. Gradually pour in dry ingredients, beating until well-incorporated after each addition. Fold in chocolate chips.

3.  Using a medium cookie scoop (about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons), scoop out balls of dough onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart from one other. (Can use a smaller scoop for mini cookies- that's what I did).

4.  Bake for 9 minutes, or until edges are just starting to turn light brown. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

No-Bake Granola Bites

I saw these on Mel's Kitchen Cafe last week and made them a few days later.  They looked so easy, and a lot of the reviewers really liked them.  My first attempt is the one I took pics of.  Everyone loved them, but I thought they were too sweet, so the next time I made them, I reduced the honey/agave.  They were just right, sweetness-wise, but as I suspected, were a little harder to form into balls that actually stuck together.  I had to squeeze them together in my hands firmly, and they worked that way.  Actually, a note on the original way:  I had a hard time forming these into balls right after mixing them up.  I stuck the mixture in the fridge for a little over an hour and tried again; much better!

So, first I'd make these with the original amount of honey/agave and see how that works for you; if you find it too sweet, try reducing to 1/2 cup (from 2/3 cup) the next time.  I also reduced the chocolate chips down to 1/2 cup.  Next time I make them, I might try adding an extra tablespoon of peanut butter to help them stick (I use unsweetened pb).  Just be sure to squeeze the mixture together more to form balls.  Having clean hands helps too; I had to wash mine when I was about half-way through forming them.  

My boys LOVE these!!  The first batch I made was gone in 24 hours.  They take two bites to school with them for a snack; I send it in a tiny glad-ware type thing, with a fork, because these get a little sticky un-refrigerated.  They fill them up much more than your typical store-bought granola bar.  They also want to eat them at home.  They keep very well in a covered container in the freezer; just take out and eat as needed.

This is one of the only recipes in the world I use quick oats for.  I had to actually buy them specially, for this recipe.  Mel states that old-fashioned oats won't work because the mixture won't hold together.  If you only have whole oats and don't want to buy quick, you can blend whole oats in the food processor until they are broken down a little bit.  

Last time I made these, I used mini M&M's in place of mini choco chips and chocolate peanut butter.  My fave version!

No-Bake Granola Bites

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

2 cups quick oats

1 cup crispy rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)

1 cup ground flaxseed

1 cup creamy peanut butter (or chocolate pb or sunflower butter)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, mini M&M's, or choc-covered sunflower seeds

2/3 cup honey and/or agave nectar (can use 1/2 cup + 1 TBS*, but may be harder to form balls)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1.  Combine the oats, flaxseed, and Rick Krispies together in a large bowl, carefully.  In another smaller bowl, combine the peanut butter, chocolate chips, honey and/or agave (I used a mix of both), vanilla, and coconut oil.  Mix the peanut butter mixture into the dry mixture carefully, mixing gently so the crispy rice cereal doesn't get crushed. Mix until well-combined.  At this point, I like to refrigerate the mixture for about an hour before forming balls, so it firms up a little.  

2.  Using a cookie scoop (or roll small amounts in your hands), drop rounded tablespoonful-sized portions onto a parchment or wax paper lined cooking sheeet. I used my cookie scoop and then rolled the scooped portion out between my palms.  Make sure you gently press them to stick together.

3.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. At this point you can serve them or combine the chilled granola bites in a large tupperware-type container or ziploc bags to freeze or refrigerate. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week or for a few months in the freezer. 

*If using less honey or agave, try using 1/2 cup PLUS 1 Tablespoon.  I made them this way last time, and it really made a difference.  They stuck together much better and the sweetness level was just right.

**Make sure the oats you use are gluten free if making this gluten-free.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Coconut Oil Granola

On Pinterest lately, I've seen a few recipes for granola using coconut oil instead of canola or some other kind of oil.  I have coconut oil on hand and don't use it enough, so I figured I'd take my regular granola recipe and just swap out the regular oil for coconut.  The recipe already contains coconut, so it was perfect.  I had to melt the coconut oil first in the microwave, and it did not lend a strong coconut flavor to the granola.  I would have been fine either way, but this way, my picky kids ate it without protest.  :) 

Almond Maple Coconut Oil Granola
adapted from here and Allrecipes.com

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds or walnuts
2/3 cup raw whole almonds
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds
1/2 cup pepitas, optional (shelled pumpkin seeds)
1/2 (14 ounce) package flaked coconut
1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 Tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 Tablespoons cup warm water
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Lightly grease 1 large cookie sheets (I use a 9x13 pan) with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the oats, almonds, wheat germ, flax, pepitas, coconut, and sunflower seeds. In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, coconut oil, water and salt. Pour the liquid over the oat and nut mixture, and stir until evenly coated. Spread out on the prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally (every 15-25 min) until evenly toasted. Cool, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Homemade Magic Shell

This was delicious and easy, and the kids were so excited about it.  I've seen recipes online here and there over the last few years and kind of combined them to make this treat.  I melted semisweet chocolate chips, butter, and virgin coconut oil together.  About 60 seconds after drizzling onto ice cream, it forms a hardened chocolate shell.

Homemade Magic Shell
adapted from Picky Palate, Food.com, and other sites

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (milk choc. does not work as well)
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

1.  In a heavy saucepan (or a double boiler) over the lowest heat, melt all ingredients together, stirring often.  If mixture is too thick to drizzle, add more coconut oil until it thins out.  Vigorous whisking helps, as well.  :) 

2.  Drizzle over scoops of ice cream.  Wait about a minute for a hard shell to form, then enjoy.  Leftover sauce warms up great in the microwave.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Coconut Oil Chocolate Cupcakes

In case you haven't heard yet, coconut oil is no longer bad for you.  It's actually a healthy fat and has many health properties.  Google it if interested.  ;)  Make sure to get extra-virgin, and organic if possible.  One of my fave on-line natural food sources, Vitacost, has it.  It imparts a nice subtle coconut flavor to baked goods, and I've also used it in stir-fries, etc. 

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, making it a good sub for butter in baked goods.  I wanted to try it in the Magnolia bakery chocolate cupcake recipe- I needed to make cupcakes for these cute reindeer.  I forgot to soften some butter anyway, lol.  I really liked the result of using coconut oil in these.  I think the chocolate enhanced the coconut flavor.  The cupcakes were very tender, as well.

Coconut Oil Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from Magnolia's cupcakes; recipe here
makes 13-15 cupcakes

1/2 cup extra-virgin coconut oil, room temp
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt

1.   In an electric mixer, cream together the coconut oil, sugar and the brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the melted chocolate and mix until well incorporated. Scrape the bowl. Add the vanilla and half of the buttermilk. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix, and finish with the remainder of the buttermilk. Mix until well incorporated. Scoop into baking cups and bake at 350F for about 13-20 minutes.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

NY Times Olive Oil Granola

Wow- I absolutely loved this granola.  This love made me feel guilty about "cheating" on my first love, "The Granola", but after making The Granola regularly for the last 5+ years, I got the itch to try a new recipe and was so glad I did!  (I still love you, first love Granola.  It's ok). 

I was intrigued, first of all, by the use of olive oil in this recipe.  There was actually so much olive oil in here that I had to add an extra cup of oats because the mixture was so wet.  Next time, I would try 1/3 cup olive oil instead of 1/2 cup.  This recipe calls for 3/4 cup of maple syrup- I used 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup agave nectar (trying it out for the first time).  I totally forgot to add the 1/2 cup brown sugar and was glad, because it was plenty sweet with all of that maple syrup and agave nectar.  I will omit that from the recipe posted below.

I LOVED the pistachios, pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds), cinnamon, and especially cardamom in this!  The flavor combo was SO good!!  You might notice the almonds in the photo- that's because I ran out of pistachios and had to use part almonds/part pistachios.  I've since bought more pistachios, so next time (and it will happen soon), I'm going to use 1 cup raw pistachios and 1/2 cup whole almonds, because I really do like almonds in my granola.  After baking (and after taking these pics), I added some dried cranberries to this (instead of the dried apricots called for). 

In the recipe below, I changed the oats amount from 3 to 4 cups.  I also suggest you start out with 1/3 cup olive oil and add a bit more if needed.  PS:  I made this over a month ago when I could still get a few good nectarines here and there.  :(  Those days are over!  Waaaah!

Note:  If your oats are gluten-free, this granola is a gluten free food!  (Many oats are processed in the same facilities as wheat and other gluten-containing products, so many oats are "contaminated" with gluten.)  I'll include a Gluten-Free tag on this; chances are, if you cook gluten-free, you already know to look for gluten-free oats.  :)

NY Times Olive Oil Granola

from the NY Times :)

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup raw pistachios, hulled
1/2 cup raw whole almonds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
1 cup coconut chips (any unsweetened, dried coconut) 
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (first try 1/3 cup and see if that's enough-add more if needed)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 cup dried cranberries, optional

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oats, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, coconut chips, maple syrup, agave nectar, olive oil, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Spread mixture on a lightly greased, rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until golden brown and toasted. (May need to bake a bit longer.)  Cool on baking sheet.

2. Transfer granola to a large airtight container and add dried cranberries, tossing to combine.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Lemon-Coconut Bread

This quick bread is moist and tasty, and easy to make.  There is not very much fat in it, either, unlike a lot of quick breads.  The original recipe called for veggie oil, but I used virgin coconut oil instead- loved it!  Don't be like me and use too much lemon juice in the glaze- mine was too thin and pretty much just ran right off the bread.  I had to gather up the extra glaze from the cutting board below and pour it back on the bread... over and over again, till it started to firm up and dry a little.  I don't know why I added so much liquid... I have made glazes like this before!

Lemon-Coconut Bread

adapted from Notes From My Food Diary

Makes one 9×5-inch loaf

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat pastry)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3/4 cup sweetened coconut
2 tablespoons coconut oil or canola oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup lemon juice

For lemon icing:
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease one 9×5-inch loaf.  Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Stir in coconut.

2.  Beat oil, eggs, and milk with an electric mixer in a separate bowl until frothy. Stir in lemon juice. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Spoon into prepared pan.

3.  Bake in preheated oven for 40-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

4.  Make the icing: Stir together confectioners’ sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a bowl. Add more lemon juice if it’s too stiff.

5.  When the cake is done, let it cool in pan over rack for 10 minutes. Remove pan and let it cool completely on rack before icing it.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **