Brazilian Moqueca de Peixe (But with Chicken)!

Hey fellow readers! It's been a while since I've updated the blog. I guess you can say a lot been going on, and so I haven't really had the time to put up new posts. I was inspired to finally write up a new post based on a delicious Brazilian meal I cooked up yesterday. My boyfriend was coming over to my house for dinner and he said he wanted anything but the typical Dominican meal, which normally consists of rice and beans and a meat. So since we both love Brazilian food, I decided to make one of our favorite dishes. We absolutely love Brazilian Moqueca de Peixe, a traditional Brazilian fish stew served over Brazilian style rice. So much so that we made it one time together but using chicken instead of fish. The irony here is that we actually enjoyed the dish so much more substituting the fish for chicken. So yesterday afternoon I made my very own version of this traditional dish using chicken instead and served it over Brazilian style rice and sweet plantains. My boyfriend, and my family and I all sat at the dining room table to enjoy this delicious meal with Bossa Nova music playing in the background. And mami prepared a delicious flan that we enjoyed with some Colombian expresso. At first abuela wasn't sure she was going to like the dish. Leche de coco con pollo?, she asked. It just didn't make sense to her. But after she tried the dish, she loved it so much I peeped her serving herself some more. Everyone loved the dish and it felt great. But it felt even better knowing that abuela 100 percent approved! Check out the recipes below!

Moqueca de Peixe(Chicken Stew)

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 pounds of thin, boneless/skinless chicken breasts
-Juice of 2 limes
-1 teaspooon of salt (I used adobo)
-1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper( I used oregano)
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-2 teaspoons of olive oil
-1 red pepper, minced
-1 green pepper, minced
- 1 large Spanish onion, minced
-2 large tomatoes, minced
-1 bunch of cilantro, minced
-1/2-1 teaspoon of Chili powder (or to taste)
-1 jalapeno pepper, minced
-2-2 1/2 cups of coconut milk
- A dash of white wine

Directions:

1. Wash the chicken and then cut into tenderloins or bite size pieces.
2. Season with salt and ground pepper or adobo and oregano. And add the lime juice. Let it marinate for 1-4 hours in the refrigerator.
3. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan.
4. Layer 1/2 of the peppers, tomatoes and onions over the bottom of the pan.
5. Then cover the herbs & vegetables with the chicken and the marinade.
6. Layer the rest of the peppers, onions, tomatoes, jalapeno and garlic on top. Then sprinkle the minced cilantro.
7. Sprinkle the chili powder and ground pepper.
8. Let the chicken cook and then add the 2 1/2 cups of coconut milk over the vegetables and chicken.
9. Bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer gently covered for about 15 minutes.
10. Taste, if it needs more flavor add a little more salt and chili powder. I also added a little bit on white wine and fresh grounded oregano.
11. Remove cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until vegetables and chicken are well cooked and tender.
12. Serve over Brazilian white rice and sweet plantains.

Brazilian White Rice:

Ingredients:
-2 cups of white rice
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 Spanish onion, minced
-1 tablespoon of olive oil,
-1 teaspoon of salt
-2 cups of hot water

Directions:

1. Place the rice in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Then set it aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the oil until the garlic start to turn golden brown.
3. Add the rice & salt and cook and stir until the rice begins to brown.
4. Pour the hot water over the rice mixture and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover the saucepan and allow to simmer until the water has been absorbed, 20-25 minutes.