Cream of Watermelon!, Moqueca, Camarones a la Mexicana, Romesco Amarillo, Pomegranate Glazed Salmon

 Moqueca
I don't make this classic Brazilian fish stew often enough.  "Moe-keck-a"  has great Latin/Caribbean flavor but very little heat.  Pretty simple to make too.

1-1/2  to 2 lbs White Fish -- I use Cod, but any firm white fish works well too.
1 large Red Onion, sliced
1 Red and 1 Yellow Bell Peppers, sliced
1 Poblano Chili, sliced, with or without seeds and veins for heat (or other green chilis to taste).
1-2 cups diced Tomato
1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
3-4 cloves minded Garlic
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
1 can unsweetened Coconut Milk
Cilantro to taste

Saute the sliced onion in a splash of oil, add the garlic, chili and bell peppers.  Cook until the onion is going translucent.   Now add the tomatoes, green onion and spices simmer for a couple minutes. 

Remove about half of the veg from the skillet and spread the rest around to make a bed for the fish.  Lay the fish filets or pieces on the veg, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and cover with the removed vegetables.   Pour the coconut milk and lime juice over all.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.  

Adjust seasonings, and plate with plain white rice or Aroz Amarillo (mis-named Spanish Rice) as shown at the top.  

Camarones a la Mexicana
Shrimp, veggies and Mexican flavors.  My version of Camarones a la Mexicana uses a packet of taco seasoning as a simple way to give you a lot of flavor.

Shrimp
Red Bell Pepper
Yellow Bell Pepper
Poblano Chili
1 can White Hominy with liquid
Diced Sweet White Onion
Taco Seasoning packet

Dust the peeled shrimp with a bit of taco seasoning, then saute them in a minute or two in a hot skillet.  Remove the shrimp, then saute the veggies with more seasoning and some water. 

When the veggies are nearly done, return the shrimp to the pan to warm through.  Serve with Aroz Amarillo or white rice.

Romesco Amarillo!
Romesco is a nut and bell-pepper sauce that originated in Tarragona, Spain.  Created by local fishermen to serve with a variety of fish, it's also excellent on eggs, or with vegetables or as a cracker/chip/veggie dip.  Ordinarily romesco uses roasted red bell peppers, but I had these big beautiful yellow bells, and I thought "Why Not?"   I give you Romesco Amarillo (Yellow Romesco). 

3/4 cup Sliced Almonds
3 large Yellow Bell Peppers, roasted till soft but not totally blackened
2 Tbsp Malt Vinegar
1-2 Tbsp minced Sundried Tomatoes
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked Black Pepper
6-8 largish Basil Leaves
1-2 peeled Garlic cloves

Throw it all in your blender and take it for a whirrrr for 1 minute or more until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. You can also adjust the liquidity of the sauce with a bit of added water.  I like mine a bit 'drier' so I can thin it out as needed.

Here I've topped a black bean rissole with a dollop of Romesco Amarillo.

Pomegranate Glazed Salmon
Sally wanted something with Indian spiced lentils, and I wanted to experiment with making a Pomegranate Glaze.  This was the result. 

The lentils were simple cooked with 3 measures of water to 1 measure of dried lentils, a bit of fine diced onion and red bell pepper, and  Arhar Dal, the classic Indian spice blend for lentil dishes.  I used a half teaspoon of spice fore 1/3 cup of dried lentils and 1 cup of water.

for the Glaze:
Simmer 1 cup pomegranate juice and 1/4 cup of sugar until reduced by 1/4.  Stir in 1/8 cup Dijon mustard and 1 Tbsp butter or Oliviotm and stir until smooth. The glaze (sometimes called Pomegranate Molasses) thickens significantly as it cools. 

I broiled the salmon meat-side-down for 8 minutes @400F, Then flipped it over and added a dollop of the thick pomegranate glaze -- which immediately melted and ran.  So I brushed it all over, and then broiled things meat-side up for another 7 minutes.  Just before serving I added another dollop of the glaze to each filet.

Cream of Watermelon Dessert Soup
A refreshingly different way to serve that iconic summer melon!  Serves 4.  This one's a keeper, kids!

2 cups seedless Watermelon cubes or a bit more 
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 to 1/4 cup Sugar to taste
1-2 cups Greek Yogurt or Icelandic Skyr
24-30 Red or Green Grapes, halved
Fresh Mint to garnish

Spin the watermelon and vanilla in a blender until smooth.  Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the yogurt to dissolve.  Toss in the grapes and stir a little more.  Place in freezer until "slushy" cold.  Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with fresh mint.