Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Writer's block. I hate it.

But the only thing I hate more than writer's block,

 is feeling so bogged down by the winter blues 

that if my only excuse for not writing was writer's block, 

I'd be feeling pretty good.

Once when I was in elementary school we watched this show about a kid who lived on another planet where the sun only came out once a year and he was locked up in a room of some kind and was going to miss the sun (or did miss it? Can't remember...) and was completely distraught about it. For some reason (probably because I was disturbed by being forced to watch such a WEIRD movie) I have never forgotten this image, and every day that the sun doesn't shine I imagine myself being locked up in that room, fearing that I might never see the the dang thing ever again!

 That's a little dramatic...

But things are looking up.

Sunshine is in the 7-day forecast!

Let us hope that Logan's sucky air quality decides 

to clear up and let it shine for a minute.

 Or 1,440 minutes....

But that's just me being unreal. 

Hey, you know what else is unreal? How good this soup was.

I was utterly surprised, as I have never mixed all of these combinations of flavors, but it seriously worked.

Check it out! 

Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Adapted from: Food & Wine
Serves: 4
Total time: 1 hour

Photo c/o food & wine

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 onion, chopped 
1 green bell pepper, chopped 
5 cloves garlic, minced 
1 cup uncooked brown rice, cooked (there should be about 2 cups cooked rice)
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes 
1 3/4 teaspoons salt 
1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
5 cups vegetable stock

1 (13.5 oz) can unsweetened lite coconut milk 
1 pound medium shrimp, cooked and shelled and cut in half horizontally 
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper 
1 scant tablespoon lemon juice 
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro 

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the rice, red-pepper flakes, salt, tomatoes, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil and stir in the coconut milk.
3. Bring back to a low simmer and stir in the shrimp, black pepper, lemon juice, and parsley. (Make sure not to overcook, as shrimp will get tough).
4. Serve with crusty bread. Mmmmm

The best thing about this dish is that sea-food-phobes can still eat it too, because you can easily switch out the shrimp for 1 lb. of cooked, diced, boneless, skinless, lifeless, friendless, (and anything else that needs to be "lessed"), chicken breasts. Seriously though.

The next best thing is that

it was even tastier the second day.

  Enjoy!