Eat 2 Explore Review- Shrimp Moqueca with Bell Pepper, Spinach, and Rice

This aptly named dish was the last recipe in our eat 2 explore box- Shrimp Moqueca with Bell Pepper, Spinach, and Rice. It is a one-skillet, one-pot, and one-cutting board operation made out of the aforementioned ingredients, plus a few finishing touches to make it pop. Small amounts of vinegar and lemon juice are added, and their burst of acidity makes the umami and earthy vegetable flavors stand out. My brother's astute observation- “I like how there’s a little bit of kick to it.”

The dish is constructed similarly to a soup, with the ingredients being layered on top of each other according to their cooking time needs, and a broth building around everything, all the juices combining. I decided not to drain my diced tomatoes, which made more broth and added even more tang and acidity. The base of the broth was coconut milk, made from a mix that came in the eat 2 explore box. It added a bit of richness and helped to tie everything together.

Unfortunately, I was paying too much attention to building the Shrimp Moqueca and slightly burned the rice it was served on, but fortunately for me the shrimp was good enough to mostly override that mistake.

I loved the layering of flavors and textures in this adaptable recipe! It featured all sorts of veggies without being overridingly herbivorous, and was a fun and easy dish.

Note: Attached is a picture of my little brother with his unique shrimp-eating utensil (an ice cream scoop!).

Another note: All thoughts and opinions in all the eat 2 explore reviews are my own.

Last note: Thank you so much for reading!