March 23 - St. Turibius of Mogrovejo
A lot of people already have their St. Patrick’s Day and St. Joseph’s Day meals planned, so for the Month of March, we move to the “New World” and the Archdiocese of Lima, Peru. St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, was born in 1538 to Spanish nobility, studied las at the University of Salamanca and while he was still a layman, was chosen by King Philip II to be consecrated as missionary archbishop for the Spanish colony of Peru. Though he protested at first, he eventually complied, was consecrated bishop, and left for Lima a the age of 43. His now mountainous diocese provided challenging travel as he made his way to observe the worst effects of colonialism. He offered prayer and penance for those in his new territory and immersed himself in the local culture while being a true herald of the Gospel to the indigenous Peruvians. He dedicated the remainder of his life to them and their conversion. St. Turibius is the patron saint of native peoples’ rights and Latin American bishops.
Arroz con Camarones – Peruvian Rice with Shrimp
Ingredients
Ø 2 lbs raw shrimp shells on, deveined
Ø 2 tsp cumin
Ø 4 garlic cloves crushed
Ø 4 garlic cloves minced
Ø 2 tbs neutral oil
Ø 2 cups uncooked rice
Ø 3 tbs butter
Ø 1 cup peas
Ø 1 red onion diced
Ø 1 bell pepper diced
Ø 2 tomatoes peeled and seeded, diced
Ø 3 tbs parsley finely chopped, plus more to garnish
Ø 1 tsp ground achiote or annatto
Ø ½ cup of white wine
Ø Salt and pepper
Step 1 - Marinate the shrimp with salt, pepper, 1 tsp of cumin, and crushed garlic. Step 2 - Bring water to boil in a large pot, add the shrimp, and boil for about 2 minutes. Step 3- Remove the shrimp from the water and reserve 2 ½ cups of the water they cooked in to prepare the rice. Step 4- Remove the shells and tails from the shrimp; Chop about half of the shrimp in half and leave the other half whole. Step 5- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or pot, add the minced garlic, cook for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Step 6- Add the rice to the garlic and oil, mix well until the rice is coated with oil. Step 7 - Add the 2 ½ cups of water that was used to boil the shrimp. Bring to boil and reduce heat to low. Step 8- In the meantime, melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan; add the onions, peppers, tomatoes, parsley, ground achiote, salt, pepper, and the remaining 1 tsp of cumin. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Step 9 - Add the white wine to the vegetable mix and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, until the onions and peppers are tender. Step 10 - Mix in the sautéed vegetables and chopped shrimp with the rice, which should still be cooking, and cook on low heat until the rice is tender. Step 11 - Add the remaining shrimp and peas during the last minutes and mix well. Top with parsley and serve