2 lbs of fresh shrimp (medium or small size)
1 package of Catupiry cheese* or 1 lb of Philadelphia Cream Cheese™
1 can of hearts of palm, thinly sliced into rounds
4 large, juicy tomatoes
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp of finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp of finely chopped green onions
1 tbsp of corn starch
Salt and pepper
10-15 whole peppercorns (you can leave these out if you don't want people biting into them)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Lime juice

Preheat oven to 450° F. Spread cheese over bottom and sides of 13 x 9 Pyrex™ oblong dish. Peel, devein and wash shrimp, sprinkle with lime juice and salt. Leave in refrigerator until ready to use. Chop tomatoes into big chunks and puree in blender. Saute onion in olive oil until limp, add shrimp, cover and bring to a simmer. Add tomatoes, parsley, green onions and whole peppercorns. Simmer for fifteen minutes. Dissolve corn starch in milk. Add hearts of palm and milk to shrimp, stir for a couple of minutes and remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember the cheese is salty!). Pour shrimp mixture into Pyrex™. Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese. Bake until cheese is melted (about 15 minutes). Serve from pyrex. Serve with white rice.

NOTE: * Catupiry is a Brazilian creamy cheese from Minas Gerais with a very high fat content. Its taste is completely different from any cheese in the U.S. or Europe. If you'd like to try this recipe and you live in the US, Philadelphia Cream Cheese™ might do the trick. If you go to Brazil, I suggest you buy a couple of packages in the supermarket the day you leave. It's pasteurized and processed in ways that should not give you any problems with US Customs, but please check the latest Customs restrictions first). In Miami you can buy it at Brazilian markets