Thai Coconut Shrimp and Basil Curry

May 18, 2015 by Susan

If you like Thai food I strongly urge you to try this recipe. It is so delicious and you won’t believe how quick and easy it is to make!

When I saw this recipe I knew immediately that I needed make it and I had a very strong feeling that it would be really good. If nothing else, I think I’m getting pretty good at being able to pick out a recipe right away and gauge that it will be a success. Granted, there are still times when a recipe ends up being ‘just ok’, but it’s rare that I pick something that turns out awful.

I really, really like Thai food. Such wonderful, bold flavor combinations, it’s never boring. In this recipe the Thai curry paste combined with the coconut milk and ginger…so yummy. Tons of fresh basil and the juice of a lime at the very end really finish this dish nicely and round out the flavors. Oh, and the sauce? It’s drinkable. Seriously, it’s so good. I’m almost embarrassed to say that we never have much left over when I make this. If anything, we just have some of the sauce remaining and we love to pour it over plain white rice and eat it like that. Soooo good.

I will warn ahead that this dish is spicy. It’s not ‘blow your head off’ spicy, but it does have a nice kick to it. And I found that it’s even spicier the next day, if you are lucky enough to have any leftovers. The Thai curry paste is what gives it the kick (so resist the urge to add more than this recipe calls for) but the sweet coconut milk balances it very nicely. I really love that this is made with shrimp. I don’t make shrimp as much as I would like, which is one of the reasons this recipe caught my eye. I can imagine this would work well substituting the shrimp with chicken, but I haven’t tried it. The first few times I made this I used fresh shrimp but I have to say that frozen works perfectly. So much so that it is all we use now. The only change I sometimes like to make with this recipe is adding sliced baby bok choy. It works really well. But don’t fret if you don’t have it, just stick to the recipe as is and you will be thrilled. I promise.

If you already like Thai food and are looking for a delicious, quick and easy meal to add to your recipe book, you must try this. If you are interested in trying Thai food for the first time, I think this is a great dish to get started with.

Here’s what you will need to serve 2 very hungry, Thai-food-loving people…

Recipe

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cups broccoli florets, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into bite size pieces

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced and then cut in half lengthwise

2 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 1/2 cups light coconut milk (comes in a can)

1 1/2 tbsp green curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen brand)

20-22 large shrimp, peeled & deveined (I use 21-25 count/pound)

3/4 cup sliced basil leaves

juice of one lime

3 cups cooked white rice (I use long grain basmati)

salt to taste

** optional addition: 2-3 small heads baby bok choy, each stem/leaf sliced in half lengthwise

Method

Prepare rice according to directions.

In a large sauce pan heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the broccoli, red pepper (and bok choy if using). Add salt and stir. Cover and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the ginger and stir immediately and constantly for about 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk and curry paste. Stir well until all the curry paste has dissolved into the milk. Bring to a simmer.

Add the shrimp to the pan and cover. Cook for a few minutes just until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Turn off heat.

Add the basil and lime juice to the pan and stir well to combine.

Divide the rice among bowls and ladle the shrimp curry on top, with a little extra liquid to soak into the rice.

Recipe slightly adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine

Thai Coconut Shrimp and Basil Curry

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups broccoli florets, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into bite size pieces
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced and then cut in half lengthwise
2½ tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2½ cups light coconut milk
1½ tbsp green curry paste
20 large shrimp, peeled & deveined (I use 21-25 count/pound)
¾ cup sliced basil leaves
juice of one lime
3 cups cooked white rice (I use long grain basmati)
salt to taste
** optional addition: 2-3 small heads baby bok choy, sliced in half lengthwise

Method

Prepare rice according to directions.
In a large sauce pan heat the oil over medium low head. Add the broccoli, red pepper (and bok choy if using). Add salt and stir. Cover and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the ginger and stir immediately and constantly for about 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk and curry paste. Stir well until all the curry paste has dissolved into the milk. Bring to a simmer.
Add the shrimp to the pan and cover. Cook for a few minutes just until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Turn off heat.
Add the basil and lime juice to the pan and stir well to combine.
Divide the rice among bowls and ladle the shrimp curry on top, with a little extra liquid to soak into the rice.

Asian Marinade

October 10, 2014 by Susan

Or, as I like to call it, the marinade that will make you forget about all other marinades. It’s that good.

This Asian Marinade has become my go-to marinade for pork chops. Since we did a ton of grilling the past few months we ended up eating pork chops with this marinade at least once a week. And, until our grill is completely covered with snow, it will continue. So incredibly delicious. It works really well on chicken and steak too, but on the pork? Home run. There are so many wonderful flavors going on; salty and spicy and even a touch of citrus from the orange zest. Everything blends together perfectly.

The only reason I don’t use this on steak much is because we are trying to cut back on red meat. But when we do treat ourselves, this is definitely one of the marinades I whip up. It is very easy to put together and really doesn’t require too many ingredients. I usually allow the meat to marinate the entire day, preparing it in the morning and letting it penetrate the meat for about 8 hours. There have been times when I was rushed and only had 2-3 hours for marinating and it was just as delicious. Of course, it helps to have thinner cut meat.

The sambal oelek does give this a bit of a kick, so start with my suggested 1 teaspoon the first time you try this. If you can handle the spice and want it spicier, you can always add a bit more (with caution!) the next time around.

Here’s what you will need to marinate 4 pork chops…

Recipe

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

splash of toasted sesame oil (about 1/8 tsp)

1 tsp Sambal Oelek

zest of 1 small orange

1″ piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 large garlic clove, grated

Method

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over your favorite meat and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

Asian Marinade

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
splash of toasted sesame oil (about ⅛ tsp)
1 tsp Sambal Oelek
zest of 1 small orange
1" piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 large garlic clove, grated

Method

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over your favorite meat and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

Spinach and Chickpea Curry

December 26, 2008 by Susan

When I came across this recipe I immediately thought I had to try it. I had been thinking about attempting to cook an Indian dish at home for some time and this one seemed so simple and quick I felt comfortable giving it a try – if it didn’t turn out well I would not have invested much time and energy into it. I hate wasting time and energy!

Not only is this dish super fast to whip up, it’s healthy. The chickpeas are high in fiber and a great source of protein. And thanks to Popeye we all know the health benefits of spinach by now!

This dish goes so well with lamb. I like to buy the small loin lamb chops and broil them in the oven for about 10 minutes. I serve this curry alongside the lamb – it’s spectacular. I have also spooned this mixture over a piece of Tilapia and it was very tasty. This spinach and chickpea curry would also be fantastic as a vegetarian meal all on it’s own served over basmati rice.

This is what you will need to serve as a side dish for 4-6 people…

Recipe

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon red curry powder

1/8 teaspoon garam masala

1 19-oz can chick peas, drained and rinsed

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes with juice

4-5 cups spinach leaves

chicken stock (optional)

Method

In a food processor, combine onion and ginger, pulse until minced.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion mixture, curry powder and garam masala to the pan and saute 3 minutes. Add chickpeas and tomatoes to the pan, crushing some of the tomatoes with the back of your spoon. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in spinach and simmer until wilted.

If you would like the mixture to be more liquidy, feel free to add some chicken stock (or vegetable stock). I prefer mine on the thicker side.

That’s it, really. So fast. So simple. So delicious.

Spinach and Chickpea Curry

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red curry powder
⅛ teaspoon garam masala
1 19-oz can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes with juice
4-5 cups spinach leaves
chicken stock (optional)

Method

In a food processor, combine onion and ginger, pulse until minced.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion mixture, curry powder and garam masala to the pan and saute 3 minutes. Add chickpeas and tomatoes to the pan, crushing some of the tomatoes with the back of your spoon. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in spinach and simmer until wilted.
If you would like the mixture to be more liquidy, feel free to add some chicken stock (or vegetable stock). I prefer mine on the thicker side.