Coconut Curry Shrimp with Spring Peas

Coconut Curry Shrimp with Spring Peas

• 1 pound frozen large sized shrimp (about 450 grams), thawed and shelled
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
• 2 cups peas, thawed if using frozen (simply run under tepid water)
• 1 cup (250 mL) coconut milk (low fat if you wish)
• 2-3 tsp (15 mL) curry powder
• 1 tsp (5 mL) chili garlic sauce, optional (it will increase the heat of the dish)
• 1 tsp (5 mL) coconut palm sugar (sub brown sugar)
• sea salt & pepper to taste

Serves 4

Approximate prep time: 20 minutes
Approximate cooking time: 10 minutes

1. This recipe is really about the curry so it is well worth using a fresh, quality curry powder.  If your curry has been hanging out in the pantry for a while (as they sometimes do) consider splurging on some fresh stuff.
2. You can defrost your shrimp overnight in the fridge or place them in a colander in the sink and submerge with tepid water (usually takes about an hour to thaw with this method depending on how frozen the shrimp is).
3. The chili garlic sauce will add to the heat of the dish and, as all things, is entirely optional and a matter of personal preference.
4. Any combination of vegetables will work here, so experiment with your favorites and take advantage of what’s in season. I have not made this particular recipe with other proteins, but I suspect it would work just fine (plant or animal).

Directions:

1. In a large skillet or wok, sauté onion in a little bit of olive oil on low-medium heat until translucent.  Sprinkle onion with 1 tsp (or more) of curry powder and toss to combine.  
2. Add peas to onion mixture and gently stir to combine taking care not to mash the peas.
3. Remove onion and pea mixture from heat and transfer to another dish/bowl and reserve.
4. Add bell pepper to the empty skillet and sauté for 30 seconds.  Add bell pepper to the reserved dish.
5. Add some coconut oil (or butter) to the skillet and warm to medium-high heat.  Add shrimp and sauté for about 1 minute until opaque.  (The shrimp should be barely cooked).  Sprinkle another tsp of curry over the shrimp and toss to combine. Return onion, peas and bell pepper to skillet with shrimp and add coconut milk, mixing to combine.
6. Add coconut sugar and salt and pepper to taste as well as additional curry as desired.
7. Bring mixture to a gentle boil before serving over rice or veggies.  Be sure to scoop up some extra sauce to pour over top of each serving.  Enjoy.

 

Healthy Lunch Series

Vegetable Rotini with Flaked Tuna in a Light Lemon-Yogurt Dressing

For the Tuna Pasta:

• 300 grams (or about 4 dried cups) tri-color vegetable rotini
• 250 grams (two tins or about 1 cup) drained light skipjack tuna
• 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tomatoes (or 16 or so cherry tomatoes), chopped
• 2 Tbsp slivered almond
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon thyme, finely chopped

For the Lemon-Yogurt Dressing:

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp honey or agave nectar
• Sea salt & cracked black pepper

Serves 4

Notes:

1. Make-ahead option: It will only take you about 15 minutes to prepare this meal once you have the ingredients in place.  You can do so the night before if you prefer and simply store in an airtight container in the fridge (to be transported to work the next day if applicable). The tuna pasta can be enjoyed cold or warmed up as desired.
2. I chose vegetable pasta because it’s a great way to work in some fibre and a host of vits/mins — notably: iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
3. You can substitute any vegetable of choice here.
4. If you are a vegetarian, swap out the tuna for tofu, tempeh or seitan.  I recommend these protein sources over lentils/beans (which are typically 50% carb/50% protein) because the pasta is already providing carbohydrate content.
5. If you are pregnant and have concerns about the mercury/toxin levels in tuna or fish/crustaceans generally,  you may wish to substitute a different protein in place of the tuna.
6. What’s with the chopsticks? I love using chopsticks whenever possible.  It focuses attention, requires us to slow down and assists in improving digestion.

Directions:

1. Boil pasta in a large pot of salt water until al dente (for about 6 minutes). Drain and allow pasta to cool as you prepare the lemon-yogurt dressing.
2. Add tuna, broccoli, bell pepper, tomatoes, almonds and fresh lemon-thyme to the cooled pasta.
3. Assemble lemon yogurt sauce by simply combining ingredients in a dish and whisking together.
4. Pour lemon-yogurt dressing over pasta and mix gently but thoroughly to combine.

Quinoa-Crusted Sole in a Chili-Lime Marinade

Quinoa-Crusted Sole in a Chili-Lime Marinade (Oven Baked, Gluten Free)

For the Chili-Lime Marinade:

• 8 fillets of sole, or fish of choice* (using thicker fillets may affect cooking time and amount of liquid needed for the marinade)
• 2-3 Tbsp cold-pressed coconut oil, melted
• Juice of 2 limes
• Zest of one lime
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp palm sugar
• 1/4 (or to taste) cayenne powder — it’s hot!
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

For the Quinoa Coating:

• 1 + 1/2 cups quinoa flakes
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Sprinkle of sea salt

Serving: Makes 8 Quinoa-Crusted Sole Fillets

Notes:

1. You can make the chili-lime marinade ahead of time and allow the fish to soak up the flavor of the marinade in the fridge for up to 24 hours.  This leaves you with only the quinoa coating to assemble at show time.
2. I am often asked about the difference between refined vs. unrefined coconut oil and why some coconut oils have a delicious coconut taste while others are virtually tasteless. Expeller-pressed coconut oil is a high pressure, high temperature extraction process that destroys the volatile aroma of the coconut.  You will pay more for the cold-pressed coconut oil but you won’t regret it! The taste is unmatched. Refined coconut oil undergoes a process of bleaching and deodorizing which unrefined oil does not.  So if you have a choice, ideally opt for cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil.

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 F

1. In a shallow dish or pie plate, combine: melted coconut oil, lime juice, lime zest, chili, paprika, palm sugar, cayenne and sea salt, whisking to combine.
2. Place fillets in the chili-lime marinade, immersing to coat.
3. In a separate pie plate or regular flat plate, combine quinoa flakes, onion, garlic and sea salt, mixing to combine.
4. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with gently oiled foil or parchment paper (if you don’t brush the surface with oil, my experience is that the quinoa coating will stick).
5. Dredge each chili-lime marinated fillet through the quinoa coating, making sure to coat both sides, and then place each coated fillet on the lined baking sheet.
6. Bake fillets in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until fish has cooked through and quinoa has achieved a nice crispy surface. (The fillets will not crisp up entirely like bread crumbs but pretty darn close).