Lime & Cilantro Israeli Couscous with Shrimp

You can get this one-pot meal on the table in about 20 minutes, especially if you cheat like I did and use precooked, ready-to-eat shrimp to speed things up.

This was delicious warm for dinner and cold the next day for lunch.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Lime & Cilantro Israeli Couscous with Shrimp

3 cups Israeli couscous, cooked to package directions
1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, cooked and chilled

Using a medium pot or saucepan, prepare couscous as directed. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables. Remove couscous from heat.

Add tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime juice to the saucepan. Gently mix together and season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp and mix again.

Serve on butter lettuce leaves or simply eat as is.

Lemon Linguine with Peas & Citrus Shrimp

Here's some comfort food for spring. The creamy sauce is light and bright with citrusy flavor. The entire meal takes about 30 minutes to pull together, making it an easy weeknight dinner.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Lemon Linguine with Peas & Citrus Shrimp
Inspired by these recipes from the New York Times, Martha Stewart and Good Housekeeping

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 pound linguine, cooked to package directions
1 cup frozen peas, optional
1 large shallot, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
1/2 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fill a large pot with water and set to boil.

In a large bowl, toss shrimp with tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet. Arrange shrimp on wire rack. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until shrimp is pink and cooked through. Remove from oven, tent with foil to keep warm, and set aside.

While shrimp is baking, cook pasta until al dente. If using peas, add them to pasta during last minute of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Drain and return to pot.

While pasta is cooking, make the lemon sauce. In a small saucepan, heat teaspoon olive oil. Add shallots, she salt and pepper and cook about 4 minutes or until tender. Add cream and lemon zest and cook until it reaches a slow boil. Continue to cook, stirring often, until sauce begins to thicken. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Pour lemon sauce over pasta in pot and gently toss until all pasta is coated in sauce. Add a drizzle of pasta water to thin sauce if needed.

Transfer pasta to serving bowl. Top with shrimp and parsley and a generous helping of shredded Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Singapore Noodles

Singapore noodles is like the original Asian fusion dish. First of all, they originated in Hong Kong, not Singapore. Plus, there's a little bit of China (soy sauce), a little bit of Thai (rice noodles) and a little bit of India (curry).

I've been meaning to try this recipe from Cook's Illustrated for years and finally got around to doing it one weekend night recently. It's involved with a lot of steps, making it not suitable for a weeknight week, in my opinion. While this dish was perfectly good the night I made it, it tasted even better as leftovers.

XOXO,
Amy

Singapore Noodles
Based largely upon Cook's Illustrated
4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or olive oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
6-8 ounces rice vermicelli
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
12 ounces large shrimp (ideally 26 to 30 per pound), peeled and deveined, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, OR smaller shrimp (36 to 40 per pound, peeled and deveined and left whole
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt, and extra for serving, as needed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
2 large shallots, sliced thin
2/3 cup chicken broth
4 ounces (2 cups) bean sprouts (optional) (I hate bean sprouts, so no way)
4 scallons, finely cut
2 tablespoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

Heat 3 tablespoons oil, curry powder and cayenne, if using, in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.

Bring 1 1/2 quarts of water to boil. Place noodles in large bowl. Pour boiling water over noodles and soak noodles until flexible, but not soft, about 3 minutes. Drain noodles and transfer to cutting board. Using a chef's knife cut pile of noodles roughly into thirds. Return noodles to bowl, add curry mixture, soy sauce and sugar; use tongs to toss until well combined. Set aside.

Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Heat 2 teaspoons oil into skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. add shrimp in even layer and cook without moving them until bottoms are browned, about 90 seconds. Push shrimp to one side of skillet. Add 1 teaspoon oil to empty side of skillet. Add eggs and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using rubber spatula, stir eggs gently until set but still wet, about 1 minute. Stir eggs into shrimp and continue to cook, breaking up big pieces of egg, until eggs fully cooked — about 30 seconds longer. Transfer shrimp-egg mixture to second large bowl.

Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in empty skillet until shimmering. Add garlic and gingers and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add bell pepper and shallots. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are a little tender but also still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with shrimp-egg mixture.

Return skillet to medium-high heat, add broth to skillet  and bring to simmer. Add noodles and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add noodles to bowl with shrimp-egg and vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Add bean sprouts, scallions and lime juice and toss to combine. Plate noodles and serve with lime wedges.

Creamy Shrimp Salad

When I served this salad, my husband was surprised to see large whole shrimp — which is why I decided to try this recipe.

I usually associate shrimp salad with those tiny "salad shrimp." An email from the Food Network highlighting this dish caught my eye.

This is perfect for a warm day or when you need a meal that you can prep ahead of time. (The dressing tastes even better if it has time to sit in the fridge for a bit.) Creamy shrimp salad is good on buns for lunch or on top of greens for a light dinner. Leftovers stand up well in the fridge, too.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Creamy Shrimp Salad
Inspired by this recipe from Ina Garten

2.5 to 3 pounds of large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail off
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon orange zest (about the amount you can get from 2 oranges)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup minced dill
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons red onion, diced small

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You will need one or two large baking sheets so that the shrimp can be arranged in a single layer.

Place shrimp, oil, salt and pepper on a large baking sheet and toss together. Roast for 6 to 8 minutes or until is pink and cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool.

In a medium bowl combine remaining ingredients to make the dressing, beginning with the mayonnaise. Stir well. Add shrimp to a large bowl and pour about 1/2 the dressing on top. Gently stir to evenly coat.

Add more dressing to taste or until all shrimp are coated. Save any extra dressing in the fridge to add to leftover salad or to spread on buns or bread if you make shrimp salad sandwiches. A garnish of orange slices would be nice, too.

Cioppino (Seafood Soup)

Cioppino is an Italian seafood soup that originated in San Francisco. I love to eat it but had never prepared the meal myself – until this past weekend.

I wish I hadn't waited so long. The dish is easy to cook and you can vary the fish and shellfish based on your preferences or what's fresh (or on special).

I fell in love with this soup about eight years ago, after trying it through a meal service. Even though I grew up Italian, I'd never had it before. Fast forward to 2017. With my parents visiting on a Friday in Lent, it was the perfect recipe to try out.

The timing was good, too. What could be better than a steaming bowl of fragrant soup and a hunk of crusty bread on a blustery, snow-flurry-filled March day?

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Cioppino
Adapted from this recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 large shallots, diced
1 large fennel bulb, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in their juice
1 1/2 cups Chardonnay
5 cups fish stock
2 bays leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 pound mussels, scrubbed to remove sand
1 pound clams, scrubbed to remove sand
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound halibut, skin removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound salmon, skin removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Fresh parsley, chopped

*A note about choosing your fish/shellfish: Vary the fish and shellfish as you like. For example, if your kids love shrimp, add more and leave out the salmon. Grocer only sell mussels in 2-pound bags? Go for it! Prefer crab over shrimp? Make a swap!

Heat the oil in the largest pot you own over medium-high heat. Add the onion, shallots, fennel and salt and cook about 10 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables are translucent.

Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and tomato paste and stir a few times while cooking another 2 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and juice, the wine, fish stock and bay leaves.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on low heat for at least 30 minutes.

Uncover the pot and add the clams and mussels. Let them cook until some of the shells start to open, between 5 and 10 minutes. Stir the soup, then add the shrimp and fish. Cook until the shrimp are pink and the fish is firm. Gently stir the soup again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Discard any clams and mussels that did not open.

Serve soup in large bowls and sprinkle with fresh parsley and shaved Parmesan (optional). Be sure to have plenty of crusty French or Italian bread on hand to sop up the fragrant broth. A glass of Pinot Noir is perfect with this dinner, too!

Garlic Shrimp & Lemon Spiral Zucchini

We try to eat seafood once a week at my house, and while it doesn't always happen, we most often turn to shrimp because it cooks up so quickly.

I made this dinner from a recent Williams Sonoma mailer. Since I knew my boys would not even try  a lemon cream sauce, I used zucchini noodles instead of pasta. The husband and I are trying to cut back on the carbs. (My boys ate the shrimp with pasta and jarred tomato sauce.)

The end result was very tasty -- but you do need to eat this right away, as it will get a bit soggy as the zucchini sits.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Garlic Shrimp & Lemon Spiral Zucchini
Inspired by Williams Sonoma

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium zucchini, spiraled, or thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler or mandolin
1 bell pepper julienned
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 shallots, minced
1/3 cup, plus 2 tablespoons white wine
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon, plus more to taste
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 cup heavy cream
Fresh basil leaves, sliced, for garnish

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss shrimp, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil in a bowl. Refrigerate while you make the sauce and cook the zucchini.

Use a spiralizer, mandolin or a vegetable peeler to turn your zucchini into noodles. Set aside, along with sliced pepper.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add shallots and saute about 5 minutes. Add wine, lemon zest and juice, remaining butter and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and add cream. Reduce heat to low and cook until fragrant, about 5 more minutes. Keep warm.

Place shrimp on a baking sheet and cook in oven until pink, between 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook zucchini noodles and pepper strips in boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove to colander and drain well. Gently squeeze excess water from zucchini.

Add zucchini and peppers to lemon cream sauce, gently toss to coat. Top with shrimp and basil. Season with more lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Garlic Orange Shrimp Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

With oranges in season, I couldn't resist buying a giant bag at my local warehouse store.

They are super-sweet and full of vitamin C, and I secretly hope that every time my kiddos eat one, they gain some extra germ-fighting powers.

To brighten and lighten-up our dinner time fare, I started searching for recipes that use fresh oranges. I hit on one from Bon Appetit for a citrus vinaigrette, which got me thinking. I had two bags of shrimp in the freezer and some nice butter lettuce. Today's dinner was taking shape.

You'll have plenty of leftover dressing, so you can enjoy it all week.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Garlic Orange Shrimp with Citrus Vinaigrette
Inspired by this recipe from Bon Appetit

For the shrimp:
2 16 ounce bags of peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
Salt and pepper to taste
2 heads of butter lettuce leaves, rinsed and dried
1 orange, peeled and sliced

For the dressing:
1 small shallot, minced
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 or 2 seedless oranges, (such as Navel or Cara Cara) peeled and sliced into rounds

Rinse shrimp and dry well with paper towels.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add half of the shrimp to pan and cook until pink. Remove shrimp to plate.

Add remaining oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add remaining garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add remaining shrimp and cook until pink.

Place all shrimp into pan and warm through. Sprinkle with orange zest, orange juice and salt and pepper. Stir gently.

Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.

Divide lettuce among 4 plates. Top with shrimp. Garnish with orange slices. Top with Citrus Vinaigrette.

To make the dressing:
Combine shallot, oil, vinegar, lemon and orange juices and zest in a medium-sized mason jar. Tighten lid and shake to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste, replace lid and shake again. Dressing keeps in refrigerator for about 1 week.

Shrimp and Quinoa "Paella"

I thought for sure my family would hate this dish. At dinnertime, Lucy, 10, wasn't having any of it. Penny, 7, who helped me make the entire thing liked the shrimp and quinoa parts. Jeff, age not disclosed, liked it all. That's a win, right?

It was light and tasty — just what we need after holiday binging. Looking for a new way to make quinoa? Give this a go!

XOXO,
Amy

Shrimp and Quinoa "Paella"
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon saffron threads (or combine 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large tomatoes or smaller tomatoes, chopped roughly
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fresh sliced cremini mushrooms
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 ounces baby spinach
8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and cooked

Combine the wine and saffron and set aside until ready to use.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until vegetables have softened and cooked down, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Increase heat to medium high and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in wine and saffron. Bring all to a boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add quinoa and stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half — about 3 minutes.

Stir in broth, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until quinoa is tender — about 20 minutes.

Gently stir in spinach and top with shrimp. cover and cook until shrimp is heated through — about 3 to 4 minutes.

Slow Cooker Low Country Boil

Since graduating from college in ... well, never mind ... I have spent most of my life in the South. My Southern culinary credentials are approaching legit. I can make cornbread, collards, deviled eggs — and now the low country boil.

I've seen my mother-in-law make this a few times and I have to say I prefer hers, because her shrimp always came straight from the ocean (she recently moved back to Kansas after about two decades in Kure Beach, NC) and she cooked the shrimp in shell, head on. Tasty.

Still, this slow cooker version was really great and way easy. America's Test Kitchen is wrong, however, in saying the shrimp need to cook for 20 minutes. And I never say ATK is wrong. I thought the shrimp were approaching overdone at 5 minutes.

XOXO,
Amy

Slow Cooker Low Country Boil
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Slow Cooker Revolution

8 ounces andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 1/2  pounds small red potatoes, cut in half
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
3 ears corn, husks and silk removed and cut in half
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds, extra large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, deveined and tails removed

Microwave sausage, celery, tomato paste, Old Bay and pepper flakes in bowl, stirring occasionally, until celery is softened -- about 5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker and stir in 4 cups water, potatoes, clam juice, corn and bay leaves.  Cover and cook until potatoes are tender -- about 6 to 7 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.

Stir shrimp into slow cooker, cover and cook on high until opaque throughout -- about 5 minutes. Strain shrimp boil, discard bay leaves and serve.

Shrimp Salad

During our kitchen renovation, my family relied at times on prepared foods from the fresh bar at our grocery store. One of the items we tried: shrimp salad. I'd never made shrimp salad but recently got a hankering to do so. The steamy temps in Charlotte had me craving something light and I had lettuce to pick from my new tower garden.

Sometimes I like to sample two or three salads at a meal. With this shrimp salad, I'd be tempted to also try Cucumber Sesame Salad and Grilled Peach Salad with Goat Cheese.

XOXO,
Amy

Shrimp Salad
Adapted from Food.com

1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (40-50 count recommended)
1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 1/2 carrots, diced small
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Lettuce or sandwich rolls for serving

Cut shrimp in half (if desired--depends on personal preference). Combine shrimp with rest of ingredients. Note on the mayo: 1/3 cup will probably be enough. Start with that and you can always add more.

Chill for one hour. Serve on top of lettuce or inside sandwich rolls.

Watermelon Lime Salad

We eat lots of watermelon in the summer. If I let him, my Sam would eat nothing else.

I decided to try using it in a salad thanks to all the magazines I see featuring the bright red fruit as the starring ingredient.

This side features what I had in the fridge the day I made it. I meant to add feta cheese to the recipe, but completely forgot about it. The kids were hungry and kept asking when we were going to eat, and I was rushing to get dinner on the table.

Turns out it tasted perfectly yummy. I added feta when I had leftovers for lunch the next day and yum! That was tasty, too.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Watermelon Lime Salad
Inspired by the many magazines delivered to my home

6 to 8 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1/2 a large red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon ground black pepper, more to taste
Optional: Feta cheese, chopped chives, cold cooked shrimp

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Serve right away or let salad chill for bit in the fridge first.

You can turn this salad into a main dish by adding feta cheese and chilled cooked shrimp and serving it over mixed greens. No need to add any dressing.

Easy Yellow Curry Shrimp Pasta

Busy moms need secret sauces. Plain and simple. And I am here to share one of mine with you. Trader Joe's Thai Yellow Curry Sauce. I always have a bottle or two of that -- and Trader Joe's Thai Red Curry Sauce, for that matter -- in my pantry. I also always have a bag of frozen shrimp on hand, too. I snatch up a bag or two whenever they go on special at the grocery.

One day when short on time and without a fully stocked fridge and pantry, I made up this easy, yummy dish. Easy Yellow Curry Shrimp Pasta yields a ton of leftovers, which is also nice. It's now a regular go-to and a hit with my family (excluding one of the daughters, because there's always one) and my neighbors, the beneficiaries of leftovers.

XOXO,
Amy

Easy Yellow Curry Shrimp Pasta

1 medium to large onion, chopped
2 yellow squashes, diced
Olive oil
1 to 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
Red pepper flakes
16 ounce box of angel hair pasta
1 bottle of Trader Joe's Thai Yellow Curry Sauce

Heat a splash or two of olive oil over medium to medium high heat and add in the onions and yellow squash. Meanwhile, start a pot of water to boil for the pasta.

Saute veggies for two to three minutes. Add in the shrimp and a pinch or two of the red pepper flakes. Cook until shrimp is pink and opaque. This will take just three to four minutes.

Cook entire box of angel hair pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and in a large bowl or pot combine pasta with shrimp, veggies and curry sauce.

Eat. Enjoy. And don't forget to share with your neighbors.

Baby Bok Choy & Mushrooms with Oyster Sauce

I could eat this dish Every. Single. Day.

It's all about the simple sauce, which tastes delicious with the crunchy bok choy and earthy shiitake mushrooms. The combination is so fresh and healthy. We even got Max to eat his first mushroom in six years (!!) — all thanks to this recipe.

This vegetable blend makes a great side dish. The oyster sauce is also divine with broccoli, bell peppers, snow peas and whatever else you have on hand. Serve it along side cashew chicken or Asian glazed pork tenderloin. Or make it a complete meal by adding stir-fried strips of chicken or beef or sautéed shrimp.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Baby Bok Choy & Mushrooms with Oyster Sauce
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

4 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
8 heads baby bok choy, trimmed but leaving heads intact
1 cup water (for microwave steaming)
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 to 2 tablespoons minced garlic
10 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms (or substitute your favorite fungi)

In a small bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar until sugar dissolves. Mix cornstarch and water, making sure cornstarch dissolves. Combine water and oyster sauce mixtures, stirring until smooth. Set aside.

Steam bok choy in microwave or blanche on stove top. Place bok choy in microwave safe bowl or dish with 1 cup water. Cover with vented lid and cook on high about 4 or 5 minutes until tender and bright green. Alternatively, bring pot of water to boil. Add bok choy and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until shiny and green. With either method, drain and set aside on a serving platter.

Heat oil in large pan. Add onions and garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, stirring often. This should take about 20 minutes. Add oyster sauce mixture and mix to coat mushrooms and heat through. Pour mushroom sauce over bok choy. Serve with white rice.

Shrimp Curry Under Pressure

I don't love grocery shopping. But there are two things that make this chore a little easier for me to swallow.

First, a sale.

Second, and more important, is the ability to shop online, 24/7, and have someone else round up the goods and place them in my car when I wheel up at the curb after a long day at the office.

So when jumbo shrimp recently went on sale for $7 a pound, they went into my virtual grocery cart in a snap. Then I had to decide what to do with them. I had the loose idea of making a shrimp curry.

As I set out to prepare dinner, I realized one snag in my plan: I wasn't going to have time to prep the veggies, devein the shrimp and wait for the curry goodness to simmer away on the stovetop. Not unless I was down with eating after 8 p.m. and getting the kids to bed after 9 p.m. Sigh. This happens a lot as a working mom who is as ambitious putting dinner on the table as she is at the office. Sometimes I bite off more than I can chew. The pressure!

Enter the pressure cooker. So aptly named. Where has that thing been all my life? I now believe every working mother needs a pressure cooker AND a slow cooker if she wants to put dinner on the table. The slow cooker is great for when you are thinking and planning ahead. The pressure cooker is great for when you forgot to plan and need dinner to be ready NOW! Both are life savers. Along with the personal shoppers at my local grocery store.

XOXO,
Amy

Shrimp Curry Under Pressure

Note that while the recipe below calls for a pressure cooker, you could make everything stovetop or use the slow cooker to cook everything but the shrimp.

3 carrots, peeled and diced
Green beans, trimmed (a handful or two will do)
15 oz. coconut milk (I use light)
Fresh basil
1 heaping teaspoon curry
1 1/2 tablespoon butter
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt
Pepper
Sriracha
Honey
1/2 lime (or more if you want to garnish with lime)
Rice (I use jasmine)

Add carrots, green beans, coconut milk, a few basil leaves, and curry to the pressure cooker. Add salt and pepper to taste. Seal and set for six minutes on high.

While the veggies and coconut milk are cooking away in the pressure cooker, make the shrimp.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. After about a minute or so add a squirt of sriracha and another of honey. How much is up to you and your taste buds.  Cook until shrimp are pink and opaque, about three minutes total. Transfer shrimp to a plate.

When time is up on the pressure cooker, do a quick release. Add in juice of 1/2 lime to the coconut milk and veggies. Stir in shrimp and heat through. Serve over rice. Garnish with lime wedges and basil leaves. Enjoy!