Shrimp Korma, Saag Aloo

I looked at the calendar this morning and noticed that Spring will officially start on Saturday! At long, very long, terribly long, last!!! :) We went to the lake house for a few days to deal with cleaning up storm damage there, and when we returned to the farm the change was incredible. After a week of warm temperatures and sun, and 2 days of rain, there is no snow. None. Well, a few pockets of the white stuff which remain at the northeast part of the house, closest to the porch, but other than that… wow. The night before we left I needed to grill chicken to take with us for use in a few recipes and I had to stand at the side of the grill because there was still too much snow piled around the front and other side. Amazing. Welcome, oh yes, and amazing. One month ago, there was over 2’ of snow everywhere, I had to strap on my snowshoes to make my way down to the mailbox, and it seemed as though winter would never end. I’m not kidding myself. We do get snow into April, but it will not last long. The warm, fuzzy, gentle light of spring is absolutely, most definitely at the end of the tunnel now!

Last week, I came across a great deal on shrimp while grocery shopping. I buy wild, gulf shrimp and often cannot seem to find them already peeled and deveined. Really, it’s one of my few indulgences since I do not like preparing shrimp but I do love to eat them. bought a couple of bags and for dinner I made Shrimp Korma from the book Curry, Fire and Spice by Mridula Baljekar.

I have made this recipe once before and my notes indicated that while it was very good, something was missing. The shrimp, even after being cooked in the sauce, needed some flavor. I remedied this by sprinkling the raw shrimp with cumin and allowing them to stand for a few minutes to allow the flavor to absorb. Also, a sprinkling of chopped, roasted cashews added a satisfying crunch. These two simple adjustments to the recipe worked for us, and served with saag aloo (spinach and potatoes) it was a very flavorful, warming meal. I suppose I could have added another vegetable (I don’t often serve rice and potatoes in the same meal), but it worked.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Shrimp Korma

Recipe adapted from Curry, Fire & Spice

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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10 ounces large shrimp -- peeled and deveined

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons plain lowfat yogurt

2 tablespoons light coconut milk

2 tablespoons skim milk

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground red chili pepper -- not chili powder (which is a mix of different peppers); if unavailable, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper will be a decent substitute

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

2/3 cup water

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 teaspoon grated ginger root

1 piece cinnamon stick -- about 1"

2 whole green cardamom pods

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons cashews -- chopped

hot, cooked basmati rice

Drain shrimp on paper towels to remove excess water.

Place yogurt through water in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside

Sprinkle ground cumin evenly over the shrimp and toss lightly. Set aside.

Heat oil in a wok over medium heat and add garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom pods. Turn heat to low and fry for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the yogurt mixture and raise the heat to bring to a boil, stirring often.

Add shrimp and cook, stirring, constantly until sauce thickens a little more and shrimp turn pink.

Portion rice onto serving plates, divide shrimp on top of rice, pour extra sauce over, garnish with cilantro and chopped cashews.

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Nutritional information does not include rice

Per serving: 296 Calories (kcal); 13g Total Fat (2g Saturated); (37% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 217mg Cholesterol; 309mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : The coconut extract is essential. If not available, increase coconut milk to 4 tablespoons and omit the skim milk.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Saag Aloo (Spinach with Potatoes)

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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4 ounces fresh spinach

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 medium onion -- halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced

1 large garlic clove -- crushed

1 teaspoon minced ginger

6 ounces white potato -- cut into 1" pieces

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

Steam the spinach for 3-4 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and fry the mustard and cumin seeds until they begin to sputter (do not burn them!). Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in the potatoes, cayenne, salt, and water. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 8 minutes, stirring often and adding more water if necessary to prevent sticking.

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Per serving: 128 Calories (kcal); 5g Total Fat (trace Saturated); (32% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 319mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Spring Roll Salad

I love fresh spring rolls, but I have yet to master the process of rolling those wonderful ingredients into the rice paper wrapper tightly enough to please me. So for dinner tonight, since we are experiencing the first over-90-degree day of the summer (in August, yet!), I decided to make a salad using the spring roll ingredients.

For some reason, I seem to have run out of the very thin rice noodles and had to make due with the wide version.

No problem, though, and I decided to chop the cooked noodles a bit in order to make the eating process easier.

Instead of adding Thai chilies to the dressing, as is in the dipping sauce served with spring rolls, I used wasabi powder. Although it was quite good, I think that adding some Thai chili paste, or chopped chilies, to the dressing would have been better (for Jack, it was not spicy enough).

All of my favorite spring roll flavors and textures mingled pleasantly in this salad. Crunchy vegetables, soft rice noodles, and a delicious sauce (dressing). Jack said that it was so good, he won’t even consider it to be a salad. High praise, indeed, coming from a confirmed “salad-avoider”!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Spring Roll Salad

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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4 ounces rice noodles

2 teaspoons sesame oil

10 ounces shrimp -- large; shelled and deveined

1 teaspoon grated gingerroot

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 large carrot -- shredded

1/2 large English cucumber -- thinly sliced into matchsticks

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 tablespoon fish sauce

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder -- optional

2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

2 tablespoons chopped Thai basil -- Italian basil can also be used

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Cook rice noodles, per package instructions. Drain, toss with sesame oil. Dump onto a large cutting board, chop through the noodles a few times with a large knife, transfer back to a large bowl and set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, mix ginger, garlic, and 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil into covered plastic container. Add the shrimp and toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Prepare the grill.

Add the shredded cabbage, carrot, cucumber, and green onion to the noodles. In a jar, combine the soy sauce through brown sugar. Shake well, then add wasabi powder (if used) and shake again.

Skewer, then grill the shrimp (coat with cooking spray before placing on grill) for about 3 minutes per side, or until done.

Pour about 3/4 of the dressing into the noodle and vegetable bowl and toss well. Divide into 2 bowls. Arrange the shrimp on top, drizzle the remaining dressing over. Sprinkle with peanuts, Thai basil, and mint.

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Per serving: 599 Calories (kcal); 22g Total Fat (3g Saturated); (33% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 65g Carbohydrate; 216mg Cholesterol; 850mg Sodium

Grilled Ouzo Shrimp

I’m a grillin’ fiend these days. The weather is warm and I have been using the stove as little as possible lately.

One of the recipes that I have tried recently which has been transferred into my “must repeat” file for this summer is Grilled Ouzo Shrimp, found in Cuisine at Home magazine.

Because I didn’t have ouzo, I used Sambucca (an anise liquor). I bought this, oh, maybe 20 years ago and over the years have slowly used it for one thing or another. When I was getting the recipe ingredients together I was happy to note that there was only just enough liquor to make the marinade. After it was gone, I would have some more room in the cabinet. I didn’t realize how much we would like this shrimp recipe and, as a result, I now have to buy more.

Easy, easy, easy prep—mix a few ingredients together (only two require any work, and that’s mincing garlic and thyme), add the shrimp, marinate for a half hour, skewer, and grill. These turned out to be absolutely delicious, tender with a pleasantly sweetish flavor that we both enjoyed very much.

I didn’t have cherry tomatoes, and used small tomatoes which I halved and skewered separately. As a side, I made an orzo, vegetable, and feta salad which complimented the shrimp perfectly. Again, this will definitely be a repeater this summer!

Grilled Ouzo Shrimp

Don’t marinate the shrimp longer than 30 minutes. The citrus juice in the marinade will literally cook the shrimp, making them rubbery.
Makes 10 skewers.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup ouzo or anise liqueur
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 lbs. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cherry tomatoes (Note: Be sure the tomatoes aren’t larger than the shrimp. Otherwise, the shrimp won’t come in contact with the grill.)

Whisk together oil, ouzo, honey, lemon juice, garlic, pepper flakes, and thyme in a bowl.

Add shrimp, cover and marinate 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Thread shrimp and tomatoes onto skewers; grill until shrimp are cook through, about 15 minutes.

Cuisine at Home Issue 75