Shrimp pasta in spicy coconut tomato sauce

I have been using coconut milk a lot and it is a great way to turn recipes that use cream or milk into non-dairy by adding coconut milk or almond milk. Both coconut and almond milk give you almost the same texture as adding milk or cream, with a little kick on the flavor.  If you are looking for the texture similar to cream, you can use canned coconut milk. 

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons olive oil

* 1 pound shrimp, without shells, and deveined

* crushed red pepper

* paprika

* salt

* 1 small onion, finely chopped

* 4 garlic cloves, minced

* 1 can crushed tomatoes

* 1 cup chicken broth

* 1 tablespoon basil

* 1/4 teaspoon oregano

* 1/2 cup coconut milk

* 8 oz Rigatoni pasta

  

Instructions:

1. Pad shrimp dry. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook on one side for about 1 minute, until shrimp turns pink on that side. While it cooks, sprinkle the top of shrimp with crushed red pepper, paprika and salt to cover every single shrimp. Make sure not to crowd the shrimp in the skillet, otherwise moisture will form and shrimp won't sear right. And, don't skimp on spices. Using spatula turn shrimp over to the other side and cook for about 2 more minutes.  

2. Remove shrimp to a plate, and leave all the oil in the skillet.

3. Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook on medium high heat for about 2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until onions soften.

4. Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, basil and oregano, bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, mixing occasionally and crushing all tomatoes into very small bites, until the sauce reduces just a bit. Add coconut milk, mix it in, and immediately remove from heat.

5. Add back the shrimp and pasta. Mix everything well to combine. Reheat on low simmer, if needed. Do not bring to boil or high heat as it might affect the sauce texture. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve warm.

Mussel in tomato white wine sauce

Ingredients:
* 2 pounds mussels, cleaned, beard removed
* 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons good olive oil
* 1 cup chopped shallots (5 to 7 shallots)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (5 to 6 cloves)
* 1/2 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes, drained (4 ounces)
* 1/2 teaspoon good saffron threads
* 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
* 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
* 1 cup good white wine
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1.  In a large stockpot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes; then add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the tomatoes, saffron, parsley, thyme, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.

2. Add the mussels, stir well, then cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until all the mussels are opened (discard any that do not open). With the lid on, shake the pot once or twice to be sure the mussels don't burn on the bottom. Pour the mussels and the sauce into a large bowl and serve hot.

Mr. S Birthday Feast 2016

After slacking for a couple of years on posting Mr. S's Birthday feast, this year I am all on board on recording the best birthday gift I could offer.  Since his birthday is on a Monday, so I simplified the meal to 3 courses.  I gave a few choices to Mr. S and once again he chose seafood as the theme for the Birthday Feast, which is also my top choice. 

Here is the menu:

Caesar Salad

Musselin tomato white wine 

Shrimppasta in spicy coconut tomato sauce

Here are the past Mr. S Birthday Feast posts:

Mr. S Birthday Feast 2013

Mr. S Birthday Feast 2012

Mr. S Birthday Feast 2011

Peanut Lentil Stew

A success of tonight, Vegetarian Monday and this meal is totally vegan. My toddler has been very picky with vegetables, and this stew has all the vegetables I want him to have.  You are free to put any vegetables in the stew, I have picked broccoli, since I have some in the house.  After mixing the stew with rice, the rice becomes very sticky so it is perfect to teach your little ones to use a spoon to feed themselves. 

If you want to speed up the cooking time, soak the lentil over night. 

Of course, if you are allergic to peanut, you can use other nut butter or seed butter. You might want to skip the peanut for garnish if you are feeding your young toddlers, it might be a choking hazard. 





Ingredients: 
* 1 medium onion, sliced
* 2 tomatoes, quartered
* 5 garlic cloves
* 5 ginger slices
* 1 tbsp hot chili sauce
* 1 tbsp tomato paste
* 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
* 2 tsp ground coriander
* 1 tsp paprika
* ¼ tsp black pepper
* ¼ cup nut butter like peanut butter
* 2 tbsp peanuts
* 1 cup green lentils 
* 2 cups broccoli, roughly chopped
* 3 cups vegetable broth
* Salt to taste
* 1 tbsp lime juice
* cilantro, peanut and lime slices for garnish


Directions: 
1) In a soup pot over medium heat, put all the ingredients except garnish into the pot, covered and bring it to a boil. Turn heat to medium low and let to simmer for about 15 - 20 mins, until the lentils are soft and all the vegetables are soft and tender. Use a hand held blender, blend everything into puree. 

2) Serve immediately over rice. Garnish with cilantro, peanuts and lime slices. 

Eggplant, Mushroom and Quinoa meatballs

I always find ways to make meatless Monday happen in our house, however, it has been getting more challenging as my son would not eat vegetables.  I tried to hide vegetables in other things in hope that he will just eat a few bites. Tonight, another meatless meal that is kid friendly, vegetarian meatballs and baked yam fries.



Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon oil
* 1 eggplant, cube
* 8 oz mushroom, cube
* 1 cup quinoa
* 2 eggs
* 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
* 1 teaspoon dry basil
* 1 teaspoon dry parsley
* 1 cup bread crumb
* Marinara sauce
* Ricotta cheese

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 400F.
2) Heat oil in a large saucepan, cook eggplant and mushroom until soften.  Drain excessive juices, put the vegetables in a food processor and ground until coarse or to the texture of your liking.
3) In a large mixing bowl, mix the cooked vegetables, quinoa, eggs, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, basil, parsely and bread crumbs. Add more bread crumbs if needed to get the consistencies close to normal meatball. Form the mixture into balls and place them on a slightly greased baking sheet, then bake for 20 mins.
4) Serve with marinara sauce and ricotta cheese. Enjoy!