Curry Butter Shrimp

An easy and flavorful meal made from pantry staples, curry butter shrimp 

takes ten minutes to make and is gluten-free and paleo-friendly.

I've kind of been boycotting grocery stores. Weekend before last I went to Florida for a wedding, and since getting back I have not set foot in one. I finished up my last week of my last internship for graduate school this past Friday, we're getting ready to move down to Chattanooga this coming weekend, and I'm exhausted. Ben has been kind enough to pick up essentials like coffee, eggs, fruit, and bacon for us, but the eggs ran out yesterday.

What's a girl to do without any eggs for breakfast and with a long day of packing ahead of her? The answer is definitely not grocery shopping. The answer is curry butter shrimp! Yes, I ate this at ten in the morning. No, I have no regrets. #dinnerforbreakfast may not be mainstream yet, but just you wait and see!



I didn't do a 30 Minute Mondays post yesterday because I wanted to announce my cookbook (Paleo Planet is available for pre-order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and indie bookstores near you!). This is even better, though, because this is like 10 Minute Wednesday--not as alliterative, but much faster. Not counting the rice or cauliflower rice, this meal comes together in just ten minutes. (And, true confession, I didn't even make this rice. It's left over from the Indian food we ordered last night.)

Curry butter shrimp is a flavorful pantry recipe that requires almost no chopping (except for the cilantro--but if you're really anti-chop you could just break that up into little sprigs). Melted butter or ghee is mixed with Thai curry paste to form a fragrant sauce for cooking the shrimp. A tiny bit of maple syrup and fish sauce add just enough sweetness and umami to complement the rich butter and spicy curry.

Quick Curried Pumpkin Soup (Paleo, Gluten-free, Vegan)

I'm on a really big soup kick right now.  It's so comforting to sit down with a bowl of soup on a chilly fall day, especially a soup that's both kinds of hot: warm and a little spicy.  The only problem with soup is that it sometimes takes a while to make.  Not this one, though.  You can have this soup on the table in less than 15 minutes!  It's a deliciously creamy, warmly spiced fall soup that has a depth of flavor not usually achieved in super fast recipes.  If you have a well-stocked pantry, you can whip up this soup at a moment's notice.  It's great for lunch when paired with a big salad, and would also make a great Thanksgiving starter!

I used homemade chicken stock made from a rotisserie chicken for this soup.  It was my first time making chicken stock, and I'm so glad I took the time to do it!  It made the whole house smell wonderful, and I felt like I was being really frugal.  I froze some of the stock in an ice cube tray, so now I have a bag of homemade stock cubes to use to make sauces and other recipes.  This recipe will also work with store-bought stock, though--the real flavor star here is the curry paste.

To make the soup vegan or vegetarian, just omit the fish sauce or use a splash of coconut aminos instead.  The soup will still be nice and flavorful with just the curry paste, stock, and pumpkin.  You can even omit the sunbutter or almond butter if you're out, but it adds a nice richness to the soup.

Red Curry Vegetable Noodle Bowl

I LOVE curry made with coconut milk.  It's the most delicious thing ever.  But, I am not the biggest fan of rice.  I mean, rice is fine, but for me it's nothing to write home about.

But, noodles?  Noodles are my jam.  All kinds of noodles.  Italian noodles, Asian noodles...where are the noodles in Indian and Mexican cuisines?  Big problem.  Someone get on that quick.

Anyway, whenever I see noodles, I'm interested.  Even in places where noodles might not seem to belong--bring on the noodles!  One of my favorite Thai restaurants has a dish called Noodle Curry, which is a delicious yellow curry served over udon noodles.  Genius!  Curry and noodles are a match made in heaven.  Watch out, rice.  You ain't got nothing on noodles.

Ingredients (adapted from The Little Foodie):

1 pound rice noodles
1/3 cup coconut cream (scrape off the top of a can of coconut milk that has not been shaken)
3 tablespoons red curry paste
2 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3-4 tablespoons fish sauce (omit for a vegan or vegetarian dish--you may need to add some salt)
1 can coconut milk (Not the same can you scraped the cream off of!  We need a lot of coconut love here.  Save the other can for smoothies!)
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 pound snow peas
Sliced scallions and chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Boil water and cook the noodles according to the package directions.  Drain and set aside.

Heat the coconut cream in a skillet over medium-high heat.  When it bubbles, add the curry paste and stir to mix.  Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes.

Add the pepper and onion and mix well.  Cook for five more minutes.  Add the garlic, fish sauce, coconut milk, brown sugar, and snow peas.  Cover the pot, and turn the heat down so the mixture simmers.  Cook for about five more minutes, or until the snow peas are cooked but still crunchy and bright green.

Serve noodles in a bowl with vegetables and curry spooned on top.  Garnish with chopped scallions and cilantro and serve hot.