A Month of Milestones

September and October have always held important dates for me, but this year, they reached milestone status. Bill and I celebrated 25 fabulous years of marriage on September 29th and I celebrated my 55th birthday yesterday. I have to say that as a girl who’s a little math challenged, I appreciate the born in 60, married in 90 ease of calculation! I feel truly blessed to be celebrating both of these milestones as a happy, healthy “woman of a certain age”

On a decided less important note, I had a hard fought milestone in the Kitchen this month too. One night at the dinner table, all four members of my family declared this Shrimp Curry with Greens their all-time favorite dish.

Needless to say after cooking hundreds of meals for this crowd of enthusiastic, yet diverse palates, this was a first. For the record – they also have an all time least favorite meal (a turkey meatball soup, they never seem to forget!)

Now, I gotta say this Shrimp Curry with Greens is favorite worthy. Tender shrimp and beautiful sautéed greens surrounded by a rich, delicious curry sauce – what’s not to love?

I hope you enjoy it – and I’d love to hear what your family’s favorite dish is too –

Shrimp Curry with Greens

This dish was such a hit with my boys, I had to double the recipe. The complex flavor of the curry is perfect with the creamy coconut milk and the tangy swiss chard. You can easily adjust the spice level to your liking.

Servings people

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Ingredients

The Rice

2 cups cooked white rice cooked by package instructions

The Greens

1 large bunch swiss chard
1 clove garlic
1 tiny pinch red pepper flakes
1 tsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt

The Curry

1 pound raw medium shrimp peeled and deveined
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot or small onion
2 tsp green curry paste or curry paste of choice
1 14 oz can coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 large lime

Instructions

Prep the Shrimp

Peel, rinse and devein the shrimp - or better yet, buy peeled, deveined raw shrimp - worth every extra penny in my opinion

Make the Greens

Cut and wash the greens - I use swiss chard with this dish because I love the mild flavor, but kale or spinach would work beautifully too.
Chop the clove of garlic into small pieces
Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the chopped garlic and pinch of red pepper flakes (if using). Cook for about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the garlic
Add the washed greens and stir - feel free to pile them in the pan - you'll be amazed at how much they reduce
Sauté the greens until they are soft - about 10 minutes. Then add the tsp of red wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt - taste and adjust the seasonings

Make the Curry

Chop the shallot (or small red onion) into small pieces
Heat the 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan - add the chopped shallots and cook until they are just beginning to soften
Take out the curry paste - I'm using a green curry paste in this dish because I love the flavor, but any kind of curry paste you like will work - The Mae Ploy brand is found at Asian markets and many large grocery stores
Add the curry paste to the shallots - one tsp at a time, I use 2 tsp in this recipe and the curry has a good kick - if you are concerned about the spice level, start with 1 tsp, you can always add more later. Stir until really fragrant, about 3 minutes
Grab the coconut milk - I love the Aroy-D Brand from my local Asian market - it's inexpensive, creamy and gluten free. Thai Kitchen is also a great brand, found in most large grocery stores in the ethnic food aisle. Grab a few cans, it's nice to have them on hand
Zest the lime
Add the can of coconut milk, the 1/2 cup chicken broth and the juice of the lime to the shallot/curry paste mixture and simmer until it reduces by about half - 8-10 minutes
Add the shrimp to the coconut milk and cook until the shrimp is just cooked through (it will be nice and pink, but not rubbery) - 5-7 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings
Place 1/2 cup of warm, cooked rice in a bowl, top with a pile of greens and several shrimp. Ladle the curry on top. Add a pinch of lime zest and serve to your happy family and friends