Coconut Curry

I had hoped to find a recipe for Sweetnick's ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays, but it just didn't happen. I did have some of the leftover Dijon Chicken Stew with russett potatoes, but that was about it. I will, however, be making Chicken Santa Fe tomorrow - an easy, tasty crockpot dish which has black beans, which are on the ARF Top 20 list, in it.

I could not decide on anything for dinner up until the very last minute. Curry. Curry is such an easy dish to prepare and lends itself to so many different meats, seafood and vegetables. I don't really follow a recipe, I just use a few key ingredients and throw it all in as I go. It can be as complicated as you like, but even the just a few key ingredients are enough. The curry I prepare is not a traditional Indian curry, but more of a Thai curry, with coconut milk and lime juice.

I usually start out with a bit of crushed garlic, sliced red bell pepper, 1 can of light coconut milk, curry powder, some sort of heat (usually in the form of red chili paste) and lime juice. Beyond that, I add whatever vegetables, meats or seafoods we have on hand. Tonight I added zucchini, peas, and shrimp. Not only do I love the flavors, but it's a great way to get the kids to eat all kinds of vegetables. When I pair vegetables with a strong, spicy sauce like curry, they'll eat vegetables I'd never get them to eat otherwise. I served the curry over brown basmati rice for an extra nutritional boost.

It's a great weeknight stand-by - great flavor, great color, great nutrition but very little fuss. I will post a more organized recipe and hopefully a photo, sometime tomorrow.