Shakshuka

 If you're ever stuck as to what to fix for dinner and you don't have a lot of time, Shakshuka is right up your alley. This meal comes together in under 30 minutes and you can adapt to use whatever garden vegetables you have on hand. 

I started out by sauteing diced bell peppers (one of our local stores had an amazing deal on bell peppers, so I picked up all colors of them, diced them all up, put a quart up in the freezer and have half a quart to use up in recipes. I also used half of a peeled zucchini and a quarter of a Walla Walla sweet onion. There's also a couple of cloves of minced garlic in there, too. 

Now, why am I mincing everything up so finely and peeling the zucchini? My husband has had all of his teeth removed and will be getting dentures. He's been dealing with the after effects of having radiation treatments for throat cancer over 10 years ago. There's a spot in his throat that the muscle just doesn't work and food hangs up there and it chokes him. Pair that issue with the fact that radiation treatment wiped his teeth out and he didn't have any molars to properly chew food, well...you get the idea. Cooking has been a challenge, to say the least.
I only have a few more months and he'll have dentures and he'll be able to eat proper food again. First on his list, I'm sure, is a steak and a salad.

Here is my spice blend that I used. It contains paprika, chili powder, ground cumin, basil, oregano and some palm sugar (just a pinch). 

I use 2 eggs per person for this recipe. If you only want one per person, that's fine. Eggs are completely subjective in this recipe.

Now, with the tomatoes, you can either use a can of tomatoes or you can use fresh. It's all up to you. I didn't have enough ripe tomatoes, so I opted to use a can of diced. If you used canned tomatoes, you can use pureed, diced, whole, stewed, it doesn't matter. Since I used canned tomatoes, I used a pinch of palm sugar to take the tin taste out of them. This is when all the vegetables get cooked down into a homogeneous pan full of deliciousness.
This is a different type of cooking for me. Usually, I like my vegetables to retain some of their texture. For Bob, they have to be cooked super soft. Last night, I didn't quite achieve that with the bell peppers. Next time, I will.
Let this stew, over low heat, until the vegetables are done to your taste preference.

Once the tomatoes and vegetables have cooked to your liking, make a well with a spatula and crack an egg into. Continue to cook, over low heat, covered, until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. 

You can serve this dish over rice or with toasted bread. I actually put it over mashed potatoes so that Bob could get some substance in him.

Shakshuka
2 servings

 

1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/2 small zucchini, diced (you can peel, if desired)
1/4 small Walla Walla sweet onion
1/3 cup finely diced bell pepper (whatever colors you like, or a mix of colors)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon palm sugar
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste

In large skillet, over low heat, cook all vegetables, except for canned tomatoes, and garlic until very soft, about 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix all spices together, with palm sugar, and set aside. Once the veg is cooked, sprinkle the spice mixture over evenly and cook for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes. Let heat until simmering. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Make a well in the sauce, with a spatula, and crack an egg into it. Repeat for all eggs. Cover, and continue to simmer over very low heat until the egg whites are set but the yolk is still runny. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes or serve with toasted bread.

Thai-Inspired Red Coconut Curry Shrimp over Coconut Rice

 My husband gets started on some extensive dental work on Tuesday. He will be having all of his top teeth pulled. Granted, he's already lost most of them, but the rest will be going. When he had radiation treatment for throat cancer, over a decade ago, his teeth were trashed. He needs to get dentures. So, for several months, after getting his bottom teeth pulled out, which will be a few weeks after he gets the top ones done, he will not have any teeth at all to chew with. He needs to get dentures because he can't eat many foods. He has scar tissue in his throat and there is a dead muscle in there. It doesn't work. Anyhow, if food isn't chewed up really well, it hangs up on that spot and it chokes him and, sometimes, I've had to really whack him on the back to get it up. It's scary to go through and eating certain things for dinner gives me anxiety because I do not like to see that happen. Let's not even go there with Bob actually going through it. Yes, it's happened a few times at restaurants, too. He's learned to not order his favorite, which is steak. He knows that he can't eat anything like Chinese sweet and sour pork or chicken. He has trouble with spinach and greens. Tortillas and a gas station corn dog have made him choke. The poor guy!

Anyhow, that's the back story on how this recipe came about.
We both love Asian food. I think we could dine on Asian flavors for weeks on end and never tire of it. While Bob tends to favor Korean, I lean bit more toward Thai cuisine. We both like coconut curry, if it's not too spicy. So, I came up with a complete main dish that only uses 1 can of coconut milk, 1/2 a pound of shrimp, uses up a few summer squash, doesn't result in a gallon of leftovers and it's not spicy because, if it is, Bob can't eat it.
This is a huge win in my book. I do not have room in my fridge for leftovers and I'm not a huge fan of zucchini, or summer squash. I like winter squash just fine, but zucchini...yeah...not so much. I find summer squash to be just tolerable. Now, if you take that summer squash and put in a red coconut curry squash, that's going to pique my interest.

Here's how I did it. First, wash and chop all your ingredients. Make sure everything is prepped. Once you start, you do not have time to put everything on hold to chop up the next thing. Chop the veggies. Peel the shrimp. Thank me later. You're welcome. 

Veggies prepped beforehand.

Start the rice after you prep the veggies and shrimp. You'll have 20 minutes to cook the curry. If you don't have a rice cooker (I am not endorsing this brand. It's just a cheapie that I picked up on Amazon for under $20 and it does the trick because the burners, on my RV stove, burn too hot to cook rice on them), just use a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Either way, rice cooker or pan, it's going to take 20 minutes.

Saute the veggies in a hot skillet in a tablespoon of avocado oil until zucchini start to get a bit of color and the onion is softer, but not mush. 

Now's the time that you'll want to have already prepped those shrimp. I do pull the shells completely off. I don't leave the tail sections on. I actually don't really like it when the tail section of the shell is left on. It's annoying to me. 

You've already used 1/2 of a can of coconut milk in the rice, so this is when you use the other half of the can. First, you add red curry paste, fish sauce and some brown sugar. This would also be where you could add in a spice element, if you want, like however many Thai birds-eye chili peppers it takes for you to light yourself on fire, if you're into that! I skip them because of Bob. If it was just for me, I'd add 2 or 3 in. You could also just use crushed red pepper flakes or you could use a jalapeno pepper. There's many options out there. Pick the one that's right for you.
Did that sound like a commercial or what?

Once all the curry paste, coconut milk, and what have you meld together into a  homogeneous pool of yum, toss in the shrimp and keep stirring them around until they curl up and turn pink. This is very important. Do not overcook the shrimp. Overcooked shrimp is absolutely nasty and not even worth eating. Once they turn opaque, take the pan off the heat.
By this time, your rice should be done.
Also, by this time, your entire RV will be filled with a very lovely coconut scent...with the faintest hint of fish sauce.
Make sure to run an exhaust fan.
Whatever you do, DO NOT sniff the contents of a bottle of fish sauce.
I promise that it tastes nothing like it smells.

This was delicious. There were no leftovers at all because (mic drop) I actually created a recipe for TWO PEOPLE!
Thai-Inspired Red Coconut Curry Shrimp over Coconut Basmati Rice (yes, I know that they usually eat Jasmine rice, but I have basmati...deal with it). Delicious!


Serves 2

Coconut Basmati Rice

7 ounces (half a can) of coconut milk
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup basmati rice

If you're cooking in a rice cooker, add all the ingredients and cook for 20 minutes. If you're cooking in a saucepan, bring all ingredients, except the rice, up to a boil. Add rice, stir. Lower heat to as low as your stove will go. Pop a tight-fitting lid onto the pan. Cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before opening lid to fluff the rice.


Thai-Inspired Red Coconut Curry Shrimp

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and cleaned.
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/2 can coconut milk
1/2 of a medium-sized Walla Walla sweet onion, chopped (use 1/4 of the onion if it's a big one, like I had)
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 small yellow summer squash, chopped
1-2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
and
Make a cornstarch slurry using 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water. You may or may not need this.

Prep all vegetables and shrimp in advance.
Heat skillet or wok over high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes before adding in all the squash (zukes and yellow squash) all at once. Continue to cook and stir for about 4-5 more minutes or until squash starts to get a bit golden in color and onion is soft but not mushy.
Add in red curry paste, cook for about 30 seconds, add fish sauce, brown sugar and coconut milk. Stir to combine curry paste into coconut milk. Once it's thoroughly blended in, add shrimp and cook, stirring, for another 3-4 minutes. If your sauce is too loose, bind it by slowly drizzling in the cornstarch slurry until it's the right consistency. I like mine a bit on the thinner side so that it will permeate the rice. If you want a thicker sauce, use the entire amount and it should tighten up enough to sit on top of the rice. It's a matter of preference.