Seafood Curry

I love how easy curry is to work with...and what an impressive dish one can produce when the right balance of ingredients are combined. Red curry is a terrific compliment to seafood and this dish certainly proved that once again.

I typically start out the same way with all curry dishes. Simmering coconut milk. Enjoy!

In a saute or sauce pan bring 1 cup of coconut milk and 1-2 tbsp red curry paste to a simmer over medium heat and add 6 large sea scallops, cook for a few minutes. Add several shelled shrimp and simmer a few more minutes.

Stir in 1 tbsp of fish sauce, 2 tsp of pureed lemon grass, and 1 tbsp Sucanat (or brown sugar).

Toss in cubed cooked sweet potato, bite sized chunks of zucchini, and a few red pepper rings. 

To spice up this dish stir in some dried chilies.

Simmer covered for 5-10 minutes, until veggies are tender. Serve alone or with steamed rice.

Pumpkin Curry Soup

The creation of this recipe took a rather drastic twist after I inadvertently dumped a heaping teaspoon of allspice into the bubbling bisque. Rather than toss the lot, I altered the recipe to take on a delicious curried flare.

Chop and peel 4 cups of fresh pumpkin and drop carefully into enough boiling chicken broth to cover. Cook until tender
In a food processor or blender puree the cooked pumpkin with broth and return to the sauce pan
Stir in:

• 1/4 tsp allspice, and ginger
• Dash of nutmeg
• 1 tbsp of a good red curry paste (recovery paste)
• A dollop of fish sauce
• 1 tsp lemon grass (pureed) 
• Sea salt to taste 

Stir in 1 cup of coconut milk and simmer for several minutes. Serve with a few Spicy Pumpkin Seeds on top.

Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

This year's crop yielded four pumpkins. That is not an impressive count but rather than pout about the low quantities I decided to make the most of the harvest by testing out a few new recipes.

Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Wash and separate 2 cups of seeds from pumpkin pulp, towel dry, and toss into a mixing bowl. Pour 2 tbsp of melted butter and 1tsp Worcestershire sauce over seed then sprinkle 1 tsp of cayenne pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder (I tried my new California roasted garlic), and 1/2 to 1 tsp of sea salt and toss well. Bake in a preheated 275 degree oven (or toasted oven) for 1 hour, turn over occasionally.