Quick Shrimp Curry

The Story: 

This morning when I woke up I had a little trouble being happy about being alive, being awake, and having obligations to perform this day.  I had trouble being thankful for what I have.  I had trouble being humble in my weaknesses.  But as the day has gone on, I've come to appreciate some things.  Here is what I am thankful for:

clear roads in spite of snow
a husband that scrapes my car windows off before he leaves in the morning
getting a good parking space
a house that stays warm
knowing that I am not a failure, depite how things sometimes look or feel
people that believe in me
feeling better today than I do most days
the ability to walk around, function in my usual capacities, breathe in and out on my own
good music and love songs
the unfathomable love of a Heavenly Father
memories of fun things I've been blessed to experience
ice cream
looking forward to seeing my family tonight
safe and reliable cars
the life growing inside of me
curry



The Recipe:

Light Shrimp Curry (basically by me)
1/2 pound orzo
1 teaspoon olive oil (or 1 tablespoon water/chicken broth/etc.)
2 green onions, chopped
2 cups sugar snap peas
1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch peices
1 pound frozen shrimp, cooked and de-tailed
1 ounce (approx. 2 teaspoons) curry paste
1/2 can (about 7 ounces, or almost 1 cup) lite coconut milk
1/3 cup water
salt
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 handfuls baby spinach, fresh

Begin boiling water in small saucepan.  When water boils, add orzo and return to boiling, cooking until orzo is tender throughout.  This took me longer than the entire cooking time of the curry.  When cooked, drain, reserving a bit of the cooking water to help prevent sticking.

In a nonstick skillet, over medium heat, place oil (or substitute--you won't need a lot because the shrimp will release some water as it heats), onions, peas, beans, and shrimp.  You can basically use whatever vegetables you have around, like bell peppers, tomatoes, etc., but I liked this mix.  Also, I used frozen beans and cut the onions over the skillet with kitchen scissors to save myself washing a cutting board.  Cook veggies and shrimp until beans are tender-firm (you don't want them soggy and limp, but you don't want them hard and crispy, either).  You may also want to drain the meltwater off at this point if you think the shrimp is at all fish-y.  If you do this, increase the water you add later to 1/2 cup.

Add curry paste (I like red) to skillet and mix thoroughly to remove lumps.  Mix in coconut milk, water, and salt (maybe a half teaspoon) and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to simmer. Stir in lime juice.

For each serving, layer in a bowl: orzo, a handful of spinach, shrimp curry, extra sauce.



The Verdict:

This might be the best curry I've made yet.  It was light, simple, fairly quick to make, and easy on the stomach (not too spicy or fatty).  It didn't taste fishy, reheated well, and made about five servings.  It would be easy to sustitute other vegetables, or meats as well, just make sure the meat gets cooked before the vegetables go in.  If I had the option to eat spicier foods, I would have added twice as much curry paste, but it still tasted good and curry-ish as it was.  We ate this with (canned) mandarin oranges on the side.

4-and-a-half stars out of five.  Very good!