Christening the new place!

Sorry for the delay, Shmitt and I have moved.  We are truly living the good life.  The sun is shining, the kitchen counters are glistening, and Trader Joe’s is two blocks away.  Can I get a hell yah.

It's still the summer so peaches are everywhere.  And they are soooo good.

 

Peach Barbecue Chicken, thanks to Chantal for introducing me to the G. Paltrow recipe that follows.  Featured in Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken breasts

1 cup chopped, peeled peaches (you can use frozen, but why would you do that, we’re in California.)

½ cup ketchup

1 ½ Tsp adobo (so, you want to get chiles in adobo.  It’s in a can.  This is what makes this taste like barbecue.  You can find these in the salsa section of any big or specialty store.  Note: unfortunately, Trader Joe’s doesn’t have this.  Sigh.)

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste.

PREPARATION

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small sauce pan and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a low simmer.  Simmer 10 minutes or until the peaches are soft.

Set aside and let stand until cool.  You can prepare the other half of the meal now. I made a nice hearty side salad with lots of avocado.

Pour the peach mixture into a blender and puree until smooth.  Add more salt and pepper if needed. 

Pour half over the chicken and let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or cover and chill for up to 8 hours. 

Grill the chicken (best to brush grill or grill pan with oil) until browned and almost cooked through. 

Brush sauce on all sides.  Grill until glazed and cooked through about 1-2 minutes per side.

 Yum!

 I don’t have a grill.  Not a problem! This $25 grill pan works just fine!  In order to finish the chicken off on this pan I had to put the whole thing in the oven at 350 for about 3 minutes.  This way I got a nice char on the outside while the breast was cooked the whole way through without getting dry.

You can make a peach rattler on the side! I did... Just mix beer and this awesome peach lemonade. Tastes like soda.  :) Come over!

Baked Salmon with Cherry Tomatoes and Yogurt Dill Sauce

This was SO good and so fast and easy.  Grill up some kale on the side and you have a beautiful meal!

Baked Salmon with Cherry Tomatoes
INGREDIENTS
1 filet of salmon, with skin (amount depends on the number of people you are serving.  I usually do 3/4 for two which is plenty).
1 cup cherry tomatoes (more if you have more company and a bigger piece of fish)
Half a bunch of fresh dill
Half a bunch of fresh thyme
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and fresh pepper to taste

PREPARATION
Line a baking pan with foil or parchment paper and sprinkle with some olive oil.
Make a bed using the fresh herbs, a mix of the dill and thyme.
Lay the salmon over the top of the herbs.  Pour on the fresh tomatoes.
Sprinkle the whole dish with olive oil.  I actually poured a little into my hand and rubbed the top of the salmon and each of the tomatoes with it so they wouldn't dry out while baking.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the salmon begins to look more vibrantly pink.
Serve with the yogurt dill sauce and enjoy!


Yogurt Dill Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbs chopped dill
1 Tbs lemon juice
lemon zest
PREPARATION
Combine all the ingredients and mix.  You may need to add more lemon juice to get the consistency you want. You don't want it too watery but greek yogurt is pretty thick.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  I thought it actually needed a little bit of salt and I never say no to fresh ground pepper. Serve alongside the salmon and enjoy it liberally piled on top!

Smitten Kitchen Chopped Salad-- YUM

INGREDIENTS
3 cups chopped green beans
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 avocado, cubed
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup well-toasted salted sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon chile powder or 1/8 teaspoon each your choice combination of chile powder, cumin, cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
PREPARATION
Mix the vegetables, feta, scallions, seeds and mint in a medium bowl. Whisk lime juice, olive oil, salt, spice and black pepper in a small dish and pour over vegetables, tossing to evenly coat. Adjust with more salt or pepper as needed. Garnish with a little more mint. I also added avocado over the top and thought that went nicely. Great with a crusty piece of bread.

Shrimp Ceviche

In keeping with the yummy summer fare, I give you fresh and delicious shrimp ceviche.  This was inspired by a Goop post that didn't have the proper recipe listed.  Either that or I am an idiot (more likely) and didn't see it. After a search I came up with this one from a blog called Simply Recipes.  Cute! (http://www.simplyrecipes.com/). Enjoy! and happy July.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound medium-small shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp salt
3/4 cup lime juice (juice from 4-6 limes)
3/4 cup lemon juice (juice from 2-3 lemons)
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1-2 minced serrano chile, ribs and seeds removed-- I like it spicy so I added two.  You might even do 3 if you are brave.
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cucumber, peeled diced
1 avocado, peeled, cut into chunks

PREPARATION

Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute to 2 minutes max, depending on size of shrimp. Be careful not to overcook! Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
Drain the shrimp and cut into pieces. Place shrimp in a glass or ceramic bowl. 

Mix in the lime and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Mix in the chopped red onion and serrano chile. Refrigerate an additional 30 minutes.
Right before serving, add the cilantro, cucumber, and avocado.

Peanut Butter FILLED Cookies

I LIKE THESE.  YOU SHOULD MAKE THEM AND THEN HIDE IN YOUR ROOM WITH THEM.  (I may or may not have done this myself).  This is from an awesome blog that has about A MILLION pb-chocolate recipes.  It is therefore my favorite place to browse when I can't sleep... or when I'm hungry... or when I want to torture myself.

Mmmmm.  Peanut butter.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar-packed
1/2 cup unsalted butter-softened

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter


PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, blend flour, cocoa, and baking soda.
In a large bowl beat white sugar, brown sugar, butter and 1/4 cup peanut butter, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beat until blended. Stir in flour mixture until blended. Set aside.
Make the filling by combining the confectioners’ sugar and 3/4 cup peanut butter. Beat well with electric mixer until mixture comes together.
Roll filling into little balls.  Form exterior part of cookie around filling and cover completely. Flatten and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes.

Warm Beet and Kale Goat Cheese Salad

It's summer so we're eating a lot of salads at dinner time these days.  The kale makes this one really hearty and if you don't like raw kale you'll be happy to know that this is cooked a bit to soften the bitter taste.  Enjoy.

Warm Beet and Kale Goat Cheese Salad
INGREDIENTS
1 bunch Kale
Red onion
Balsamic vinegar
2 Beets
Goat cheese

PREPARTION
Bring a heavily salted pot of water to boil and add the beets whole.  Boil until the beets are tender (stick a fork in them and see if they are the level of done-ness that you like).
In the meantime, wash and devein the kale.  Cut into ribbons.
Thinly slice the onion.
Add olive oil, onion, salt and pepper to a hot skillet.  Saute very briefly before adding the kale.  Saute for another few moments, you don't want to cook this fully so keep it on the short side.  Everything should be nearly raw, just starting to get wilted.
In the final 30 seconds or so, add the balsamic vinegar and stir.  You want it to get the tiniest bit caramelized.  You may need to add more salt and pepper to taste at this stage.
Remove from heat and plate.  Add the warm, cut beets over the top and garnish with goat cheese.

Between the beets, onions and the balsamic, you get a sweet tasting salad medley with some real body. This is a great side dish if you're super hungry but trying to be healthy!

Mushroom Feast, in honor of my dad who loves champignons!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DADDY!!!

Chilean Sea Bass and Morille

INGREDIENTS

5 morille (morel mushrooms), sliced

1 diced shallot

Butter

Chilean sea bass steak(s)

Fresh thyme

salt

fresh ground pepper

PREPARATIONS

Melt the butter in a pan.  

In the meantime, wash and pat the sea bass dry.  

Add the diced shallots to the butter with some pepper.  Shortly after add in the morel and thyme (to taste).  

Saute until yummy. Place the topping in a bowl and set aside.

Put some more butter and/or olive oil into the pan. 

Saute the bass until done.  You want it to get a nice little crispiness going on both sides but you may have to cover for a bit since these steaks are usually pretty thick.  If you have to cut through the middle don't worry about the appearance, that is what toppings are for: creative presentation.

Enjoy!

Warm Mushroom Salad with Hazelnuts and Pecorino
Adapted generously from SmittenKitchen

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup hazelnuts
2 tablespoons finely diced shallots
3 tablespoons madeira (original recipe calls for sherry)
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces arugula
A 1 cup mix of fresh herbs (optional) such as chives, tarragon
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 large sliced shallot
1/4 pound pecorino (I used toscano and it was perfect.  I dont recommend romano-- even though I could eat that ish every day of my life-- because it is too strong and would overpower the subtle mushroom party)

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes, rolling them around once or twice to make sure they toast evenly. Rub nuts in a dish towel to remove skins then let cool. Chop the hazelnuts coarsely.

Whisk the shallots, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a bowl and let sit for five minutes (this will soften and almost pickle the shallots), before whisking in 5 tablespoons olive oil.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter until the butter foams. Add half the mushrooms, half the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, until they’re softened but not limp (your cooking time will depend on the type of mushrooms you used).

Transfer mushrooms to a plate then repeat with the second half. When they are cooked, return the first half of the mushrooms to the pan then toss in sliced shallots, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.

Spread salad greens on a plate. Sprinkle fresh herbs on top, if using. Spoon hot mushrooms over the salad greens. Pour three-quarters of the vinaigrette in the sauté pan and swirl it in the pan until heated. Season it with 1/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour over salad and toss carefully. Adjust to taste — you may need more salt, pepper, vinaigrette or even more sherry vinegar.

Use a vegetable peeler to shave cheese over the salad. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Serve immediately.

I would definitely make each of these again.  The salad was great and if you keep everything separate, would be a really yummy lunch to bring with you to work/ school/ whatever it is that you do!

Ode to Cafe Barrone

Feeling like a paper-writing cowboy on the wild frontier of term paper number 3? I know I am. Well, I don't really write term papers anymore.  Now I write articles, and soon I will never write a paper again (with any luck).  But I will be studying up a storm from now until forever and these work for that too.    I embarked on this recipe because there is a cafe down the street from where I live that has them.  They are huge and wonderful.
Goodbye Barrone, I had 7 years of cookies from your kitchen and loved every one of them.

Bowl of paper writing/ studying fuel and love (handles).

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose white flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
Generous 1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup (1 stick plus 2 2/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup white vegetable shortening
1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups corn flakes, crushed
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) chopped pecans
1 1/4 cups (about 3 1/2 ounces) shredded or flaked sweetened coconut
2 cups chocolate chips, use both dark and milk!!

PREPARATION

The most beautiful dough you have ever seen.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease several baking sheets or coat with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 

Cream together the butter and shortening until lightened. 

Add the brown sugar and sugar and cream until fluffy and smooth. 

Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until evenly incorporated. 

Stir in the flour mixture until evenly incorporated. Stir in the oats, corn flakes, pecans, and coconut until evenly incorporated. This gets kinda difficult.  Power through and have faith.  The calories you burn during this portion of the process means you can have more cookies later-- a plus for making these on your own.  Let the dough stand for 5 to 10 minutes, or until firmed up slightly.

Shape portions of the dough into generous golf-ball-sized balls-- and when I say golf ball, I mean pool ball-- with lightly greased hands. Place on the baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Using your hand, pat down the balls until about 1/3 inch thick.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in the upper third of the oven for 8 to 11 minutes, or until tinged with brown and just beginning to firm up in the centers; be careful not to overbake. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and let stand until the cookies firm up slightly, about 3 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks. Let stand until completely cooled.

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.

Kale Fried Rice

Ever Wonder what to do with all that dry looking left over brown rice? 

Well wonder no more my friend.  Kale fried rice is the answer. 

Kale Fried Rice, adapted, but really no longer even really related to Gweneth Paltrow's kale fried rice

INGREDIENTS

Your left over brown rice (I had about 3 cups so I will just give you the amounts that I used)

kale-- cut into ribbons then chopped 

5 green onions, from about halfway up the stock to the white tip

2 cloves garlic

3 eggs

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1/8 cup soy sauce (or just pour some in to taste)

salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Steam the kale about 7 minutes or until the color has changed and the leaves are wilted. 

Heat oil in a large pan and add the garlic.  Don't brown it.
After about a minute, add the steamed kale and fresh chopped green onion into the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes until the garlic and onion is fragrant and the kale is tender.
I know this is a little bit of a pain but set the mixture aside.
Beat the eggs together and make sure the rice is out and the clumps are broken up (you may need to use you hands for this).
Add a little more oil to the pan.  Once heated, pour the egg in and immediately pour in the rice and soy sauce.  Add the steamed kale mixture on top.
Stir!  Cook about 4 minutes this way.  I like to let the bottom brown a little so there are some crispy clumps. 

We had it vegetarian-style with a side of brussel sprouts.  If you are eating meat, I would recommend chicken.  You could even make some on the side and mix it in in the last few moments. If you're doing it that way, add some fresh peas in when you are sauteing the garlic and kale mixture, then you have an all-in-one meal.

Almond Cake (and almond paste)

ALMOND PASTE, thanks to the blog Two Tarts for the recipe! Great blog; you should check out their beautiful recipes and photos.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups raw almonds (not roasted, or the blanching step will not work correctly)
3 cups powdered sugar
2 egg whites
PREPARATION
Heat a big pot of water to boiling.  Dump 3 cups of almonds into the boiling water and boil for one minute.  Drain immediately and let cool for a few minutes before peeling their loose brown skins off.  Discard skins.-- this takes a little time.  Fun to do with a friend... or with a glass of wine.
Re-measure the 3 cups of blanched almonds to make sure you have exactly 3 cups - since the almonds expand when you blanch them you may have a few left over.  Place the almonds in a food processor and run until the almonds are broken down into very very tiny pieces – 1-2 minutes.
Next add the 3 cups of powdered sugar and let run for another 1-2 minutes.  You want this mixture to be super finely ground so you may need to let the processor run for a little so that you get the right consistency. 
Only once you get to the right consistency (super fine), add the 2 eggs white and process until fully incorporated.  Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for a week.  You can also freeze any excess for a few months.

ALMOND CAKE
INGREDIENTS
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
7 oz almond paste (a scant 1 cup)
1 1/4 c sugar
2 1/2 sticks butter (1/2 lb + 4 Tbsp)
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 eggs
PREPARATION

Butter a 9-inch round cake pan thoroughly and line the bottom with parchment.  This cake tends to stick, so don’t skip the parchment step! Note the little handle action I had going on.  This made for a really easy move from pan to plate.


Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

In a food processor (or in another large mixing bowl if you’re up for a workout) whip the almond paste & sugar together until it’s in very fine pieces.

Add the butter and beat it together with the almond paste and sugar until it is light and fluffy. 

Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs. 

Finally, add the dry ingredients in to the wet, bit by bit, until fully combined.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Let cool completely before turning out and slicing.

I topped with some melted baking chocolate.  I like using just melted chocolate because it makes a hardened shell on top and it's not too sweet.  

Mustard- Dill Salmon

You know when you are out to dinner and the sauce is so good that you have to use bread to sop it up lest you waste a precious bit of it? (could you hear my voice rising as I wrote that sentence out?)  This sauce is one of those sauces.  It's incredible on salmon... or your finger.

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup white-wine vinegar
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 cups vegetable oil
freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill sprigs

PREPARATION

In a bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, and brown sugar. Whisk in oil in a stream until emulsified and season with pepper and salt. Mixture may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring mixture to room temperature and whisk before proceeding. Transfer 3/4 cup mixture to a small bowl and stir in soy sauce to make glaze. Whisk dill into remaining mixture to make sauce.

Simply sprinkle some kosher salt and crush some fresh black pepper on the salmon.  Pan saute it on both sides so that you get a nice crunchy-ness on it.  Spoon (or ladle, whatevs) the sauce on top.  Eat.

Have some left over sauce against all odds? Make these for dinner tomorrow.

Dijon-Dill Brussel Sprouts
INGREDIENTS
Brussel sprouts
The sauce from heaven
PREPARATION
Halve the sprouts and place and a baking pan lined with foil.  Best if this pan has sides. 
Drizzle on the sauce and stir until the sprouts are all evenly covered. 
Bake at 350-400 degrees until they are golden brown. 

These are a sweet and delicious side dish.  Best served with a salty entree.  Pulled pork sounds great... (salty).

Herb and Cheese Quinoa Patties

This is a twist on a Heidi Swanson recipe adapted by two chefs in Colorado whose blog is awesome (thanks Molly).  Great for hors d'oeuvres, a side in meal, or lunch the next day! We thought that you could make a few alterations: add more herbs, more cheese.  :)

Spring Herb and Cheese Quinoa Patties
Ingredients
Yield is 8-10 patties
2 cups cooked quinoa (about 3/4 c. dry)
2 eggs
3 Tbsp chopped green onion
2 Tbsp chopped mint
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 c. grated strong cheese – gruyere
1/2 c. grated parmisan
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
Preparation
Combine everything but the quinoa in a large bowl and mix well.  Fold in the cooked quinoa until it’s fully incorporated and the mixture is even.You may need to add a little bit more egg or water to make sure that it is most enough.
Heat a large frying pan, with a drizzle of oil to coat, to medium high.
Using a spoon and your hands, form approx 2” patties with the quinoa mix and plop them into the hot frying pan.
Cook each side for approx 3 minutes, or until golden brown.  Don’t disturb them for the first minute or two to prevent them from falling apart!  Flip, and cook the other side for an additional 3-ish minutes, or until both sides are golden brown.
Serve with more freshly grated cheese on top.

G is for Girl and Granola

Sorry for the hiatus... wrapping up an anatomy class, a grant application and two manuscripts... But I'm back! 

I went down to LA for my sister's baby shower (it's a girl!) last weekend and we made granola for yogurt parfaits.  It's bomb.  Thanks Chantal for introducing me to this recipe! 


Lightly sweet and perfectly crunchy.  We added extra nuts (almonds and pecans) to give it more body. I know what I'm eating for breakfast for the next three months!
 

(Raw Food Cookie) Dough Balls

In honor of a task rabbit post I was made aware of this weekend... (this one's for you, Rabbit of the Week).

Healthy, Raw Food Dough Balls
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup raw almonds
2/3 cup raw walnuts
2/3 cup raw oat flakes (see note below)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips

PREPARATION
In a food processor, process the almonds, walnuts, oats, cinnamon and salt to a fine meal.
Add the agave nectar and vanilla and process to combine.
Next, add the cocoa nibs (or chocolate chips) and pulse just to combine.
Roll the cookie dough into balls (about 1 tbsp each) and place them on a cookie pan lined with parchment paper. Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour to firm up. Store balls in a tightly covered container in the freezer.

I know that they look a little funny but they are SO yummy.  Plus they are really easy to whip up and I think they are an awesome snack. 

DOG SITTING

I am dog sitting for a week which means

1. I am very happy because I get to hang with two dogs and fill the dog void, 
2. I have a state-of-the-art kitchen at my disposal (since I am staying at the dogs' house).  

Roasted Squash, Lentil, and Goat cheese Warm Salad
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup black or green lentils
6 cups peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
4 cups baby arugula
1 cup soft crumbled goat cheese
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, plus additional to taste
Roasted seeds (about 1/2 cup) from the squash; just roast these with a little salt after rinsing and drying them


PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss squash olive oil, cumin, paprika and salt. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet and roast 20 minutes. Flip pieces and roast for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Cool.
Cook lentils in boiling salted water until tender but firm, about 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water, then drain and cool.
Combine lentils, squash, any oil you can scrape from the baking sheet and arugula, half of goat cheese, vinegar, and 1 more tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. 


This was an appetizer recipe but I thought it made a great dinner.

Pumpkin Shrimp Curry

Pumpkin Shrimp Curry
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced onion
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 chopped plum tomato
1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon garahm masala
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup roasted butternut squash, roasted and diced
Green beans, cut into 1 inch peices
English peas, however many you like
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 table spoons fresh chopped basil
4 table spoons chopped fresh cilantro
Steamed brown rice with a touch of butter
Fried shallots

PREPARATION

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and ginger; sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and green beans; cook for 1 minute. Stir in plum tomato then about a minute later add the pumpkin purée; cook, stirring frequently, until pumpkin is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add vegetable broth, coconut milk, curry powder, garahm masala, cayenne pepper and basil; simmer for 20 minutes. Add butternut squash, shrimp, peas and lime juice. Simmer until shrimp are cooked and squash is warm. Serve with steamed rice. Top with cilantro, lime zest, and fried shallots. 

The buttered rice makes a difference.  You don't have to put a lot, just a bit for delicious, rich flavor.  Also the more cilantro the better.  It cuts the richness of the dish, making it a bit lighter.