Shrimp Stew with Coconut Milk, Tomatoes & Cilantro

I might have mentioned before that I read food magazines obsessively, AND that I have some OCD tendencies. So it probably won't come as a surprise that I go through magazines and cut out recipes and then file them in a binder by type of cooking. They are even in little plastic sheet protectors. Anyway, it seems like a good idea, but in this digital age, I hardly ever refer back to the binder. Today was 'clean up day.' I didn't have a lot of time, so it wasn't a full clean up, but I went through and threw away a bunch that I have never made and probably never would and added some new ones from my latest months of magazines. The good news, was that I found a few recipes for this week that had been in my binder all along. Most I have made before, so it was fun to see them again. This time though, I made a few minor changes for the kiddies, so I will share the first one with you today. The shrimp stew was warming and therapeutic, especially because I was nursing a little hangover from too much wine last night. As usual, I didn't add the spiciness to the dish, but again added hot pepper sauce at the end just for Dan and I. The kids both really like shrimp because it's fun to eat while holding the tails. Also, most kids will love anything cooked in coconut milk, so they gobbled up the rice with the sauce poured over it. Just make sure to start your rice in advance because this is a quick recipe. I used brown, but you could use white too.

Shrimp Stew with Coconut Milk, Tomatoes & Cilantro (Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, February/March 2006)

Timing - 25 minutes (plus additional to cook the rice)
Ingredients
2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt
2 T olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, sliced into very thin 1.5 inch-long strips
4 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts kept separate)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 T curry powder
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 14 oz can coconut milk (light or regular)
1 lime, juiced

How to Make
In a large bowl, sprinkle the shrimp with 1 teaspoon of salt and set aside.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large dutch oven or other heavy pan with deep sides. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring, until almost tender, about 4 minutes. Add the scallion whites, half of the cilantro, garlic and curry powder. Continue to cook until fragrant, about one minute.

Add the tomatoes and coconut mil and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to a medium simmer and cook for about 5 minutes to let the sauce come together and thicken a little.

Add the shrimp and continue to cook, partially covered, until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the lime juice and season to taste with salt. Serve over rice sprinkled with scallion greens and cilantro. Serve hot chili sauce on the side if desired.

Serves 6