RECIPE OF THE MONTH: JANUARY

Shrimp with Coconut Milk and Butternut Squash

by Paul Cummings, Owner and Head Chef at Indulge Natural and Organic Kitchen  

This recipe is great as most of it can be prepared ahead of time and then finished in a matter of about ten minutes. If you are a fan of coconut shrimp, I encourage you to try this dish as I’m sure you and your dinner guests will be pleased with the results. This dish is fragrant, fresh and clean.  Enjoy!

Serves: 6

Broth:• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 cloves of garlic
• ½ red onion, sliced
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, thinly sliced
• 1 inch knob of ginger, finely grated
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• ¾ cup canned coconut milk
• 4 sprigs cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Shrimp:• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 30 shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 lime halved

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 F. To make the broth, melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the red onions, garlic, lemongrass, ginger and cook them until tender (do not allow them to brown). Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes to infuse the flavour. Add the coconut milk and cilantro, allow to simmer for 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain and reserve the broth.

Prepare the shrimp by combining the cilantro, green onion, ginger and oil in a large bowl. Season the shrimp with salt, pepper and cayenne. Add to the bowl and toss to cover each shrimp evenly. Place the shrimp on a baking sheet (ensuring they are not touching each other) cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Peel the squash, remove the seeds and dice into ½ inch cubes.

This recipe can be made up to this point ahead of time.  Just bring the broth back up to a simmer while finishing this recipe.

Combine the butter and ½ cup of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the squash and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until squash is tender.

Place shrimp in oven for 5-6 minutes or until cooked through. Place 5 shrimp in each of the 6 bowls along with the butternut squash. Meanwhile, bring the strained broth to a simmer and pour over shrimp. Squeeze the lime juice over the bowl and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Serving suggestions: 
To serve as an appetizer, simply serve in bowls as described above. To serve as a main, accompany with brown rice.