Thai Butternut Soup

Ingredients

1 teaspoon canola oil 
1. 1 cup chopped onion
2. 2 1/2 teaspoons red curry paste
3. 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
4. 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
5. 1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
6. 2 teaspoons brown sugar
7. 2 (12-ounce) packages frozen pureed butternut squash
8. 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
9. 1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
10. 1/4 teaspoon salt
11. 1/2 cup chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts 
12. 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
13. 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges


Preparation


1. 1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add curry paste, garlic, and ginger; sauté 45 seconds, stirring constantly.
2. 2. Add broth and next 5 ingredients (through salt); cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Place half of squash mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture. Spoon about 1 cup soup into each of 4 bowls; top with 2 tablespoons peanuts and 1 tablespoon cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Note:


Ivy Manning, Cooking Light 
MARCH 2013


Pasted from <http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/thai-butternut-soup-50400000126243/?xid=scancook-mar13-ck>

Linguine with Picante Sauce

If my husband and daughter had there way about it, picante sauce would almost be served at every meal. So this is another fast and great idea that will save money.

Ingredients:

8 ounces linguine

1 medium onion

1 clove garlic

1 (15-ounce) can black beans

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups canned stewed tomatoes

1/2 cup picante sauce

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

4 ounces finely shredded Colby Jack cheese blend

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Step-by-Step:

Cook pasta using package directions; drain. Rinse with cool water; drain again. Cover to keep warm.

Chop onion coarsely. Mince garlic. Drain and rinse black beans.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion and garlic and mix well. Sauté until onion is tender.

Add undrained tomatoes, picante sauce, black beans, chili powder, cumin and oregano and mix well. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and cover.

Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes; remove cover. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until of the desired consistency, about 5 minutes. Place hot cooked pasta on a serving platter. Spoon sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with Colby Jack. Top with cilantro.

Grilled Shrimp with Mango Salsa

INGREDIENTS
Shrimp:

2 cups olive oil

8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Juice of 2 limes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined (20-24 shrimp)

For the Salsa:

2 ripe mangoes

6 green onions, including tender green tops, thinly sliced

2 fresh jalapeno chili peppers, stemmed, seeded (if desired) and finely diced

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 2 limes

1 teaspoon salt

Step-by-Step

In a frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour into a shallow non-aluminum dish and let cool. Add the lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Using bamboo skewers, thread 4 or 5 shrimp onto each skewer, passing the skewer through points near both the head and tail sections of each shrimp. Place the skewers in the olive oil mixture, turning to coat evenly. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.

FOR THE SALSA:
Peel each mango and cut the flesh from the pit. Cut into 1/4-inch dice and place in a bowl. Add the green onions, chilies, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Stir to mix, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

SHRIMP:

Prepare a fire in a charcoal or gas grill. When the fire is hot, place the skewers on the grill rack about 3 inches from the coals and grill, turning once, until the shrimp turn pink and are opaque throughout, about 3 minutes per side.

TO SERVE:
Arrange a bed of salsa on each plate and top with a skewer of shrimp, or remove the shrimp from each skewer and arrange atop the salsa. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired, and serve.