Chinese Kung Pao Shrimp

A few days after making Chinese Kung Pao Chicken, I got a craving again for the spicy, slightly sour taste of the dish. And while kung pao chicken is my preference, it takes a little longer to cook than shrimp. Plus, I had frozen shrimp on hand so any recipe that avoids having to leave the house wins hands down. But since it was late at night when I originally made the recipe, the photos weren't the best. I made it again several months later, but this time my celery supply was a bit low, so I added in a zucchini. I have to say, if you love zucchini as much as I do, it worked really well in a kung pao stir-fry.

While I love the crispness of a deep-fry, in this case, lightly coating the shrimp in cornstarch before pan-frying gave it a nice crunch. Toss in the vegetables, chilies, sauce, and toasted peanuts and the dish comes together in minutes. The key to the flavor is Chinese black vinegar and rice wine, which are much milder than their Western counterparts, but if you need to substitute with what you have on hand, taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Thai-Style Pumpkin Carrot Coconut Curry Soup

Tony of SinoSoul gave me two pumpkins from his garden and I knew just what to do with them. (Actually, they're much closer-looking on the outside to butternut squash, but redder on the inside like pumpkins. And since I already titled the pictures and this post as pumpkin, so they will remain!) I couldn't wait for colder temperatures so that I could indulge in some creamy soups. Not that I couldn't do so at any other time, except that if I wanted to use fresh squash, those were only available in the fall and winter.

While pumpkin is already slighty sweet, the addition of a few carrots and coconut milk also boosted the natural sweetness of this soup. I simmered the vegetables in chicken broth to soak in the flavor and then pureed it all. Then I added a few spoonfuls of Thai red curry paste and fish sauce for some savoriness and complexity. You can easily substitute with vegetable broth and just salt for seasoning if you wanted to make this vegetarian. Save some coconut milk for swirly designs at the end if you wish.

Thai-Style Pumpkin Carrot Coconut Curry Soup, a lightened up and reinvented version of this cold weather favorite.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Hatch Green Chilies

While I love the basic Grilled Cheese Sandwich, especially with a bowl of Cream of Tomato Soup, sometimes it's nice to kick things up a notch. Like a Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Hatch Green Chilies. Perhaps served with Thai-Style Pumpkin Carrot Coconut Curry Soup?