Thai Coconut Shrimp

I don't often tackle Thai cuisine at home because 1) the ingredients are sometimes a little obscure and 2) we can get such great Thai at local restaurants. However, when I found this recipe in the May/June issue of Clean Eating, it sounded so easy and so good that I had to try it out. Besides, while Thai food from restaurants can be loaded with extra fat and calories, this recipe has under 350 calories and 2 g of saturated fat per serving! Beyond that, it's packed with pungent, fresh flavors like fresh ginger and garlic and balanced with a nice richness from the addition of peanut butter and light coconut milk to the sauce.

If you normally shy away from ethnic cooking, this may be a great recipe to get you started. I like to serve this with a simple marinated cucumber salad, but that Carrot Ginger dressing I posted a few weeks ago on some simple greens would be great too!


Thai Coconut Shrimp with Brown Rice Pasta
adapted from Clean Eating magazine May/June 2010

serves 4

8 oz. dry brown rice noodles (or whole wheat pasta)
2 c. broccoli florets
2/3 c. light coconut milk
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Juice from 1/2 lime
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 c. bean sprouts
24 medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and rinsed under cold running water

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta, then rinse with hot water and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, place broccoli florets in a glass bowl with 1/2 c. water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes on high. Rinse under cold water, drain and set aside.

3. In a bowl, add coconut milk, tomato paste, peanut butter, ginger, garlic, pepper flakes, and lime juice. Whisk to combine.

4. Simmer coconut mixture, red pepper, and bean sprouts in a nonstick skillet over medium low heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes more, then flip shrimp and cook for 1 final minute.

5. Toss noodles and broccoli with coconut-shrimp mixture and serve hot!