Out of the Pantry: Peas | Prawns | Peppers

A friend from back east came to visit me for the weekend so I shamelessly pounced on the opportunity to introduce him to SWANK. I dished up my grand ideas over dinner at The Farm and carried on into the evening. My rant extended into an afternoon lunch at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. As he prattled on the phone, I shoved a stack of food pics in his paw to gander. Hey, I said shamelessly. By day three, he’d had enough and demanded a tasting or else. Baited!
Out of the Pantry, came a few interesting finds. Some, you might never unearth amidst your canned commodities and boxed victuals. But hang about and I promise I’ll guide you from beginning to end.

The Players:
Red Curry Paste
Red Bell Pepper
Snow Peas
Coconut Milk
Rice Noodles

Admit ably, I had nil in the way of protein so I hastened to the market to pick up a pound of prawns. All the same, this recipe can work with chicken breast, beef strips, calamari or scallops.

I was intent on keeping it simple but not as uncomplicated as a bucket meal. Don’t be mistaken, I adore a single pot feast. But I wanted my friend to have an authentic SWANK moment (chuckle). Consider that he’s from South Florida too. Soul food and one-dish dining are familiar occurrence.
Aligned with the Out of the Pantry premise, I wanted to offer a restaurant quality dining experience - at home. In all of my babbling, I intentionally neglected to share the OOTP series and its premise with Sedrick. I wanted authentic feedback, unedited.

I reconciled an Asian Noodle prepared with sweet soy and a dash of light soy. For added panach, I tossed in some toasted black sesame seeds and minced garlic. The pinnacle of the experience was the shrimp coconut curry.

The Recipe: Prawns, Peas and Peppers | Curried
1 lb of large prawns deveined
Red Curry Paste*
1 Red Bell Pepper - en chiffonnade
1 cp Snow Pea
½ can Coconut Milk
3 Garlic Cloves - sliced
2 whole dried cayenne peppers
1 teaspoon Minced ginger (optional)Seasalt

In a sauce pan, add a dash of olive oil. Toss in sliced garlic cloves and heat until translucent. Add ½ can of coconut milk, 1 ½ tablespoons of red curry paste and cayenne peppers. If you opt for the minced ginger, add it as well. Another option is 1 teaspoon of ginger powder. Simmer on low heat.

Over medium heat, add a dash of olive oil to a wok pan. Toss in the prawns and cook until translucent. Add peppers, snow peas and a pinch of sea salt. Once the prawns are cooked to perfection add the coconut curry sauce to the wok. Plate over noodles or rice and Indulge!

“That was a great restaurant quality dining experience! Swank was the perfect ending to the weekend.” S. Brown

*Red Curry Paste: An easy find in any local grocer. Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste is the most familiar brand. However, if there’s a Thai market in your area, go for it! My authentic curries are a mere 49 cents a can!
This product is definitely worth adding to the grocery list. It’s very versatile and can be added to any an understated meal. Slip a teaspoon into a soup base or add a bit to your cabbage and indulge.