Sponsored Post: Thai Shrimp with Tomato, Basil and Coconut (and a contest!)
I remember someone telling me when I was pregnant, that along with my own little baby bundle, one of the things I would be taking home with me would be a little bundle of guilt. I didn’t really understand what she meant at the time but I’ve thought of it often over the years since becoming a parent. There are just so many ways we try to get it right – whether it’s education choices, discipline and, of course, food – and feel like we didn’t quite nail it, when it comes to bringing up those babies. The guilt is no joke. It’s also not very productive.
It’s why we’re always on the look out for strategies, recipes and products that get us closer to our goals for doing our best. And when I say “our best” I don’t mean being perfect, because I think we can all do without that pressure, right? I mean getting a delicious, healthy meal on the table, one that doesn’t break me in half to make, everyone enjoys and brings us together. One of our favourite strategies for weeknight meals is building a solid pantry. Knowing you’ve got a pantry that’s full of great ingredients like rice, dried pastas, legumes and good quality, canned tomatoes means you’re on your way to dinner before you even get started. We were recently introduced to a fantastic line of tomato products from California (they’ve just arrived in Canada) and we love that they’re field grown, vine ripened and organic. They’re also really delicious. You can find a range of products from plain to fire-roasted diced tomatoes. Knowing that you’re starting with quality, healthy ingredients makes putting a meal together that much easier.
We want to hear how you do your best. Write to us in the comments below with the hashtag #OnlyTheBest and let us know about the recipes or the strategies you rely on. We’ll choose a winner (Canadians only, sorry!) who will receive a range of great Muir Glen products plus a $50 President’s Choice gift card. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Here’s what I whipped up! This Thai Seared Shrimp with Tomato, Basil and Coconut. That may sound fancy but it took me about 20 minutes to put together and the flavours were amazing. The kids loved it and it’s definitely going to find its way into our regular rotation.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
- 1 lb uncooked peeled deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen, tails removed
- 1 cup sliced red onion
- 1 to 2 tablespoons green or red Thai curry paste
- 1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen® organic diced or fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (not cream of coconut)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Thai basil or basil leaves
- Hot cooked rice, if desired
Method
In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp and onion in oil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in curry paste; cook 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, lime juice and brown sugar. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk and basil. Heat over low heat until hot.
Serve over rice.
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We're Ceri and Laura, a couple of magazine-editors-turned-food-bloggers. Also, we're mothers obsessed with delicious, healthy, family food. We're constantly thinking of ways to make your time (and our own!) in the kitchen easier and more productive, but still nostalgic for the days when dinner was cereal eaten over the kitchen sink.
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5 Comments
Heather
June 15, 14:44#OnlyTheBest My 5 year old hates to try new foods. Strategies that I employee are to have him select what’s for dinner, bring him to the grocery store, or farmers market and assist with meal preparation. Generally, if he has a stake in it, he is more likely to try it. The healthy recipes we rely on, are the whole wheat pancakes (sometimes even for dinner), the whole chicken (lemon and tyme and roast chicken) and simple pasta recipes, such as lemon linguini, the peach and blueberry crumble, as well as the roasted cauliflower salad (he refuses to try pizza but loves this salad).
Ceri
June 17, 09:01That is so cool, Heather! I’m so glad he likes that salad – you’re raising an adventurous eater! And we think you’re right on the money with getting kids involved. It really does work. THanks so much!!
KJB
June 20, 08:54#OnlyTheBest I aim for quality non-processed foods and lots of fruits and veggies
Sunshine H
July 03, 03:47I have learned that DD does better if I don’t tell her what she’s eating, but compare it to something else she likes. Lately she has been fearless with sushi. I’m not a huge fan myself (have a few I like) but she will try anything that is put in front of her and not even ask what she’s eating. She has had a few that she wasn’t fond of, but for most part, she has loved them. This is actually how I learned the trick, when we asked what was in a specific roll, she would decide she didn’t like an ingredient and wouldn’t try it, or would pick it apart. When I stopped asking and just put it in front of her, she would gobble it all up. So if I call it ‘sushi’ she will eat it, if I call it by a specific name of the roll, she won’t. To me it’s pretty funny, but I’m hoping to try the method with some more of the meals I serve at home. #OnlytheBest
Nina S
July 13, 15:53#OnlyTheBest – Meal planning is such a tough job! My kids are 3 and 9 months, and we rely heavily on favourites such as pastas, breakfast-for-dinner, and lots of leftovers that we can whip up in new ways later in the week. The baby is loving almost everything we give him, which is messy but making meals a lot of fun!