I had a really neat thing happen to me on Tuesday.
I haven’t yet shared that I’m filling in a few days a month at my old dialysis unit, but I am. And I was there this week on Tuesday.
Anyways, I was standing at the chart rack charting away on a patient I had just spoken with when the nurse practitioner walks up and says, “I didn’t know you were a writer, Nicole!”
I gave him one seriously confused look and had to stop to think.
My first thought was my thesis. Bonk.
He goes on to explain, “My wife is OBSESSED with food blogs and she was looking through some the other day when your blog popped up…I recognized your photo in the right-hand corner. She said you worked at a dialysis unit…in Columbus…and I just knew it was you!”
If that’s the closest I ever get to “fame”, I’m okay with it. Because that was so…cool. I’ve been riding high all week! 😀 Who knew the internet was so big and yet so very, very small?
Anyhoodles. Food. Soup. Yes, please!
If I’m being perfectly honest, I decided to make this recipe because of what I had on hand. Long ago, I purchase red curry paste. It’s easy to find in the ethnic foods aisle of grocers, and it’s not expensive…but, I never used it a second time. After traveling to Thailand last summer, I fell in love with lemongrass. Now when I see lemongrass (usually at Whole Foods or Meijer), I have to pick some up. I wrap it up in plastic wrap and freeze it until I need it. Which, this so happens to be the first (second?) recipe I’ve used lemongrass in…and I have 6 more stalks in my freezer.
I like to think collecting odd-ball ingredients and hoarding them suffices as a hobby. Because, um, I really enjoy it!
Rockin Red Curry Shrimp Soup slightly adapted from Nutritionella
1 Tbsp peanut oil
3 Tbsp red curry paste
1 (13.5 oz) can light coconut milk
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 stalk (6-inches) lemongrass
3 serrano peppers, pierced with a fork
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
5 oz thin noodles (I used vermicelli…but angel hair, udon, or soba noodles will work great)
1 bunch bok choy, leaves removed and sliced into thin sticks
1lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lime, cut into quarters
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
Directions:
Heat peanut oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Mash red curry paste into hot oil until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Whisk in coconut milk, chicken stock, and brown sugar. Add crushed lemongrass stalk and serrano peppers. Increase heat to medium-high, bring to a boil. Add potato and noodles. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add baby bok choy, cooking for 5 more minutes.
Add shrimp and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until no longer opaque. Remove lemongrass and serranos from soup. Serve garnished with cilantro and lime wedge.
Yield: 4 servings (about 2 cups each).
Nutrition Information (per serving): 415 calories; 12.5 g. fat; 150 mg. cholesterol; 332 mg. sodium; 42 g. carbohydrate; 2.8 g. fiber; 30.5 g. protein
Result: This was a flavorful, filling soup with a touch of sweetness and a touch of spiciness (but doable for the heat weenies, too!). This meal comes together in about 25 minutes and is full of protein, making it more substantial than some soups. Mr. Prevention could detect the coconut in this dish (oops), so he wasn’t the biggest fan. I, however, loved it! Enjoy!
[/print_this]Don’t forget to enter to win one of three great heart-healthy giveaway items: a cookbook, coconut oil and flour, and kids’ plates to teach balanced eating!
Workout, clinic, teach. Is it the weekend yet?!
Be well,
I love it when that happens!! Although, it’s only happened to me once, and it was a young RD student who ran into me at work. I felt “famous” for just a few seconds.
Nicole, this soup looks AWESOME!!! I’m loving the curry and shrimp combination. I love all of your shrimp dishes and still have your shrimp korma on my “hand-written-non-pinterest-to-make-list”!
I love the flavor of lemongrass but I never have bought it because I knew I wouldn’t be able to use all of it. Thanks for the freezing tip.
Your first celebrity sighting! That’s awesome. 🙂
I always have thai curry paste in my fridge…it’s a staple in my life. This soup sounds absolutely wonderful…definitely going to be made. Perhaps with tofu or beans in lieu of shrimp.
That’s a cool story!
I love shrimp curry…sounds delicious!
And I love the story about your food blog. You’re famous. 🙂
Those “big internet, small world” moments are always a bit surreal, aren’t they?! Very cool!
Wow, this looks fantastic!
Once, I was at Sweet Tomatoes and I saw a girl taking food pics. Long story short, I asked her if she blogged and told her I did. Well, she recognized me and read my blog! It made my day! 🙂
I love red curry shrimp AND I have red curry paste in the fridge. It’s like it was meant to be.
I am all over that curry soup! It’s funny – last week at WW I had the same thing happen to me.
I was late to my meeting, weighed in, lost 3 pounds – woot! then went to my leader to hand her my weekly recipe – for shrimp cocktail. I told her she could just hand them out to the next meeting when she said “all these people are new so let’s hand it out to them.”
At the bottom of my recipe I put: “for more healthy recipes, check out http://mybizzykitchen.com.”
I was about to get up to leave when one of the newbies said “wait, what??!! you are My Bizzy Kitchen?? I’ve been reading you for over a year.” Then she said the funniest thing: “I can’t believe I am talking to you!”
So cool! You’re famous. 🙂
This soup sounds perfect. Im obsessed with red curry. I bought a giant container of red curry paste and I just can’t get enough of it.
That’s awesome! I live in a small town and I write once a month for the paper so occasionally(read: very rarely. haha) someone will recognize me and say something. I’m pretty self conscious but it’s still cool 😀
I am loving the shrimp soups lately too. I really need to break out my little jar of red curry paste, this looks delicious!
You’re famous! And you should be because your food always looks delicious.
This looks awesome! I love Thai food and hooray for under 500 calories!
Of course you’re famous….you are AWESOME!! Love all the photo and food styling in these pics, just gorgeous. You reminded me that I have red curry paste, and I might have to add this soup to my to-do list! I’ve been intrigued to work with lemongrass…so this might get my hungry butt to buy it already!!!!!
Just made this soup – delicious! Perhaps I’ll include lemongrass and thai basil in my garden again this summer.
Awesome story! And lovely soup. Just my style 🙂 I want some now!