Masala Fried Shrimp and Chilled Zucchini Soup

Sticking with the summer theme of light fresh flavors, these two back-to-back recipes from the July issue of Food & Wine seemed like they’d go well together.  Made for a lovely evening of food and wine and the company of one of our favorite people in the world.

Masala Fried Shrimp

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
• 1 serrano chile, minced
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Kosher salt
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, combine the lemon juice, serrano, garam masala, cayenne, turmeric, mustard powder and coriander. Add the shrimp and toss to coat.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until deeply golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the shrimp, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until curled and white throughout, about 2 minutes. Stir in the scallions and cilantro. Transfer the shrimp to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Just a note, I got a particularly hot serrano at the store so I cut the amount by half.  I also mixed some fat-free Greek yogurt with Vindaloo spices, some lemon juice and salt and pepper and served it on the side.

Chilled Zucchini Soup

Chilled Zucchini Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2/3 cup vegetable stock or low-sodium broth
• Julienned raw zucchini, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a simmer; cook until the zucchini is very soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Working in 2 batches, puree the soup in a blender until it’s silky-smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Serve it either hot or chilled, garnished with julienned zucchini.

MAKE AHEAD The soup can be refrigerated overnight.

As recommended by Food & Wine, the whole dinner works really nicely with a Sauvignon Blanc.

Delicata Squash stuffed with Kale and Sausage

Delicata Squash stuffed with Kale and Sausage

Despite the fact that San Francisco is giving us gorgeous summer weather in November, our food cravings have been shifting in the autumnal direction lately.  I’ve never met a squash I didn’t like, so when we discovered the delicata variety, we couldn’t help but give it a try.  As it turns out, though it’s considered a winter squash, it belongs to the same species as the summer squashes, so it worked as an appropriate seasonal bridge for our summer in November.

We were a little unsure about just what to do with them but a quick Google search acquainted us with Mountain Mama Cooks and this delicious recipe with kale and sausage.   Mmmmm kale.  Mmmmmm sausage.

The great thing is this recipe makes enough for 8 servings and they’re guilt free.  After plugging all the ingredients into the handy dandy Weight Watchers Recipe Builder, the verdict is 5, count ’em, FIVE points per serving.  The leftovers are packed up and waiting to brighten our Monday afternoon lunch breaks.

By the way, don’t throw away the seeds, we roasted them with some Savory Spice Shop Thai green curry powder and snacked on them while dinner was in the oven.

Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 5 points per serving

Ingredients

• 2 medium delicata squash, halved and seeded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb Italian style ground turkey
• 3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped (3 peppers, not 3 cans)
• 1  onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon of dried sage
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bunch kale, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon cooking sherry
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup grated part skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (optional)

Instructions

1. To prepare squash, preheat oven to 375F degrees. Place halved and seeded squash on a baking sheet and drizzle with a touch of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.
2. While squash is roasting, prepare filling. In a small saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add turkey, chipotles, dried sage and onion, cooking until sausage is cooked through and onions are soft about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir sage, nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper into the sausage mixture. Add chopped kale, sherry, and water. Give a good stir and then cover pan with a lid for 3-5 minutes, stirring a few times, until kale is starting to wilt and most of the moisture has evaporated. Remove filling from the stove and let cool 10 minutes.
3. Lastly stir in both cheese and taste, adjusting seasoning if necessary.
4. Split the mixture among the 4 divided squash and top with a tablespoon of breadcrumbs if desired. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes until filling is heated through and squash is completely cooked. Remove from oven and enjoy as a meal or hearty side dish.