Pumpkin Shrimp Curry with Butternut Squash

This dish turned out awesome. And it was a lot easier to make than I was expecting. The longest part was roasting the butternut squash, so if you're a planner and get that done ahead of time, it will be a breeze to make this curry up. 

And, it's such a great fall dish. It's warm and spicy, perfect for enjoying in a cold house! Iowa weather has been teasing us lately. There have been a few frosts, and a few days where it was in the high 40s. But, those are interspersed with sunshine-y 70 degree days. In November! I don't think I've ever experienced a 70 degree day in November before. And, let me tell you, it throws me off. 

Do I make the warm and cozy curry? Or, wait for an actually cold day?

Well, turns out, I had a bit of pumpkin left over (remember the pumpkin soup in a pumpkin, anyone?). So, I'm making curry! This is a great way to use up left over pumpkin. It makes the curry thick, and creamy. Of course, you can use canned pumpkin as well, for a shortcut if you don't have extra roasted pumpkin hanging around.

When I first started simmering this, I thought it looked a little off-color. Not as vibrant as I was expecting. Then I realized, I forgot to add the curry powder. That will make a difference! Don't forget the curry powder!

The left over pumpkin pureed surprisingly well! I was expecting a grainier texture, maybe with a few strings too. But, it came out perfectly smooth. Just like from a can!

The final key to making this curry taste awesome? The garnishes! That's some lime zest, there.

And some browned shallots here. (But, to be honest, I don't think it needs the browned shallots at all. I thought the lime zest was much more flavorful). Alternatively, I think some cashews on top would taste great too.

Pumpkin Shrimp Curry with Butternut Squash
Adapted from Bon Appetit


2 TBSP olive oil
1 c chopped onion
1 TBSP minced ginger
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 1/2 c pureed, roasted pumpkin, or 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (careful not to use pumpkin pie filling)
2 c vegetable broth
1 c lite, unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)
1 c butternut squash, roasted and diced
1 lb frozen shrimp, tails removed
Juice of 1 lime
Brown rice
Lime zest
Fried shallots (optional)

Start by getting your brown rice cooking (1 cup brown rice to 2 cups boiling water. Cover. Simmer.) and your butternut squash roasting (400 degrees, for about 30 minutes. I cubed the squash first).

While the brown rice is cooking and the squash is roasting, heat oil in large frying pan. Add onion and ginger and cook briefly. Add garlic, continue to cook until fragrant. Add tomato and pumpkin puree and stir. Cook, stirring frequently until pumpkin is golden brown, about 10 minutes. (Note: I think I cheated on this step and didn't really cook the pumpkin that much).

Add vegetable broth, coconut milk, curry powder (don't forget this!) and cayenne pepper. Simmer, about 20 minutes.

While this is simmering, defrost the frozen shrimp under warm water.

Add squash, shrimp, and lime juice. Continue to simmer until everything is heated through.

Serve over brown rice and garnish with plenty of lime zest and fried shallots, if desired.

Black Bean Tostada

Tostadas are one of my favorite quick and easy dinners. They don't take much time to throw together at all. My favorite part? Piling lots of veggies like spinach and tomatoes on top!

Probably the longest part of throwing a tostada together is cooking the rice. And, you could always leave it out if you're in a time crunch. I like to use brown rice, which takes longer to cook, so I always get that going first, before doing anything else. 

This time, instead of using plain brown rice, I turned it into Mexican Rice. I used leftover fajitas from dinner the night before (brilliance!) and chopped the peppers and onions into tiny pieces. (If you don't happen to have leftover fajitas, just finely chop some fresh peppers, onion, and maybe a bit of tomato). Then I cooked the rice in vegetable broth and added some extra ground cumin. 

While the rice is simmering away on the stove, you have time to get everything else together. For me, this means opening and rinsing a can of black beans and warming them up with some spices, cooking chicken (if you're using meat, which is certainly not necessary because the beans have enough protein), chopping veggies, shredding some cheese and making the tortillas crispy.

I also like to make the guacamole from scratch. It tastes way better than buying from the store or even using the seasoning packets. I'll share the super-secret recipe I learned from my husband below!

There are a few different ways to get the tortillas crispy. If you're making more than 2 tostadas, it's most efficient to throw them all on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven until crispy. That way, you can get them all done at the same time. When it's just the two of us, though sometimes my husband and I will heat them in a frying pan on each side until crispy. We used a bit of olive oil this time and it gives a really nice crunch. But, for a lower calorie option, I don't think the oil is necessary at all, you can skip it and just heat the tortillas in a dry, hot pan.

By the time the rice is done, all your toppings should be prepared and ready to go! Let everyone construct their own tostada and dinner's ready!

Black Bean Tostadas

For the Mexican Rice

3/4 c uncooked short grain brown rice

1 1/2 c vegetable broth (or water if you don't have broth around)

1/2 c finely chopped green pepper

1/4 c minced onion

1/2 c finely chopped tomato

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Boil water or broth in medium-sized saucepan. Then add rice, chopped vegetables, and cumin. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until rice is done, about 30-40 minutes.

For the Black Bean Tostada

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 chicken breast, chopped (optional)

1 TBSP taco seasoning

1 tsp ground cumin

1 garlic clove, minced

3 handfuls fresh spinach, chopped

1 tomato, diced

1/2 c shredded cheese (cheddar or monterey jack, or a combo)

2 tortillas (corn or flour)

olive oil

While rice is simmering, begin to prepare the ingredients for the tostada. Start by heating a few glugs of olive oil in a frying pan. Add garlic and spices and stir until fragrant (about 1 minute). Then brown the chicken, if using. Add the drained beans and a bit of water. Continue to stir until everything is cooked and heated through. I like to squish some of the beans with the back of a wooden spoon to thicken things up a bit.

Chop the spinach and tomato. Shred the cheese.

To crisp the tortillas, heat a frying pan and cook one tortilla at a time, about 2 minutes on each side, or until crispy. (Alternatively, heat over to 400 degrees, and place all tortillas on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, flipping the tortillas halfway through, until crispy).

For the Secret Guacamole

2 ripe avocados

3/4 c medium spicy salsa

1/2 c chopped cilantro

juice from one lime

salt and pepper, to taste

Peel and chop the avocados. Mix with fork (or potato masher) in medium-sized bowl until avocado is more smooth and less chunky. Be sure to leave a few chunks of avocado, though. Stir in the salsa, cilantro and lime. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. 

To assemble the tostada: Start with a crispy tortilla. Smear on the bean mixture. Add a few spoonfuls of rice on top of that. Pile spinach, tomatoes, and cheese on top. Dollop some guacamole on top.