Summery Squash Red Curry

Summer is here (although you wouldn't believe it judging by the San Diego weather lately!) and so are all of the wonderful summer vegetables I look forward to like zucchini, yellow squash and green beans. I got a great heap of them from my CSA last week so I decided to make a nice red curry to use up my veggies on one of our cool and cloudy summer days! Nothing like a bowl of curry to warm up the evening, and I love this brand of curry below, which I buy in a can at the Asian market.

Summery Squash Red Curry

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 can Kaeng Kua curry paste by Maesri

1 15 oz. can coconut milk

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced into half moons or quartered

1 yellow squash, sliced into half moons or quartered

1 large carrot, sliced diagonally

1 cup peeled & deveined shrimp (or tofu or chicken)

juice of 1 lime

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

Coarsely chopped basil leaves

Bring a large pan or dutch oven to medium heat, then add olive oil and heat. Stir fry onion until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add carrots and continue to stir fry a few more minutes. Add bell pepper and green beans and finish stir frying until onions are translucent and the rest of the vegetables are softened. Stir in coconut milk and squash. Wisk curry paste into chicken broth and add to pan. Bring to a low simmer, cover and leave for 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat, add shrimp, lime juice, fish sauce and soy sauce. If shrimp is not pre-cooked, allow to cook in hot curry for a few minutes before serving.

Garnish with basil and serve with brown jasmine rice.