medium medium onion onion, thinly sliced

1.

small small carrot carrot, peeled and grated

1.

large red large red bell pepper bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced

1.

cup cup chicken stock chicken stock

1.

cup canned cup canned unsweetened coconut milk unsweetened coconut milk

Hot sauce (optional) (optional)

Place a large pot of water with a tight-fitting lid over high heat and bring it to a boil. Add some salt and the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta thoroughly and reserve.

While the water is coming up to a boil for the pasta, start the shrimp and pork balls. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the scallions, half of the grated ginger, half of the chopped serrano or jalapeno pepper, the garlic, 3 tablespoons of the tamari, half of the cilantro and basil, and the lime zest. Pulse for 30 seconds, scrape down the bowl, and then process 1 minute, or until finely ground. Add the shrimp and pork and process until the shrimp are ground into small pieces and the mixture is well combined but not so fine that it becomes a paste, about 1 minute.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet with 4 tablespoons of the oil. With wet palms, roll the shrimp-pork mixture into walnut-size balls and add to the hot skillet as you go. Don't move the balls until they are brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn the balls and continue to cook, browning on all sides until cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes.

While the shrimp and pork balls and pasta are cooking, start the coconut curry sauce for the noodles. Preheat a large skillet or soup pot over medium heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the coriander, cumin, and curry powder and toast the spices for about 30 seconds in the hot oil. Add the onions, carrot, bell pepper, the remaining ginger and serrano or jalapeno pepper, and the 2 chopped garlic cloves. Add a little more oil to the pan if it starts to look dry. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any spices that might be sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook the mixture, for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, and the remaining tablespoon of tamari and bring it up to a bubble, then gently simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lime juice and taste and adjust for seasoning with either more tamari or a little salt. If you want a bit more spice, hit it with some hot sauce. Add the cooked drained noodles and the remaining cilantro and basil. Toss to combine. Divide the coconut curried noodles among 4 shallow bowls and top with the shrimp and pork balls.

EXPRESS LANE SHOPPING LIST.

- [image]1 bunch scallions scallions - [image]3-inch piece fresh ginger fresh ginger - [image]1 serrano or jalapeno pepper serrano or jalapeno pepper - [image]1 bunch fresh cilantro cilantro - [image]1 bunch fresh basil basil - [image]1 pound medium shrimp shrimp - [image]1 pound ground pork ground pork - [image]1 large red bell pepper bell pepper - [image]1 15-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk unsweetened coconut milk And make sure you have the following On Hand: - Salt - Long-cut pasta, the thinnest type you have - Garlic - Tamari - Lime - Vegetable oil - Ground coriander - Ground cumin - Curry powder - Onion - Carrot - Chicken stock - Hot sauce (optional)

Ginger-Orange Roasted Carrot Soup with Spicy Shrimp Why roast the carrots? Well let me tell you, a roasted carrot will kick a boiled carrot's you know what, any day. That's why.

4 SERVINGS.

1.

pound pound carrots carrots, peeled and sliced into -inch-thick disks

5.

tablespoons tablespoons EVOO EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), plus some for drizzling (extra-virgin olive oil), plus some for drizzling

Salt and and black pepper black pepper

1.

orange orange

1.

teaspoon teaspoon hot sauce hot sauce (eyeball it) (eyeball it)

12.

large shrimp large shrimp, shelled, deveined, and butterflied (see Note)

2.

medium medium onions onions, thinly sliced

2-inch piece fresh ginger fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2.

large large garlic cloves garlic cloves, chopped

1.

teaspoon teaspoon curry powder curry powder, palmful

1.

quart quart chicken stock chicken stock .

cup fresh cup fresh flat-leaf parsley flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful, chopped

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Put the carrot disks on a cookie sheet, drizzle them with a little EVOO, and season them with salt and pepper. Toss the carrots around to make sure they are well coated. Spread in an even layer then roast them for 15 minutes, or until they are tender and the bottoms are browned. Stir the carrots at least twice while they roast so they cook evenly. Zest the orange and reserve.

In a shallow dish, combine the juice of half of the orange with the hot sauce, 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, and a little salt. Add the shrimp and toss to coat; set aside for a few minutes.

Preheat a soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, twice around the pan. Add the onions, ginger, garlic, curry powder, and salt and pepper to the pot and cook until the onions are tender and lightly colored, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If you find the onions are browning before they are getting tender, add a splash of water. Transfer the cooked onions to a blender or food processor, where they can wait for the carrots to finish roasting. Return the soup pot to the cooktop, add the chicken stock, and bring it up to a simmer.

When the carrots are roasted, transfer them to the blender or food processor where the onions are patiently waiting. Add a little ladle of the hot chicken stock and puree until the vegetables are smooth. Start by pulse-grinding the mixture to get it going and then let 'er rip. Add more hot stock, bit by bit, until it incorporates. Careful, sometimes when blending hot things the blender or food processor top is not tight enough and you can get splashed: put a kitchen towel over the lid for extra safety. (Hot carrot puree is not a home facial technique!) Add the carrot-onion puree to the bubbling stock and stir to combine, then let the soup gently simmer while you cook the shrimp.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining tablespoon of EVOO. Drain the shrimp and cook them on each side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cooked through. Add the parsley and toss.

Check the soup consistency. If you want it thicker let it simmer a little bit longer; if you want it less thick, add a couple splashes of chicken stock to thin it out. Add the orange zest, stir it to combine, then taste and check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper.

Ladle some soup into shallow serving bowls and arrange 3 shrimp in the center of each bowl, standing up if you can manage it.

Note: To butterfly the shrimp, using a paring knife run your knife lengthwise along where the vein was removed, just shy of cutting through. Once cooked, the shrimp will open like a butterfly and be able to sit upright in the soup.EXPRESS LANE SHOPPING LIST - [image]1 orange orange - [image]12 large shrimp large shrimp - [image]2-inch piece fresh ginger fresh ginger And make sure you have the following On Hand: - Carrots - EVOO - Salt and black pepper - Hot sauce - Onions - Garlic - Curry powder - Chicken stock - Flat-leaf parsley

Curry Spiced Turkey Meatballs over Lemon Rice This one is for Howard Stern. Howard loves the ground turkey. Here ya go, baby!