Curry with Peas and Broccoli Rabe

CURRY AND OUR HEALTH with John Bagnulo and Jan Buhrman

Curry is a popular dish in our cooking classes due to its delicious flavor and health benefits. Turmeric, ginger, and garlic are key ingredients for both taste and well-being. This dish is a curry with wild shrimp and broccoli rabe. It can be made with various proteins, such as chicken, beef, or seafood. And once you nail it, you will be making it all the time! 

Curry, particularly due to its turmeric and the active compound curcumin, may offer several health benefits. These potential advantages include reduced inflammation, improved cognitive function, and a possible decrease in the risk of certain chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. Using turmeric in conjunction with a source of fat, like oil or coconut milk, or black pepper, can further enhance curcumin absorption.

Health benefits aside, it's affordable, straightforward, and delicious.

The curry lentil soup recipe is a personal favorite, and I've included it too.

John Bagnulo's notes on gut health are included, as this recipe is featured explicitly in our Gut Health series.

FROM JOHN BAGNULO
More than half of Americans over the age of 40 describe their digestive health as an area of

concern due to regular symptoms or an underlying condition. This is one of the main reasons

why we felt so strongly about offering an intensive, immersion program devoted to helping

participants find true digestive wellness and gut health over 5 days. Our program is unique in

the way the meals served, recipes taught, and scientific lectures presented provide a level of

synergy not found elsewhere. This immersion experience is a one-of-a-kind course that offers

tremendous insight into what’s necessary to restore or build optimal digestion and gut health.

75% of the body’s immune system lies within 2 cm of the digestive tract lining. When things are

not going well in that environment, the effects spill over into every facet of our health. There’s

an increasing awareness around inflammation and its role in chronic disease. What most

people fail to recognize is how much of that inflammation results from issues in the digestive

tract or imbalances within the microbiome. In most cases, that ecosystem has a far greater

influence on our health and the trajectory of aging than our genetics ever will. A permeable gut

lining, an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, or the inability of our immune system to

accurately identify a specific protein in our diet can change the quality of our life dramatically.

Experience a true revelation in your understanding of what you can eat to feel your best. You

will learn how to identify those foods that disrupt your microbiome and how to navigate the

myriad of misinformation around plant-based diets. 

More importantly, you will discover how to eat for your health and not someone else’s when you join us for a Gut Health Retreat. It’s incredible and fun.   

Curry with Wild Shrimp, Broccoli Rabe, and Peas

The two most basic and easy to understand guiding principles of health are to avoid what

causes illness and to seek what nourishes. Nothing could be more accurate in terms of how we

approach gut health. Every recipe contains foods or ingredients that range from generally well

tolerated to essential for better digestion and/or a balanced microbiome. This is the case with

both of these recipes.

Wild shrimp are a great source of many micronutrients, along with an exceptional quality of

protein. Importantly, aside from a shellfish allergy, shrimp are compatible with good digestion

and do not cause any inflammation or detrimental changes. In addition, steamed or sautéed

shrimp are incredibly easy to digest in comparison to other sources of protein. Of course, every

protein has its own unique set of qualifying criteria. Shrimp should ideally be wild. There are

some excellent options available, and one of the best is from Bornstein Seafoods. Wild, North

Pacific shrimp is one of their specialties, and it’s one of the best frozen, peeled shrimp products

available.

Rice and peas, especially when cooled to some extent, are among the best sources of resistant

starch. This type of starch, which occurs when certain foods cool after cooking, is unique in the

way that it feeds and ultimately builds healthy populations of important gut bacteria. Bacteria

that produce the essential short-chain fatty acid n-butyrate are considered some of the more

essential microbial families to human health. These n-butyrate producers need resistant starch

to survive and to generate this essential source of energy for much of our physiology. In

addition, n-butyrate is anti-inflammatory. Most Americans get too much of their overall

carbohydrate from sugars and less resistant sources of starch. Peas also contain significant

amounts of soluble and/or fermentable fiber that supports a host of other beneficial gut

microbes. Rice and pea allergies are almost non-existent, and neither caus any level of increased

gut permeability or inflammation.

Broccoli rabe is more representative of what wild broccoli would taste like. It’s full of flavor,

beneficial phytonutrients such as sulfurophane, as well as fermentable fiber, potassium, and

magnesium. If you add adequate salt to this vegetable and do not overcook it, it will be enjoyed

by almost everyone. It is considered one of the most nutrient-dense, medicinal vegetables

available today. Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, is a green cruciferous vegetable with edible leaves, buds, and stems; the buds somewhat resemble broccoli. It is known for its bitter taste and is particularly associated with Mediterranean cuisine. It is a particularly rich dietary source of vitamin K. Each cup provides:  Calcium: 108 mg; Folate (B9):  83 μg Iron: 2.14 mg; Magnesium: 5% 22 mg;  Potassium: 196 mg

Wild Shimp with Curry, Broccoli Rabe, and Peas  Serves 4

2 tablespoons of oil - either coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil.

 About one cup of onion or leek (½ yellow onion, or one leek, or one cup shallot), small dice 

2” piece of fresh ginger or 1 tablespoon dried ginger  - this is optional

1-3 tablespoons of Indian curry powder or Thai Curry Paste ( to your taste) 

One can use coconut milk - look for Native Forest Simple, which has one ingredient (coconut) 

2 pounds medium (16/20 per pound) Wild Shrimp 

1 pound broccoli Rabe

1 pound frozen peas or fresh sugar snap peas

2 cups cooked Jasmine Rice - serve at room temperature 

• Heat olive oil or coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

  Add chopped onion, leeks or shallots. 

  Cook until the onion becomes translucent (about 5 minutes). 

  Grate  (this ingredient is optional)  1 tablespoon of fresh ginger over the onions or use ginger powder.

  Reduce the heat to medium. Add curry powder or paste and cook for another minute. Then add canned coconut milk. Mix well.

  This is your basic curry sauce.
  You can add any of these to add flavor:

  Sliced green onions, chopped basil, cilantro or mint, seven ounces canned chopped tomatoes, two tablespoons lime juice. 

  Pour half the sauce over blanched or steamed vegetables 

  This dish comes together very quickly at the end. 

  Serve it with room-temperature rice. 

  Top with sautéed shrimp.

To cook Broccoli rabe, bring 3 cups of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of sea salt. Drop the broccoli rabe in the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. 

Serve immediately.

Steam the fresh peas, by adding one cup of water and one tablespoon of salt to a pan and bringing to a boil. Add one pound of peas to the boiling water and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and serve.

If using frozen peas, add them to the hot, simmering sauce and let the peas warm through. They will be ready to serve in less than a minuteTo cook the shrimp, sauté in a large skillet on the stovetop. The skillet should be large enough to hold the shrimp in a single layer or cook them in batches—heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Sprinkle the shrimp lightly with curry powder and a pinch of salt. Place the shrimp in the pan and cook them on each side. Cook on medium-high heat, flipping once they start to change color. Cook each side for about 60-90 seconds, or for a total of about 2-3 minutes. 

Once mastered, you can use roasted vegetables like butternut squash or sweet potatoes, and cauliflower. Grilled chicken or beef, and baked fish are all lovely with this sauce over rice.Topped with sliced green onions or cilantro or for lots of pop- lightly sautéed red and yellow peppers!

Curry Lentil Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion chopped

4 cloves garlic, grated

2 teaspoons ginger grated

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

3 carrots cut into discs

1 pound sweet potatoes cut into bite-size chunks (1”) 

6 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth or more if needed

1 can organic, simple coconut milk (optional- add more stock or the coconut milk)

1 can (15 ounces) organic  tomatoes

1 cup dried lentils green or brown

8 ounces kale or spinach, chopped

Juice of lime and cilantro for garnish 

Sea salt and pepper to taste

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. 

Add the onion and a teaspoon of sea salt and cook until soft, about 6 minutes.

Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, and turmeric and cook, stirring, until fragrant, for about 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, carrots,  lentils, water, coconut milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a slow simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes. If your soup is too thick, stir in 1/2 to 1 cup more stock or coconut milk or water to reach your desired consistency.

Season to taste with salt and pepper

Just before serving ( 4-5 minutes) add the kale or spinach as soon as it is wilted. Top each dish with cilantro and lime juice.