Flavour Around the World

I've really been enjoying my Goodfood subscription. While I'm on Nutrisystem for convenience and because I don't have time to cook, sometimes I just want to eat something that isn't out of a package. And nothing really beats the flavour of home cooking.

I also really enjoy having the opportunity to try flavour profiles from around the world. I love North American cooking- nothing beats a sandwich, if you ask me. But sampling other cuisines for variety can be a nice break.

So while I don't get a box very often, when I do, I really enjoy it. The ingredients are already portioned and in most cases prechopped for me, so all I have to do is follow the recipe card. This flex meal is so quick and easy, just exploding with flavour and nutrients, and is definitely worth trying! And it fits right into your Nutrisystem program.


Brazilian Shrimp Moqueca (Flex Lunch):

8oz shrimp, peeled and tails removed
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1 green zucchini, cut into half moons
2 Roma tomatoes
16 oz butternut squash, peeled
1/2 cup coconut milk (full fat)
2 tsp olive oil
garlic, red pepper, paprika, salt, & pepper, to taste
fresh cilantro, to taste (optional)

Medium dice the tomatoes. If you have a food processor, run your butternut squash through it to make "rice". If not, cut into small chunks.

In a medium pot, heat 1 tsp olive oil, and add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the zucchini and tomatoes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until zucchini is beginning to soften. Add the coconut milk, raw shrimp, and spices, and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer until sauce has thickened well.

In a frying pan, heat 1 tsp olive oil. Add the butternut squash and cook over low heat until beginning to brown. If you made your squash into rice, this will stick very easily with this small amount of oil, so don't leave it unattended and stir frequently. I cooked mine over low for ten minutes until it started to brown, and then added pepper.

Divide the "rice" and moqueca between two plates and serve. Garnish with cilantro if desired. Take a bite and marvel at the amount of flavour in this meal for the amount of calories!

This yummy flex lunch counts as 1 Powerfuel (shrimp, but you could substitute any protein you like. Tofu makes it vegan!), 1 SmartCarb (butternut squash, but feel free to use brown rice if you prefer), and 3 extras for the coconut milk and olive oil plus lots of unlimited veggies. You do have to use full fat coconut milk or the sauce won't reduce properly. Given how low the calorie count of the meal as prepared (320 calories), I think it's well worth using your extras for. Likewise, I cut olive oil when I can, but this is the minimum amount you can really use to make the recipe work. When you take a bite of this, I think you'll agree that it's worth spending your extras on!