Don’t laugh, but for some reason I always though curry was a hard thing to make.

It always seemed too flavorful and complex to even try at home, for a simple little cook like me.

Read: too lazy to bother with it

I’d left it to the pros. A typical Sarah order at any Asian influenced restaurant.

If you’re shocked that I would order it out in the first place.

Is she crazy? coconut milk is so fatty.

Listen.

#1. It tastes good

#2. Saturated fat is not as bad as everyone once thought it was. Most Americans need MORE healthy, naturally occurring fats [like as in from natural thing like a coconut] to lose fat. And for brain development, and satiation. You eat less overall when you have these in your diet overall. And they make food taste good.

#3. The scarier thing in foods come from things that are packaged and have millions of ingredients, or alterations of the way the fat naturally occurs. Processed foods, for example. Or things that have had something added, taken away or modified from it’s original state. Take any cereal ingredient label and contrast it to a organic coconut milk can ingredient label and you’ll see what I mean. Simple is best, and real food is always better for you. And tastes better too.

See my theme?

Anyways, making this little baby at home was surprisingly easy, so if I can do it, you can do it.

I also have to tell you- in the spirit of “real food”, I did actually try making my own curry paste, and after a horrible night’s sleep later that night from STINGING cuticles [thank you dried chiles], I decided the taste wasn’t even worth it. The jarred paste suits me just fine, and only has a few real food ingredients in it anyways.

If you don’t like salmon, you can sub with shrimp, scallops, chicken, beef or any other meat you’d like, or just keep it plain and simple with veggies only. This is a perfect family style dish, served over quinoa or brown rice to soak up all that amazing sauce.

Butternut Squash + Salmon Curry

Makes 4 servings

4 fillets wild salmon

½ onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

1 cup butternut squash cubes

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup other veggies of your choice (carrots, cabbage, eggplant, mushrooms, green beans, snow peas, chopped in similar sizes)

Curry Sauce:

2 tablespoons red curry paste (or more or less, depending on your desired spice level)

8 ounces organic coconut milk

sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large skillet, add onion, garlic, and ginger with a bit of coconut oil or butter. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add other veggies to the pan according to thickness and cooking time. Set aside when done.

In a separate large cast iron skillet, heat a bit of coconut oil on high heat. Let warm for 2-3 minutes until very hot. Sprinkle salmon with sea salt and pepper, and place top-side down in the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Then, transfer pan to the oven for 6 minutes.

Add curry paste and coconut milk together in small pot and whisk together. Add veggies to the salmon skillet and pour the curry sauce over the top.

Sarah Adler is the owner of Simply Real Health, Inc, a healthy lifestyle company with a mission to educate, teach and inspire others to live their happiest and healthiest life. See more about her here.

This recipe is just one of over 150 amazing, easy and healthy recipes from The Simply Real Health Cookbook. On sale now!

Photos by the darling Jasmine Pulley for The Simply Real Health Cookbook. 

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