Shrimp stir-fry with cashews
The natural flavor of shrimp enhanced with cashew nuts, without the need for heavy sauces, is the style of cooking in Suzhou, China. Jin Wen Yuan is a trained chef and businessman in this charming area of China. He prepared this dish for my friend Joanna Preuss on her recent trip there. I’ve adapted the recipe for this quick dinner.
Here are some of her cooking tips for successful wok cooking:
■ Prepare and then line up the ingredients before you cook.
■ Preheat the wok or skillet before adding oil, so it sizzles when ingredients are added.
Helpful hints:
■ Just barely cover the cashews with water when completing the dish.
■ Look for raw or unsalted cashew nuts.
■ Frozen snow peas can be used if fresh are not available.
Countdown:
■ Prepare all ingredients.
■ Make snow peas and rice.
■ Make shrimp dish.
Shopping list:
To buy:
3/4 pound peeled and deveined shrimp,
1 package unsalted cashews,
1 bottle sesame oil,
1 small bunch scallions,
1 package snow peas (12 ounces needed) and 1 package microwaveable brown rice.
Staples: egg, sugar, cornstarch, salt and black peppercorns.
STIR-FRY SHRIMP AND CASHEWS
1 egg white, beaten
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 teaspoons sesame oil, divided use 3/4 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
2 1/2-ounces unsalted
cashews (about 1/2 cup)
2 scallions, including green parts, chopped, divided use (about ⅓ cup)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
Beat egg white and cornstarch together in a medium-size bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to evenly coat shrimp. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until hot. Add 2 teaspoons sesame oil and shrimp and stir-fry 1-2 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the cashews, half of the scallions, the sugar, salt and enough water to just cover the nuts; cover with a lid and steam 1-2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the wok. Stir to combine ingredients. Drizzle remaining oil and scallions on top and serve.
Yield 2 servings
Per serving: 427 calories (49 percent from fat), 23.6 g fat (4.3 g saturated,12.2 g monounsaturated), 276 cholesterol, 41.5 g protein, 15.9 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber, 240 mg sodium.
SNOW PEAS AND RICE
(about 8 ounces) 1 package microwaveable brown rice (to make 1 1/2cups cooked) 1 teaspoons sesame oil Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Place snow peas in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 2 minutes. Remove from microwave. Add the brown rice to the microwave and cook according to package instructions.
Remove and measure 1 1/2 cups cooked rice. Save remaining rice for another meal. Add rice to snow peas along with sesame oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss well.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 245 calories (14 percent from fat), 3.9 g fat (0.8 g saturated, 1.5 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 6.8 g protein, 45.9 g carbohydrates, 4.8 g fiber, 11 mg sodium. Linda Gassenheimer is the author, most recently, of "The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook," "Delicious OnePot Dishes" and "Quick and Easy Chicken." Her website is dinnerinminutes.com. Follow her on Twitter @lgassenheimer.