by Millie Bentley
Greetings. Here is some food to warm the tummy. I came across this recipe and it was so good I thought I’d share it with you. It’s for two servings only, but one can easily expand it for four or more.
Salt & Pepper Shrimp
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage, preferably napa (about ¼ head)
1 small red or orange bell pepper, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons rice flour (see Note 1) or cornstarch
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon five-spice powder (see Note 2)
10 ounces raw shrimp (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and minced
1. Whisk lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar in a large bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Add cabbage and bell pepper; toss to combine.
2. Combine rice flour (or cornstarch), salt, pepper and five-spice powder in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring often, until they are pink and curled, 3 to 4 minutes. Add jalapeno and cook until the shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute more. Serve the slaw topped with the shrimp.
Note 1: Rice flour is made from finely milled white rice. It is often used in Asian cooking for desserts and to thicken sauces. Look for it in Asian markets or the natural-foods section of a supermarket.
Note 2. Often a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns, five-spice powder was originally considered a cure-all miracle blend encompassing the five elements (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, salty). Look for it in a supermarket spice section.
Until next time, dear Reader, vaya con Dios.
