Weekend Herb Blogging: Spicy Stir-Fried Shrimp with Hot and Sour Salad

It's Weekend Herb Blogging again. Well, almost. Kayln, who started this event, is marvelously flexible about when we can post our recipe.  So, here is mine, a day early. I'm hoping that I won't have much time to spend at the computer tomorrow because the forecast is that it won't rain until evening. If so, I might be able to do some gardening. It didn't rain today. The sun came out and it was wonderful.  I was so pleased I decided to celebrate by cooking shrimp.  That's better than when I celebrate by eating a pint of ice cream or a huge sandwich dripping with mayo. I made a low fat meal of stir-fried shrimp with hot and sour salad.  The shrimp were good, but the salad was delicious.  The seasonings are similar to Vietnamese chicken salad, but this salad was meatless, with a tangy dressing and grapefruit sections.  I seem to use the same herbs each week.  I'm impressed with the hard to find or obscure herbs that many of the other weekend herb bloggers use.  As for me--I'm afraid it's cilantro and mint once again. I'm surprised I didn't find a way to work basil in there too.  Go to Kalyn's site  this weekend and see all the other herb bloggers in action. 

I enjoyed this salad a great deal, but I made one change.  The recipe calls for two cups of whole cilantro and mint leaves, which looks very pretty. However, I tasted the salad and decided it was better to tear most of the leaves into smaller pieces and retain a small amount of the whole leaves for decoration. The torn leaves distributed the flavor better throughout the salad.  The dressing has no oil in it at all. But, because of that you must serve the salad as soon as you mix the dressing into it. 

Spicy Shrimp Stir-Fry  (Martha Stewart Living)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 garlic cloves minced

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

3/4 teaspoon sugar

4 scallions, white and pale green parts only, sliced diagonally (about 1/4 cup)

Heat oil in wok or medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.  Add garlic, cook stirring constantly, cook until golden about 1 minute.

Add shrimp, cook stirring occasionally untill the shrimp are no longer opaque, about 5 minutes.  Add pepper, salt and sugar, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Stir in scallions. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with more scallions and serve with lime wedges.

Hot And Sour Salad  (Martha Stewart Living)

For the Dressing

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
2 teaspoons grated fresh peeled ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

For the salad

1 small napa cabbage, (about 12 ounces) cored and shredded

1/2 cup snow peas, thinly sliced diagonally

1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, cut into segments with a sharp knife

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

2 pink grapefruits, peel and pith removed, carved into segments with a sharp knife

3 scallions, white and pale green part, cut diagonally into small pieces

1.    Make the dressing. Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, ginger, sugar, garlic, and chile in a nonreactive bowl.

2.     Make the salad. Toss together cabbage, herbs, snow peas, bell pepper, grapefruits, and scallions in a large nonreactive bowl. Just before serving, add dressing and toss well.

Comments

[Shannon]

This looks so good and sooooo much healthier than what I had for lunch today to celebrate my job interview: pizza. Yep, pizza again. I'm too embarrassed to admit as much on my blog. T'mrow, I will be making this, as I love salad and adore shrimp. And eating healthy!

[MM]

This is my favourite type of salad. And you know, I have access to so many exotic herbs and spices being in Asia but I always find myself falling back on coriander and mint because they are so wonderfully versatile, fragrant and kind on the system! Good on ya!

[Karina]

What gorgeous colors!

[sher]

Shannon,

Will we hear about the job interview on your blog? I wish I could eat pizza at all. Acid reflux. Sigh. 'nuff said about that!

MM,

Yes, I have a certain taste I prefer and cilantro and mint (and fish sauce) are right at the top. And they taste so clean and refreshing.

Karina,

Thank you. That's high praise from someone who has beautiful pictures on her blog!

[kalyn]

I love the sound of this salad. The dressing sounds similar to something that I love at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, only there it's served with fried spring rolls and tiny noodles. All your food looks so good.

[sher]

Kalyn,

Thanks, I love your food!! And you're so consistant. This salad was so refreshing. The dressing is like the ones you get in a Vietnamese restaurant.