Take Out Fake Out: Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry

After not having had Chinese food in a very long time, we got take out a couple of months ago.And were completely underwhelmed by how greasy and flavorless the food was.

So when a "take out fake out" meal like this comes together in about 30 minutes, with crunchy vegetables, perfectly snappy shrimp and a nice kick, why would you risk a mediocre dinner at the local take out place?

Not surprisingly, we upped the cayenne and used soy sauce instead of teriyaki,bur that's it. The recipe as  written was just about perfect!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
•  1 cup uncooked white rice
•  1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
•  1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
•  1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•  1 clove garlic, minced
•  1 tablespoon sesame seeds
•  1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
•  1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
•  3 green onions, sliced
•  3 tablespoons soy sauce
•  1/2 pound sugar snap peas
•  1/8 cup cornstarch
•  3/4 cup chicken broth
•  1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. While rice is simmering, combine shrimp, ginger, cayenne pepper, garlic, sesame seeds and black pepper in a large plastic food storage bag. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator.
3. Heat sesame oil in a large wok or skillet. Add red bell pepper and green onions; saute 3 to 4 minutes to soften slightly Add soy sauce. Add peas and shrimp with seasoning; saute 4 minutes or until shrimp are opaque.
4. Stir cornstarch into chicken broth and add to wok; cook, stirring until mixture boils. Sprinkle with salt. Spoon shrimp mixture over rice.

Source: All Recipes

Shrimp Jalapeno Burgers

You're going to start to think I don't like traditional beef burgers...and that's really not true. But, I do get to a point each season where I'm tired of cooking and eating the same old thing and am looking for something different.

Even after being put through a food processor, the shrimp held some of their texture and cooked up exactly like whole shrimp taste and feel. There was a nice kick from the jalapeno, and no single taste overpowered any of the others. I didn't have an avocado, so I used a little mayo on each "burger" and it added a nice amount of creaminess.

I think these would make nice sliders on small, sweet Hawaiian rolls. I think you'd get about 12 from this recipe; if I try it out, I'll let you know.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (weight after peeled)
• 1 large jalapeño, minced 
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 medium scallions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons panko 
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 4 lime wedges
• 1/2 medium avocado, sliced thin
• 4 hamburg rolls, toasted

Method:

1. Dry shrimp well with a paper towel then place them in the food processor along with jalapeño and garlic. Pulse a few times until almost pasty.
2. Combine the shrimp in a large bowl with remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.
3. Form shrimp into 4 patties.
4. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp cakes to the heated pan and cook 4 minutes without disturbing, then gently flip and cook an additional 4 minutes.
5. Serve with fresh lime juice and top with thin slices of avocado.

Source: Skinny Taste

You might also like: Herb Shrimp Scampi, Starve a Fever, Feed a Cold (Shrimp Scampi with Linguini)