Recipe: Stir-fried Shrimp and Cabbage

Shrimp is quite possibly my favorite protein to cook when I want a light, low-calorie, easy to cook meal. I know that the week before Christmas is a strange time to get focused on healthy eating, but I’m often a little out of synch with the rest of the world. I can tell from my blog stats that everyone else has cookies on their minds. Hopefully I can continue to fend off the sugar, except for a little treat on Christmas. But I wouldn’t put my money on it.

Stir-fried Shrimp and Cabbage is a simple dish flavored with ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. The cabbage kind of acts as a substitute for rice. This dish is very low-carb and gluten-free (use a gluten-free soy sauce). Some red pepper flakes spice it up a little. Sriracha sauce could be used instead.

Best thing about this dish- only around 200 calories per serving!

Stir-fried Shrimp and Cabbage

• 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons medium dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 head Napa cabbage, shredded
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•  1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/3  cup diagonally cut green onions

1. In a small bowl, combine first 6 ingredients and whisk together.
2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add  1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon peanut oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add shrimp and stir fry 1 minute. Add ginger and garlic and stir fry another minute. Add broth mixture to pan and bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until mixture thickens and shrimp are cooked through. Empty contents of pan into a bowl and keep warm.
3. Add remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon peanut oil to the skillet. Add cabbage and stir fry 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and soy sauce and remove from heat.
4. To serve, divide cabbage between 4 plates, top with shrimp and green onions.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe Source: Adapted from Cooking Light November 2011