Shrimp is one of my go-to ingredients to have on hand for a quick meal. I always have a few pounds of it tucked away in the freezer ready to make an appetizer or meal at a moment's notice. Shrimp is ideal because it cooks quickly and most people love it.
This dish rocks in all categories: ease of preparation, ready in under 30 minutes and, of course, taste.
What also makes this dish easy is using fresh Chinese- or Japanese-style noodles. Either variety works in this recipe, and they cook in less than 5 minutes. Look for them in the produce section of most grocery stores, sold in 9-ounce packages.
Tips:
For an even quicker dish, use already cooked frozen shrimp. Thaw the shrimp first and season as directed in the recipe. Cook them just to heat through.
Substitute any thin cooked pasta in place of the Asian noodles.
Cook the vegetables with the noodles during the last two minutes of cooking time. That saves time and cooks them so they are crisp-tender.
This dish can be served hot or cold.
Spicy Shrimp and Noodles
9 ounces fresh Chinese-style noodles
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups snow peas
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined
Salt and ground black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
6 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced separately, divided use
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 or 2 teaspoons cornstarch, optional (see note)
Cook the noodles according to package directions. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli and snow peas. Drain and set aside.
Place the shrimp in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, paprika and red pepper flakes. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and opaque. Sprinkle with the ginger and green onion slices. Toss to coat.
In a large serving bowl or dish, combine all the sauce ingredients. Add the cooked noodles to the vegetables and shrimp. Toss to coat the shrimp and noodles with the sauce and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Note: For a thicker sauce, whisk 1 or 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into the sauce and heat over medium heat until it's thickened. The sauce can be used for any stir-fry dish or as a dipping sauce or marinade.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 393 calories, 33 g protein, 8 g fat, 47 g carbohydrate (7 g sugar), 200 mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 3.
Food on 02/10/2016