Meatless Monday

Recently the kids and I have been talking about eating vegetarian meals more often, and we decided to drag Andy along with us. We're starting off very slow and easy, with Meatless Mondays. And for now, by "meatless" we mean no beef, pork, lamb, or poultry, but we're allowing seafood. I don't want it to turn into Plate Full of Pasta Mondays, and I'm not sure my kids (and husband) are ready for legumes, so we're taking baby steps.

Will you join us? We're aiming to get a little healthier while we do our part for the planet. Read more here.

Tonight was our first Meatless Monday, and I found an interesting recipe in my ever-expanding accordion file. I can't recall where I clipped it, but a little Googling suggests it might have been from Bon Appétit (although I can't find it on the Epicurious site). It's reportedly a signature dish at the Yang Chow restaurant in L.A.'s Chinatown. What I can tell you is that it was delicious! We ate it all. However, that single teaspoon of cayenne really went a long way toward burning our lips and tongues off, especially the kids. Next time I will try it with about half as much cayenne. But the texture of the shrimp, after being coated in cornstarch and then quickly fried, was luscious. The sauce came together so quickly it was more like a chemistry experiment than cooking, and all I needed to serve alongside it was some sticky white rice and a salad. I wish I'd taken a photo, because it looked very sexy—sort of like General Gau's shrimp (or chicken). All in all it was a very successful inaugural Meatless Monday chez Verbatim.

Make sure you have everything ready to go before you start—it all happens fast.

Slippery Shrimp

2 lbs uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons water
1 cup corn oil or vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons dry sherry (I used white wine.)
1 cup thinly sliced green onions

Mix shrimp and 6 tablespoons cornstarch in a large bowl to coat. Mix remaining 4 teaspoons cornstarch and 4 teaspoons water in a small bowl to blend.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet or wok over high heat. Working in batches, fry shrimp until cooked through and golden on both sides, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer cooked shrimp to plate.

Drain all but 1 tablespoon oil from wok and heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic, sugar, cayenne, and salt; stir constantly until garlic begins to brown, about 15 seconds. Add tomato sauce, vinegar, and sherry; stir cornstarch-water mixture if separated and add to sauce. Cook until sauce boils and thickens, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add reserved shrimp to sauce and stir to coat. Remove from heat and add 1 cup green onions to sauce and toss.

Transfer to large bowl and serve with white rice.

Comments

[Tonya Watkins]

Yum! Sounds GREAT!!

[kate]

This year my older daughter Molly gave up meat for lent and then decided to keep going. She's been home since early May and we eat vegetarian meals most nights - the others are sometimes less than thrilled but we've managed. I added this recipe to my file. I went through all my clipped recipes this weekend, and had at least ten from Verbatim - keep them coming (especially the meatless kind!!)

[steve]

Because Cliff and I are such protein hounds, we eat a lot of chicken and turkey. I have never been a fan of fish. Having said that, I have started incorporating fish into our meals about once per week. Now that I have discovered halibut fillets, it's become easy and (mostly) delicious. A little lime, basil and olive oil, 15 minutes in a 400-deg oven, and voila! Sometimes I make it (wait for it...) just for a hal-i-but.

I can't recall: are you a fan of quinoa? It's basically a super food and will take on the flavor of anything you add to it, such as lime and olive oil. I love it for its high protein content and versatility.

No spices are added to the cornstarch?

[John Monday]

Interested in getting free Meatless Monday recipes sent to you by the Humane Society of the U.S.? Click the link to find out how!
http://www.humanesociety.org/forms/meatfree_recipe_subscriptions.html