Salt & Pepper Prawns

From EatingWell: April/May 2006, EatingWell Serves Two — Subscribe Now!

Spice-crusted stir-fried shrimp top a cool, crisp Asian-style slaw for an easy supper. Many traditional versions of this recipe use Sichuan peppercorns. We've opted to use Chinese five-spice powder, which contains Sichuan peppercorns and is more readily available. Make it a Meal: Serve with rice noodles or brown rice and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.

4 servings

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1/4 cup lime juice
4 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
6 cups cabbage, preferably napa, thinly sliced (about 1/2 head)
2 small red or orange bell peppers, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup rice flour, or cornstarch (see Ingredient note)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon five-spice powder, (see Ingredient note)
1 1/3 pounds raw shrimp, (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

Preparation

Whisk lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar in a large bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Add cabbage and bell peppers; toss to combine.
Combine rice flour, salt, pepper and five-spice powder in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat in spice mixture. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring often, until pink and curled, 3 to 4 minutes. Add jalapenos and cook until the shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute more. Serve the slaw topped with the shrimp.

Tips & Notes

Ingredient Notes: Rice flour is made from finely milled white rice. It is often used in Asian cooking for desserts and to thicken sauces. Look for it in Asian markets or the natural-foods section of your supermarket.
Often a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns, five-spice powder was originally considered a cure-all miracle blend encompassing the five elements (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, salty). Look for it in the supermarket spice section.

Nutrition

Per serving: 345 calories; 15 g fat (2 g sat, 7 g mono); 226 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrates; 33 g protein; 3 g fiber; 554 mg sodium; 404 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (190% daily value), Selenium (83% dv), Vitamin A (60% dv), Iron (25% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 4 very lean meats, 1 fat