Low-fat Wokking – Shrimp & Asparagus Stir-fry Modified

This post is for my blogging friend Eva of Kitchen Inspiration.

Eva is currently on a self-imposed short term restricted diet and also looking for quick easy meals. Shrimp, which she loves, is allowed and since we are in asparagus season, I decided to modify my Shrimp & Asparagus Stir-fry recipe and hopefully she and other readers who need to adhere to certain dietary restrictions can get the idea of how to adjust a recipe.

Hope you do not find the strike-outs too distracting, they are there so you can understand what I did.

Words in red are specific to this post.

Shrimp & Asparugus Stir-fry Modified

Ingredients
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and pat dry with clean paper towels (this is an important step)
½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon ground white or black pepper or to taste (for this dish, I prefer white)
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Combine all the above well. Can be done the day before and kept refrigerated.

1 – 1½ pounds asparagus, peeled and slant cut into about ½ inch thick slices
2 – 3 scallions, smash white part with the flat of the knife, cut, green and white parts, into 2-inch lengths
6 – 8 slices ginger from ginger wine or a thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and smashed
3 – 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed minced
¼ – 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce or to taste, optional
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
2 – 3 tablespoons oil 1 – 2 teaspoons oil
½ – ¾ 1 – 1¼ cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch combined with 2 tablespoons broth or water, optional. Stir well before adding to wok or frying pan.

Preparations

1. In a preheated wok or frying pan add 2 tablespoons 1 – 2 teaspoons oil.  Add scallion, ginger and garlic. Stir fry, using medium heat until garlic is lightly browned. Adding broth 1 tablespoon at a time if wok is dry and to prevent burning. Remove and discard scallion, ginger and garlic. (This is referred to as flavoring the oil.).

2.  Turn heat to high, add shrimp. Stir fry until shrimp changes color, adding broth 1 tablespoon at a time if wok is dry and to prevent burning. Remove shrimp (leaving oil/broth behind, if any) to a clean platter and set aside. Remove and discard scallion and ginger if desired.

3. Add oil, broth by tablespoons, if needed, to wok or frying pan. Add salt, chili sauce (if using) and asparagus. Stir-fry until asparagus turns a bright green color, adding broth 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed if wok or frying pan is dry and to prevent burning.

4. Add shrimp and broth, as needed for gravy, bring to a boil. Thicken with cornstarch mixture, if using. Serve over cooked rice or spaghetti squash (steamed or baked).

VARIATION – Shrimp & Sugar Snap Peas Stir-fry

Substitute
1 – 1½ pounds sugar snap peas, stringed
1 – 2 tablespoons oyster sauce for the salt. Add oyster sauce during cooking step 4. 

NOTE: The advantage of a wok is the oil pools at the bottom of the wok so you can get away with using less oil. You could use a frying pan, but may need another teaspoon of oil and may be more broth.

Copyright © by Norma Chang