Shrimp and Vegetables in a Ginger Sauce

If the word shrimp is in the recipe, count me in! I LOVE shrimp. I can eat it and enjoy it however it is fixed. Shrimp is very versatile and universal as well. Almost all cultures, particularly cultures that are around water, eat shrimp. There are over 2000 species of shrimps found all over the world. Shrimp is by far the most consumed seafood all over the world, with people eating roughly 9 billions lbs of it annually. Americans love shrimp too, and we consume about 1.7 billion lbs of it. That’s a lot of shrimp! Today, a lot of shrimp is farmed, with about 75% of it coming from farms all throughout Asia, particularly China and Thailand, and the other 25% coming from farms in Latin America, like Brazil, Mexico and Ecuador.

So with shrimp being so popular, is there any wonder why there are so many fabulous shrimp recipes out there? Not to me. I am always finding great recipes that call for shrimp. I am working on being able to say I have tried them all too, but there is so much shrimp and so many recipes, and not nearly enough time. 🙂

We have been eating a lot of red meat lately, and I felt like something lighter and something fishy. I knew we had a big bag of large shrimp in the freezer, so it was time to bring it down. My latest shrimp dish was an Asian shrimp dish with asparagus, mushrooms and peppers in a ginger sauce. I served it over pasta and with my pork pillows on the side. Pork Pillows You can serve this dish over either rice or pasta. Both work and both are Asian in origin.

Shrimp with Vegetables in a Ginger Sauce

The original recipe only called for asparagus, but of course I doctored it up and made it my own. I added black beans and a lot more vegetables. What can I say? I like stuff in my stuff, and I love vegetables, so I always try to add as many as I can while still keeping in the theme of the dish.

1 lb large shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined

1/2-3/4 lb asparagus, cut into pieces about 1 inch in size

1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks

4-5 green onions, sliced at an angle, Asian style

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

3 TBSP soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine or 2 TBSP rice vinegar and 1/4 cup dry white wine

2 TBSP sesame oil and/or olive oil

2 TBSP ginger and garlic olive oil, optional

1 TBSP ginger

1 TBSP garlic

1/2 tsp hot chili oil

1 tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp lemon zest

3/4 cup chicken broth, divided

1 tsp cornstarch

2 TBSP brown sugar

Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, 1/2 of the rice vinegar and wine or rice wine, ginger, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest, 1/2 cup of chicken broth and chili oil and combine well. Marinade the shrimp in it for about 15 -30 minutes.

Combine the cornstarch, chicken broth and remaining wine and/or vinegar together and set aside.

Get a large skillet or wok very hot, then add the oil(s). Add the shrimp and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until it is completely pink, turning them over at about the half way mark. Once the shrimp are cooked, remove from the heat and set aside. Combine the marinade with the cornstarch and chicken broth mixture and set aside.

Add the mushrooms and red peppers and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until the peppers are tender. My asparagus was already cooked, so I added it later. I prefer to cook my asparagus first and add it later, however, you can add it when you add the mushrooms and peppers too.

Re-add the shrimp, black beans and asparagus if it has been cooked before hand as well as the sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about for about 3-5 minutes. Serve over either cooked rice or pasta and enjoy. Top with green onions, parsley and/or cilantro.

This is not a spicy sauce. It can pair well with either a dry or sweeter white wine or a very light-bodied red wine. It’s your choice and your preference.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.