· 3/4 pound raw medium shrimp -- peeled, deveined and cut lengthwise in half
· 2 tablespoons cornstarch
· 4 teaspoons dry sherry or rice wine -- OPTIONAL
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1 cup chicken broth
· 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
· 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
· 2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
· 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
· 3 cloves garlic -- pressed
· 1 tablespoon water
· 2 1/2 cups snow pea pods, whole (fresh or frozen)
· 1 cup mushrooms -- sliced
· 1 jalapeno chili -- thinly sliced into rings, seeded, if desired
In a big ziplock-type plastic bag, mix the shrimp, 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of the sherry and the salt. Close bag and refrigerate at least 20 minutes. In a bowl, mix the broth, soy sauce, gingerroot, remaining 2 teaspoons sherry, the balsamic vinegar and garlic. Then in a very small bowl, mix the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch and the water together. (all of this will take very little time! Sounds complicated, but it’s not).
In a skillet or wok, heat oil till hot. Add drained shrimp; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or just until shrimp are pink. Remove shrimp from wok. Add snow peas to wok; stir-fry 1 minute. Add mushrooms next. Finally, add broth mixture; cover and simmer 5 to 6 minutes or until snow peas are tender. Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook and stir until thickened. Stir in shrimp and jalapeno; heat through.
NOTE: the seeds and ribs of the jalapeno pepper are what make it really hot. Discard these while preparing the pepper and make SURE you don’t touch your face after preparing the pepper. Wash your hands thoroughly after preparing the pepper.
Per serving: 164 Calories; 2g Total Fat; (9% calories from fat); 23g Protein; 3g Dietary Fiber; 13g Carbohydrate; 129mg Cholesterol; 776mg Sodium
