Healthy fast food: Gingered shrimp and crispy vegetable saute

I’ve been working the past several weeks to create some easy-to-make recipes that are, first and foremost, quick to make, but that are also good for your body; in other words, healthy fast food. No need to always drive through a fast food place for greasy burgers or chicken when you need a meal for the family in a hurry! I want to protect my heart, and to help you protect yours!

I bought a bag of frozen shrimp a few weeks ago because I knew that I could make a quick meal with them, as they were de-veined, cleaned, shelled and pre-cooked. Can’t get much easier than that! After a busy morning and afternoon, I was really hungry when I was driving home Sunday, and, of course, I was tempted to grab something at a drive-through window to get me through it. But I managed to resist, and headed straight to the kitchen to make something quick for dinner when I got home.

I remembered the frozen shrimp; they only needed to be thawed out to be ready to eat! So I grabbed a handful and dropped them into a bowl of cool water. They were completely thawed within five minutes! Everything else was in my fridge or freezer and it became a meal in no time.

I made this dish with what I had on hand, and it was delicious; use what you have on hand to make it your way!

Here’s what I did:

Gingered shrimp stir-fry

(amount for one generous serving; adjust accordingly)

6 thawed, pre-cooked shrimp
3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
3 mushrooms, sliced
6 cherry tomatoes, halved (I used yellow ones)
1/2 a zucchini, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
1 cup frozen green beans
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ginger paste or fresh grated ginger, or 1/4 tsp dried ginger
1/4 to 1/2 tsp chili paste or sriracha or other hot sauce
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 to 1/2 a red bell pepper, sliced into thin slivers
1 tsp salt-free seasoning, such as Mrs. Dash

Method:

Sprinkle 1 tsp olive oil or canola oil in a 10-inch skillet. When the oil is warm, add all the vegetables to the pan. Sprinkle with the spices, garlic, pepper paste and ginger paste (if using.) Saute for 3-4 minutes, adding 1/4 or more warm water to the pan if it begins to get dry.

Sprinkle the shrimp, in a separate bowl, with salt-free seasoning and some hot sauce or paste.

When beans are cooked, in just a few minutes, drop the thawed shrimp into the mix, and stir until everything is warmed through. This should only take two or three minutes. Any longer, and you’ll end up with rubbery shrimp!

Sprinkle with salt, if needed, and stir in.

Serve over brown rice, grits, or whatever you like!

Here’s what the chili pepper paste and ginger paste look like, in case you’ve not used it before:

It’s sold in my grocery store’s produce section. I love these handy pastes! Anything that can make our meal preparation easier and faster, while still being delicious and good for you, is a winner in my book.

As always, please customize this recipe to make it exactly what you and/or your family will enjoy most. You could omit the mushrooms and add squash, or trade out asparagus for the green beans. Throw in a handful of corn or black beans, even.

Recipes like this are great because they also help you use up what you have in the produce drawer. Too many times we forget to look in there and we let our fresh veggies become…not so fresh. Use them, enjoy them, and let them make your body healthier, too!

Let me know how it turns out for you here in the comments section or on my Facebook page: In the Kitchen with Mama Steph on KLTV7. I invite you to join me there!

You might also like: Moroccan couscous (trust me, it’s great!) Try something new; it’s fun!