Verza Saltata allo Zenzero & Gamberoni Piccante con Vermicelli di Riso
Stir-Fried Savoy Cabbage with Ginger & Spicy Shrimp & Rice Noodles
This is a little Asian-flavored dish that I, as they say, "just threw together!" this evening- using up some of the savoy cabbage I had in a slightly different way to the usual- and in a good way at that!
It is not as if the cabbage that I bought on Saturday was a HUGE one, but when you are living alone- those are a lot of leaves for one person to eat! So- I decided to demolish a few more of them this evening... like this!
By steaming and stir-frying them with ginger for added flavor, until they became slightly brown- and especially as I decided to have some fun and stamp out little circles with a cookie cutter- these cabbage greens became a great alternative to Chinese leaves or pak-choy. And a great side dish to some hot, spicy and savory shrimp and rice noodles!
Yep- this was another "less than 30 minute meal", folks!
Yep- this was another "less than 30 minute meal", folks!
1 bundle of noodles for 1 hungry guy, 5-6 shrimp, 5-6 leaves of savoy cabbage, a little fresh ginger, some chili-red-bean paste, a little sesame oil, wish sauce and hoisin sauce... and there was supper- all ready to go!
These were great flavors together- bitter-sweet greens, hot and savory shrimps and mild rice noodles all coming together in one, light and delicious meal!
Not "authentically" Asian maybe- but as you may have noticed... neither am I!
Using the cookie cutter was just a bit of fun and is not essential at all... the only thing that matters is to just use the tender parts of the leaves and leave out the stalks, so that they will cook more quickly.
I popped the greens into my frying pan, added a sprinkle of finely chopped ginger, (about 1 teaspoon), a splash of fish sauce, a cup of water, then turned up the heat, put on the lid and let them steam for 5 minutes.
In the meantime, I prepared the rice noodles, by simply pouring boiling water over them in a bowl and allowing them to steep for 5 minutes too. Boiling them can be risky as they are done in just 1 minute or so and are easy to overcook- so I find this way to be the easiest to avoid that.
In the meantime, I prepared the rice noodles, by simply pouring boiling water over them in a bowl and allowing them to steep for 5 minutes too. Boiling them can be risky as they are done in just 1 minute or so and are easy to overcook- so I find this way to be the easiest to avoid that.
5 minutes later, the water will have evaporated away and the leaves will be half-done... all they need now is a further 2-3 minutes, being tossed in a little sesame oil until they begin to turn golden.
At the same time, pop the cleaned shrimp, which I slit down the middle in a bit of a "butterfly cut" for more even cooking, into a smaller pan, with a little sesame oil and a teaspoon of the red bean paste- this is wonderfully spicy and savory and totally delicious! And very easily available at any Asian supermarket... try it! You'll love it!
After 2-3 minutes of frying at a high heat, add a little dash of water and let the paste and the juices render down into a nice glaze as you serve up the greens and noodles.
Add a light drizzle of hoisin sauce to the greens before you add the rest of the ingredients.
Top with the noodles and shrimps and have the time of your life enjoying this fun, colorful, easy and delicious little dish!
And don't be afraid of that spicy looking bean paste... it IS hot and spicy, but in combination with the other ingredients, it is simply PERFECT! Word!
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