Last night I made a Mark Bittman recipe, because I am participating in I Heart Cooking Club or IHCC, and right now we are featuring Mark Bittman. This week's theme is Potluck, so we could make anything we wanted. I made "Stir-Fried Shrimp with Black Beans" only I did one of his variations and substituted cashews for the Black Beans.
I enjoyed it very much, but the Handyman? I'm not so sure. He picked out the shrimp and the cashews and left the Bok Choy. He's pretty much a meat and potatoes man, but I keep trying.
One summer evening a couple of years ago, it was very hot and I just bought some good cheese, some good bread, some good apples and pears and grapes and was going to call it good. DINNER! But the Handyman looked at what I had set out and he said, "do you need me to run to the store and buy some meat?" (sigh). I think I let him, because he just was having such a hard time getting around that "red" meat and potato supper, he loves.
But I digress....last night we enjoyed out supper out on the patio with a glass of wine. I made some rice to go with the shrimp dish, and like I said, I really enjoyed it.
I have never cooked with Bok Choy before. I know I've eaten it in Asian Restaurants, but never at home. I like it...it doesn't wilt real fast like some greens and the whole idea was to keep some crunch in it. At least I think it was.
It was a simple recipe, but there is quite a bit of chopping and different steps, so I would suggest to do the prep work first and have it all ready to go in separate bowls.
Stir-Fried Shrimp with Cashews
from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
About 1 1/2 pounds shrimp 20-30 per pound
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup cashews
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 clove garlic sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 pound Bok Choy
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup chopped green onion
Peel the shrimp and place in a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, the sliced garlic, the salt and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Give it a good stir and let sit while you assemble the other ingredients.
Separate the bok choy leaves from the stems; chop the stems into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces and chip the leaves.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat for 3 minutes. When hot add 1 Tablespoon of the peanut oil and raise the heat to high. When it begins to smoke add the minced garlic and immediately the shrimp and it's marinade. Cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from the pan.
Put the rest of the peanut oil in the skillet and add the ginger, followed by the bok choy stems. Cook until the bok choy is lightly browned, 3-5 minutes, then add the greens. Cook, stirring for 1 minute, then add the wine and let it bubble away for a minute or two. Return the shrimp to the skillet and stir, add the cashews and the green onion, the remaining soy sauce and sugar. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and drizzle with remaining sesame oil and serve.
