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Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Last spring one of my friends was preparing for a surgery and was on a very restrictive diet. To liven things up, I offered to make supper with lots of fresh ingredients from the farm. It was a really fun challenge to prepare a 5-course meal that was under 1000 calories.

This is the first course in the Asian-themed, low-calorie, five-course meal: shrimp lettuce wraps as an appetizer.

 
 

ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp lime juice

  • 1 to 2 Tbsp gochujang (which is a Korean hot pepper paste), or your favorite hot sauce

  • 1 Tbsp oil (try sesame if you have it)

  • 2 tsp honey

  • 1 green garlic, grated (or 1 clove garlic)

  • 2 tsp grated fresh ginger

  • 1 lb small shrimp, peeled and deveined

  • 1 head romaine lettuce (or other head lettuce), leaves separated

  • 1 cucumber, cut in small cubes

  • several radishes, sliced (or substitute salad turnips)

  • several leaves fresh mint (or basil, or cilantro), cut in small ribbons

directions

Combine lime juice, gochujang, oil, honey, garlic, ginger, and shrimp in a bowl, stir, and let marinate in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange shrimp on a sheet pan and roast until just opaque throughout, about 10-15 minutes.

Allow shrimp to cool slightly, then lay out lettuce leaves and fill with shrimp, cucumbers, radishes, and mint.

West African Ground Nut Stew

I love trying new foods and especially foods from different countries. I first ran across a recipe for Ground Nut Stew in college when I was assigned to make a dish from west Africa. If you're looking for a hearty soup for a rainy day, definitely try this one. I sometimes make it in a crock pot, which makes it even easier. This is a great recipe to try if you still have some sweet potatoes hiding in your basement from the last CSA boxes last year!

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 can chicken or several pieces leftover chicken, shredded

  • 1 T oil

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 1 carrot, chopped

  • 1 green pepper, chopped

  • 1 tsp fresh ginger root, peeled and grated (or 1/2 tsp powdered ginger)

  • 1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped

  • 2 cups chopped spinach (fresh or frozen, or other greens)

  • 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

  • 2 cups water or broth, divided

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter

  • 1 can tomato paste or tomato sauce

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 1/4 tsp pepper

  • cayenne powder to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Add 1 cup of the water or broth, onion, carrot, green pepper, ginger, sweet potato, spinach, and garlic to crockpot. Saute chicken (if raw) in oil, then add to crockpot. In a bowl, stir together remaining cup of broth, peanut butter, tomato sauce, and spices. Add to crockpot. Cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 8 hours, until ingredients are tender. Add more broth/water to make a thinner soup. Serve over rice, and garnish with cilantro, roasted peanuts, or hot peppers.

NOTES:

  • You can leave out any ingredients you don’t have or don’t like. This is a flexible recipe.

  • Substitute chickpeas for chicken to make a vegan version.