DucCat-less Dining

My husband was out of town recently, so I took the opportunity to indulge in the things the he doesn't care so much for: big, fat, juicy prawns, prepared with an Oriental touch.

The prawns were good, but a touch over-done, as I'm not really used to cooking seafood. The broccoli was simply steamed, and allowed to pick up on the abundant juices flowing around.

The real surprise turned out to be the bed of stir-fried cabbage, hidden underneath everything else. A quick saute turned the cabbage into a very satisfying base for tonight's dinner, and I can see that a slight variation in the ingredients will make this versatile enough to cover a plethora of meals. Thanks, Leslie in Texas, for your version of Stir-fried Spiced Cabbage (la-pai-tsiai). I am reproducing the recipe here, with a few personal alterations.

Stir-Fried Spicy Cabbage

Originally adapted from Time-Life's Cooking of China.

1 lb Napa Cabbage
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1-2 Tablespoons garlic-chili paste
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
toasted black sesame seeds
toasted sesame oil

Trim and wash cabbage, and cut into 1X2-inch pieces.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic-chili paste, mixing thoroughly. Set aside.

Heat wok over high heat for 30 seconds before adding oil. Swirl in pan, let heat for another 30 seconds.

Turn heat to medium, add cabbage, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from pan, and stir in soy-vinegar mixture. Sprinkle liberally with toasted black sesame seeds.

Transfer to serving bowl, and drizzle lightly with toasted sesame oil. Let cool to lukewarm before serving. If preferred, serve chilled.


The prawns were cooked ala the following recipe, courtesy of Cooking Light.

Chile-Glazed Shrimp

Serve over rice noodles with steamed sugar snap peas.

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add garlic and shrimp, and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the onions, soy sauce, honey, and sambal oelek; stir-fry 3 minutes or until shrimp are done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 225(21% from fat); FAT 5.2g (sat 0.9g,mono 1.3g,poly 2.1g); PROTEIN 34.8g; CHOLESTEROL 259mg; CALCIUM 91mg; SODIUM 441mg; FIBER 0.6g; IRON 4.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7.6g

Karen Levin
Cooking Light, JUNE 2004