Sauteed Sweet and Spicy Szechuan Asparagus

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The alliteration should have been my first clue. It was just too cute for words. I sat, nonetheless, and carefully read every word of the recipe before committing to make it. My last thought before moving on to the kitchen? The sauce would be too strong for the asparagus. As it turned out I was right. Every once and a while, I fall prey to a professional recipe that I sense is wrong but for some reason refuse to put down. It's misguided hero worship on my part. I still can't believe that pros put recipes out there that haven't been kitchen or field tested. This recipe failed my field test, but I decided to post it anyway. While it may be wrong for asparagus it would work nicely with fresh green beans or garlic whistles. Information about garlic whistles can be found here. The recipe makes enough sauce that the beans or whistles could be served with rice noodles and make a lovely light supper or lunch. Do be aware that once this sauce hits a green vegetable it will lose its lovely color. Here's the recipe for those of you who have not been put off.

Sauteed Sweet and Spicy Szechuan Asparagus...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 pounds asparagus, ends discarded
1/4 cup soy sauce, low sodium
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, unseasoned
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:
1) Diagonally cut asparagus into 3 inch pieces.
2) In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chili flakes and pepper. Set aside.
3) Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add 1/2 cup water and asparagus. Cover and cook until asparagus is still crisp to the bite, about 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and pour off any remaining water.
4) Add oil, garlic and ginger to pan with asparagus. Sauté until lightly browned.
5) Add soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil. Cook until sauce coats asparagus.
6) Sprinkle in toasted sesame seeds. Transfer to a serving platter. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 - 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Penne with Asparagus and Lemon Sauce - One Perfect Bite
Asparagus and White Bean Salad - One Perfect Bite
Asparagus and Lemon Grass Risotto - One Perfect Bite

Shrimp Cakes with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce

Vendor Selling Tomatoes in China

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Now that Carnival and Mardi Gras have ended, meals in some households will be changing. Fridays between now and Easter Sunday will become meatless. For most who observe, this presents no problem. There are a wealth of recipes, really good recipes, that address the dietary constraints of this period. We've come a long way from grandma's mystery casseroles and overcooked fish. Each year I make it a point to search out, or create, new meatless meals to keep everyone at my table on board without complaint. Today's recipe is not only meatless, it's also easy to make if you have a food processor. All the ingredients you need to prepare this can be found in any well-stocked supermarket. The one item that might sound strange to your ears is ginger juice. It's a bother to find a place that sells it, but it can easily be made at home if you have fresh ginger available to you. To make the juice simply grate ginger and squeeze the juice from it. A garlic press makes easy work of the task. This dish can be on the table within 45 minutes. Bob and I first had these shrimp patties in Beijing. We encountered them over and over again as we crossed the country, though they did get hotter as we moved towards the interior. This dish will serve four people if served with rice and a vegetable or two. Here's the recipe for this surprising good sweet and tangy shrimp dish.

Shrimp Cakes with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Shrimp Cakes
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ginger juice
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
Oil for deep frying
Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons unsweetened rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:
1) Place shrimp in bowl of a food processor. Process until a pulp or paste forms. Scrape into a medium bowl.
2) Place egg whites in another. Beat just until frothy. Add cornstarch, ginger and ginger juice and mix to combine.
3) Add egg mixture to shrimp and stir, going in one direction only, until everything is thoroughly mixed.
4) Combine chicken broth, ketchup, vinegar, sherry, sugar salt and cornstarch in a small pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken. Simmer for 1 minute more. Remove fro heat. but keep warm.
5) Heat oil to 375 degrees F in a wok of deep frying pan. With wet hands, fashion large spoonfuls of shrimp mixture into silver-dollar sized cakes.
6) Working in batches, deep-fry shrimp cakes over moderate heat until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
7) Arrange shrimp cakes on a serving plate. Pour warm sauce over all. Yield: 12-14 shrimp cakes.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Singapore Noodles
Farfalle with Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce
Vegan Red Lentil and Sweet Pepper Flan

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer