I am full-on in a Chinese inspired period right now. Crispy Orange Chicken and Crispy Orange Beef earlier this week and now, today, Moo Shoo Shrimp- the Stocked Kitchen version.
Several years ago I discovered a stocking method for your pantry that, if you keep certain items in "stock" in your pantry you have only a few fresh items - produce and meat to get to be able to make over 300 recipes. Its all described in the book by the mentioned name, The Stocked Kitchen by Sarah Kallio and Stacey Krastins; Find it on Amazon here.
Some years ago I started building this method in my kitchen, and although I never fully got it up and running, by following their shopping list I was able to pull together some really good meals from my "stock". I've made this particular recipe many times, in the past, and since I'm attempting to get this off the ground again, I figured why not go with a tried and true?
The thing I'm noticing about the Chinese-style recipes is that there are a lot of ingredients, a lot of prep, but man, once all the sauces are prepared and the meat &/or veggies are prepped the cooking goes pretty quick. And they are tasty!
Of course, as usual, not liking mushrooms I ALWAYS leave them out, especially if the recipe calls for canned mushrooms, as this one does. Not a fan at all. Not that I'm a fan of fresh mushrooms, either, but I can tolerate a mushroom or two if they are allowed to crisp up- the Big E used to make a pan of mushrooms and onions for Thanksgiving and by the time he was done with them they were almost like chips- I could eat them that way, but that takes forever to get them to that state, so I just skip them. Of course, in your kitchen go ahead if you like them. Your kitchen, your rules.
Okay, so.... I found that using a smaller size shrimp is best with this dish, but, as usual, I found the best price on the 16-20 per pound size, so I cut them in half. I also learned, in the future not to use angel-hair Cole slaw mix, but that was the only one the store had when I ordered, so I tried it. did not like the texture, too stringy, but the flavor was still good. In the past I have also shred fresh cabbage, too, but as I am not 100% myself yet, I took the shortcut. My scallions were on their last day, too, so I was a bit light on them. Claiming Post-Covid brain. Whatever.
As usual you start by mixing up the sauce- as I previously mentioned there's a list of ingredients. but mix it up and set it aside to blend together. One thing that always got me on this recipe is that there's peanut butter in it, but you do not taste peanut butter, I'm assuming that's because the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey and hot pepper sauce overpowers it, but whatever, its in there, although i cannot pick the flavor out.
Sauce in a medium measuring cup mix:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce ( I always use lower sodium)
- 1 T peanut butter (smooth, please)
- 1 T honey
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 10 drops Tabasco or hot sauce (I use Frank's)
- 2 T pureed ginger
- 3 eggs beat the eggs with
- salt & pepper to taste (trying to watch my sodium I leave out the salt)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ( I use avocado or grapeseed these days)
- 12 oz to 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled completely (take those tails off) deveined (please) best to use 31-40 or smaller size, or cut larger ones in half crosswise
- 1 clove garlic minced
- One 4-oz can mushrooms drained and chopped- or you can use fresh if you care to, but I cannot advise if 4 oz fresh will be the same as 4 oz can-- you can try it and let me know? Maybe?
- 3 cups cabbage and carrot mix (cole slaw mix from produce section) I do not recommend using the angel hair size, though, and by all means shred you own if you care to.
- 3 green onions thinly sliced on an angle
- hot cooked rice (Jasmine would be divine!) or flour tortillas for serving ( i recommend the burrito size, as I had the soft taco size and they presented a problem with being rolled up- they were too small.
Heat a fry pan on high heat, add oil and heat until very hot. add shrimp and stir around until pink.
Add the egg mixture and scramble around for about 2 minutes. You want fluffy pieces of scrambled egg.
Add the garlic, mushrooms, if using, cabbage mix and green onions and cook and stir until the green onions are tender- it only takes a couple minutes.
Serve over hot cooked rice or roll in warmed flour tortillas like a burrito.
Please note, the cabbage releases water so there is a considerable amount of liquid and the wrapped version can be drippy and messy. Still good.
Photo does not show it wrapped
Until next time!
Sources: Sarah Kallio and Stacey Krastins: The Stocked Kitchen - One Grocery List ... Endless recipes/Atria Books 2013 pg 206
