Sesame Shrimp Lo Mein

Recently the Witch got brave, and with a little help from her friends, went to the Asian Pacific Grocery store. Why this place intimidated me for so long is a mystery, I'm just so glad that I've discovered it! As a lover of Asian flavors I was in foodie heaven with all those different types of soys, sauces, chili pastes and noodles. Oh, the noodles!! SO many choices: rice noodles, ramen in every variety you can imagine and a few you've never thought of, lo mein noodles, etc. The ones that really caught my eyes were the nested egg noodles. Something about them spoke to me, and I'm really glad I listened to their call!

The lo mein noodles are thin, yet have nice texture to them, light yet hearty enough to stand up to the intense heat of a wok. Their flavor is exactly what a lo mein dish needs. Once you've tried real Asian noodles in lo mein you won't be going back to plain old pasta as a substitution.

The flavors on this are inspired by sesame chicken, our most ordered dish from Chinese restaurants. The Witch chose to use a bit of tahini in the sauce to really bring the sesame flavor home, however I'll be the first to admit that the sauce needs a bit of tweeking. It was good, quite good, don't get me wrong, but its not perfect. I don't quite know what's missing, maybe a touch more acid? Less tahini? The flavor & texture of the sauce was very similar to peanut sauce, thick and rich, spicy and sweet, but SOMETHING was missing. If you all have any suggestions please let me know! Despite the sauce not being up to my high standards of perfection this dish was devoured and not a single left over noodle was to be found. Which just means that I need to make it again, and work on that sauce!

Sesame Shrimp Lo Mein
makes 4 servings
1 lb shrimp, defrosted, deveined and peeled, removing tails
red bell pepper, julienne
1 bunch scallions, sliced on the bias
1 large carrot, julienne
1 stalk celery, sliced thin on the bias
4 bunches of Asian egg noodles
3 T soy sauce
2 T white wine
3 cloves garlic
1 T tahini
2 T water
2-3T sugar
2 t Sriracha
sprinkle of sesame seeds for garnish
2 T oil for stir fry

Chop all vegetables and set aside first.
Peel and devein shrimp and pat dry.
Mix up the sauce ingredients in a bowl and reserve.

Cook noodles according to instructions on bag & reserve.

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the oil and stir fry the veggies until they start to brown & have softened slightly. Push the veg aside in the pan and add the shrimp. Cook about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way through then add the sauce, stirring to coat everything evenly. After sauce is added throw the noodles in and stir fry about 1-2 minutes longer. Shrimp will finish cooking in this time. Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
Amount Per Serving
Calories 374.6
Total Fat 12.0 g
Saturated Fat 1.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.4 g
Cholesterol 185.8 mg
Sodium 963.5 mg
Potassium 784.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 38.3 g
Dietary Fiber 5.2 g
Sugars 16.3 g
Protein 28.1 g

Meyer Lemon shrimp cocktail

Shrimp cocktail usually falls into one of 2 categories: bland and meh at best or out of this world delicious. I'm happy to report that this shrimp cocktail falls into the latter category. If you like your shrimp plump, perfectly cooked & delicately seasoned and your cocktail sauce hot, spicy and sinus clearing, then this is the shrimp cocktail for you.

Speaking of cocktail sauce, according to this Witch, it had better be spicy. Clear your sinuses spicy! If you don't like your cocktail sauce as hot as the Witch does, feel free to back off on the horseradish. However the beauty of horseradish is that its a quick burn, up front in your palette and sinuses, and it doesn't linger. One big burn then its gone, leaving you with a serious need to double dip your shrimp to get more of that spicy goodness back into your mouth. A touch of the Meyer lemon and Worcestershire sauce add just enough acid to make your taste buds stand up and pay attention.

The shrimp are baked in a very hot oven, which concentrates their flavors unlike steamed or boiled shrimp, which tend to be rubbery and flavorless. The Witch likes to use shell on shrimp and roast them in their shells, again adding to the flavor component, and helps keep them from drying out while in the hot box. Meyer lemon is a sweet lemon, not as intensely tart and the perfect citrus for shrimp. The tart lemon compliments the briny flavor of shrimp yet isn't heavy or over powered. Please remember to peel your shrimp before dipping into your cocktail sauce.

Meyer lemon shrimp cocktail
makes 2 large servings
1 lb shrimp, shell on & deveined, thawed
juice of 1 Meyer lemon
2 T olive oil
3/4 t kosher salt
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed but left whole

Cocktail sauce
1 very heaping teaspoon of extra hot horseradish (prepared)
1/2 c ketchup
1 T lemon juice
pinch salt
2 t Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 450F.
While oven heats dry thawed shrimp with paper towels or give them a run in your salad spinner. Once shrimp are dried add the lemon juice, oil, garlic and salt. Toss to coat. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes.

Pour marinated shrimp onto a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and curl and are just cooked through. Remove from sheet tray immediately, discard garlic and peel shrimp, enjoy with cocktail sauce.

Cocktail sauce:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Taste for season, add a bit more salt or horseradish depending on taste.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
Meyer Lemon Shrimp
Amount Per Serving
Calories 182.7
Total Fat 8.7 g
Saturated Fat 1.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.3 g
Cholesterol 172.3 mg
Sodium 407.9 mg
Potassium 224.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 2.0 g
Dietary Fiber 0.0 g
Sugars 0.3 g
Protein 23.1 g

Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
Spicy cocktail sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 41.0
Total Fat 0.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 445.0 mg
Potassium 1.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 10.3 g
Dietary Fiber 0.0 g
Sugars 8.0 g
Protein 0.0 g

Sweet and Spicy shrimp

It's no secret that the Kitchen Witch loves Asian flavors. The sweet, sour, spicy, savory combo is taste bud nirvana. At the urging of friends and fellow bloggers I FINALLY bought some Sriracha and hoisin sauces to expand my Asian cooking flavor base. I must say I'm happy I did, both flavors are in this shrimp dish and wow, was it good!

First lets talk about the hoisin sauce. I was NOT expecting it to be so sweet! However its sweetness is nicely paired with sour like the lime juice. Soy sauce of course provides the salty base along with its quintissential 'Asian' flavor. Garlic adds pungency and helps balance the sweet/sour/salty combo. The final ingredient is the screamin' hot Sriracha sauce. If hot's not your thing add 1/2 as much, taste & add more if you can handle it. The Sriracha has a nice heat, evenly across the palate but doesn't invade your throat like other spicy things can. I'm pretty wimpy when it comes to heat but Sriracha, oh boy I love its burn!! It has a great flavor on its own but it really sings when its incorporated into a recipe.

The shrimp get a very quick marinade, 15 minutes or so. They cook up in less than 4 minutes total, so realistically you can have this meal on the table, from start to finish, in 20 minutes! Pair it with your favorite veggies, quinoa or rice and you've got a healthy, tasty Asian style meal.

Sweet and spicy shrimp
makes 4 servings
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (21-30 count)
2 T soy sauce
juice of 1 key lime (or 2T lime juice)
1 T hoisin sauce
3 cloves garlic minced
1 T Sriracha sauce
1 t oil for cooking

Mix the soy sauce, hoisin, lime juice, garlic and Sriracha together in a small bowl.

Peel and devein shrimp, remove tails if desired, and place into either a zip top bag or a bowl for marinating. Pour the marinade over the shrimp, toss to coat evenly and allow to marinate for about 15 minutes.

Heat up a heavy bottom skillet. Spread about 1t of oil in the pan. Put the shrimp in the pan circulary, so once the last shrimp is in the pan the 1st shrimp is ready to flip. Cook about 1-2 min max on 1st side, until the shrimp turns opaque on the sides and the bottom has slighly browned. Cook on 2nd side about 1 min. Promptly remove shrimp and serve.




Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
Amount Per Serving
Calories 182.6
Total Fat 4.5 g
Saturated Fat 0.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.7 g
Cholesterol 172.5 mg
Sodium 1,260.0 mg
Potassium 294.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 9.9 g
Dietary Fiber 0.5 g
Sugars 2.2 g
Protein 24.7 g

Grilled shrimp with lemon and garlic

Shrimp meals are one that I go to on busy nights, or days when I don't feel like cooking but want to eat something good. Shrimp is awesome for that, they cook in no time, are able to take on pretty much any flavor you put on them and are just plain good. There's something about shrimp that make an otherwise ordinary meal into something special in a way that no chicken breast can.

I realize that most of my, ok ALL, of my shrimp recipes involve garlic, herbs and lemon or white wine. This one is no exception. I promise as the summer grows and more herbs become available I'll widen my perspectives. Until then I give you grilled shrimp with lemon garlic and fresh herb marinade.

Grilled Shrimp with lemon and garlic
makes 2 servings
14 large shrimp
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large clove garlic sliced thin
about 5 chive stems minced
1 sprig oregano minced
1/2 t kosher salt

Mix everything but the shrimp together in a small bowl.

Peel, devein and remove tails of shrimp, put them into a bowl. Pour the marinade over top, toss the shrimp to evenly coat each shrimp in marinade. Allow to marinade for 15 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Once its hot add the shrimp.


~*~Kitchen Witch Tip: Lay shrimp in a circular pattern. By the time you get the last shrimp on the grill pan you'll be back where you started & can start to flip them in the order in which they were laid down. Shrimp take very little time to cook and even less time to overcook and turn rubbery. For most 'large' shrimp (21-30 count) it takes only 2-3 minutes over medium high heat to cook perfectly.~*~

Flip shrimp and finish cooking, 1 minute longer. Remove promptly and serve.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
2 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 56.4
Total Fat 0.9 g
Saturated Fat 0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 74.5 mg
Sodium 654.4 mg
Potassium 102.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 1.4 g
Dietary Fiber 0.1 g
Sugars 0.0 g
Protein 10.1 g

Asian slaw salad with shrimp

The other day I was searching for something to eat for lunch. I decided on salad. However my salad idea was thwarted by my lack of lettuce. I did however have a head of cabbage. I didn't want cole slaw, this was lunch, not a side dish.

The thought of slaw got me thinking about Chinese chicken salad, a favorite at potlucks and family gatherings. Its basically a sweet dressing over cole slaw mix with fried ramen noodles and a bit of chicken. Not the healthiest of salads but it sure is good! I could cast my Kitchen Witch spell over this one, its overdue for a face lift anyway!

I decided that the dressing needed to have more acidy and less syrupy sweetness. An easy fix, I upped the vinegar and lowered the sugar content. A dash of crushed red pepper flakes add a mild spice and the clove of garlic scents the dressing. This dressing was starting to take on a more grown up feel. I kept the salad pretty basic, added a bit of crunchy celery and removed the ramen noodles which keeps it on this side of healthy. Almonds were standard in the original and I didn't see any reason to omit them either. Rather than chicken I went with salad sized shrimp, I found them on sale for $2 a bag and was looking for a place to use them.

This salad looks and tastes delicious in its grown up version. I hope you enjoy it too.

Asian slaw with shrimp salad
makes 2 servings
1/2 head cabbage sliced very thin
1 carrot shredded
2 stalks celery sliced thin
small bunch chives (about 15 stems) minced
1/4 c almonds, chopped
sprinkle sesame seeds

Dressing:
1/2 c White Wine vinegar
2 T brown sugar
2 T soy sauce
dash crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic smashed

Small salad shrimp, 1 oz per person

Make dressing by dissolving the sugar in the vinegar. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and boil for 4-5 minutes. Add the soy sauce, cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat.

Remove garlic clove and discard. Add about 1/4 c oil to the vinegar mixture. Shake well to emulsify.



Salad prep:
Shred cabbage and carrot. Add sliced celery and chives, toss well to distribute evenly. Add 2 T dressing and toss again, this will help soften the cabbage slightly.

Place slaw on a plate, top with almonds and sesame seeds. Add shrimp and drizzle additional dressing over top.

Nutrition Facts Asian style dressing provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 176.7
Total Fat 14.0 g
Saturated Fat 1.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 8.2 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 931.9 mg
Potassium 25.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 13.7 g
Dietary Fiber 0.1 g
Sugars 13.2 g
Protein 0.5 g

Nutrition Facts for Asian slaw with shrimp salad provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
2 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 138.2
Total Fat 1.4 g
Saturated Fat 0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.2 g
Cholesterol 55.3 mg
Sodium 245.1 mg
Potassium 1,265.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 24.3 g
Dietary Fiber 10.1 g
Sugars 1.4 g
Protein 11.7 g

Sissy's Shrimp Scampi with pasta

One of my Sissy's favorite dishes is shrimp scampi. Since its her birthday today I made it for her for lunch. This is a quick and easy meal, it literally takes 20 minutes from start to finish.

Happy birthday Sissy, I hope you enjoyed lunch :-)

Sissy's Shrimp Scampi with Angle Hair pasta
serves 2
16 large shrimp (21-28 count)
1 cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t lemon juice
S&P
2 t EVOO
4 oz angel hair pasta
1 T fresh chopped parsley
1/8 t dry Italian seasonings
1 tomato diced
2 T butter

Marinate peeled and deveined shrimp in 1/4 c white wine, lemon juice, garlic, a few pinches salt and pepper, and dry herbs for 15 minutes.

While shrimp marinate bring water to boil for pasta and heat a large stainless sautee pan over med high heat. The angle hair pasta takes 5 minutes to cook so once you put the pasta in the water start your shrimp.

Once sautee pan is hot add EVOO, swirl pan to coat bottom. Add shrimp to pan. Cook 1-2 min on 1st side then flip over, starting with the 1st shrimp you put in the pan for even cooking. Cook 1 min longer. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.

Add the tomatoes and remaining wine to the pan, bring to a boil and allow to reduce by half. Add the shrimp back to the pan and remove from heat.

Drain pasta, add it to the shrimp wine sauce, stirring to coat pasta. Top with parsley.

Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
Shrimp Scampi with angel hair pasta
2 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 474.4
Total Fat 18.2 g
Saturated Fat 8.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 6.8 g
Cholesterol 104.1 mg
Sodium 161.8 mg
Potassium 244.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 51.5 g
Dietary Fiber 6.8 g
Sugars 1.9 g
Protein 16.6 g

Shrimp scampi with broccoli and tortellini

Garlic, white wine and butter, classic scampi ingredients. What makes this so different is the calories, or lack there of! Imagine eating a nice full bowl of pasta, tender veggies and big plump shrimp in a decadent sauce for LESS than 350 calories! The prep on this is quick - almost as fast a microwaveable meal - you'll be eating in 20 minutes or less!!

Other flavorful, low calorie additions could include sun dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, wilted spinich, olives, really anything you like! And if shrimp isn't your thing feel free to use chicken or pork.

I used pre-cooked shrimp because that's what was on sale at the store this week. I had reservations about heating the cooked shrimp in the wine garlic sauce because I didn't want them to get too tough, a very common problem with shrimp. I am happy to say that the quick boil was enough to thaw & reheat the shrimp, while adding a nice seafood flavor to the sauce, and the shrimp were still nice & tender. If you have raw shrimp cook in the wine sauce about 1 min longer than directed or until shrimp turn pink & curl.

The amounts shown below are for 1 lunch size portion. If I were making this for dinner I'd double it for myself & the husband and pair it with a salad to round out the meal.

Shrimp scampi with broccoli and tortellini
makes 1 serving
7 large (21-30) shrimp, precooked is fine
1/4 c Barilla 3 cheese tortellini
1/2 head broccoli, cut into very small florettes
1 clove garlic minced
1 dash salt
1 t butter
1/4 c white wine
1 t crispy onion toppers, optional (I found these in the crouton area of my local store. You could use french fried onions if you can't find the Fresh Gourmet Crispy Onions)

To a pot of boiling water add the tortellini. Set timer for 10-11 minutes. 5 min after adding pasta add broccoli. At 10 minutes test pasta for tenderness. Drain pasta & broccoli. Put into a bowl & cover to keep warm.

In the same pot add the butter, frozen shrimp, garlic, salt & wine. Bring to a boil, simmer until shrimp are heated thru, about 1-2 minutes max. Remove shrimp, arrange on top of pasta.

Crank the heat up to HI and reduce the wine by half. Pour reduced sauce over top of shrimp and serve.



Andrea the Kitchen Witch will now be posting nutritional information for recipes. I hope this is a feature that will help you plan healthy nutritious meals for your family! Its one thing to look good, its another to taste good & its the best of all when it does both of those AND is good for you! Healthy can be tasty, with a little Kitchen Witchcraft!
Nutrition Facts
1 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 329.2
Total Fat 11.2 g
~~Saturated Fat 6.7 g
~~Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
~~Monounsaturated Fat 1.8 g
Cholesterol 114.5 mg
Sodium 828.3 mg
Potassium 221.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 26.1 g
~~Dietary Fiber 3.4 g
~~Sugars 1.7 g
Protein 14.2 g