Recipes Can Meet Dietary Needs: Shrimp

by Susan Braverman

Food as Herbs, Health, and Medicine

Winter Volume: 1996 Issue: 3(4) page(s): 18

For this issue, the recipe I have chosen to modify, has little preparation time and cooks quickly. Serveral ingredients have been modified to decrease the amount of sodium and fat.

Depending on your needs, it can be modified further if the sugar in your diet has to be eliminated. In addition, the recipe calls for over one cup of oil. To have the least amount of fat absorbed when foods are deep fried, use fresh oil and keep the temperature between 325 and 375 F.

One can safely assume that about one-quarter cup of the oil will be absorbed in the total recipe. If the temperature is too low, more oil will be absorbed, if it is too high, the food will not cook properly.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp
Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup plus two teaspoons peanut oil
16 large shrimp, shelled except for tail portion and deveined
1/2 cup catsup
2 Tablespoon white vinegar
3 Tablespoon sugar
1 large green pepper, cored, seeded and cut into one-inch pieces
1 large onion, peeled, cut in eighths, and separated into pieces
1 can (fifteen and a half ounces) pineapple chunks in juice, drained
2 teaspoon cornstarch
Preparation:
1. Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, egg, half cup of water and one teaspoon of the oil in a bowl until smooth.
2. Heat one cup oil in uncovered wok to 375 degrees F.
3. Holding shrimp by tail, dip one at a time into batter, letting excess drip back into bowl.
4. Slide the shrimp into hot oil and fry until golden brown, one to two minutes each. Fry two to three at a time and drain on paper towels.
5. Pour out all oil except one tablespoon, then add one cup of water, a teaspoon of oil, and the catsup, vinegar, and sugar to the wok; and bring this to a boil.
6. Add the green pepper and onion and stir-fry for two minutes, then add the pineapple and bring back to the boil.
7. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it to wok and stir until it thickens.
8. Add shrimp and stir gently until heated through. Serve immediately.
To modify this recipe:
1. Use a coated non-stick pan in place of the wok.
2. Reduce the amount of oil to three tablespoons.
3. Use a low sodium catsup in place of regular catsup.
4. Use two beaten egg whites in place of one whole egg.

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