a standing ovation

 

I tried my hand at making this lovely recipe last night.  It turned out wonderful and even my “less food adventurous” husband said it was good. 

Crunchy Shrimp with Toasted Couscous and Ginger-Orange Sauce

Do not be overwhelmed by the recipe list.  It appears more complicated than it turned out to be.  Feel free to pick and choose what pieces and parts to serve.  I have tried to put in some helpful hints.  While reducing the sauce, you can be peeling the shrimp. To round this meal out, I served it with steamed broccoli.

 

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1  cup  orange juice
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh cilantro
• 2  tablespoons  reduced-fat mayonnaise (use less)
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1  teaspoon  grated peeled fresh ginger (or dash of ground)
• 1  teaspoon  fresh lime juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper

Couscous: (I did something similar with orzo instead because that’s what I had on hand) 

• 1  cup  uncooked couscous
• 1 1/2  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2  cup  orange juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/3  cup  chopped green onions (didn’t have any)
• 2  tablespoons  sliced almonds, toasted
• 1  tablespoon  unsalted butter

Shrimp:

• 20  jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 3/4 pound)
• 1  large egg white, lightly beaten
• 1/2  cup  panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2  teaspoon  grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  tablespoon  canola oil (may need a little more depending on # of batches of shrimp)
• 2  cups  trimmed watercress (who honestly keeps these on hand?)

Preparation

To prepare sauce, bring 1 cup orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; cool completely. Stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper); set aside.

To prepare couscous, place couscous in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup orange juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; add onions, almonds, and butter, stirring until butter melts. Keep warm.

To prepare shrimp, combine shrimp and egg white in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Combine the panko, 1 teaspoon cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and black pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add shrimp to the bag, and seal and shake to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; arrange shrimp in a single layer in pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.

Place 3/4 cup couscous on each of 4 plates; top each with 1/2 cup watercress and 5 shrimp. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce.

 

Nutritional Information

Calories: 376 (25% from fat)

Fat: 10.6g (sat 2.7g,mono 4.1g,poly 2g)

Protein: 17.6g

Carbohydrate: 51.9g

Fiber: 3.9g

Cholesterol:  61mg

Iron: 2.1mg

Sodium: 763mg

Calcium: 84mg