Spicy Orange Shrimp Stir-Fry

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Even in retirement, there are days when the time between sunrise and sunset ticks away so quickly that I'm flummoxed when the dinner hour arrives. It happens more often than I'd like to admit, and it occurs with such regularity that I've countered with a recipe collection that has a handful of dishes that define quick and easy meals. Tonight's feature is one of them. While it will raise no flags, it is tasty and more than adequately solves the dinner dilemma on busy days. The dish is a stir-fry but I hesitate to call it Asian. The recipe for these Asian-ish shrimp comes from Cooking Light magazine and it is a riff on a spicy sweet and sour chicken. If you enjoy foods that pack some heat, I really think you'll enjoy these shrimp. Once you have the ingredients in place they'll cook in about 5 minutes. So, if you plan to serve the shrimp with rice, you'll want the rice ready to go before you start the stir-fry. The recipe is straightforward and easy to follow, but I have made one minor change to it. The original recipe used a tablespoon of cornstarch to coat the shrimp. I thought that amount created a sauce that was too gelatinous, so I cut the measurement back to 2 teaspoons. Once you add the sauce to the pan, you'll want to keep an eye on it, cooking it only until it thickens. The sauce can break when cooked too long. Adults will enjoy this dish, but I don't recommend it for children. If you're looking for a really fast recipe, I hope you'll keep this one in mind. Here's how the shrimp are made.

Spicy Orange Shrimp Stir-Fry...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Cooking Light magazine

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
2 to 3 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped green onions

Directions:
1) Place shrimp in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch; toss well to coat. Set aside.
2) Combine juice, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, and chile paste, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
3) Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger and garlic to pan and stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add shrimp mixture and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add juice mixture and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and shrimp are done, about 2 minutes longer. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

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