Recently, I asked my neighbor what she was preparing for dinner. She replied,” Sweet and Sour Shrimp.” Of course, I had to ask for her tried and true recipe so I could give it a try! It would certainly help liven up this dreary winter weather we were having these days. After tweaking a couple of things, it’s my opinion that this is truly worthy of your valuable time to prepare as a quick meal that will delight the entire family.
The Prep:
The vegetables are prepped. One recipe I viewed on Pinterest even had thin carrot coins thrown into the mix. Perhaps some jullienned carrots would work as well! There’s plenty of sauce to share plus I’m all about the veggies and I think the addition of this color will make this dish pop even more. The 100% pineapple juice (not syrup) was drained from the can of pineapple chunks, which yielded about 3/4 cup and was used in the creation of the sauce in a small saucepan. In a short amount of time, the sauce thickens nicely and will be ready to toss into the mix at the end. This might me a good time to start the rice, if you haven’t already.
Time to cook!
In a wok drizzled with olive oil, or medium skillet, saute the peppers and onions over medium heat until peppers are softened and onions are translucent, 3-5 minutes. Remove them to a small bowl and proceed with the next step.
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season them lightly with sea salt and pepper. Heat a few more swirls of olive oil in the wok. Toss in the shrimp and move them around until they are no longer pink.
Finishing up!
Pour the sauce over the shrimp and add the vegetables and pineapple to the wok
Stir until heated through, about 3-5 mnutes. Enjoy this tangy Sweet and Sour Shrimp over a small bed of white rice. If you have leftovers, refrigerate as meal-prepped servings to transport to work, even if it is your home office these days.
Sweet and Sour Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and patted dry
- 20 oz can pineapple chunks, juice drained and reserved
- 1/2 c red bell pepper cut into chunks
- 1/2 c green bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1/4 c finely diced red onion
- white rice, cooked to brand specifications for 4-6 servings
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1/4 c light brown sugar
- 2 T cornstarch
- 1/4 c red wine vinegar
- 2 T light/low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 t minced garlic
- 1/2 t ground ginger
- 3 T ketchup
- 3/4 c reserved pineapple juice from the can
- red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Drain pineapple chunks and reserve the juice to use in the sauce
- Pat the shrimp dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Prep the vegetables as indicated.
Sauce
- Whisk the brown sugar and cornstarch together.
- Combine the other ingredients in a small saucepan, then whisk in the sugar/cornstarch mix.
- Thicken over MEDIUM-LOW heat, stirring frequently. Remove from burner and set aside.
Shrimp/Vegetable Prep
- Add drizzle of olive oil in a wok or medium skillet. Add the peppers and onions; stir just until peppers are softened and onions appear translucent. Remove from pan and set aside.
- In a wok or medium skillet add a drizzle of olive oil. Heat it over MEDIUM heat. Add shrimp and stir fry until no longer pink.
- Add the vegetables into the pan with the shrimp; add the drained pineapple chunks and the sauce. Heat for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, over LOW heat until heated through.
- Serve over rice and enjoy! Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired.
