SHRIMP WITH SNOW PEAS

This is quick and easy and is wonderful with those fresh snow peas or sugar snaps from your spring garden!

SERVES: 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp.        Corn starch       

2 TBSP      Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry

1/2 tsp.      Sea salt

1 lb.          shrimp, peeled and deveined (16-21 or 21-25 count)

2 TBSP      Oil

1 TBSP      Butter

2 shakes    Cayenne pepper

2 TBSP      minced ginger

3 cloves     garlic, sliced thinly

1/2 lb.       snow peas, strings removed (or sugar snaps)

2 tsp.        soy sauce

1/4 C         shrimp stock (plus a little extra if you have it)

3-4            green onions, white and light green parts, sliced

2 tsp.        sesame oil

DIRECTIONS:

Start cooking the rice, preferably using shrimp stock (or chicken stock).  Use rice that cooks in about 18 minutes.  When it’s done, leave it covered off the heat until serving time.  See link for shrimp stock recipe.

http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/shrimp-stock.html

Combine first three ingredients and stir until cornstarch is smooth.  Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Set aside for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring a few times to coat. 

Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat for 1 minute. Add the butter, oil and cayenne; heat until butter begins to bubble BUT NOT BROWN.  Add the ginger and garlic and toss to combine.  Stir-fry for about 10 seconds.

Add the shrimp and all the marinade to the pan, along with the green onions.  Cook about a minute. 

Add the snow peas, soy sauce and shrimp stock; cook about 2 minutes or until the shrimp turns pink and opaque. (Add additional stock if mixture begins to get gooey.)  Remove from the heat and add the sesame oil.  Stir to coat. 

Serve over steamed rice.  Great with Cole slaw.

STUFFED POSSUM.... SERIOUSLY

The Malcolm Blue Farm Museum and Farmhouse is an historical farm in the Sandhills of North Carolina, built in 1825.  Today, the farm holds authentic events year round, the largest being the Annual Farmskills Festival & School Children’s Day, and the Christmas Open House.  The farm’s historical society has published a cookbook with authentic recipes from the early 1800’s. 

A dear friend gave me her copy, and I’ve spent the last 24 hours reading it.  There are some interesting (to say the least) recipes I will be sharing here.  I hope you will enjoy them as much as I have.

Here we go.....

STUFFED POSSUM  (sorry, no picture available, thank God)

INGREDIENTS:

1               Dressed possum

1 C            Salt

1 TBSP       Butter

1 large      Onion

1 C           Bread crumbs

1              Diced red pepper

DIRECTIONS:

DRESS THE POSSUM:  ( I know this is the proper verbiage but it just cracks me up!)  Remove the entrails, head, and tail - save the liver.  Wash thoroughly inside and out.  Cover with cold salt (1C) water.  Let stand overnight.  Drain the salty water and rinse well with boiling water.

STUFFING AND COOKING:

Melt butter and add chopped onion.  When onion begins to brown, add chopped liver.  (I swear, this is verbatim.)  Cook until liver is well done.  Add bread crumbs and red pepper.  Mix in boiled egg, salt and add water to moisten.  Stuff possum with mix and sew end closed.  

Roast possum until tender.  (In a wood stove, I'm sure, so cooking temperature will vary).  Baste with fat from roasting pan.

(From Google images:  Obviously THIS cook did not follow the directions on how to dress this creature.  And that piece of red pepper has GOT to go!)

COMING SOON!!!!
Poke Salet