Orange Shrimp

Orange Shrimp - made May 28, 2011 from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening by Devin Alexander

I'm always on the lookout for easy to make recipes of "real food" so that I'm not just injecting sugar into my veins with baked goods.  Since I'm back to work, I mainly cook on the weekends then just portion everything out for individual meals throughout the week.  It makes life and time management so much easier.  I usually like to bring my lunch if I'm not meeting friends or going out with coworkers for lunch so it's nice to be able to have some meals ready.  Plus the last thing I want to do when I get home from work at night is cook dinner.  Much easier to microwave something minutes after I walk in the door.

I have Devin Alexander's Most Decadent Diet Ever book and have made several good dishes from it.  Her recipes are straightforward and easy to follow for those of us who don't cook very much.  I checked this one out of the library in my effort to be less acquisitive and spendy.  On the heels of the Orange Chicken dish that turned out so well, I wanted to make Orange Shrimp this time, especially since my mom's orange tree is so heavily weighted with fresh oranges and I could use them for the juice.  They look like lemons but she assures me they're really oranges.

This is a snapshot of only part of my mom's orange tree

A close up of some of the oranges

Despite the yellow color on the outside, inside they're appropriately orange, sweet and full of juice. Perfect to use in cooking and baking, not to mention drinking "straight". This recipe couldn't be easier to put together.  I added some chives for garnish and flavor but overall, this was a simple, summery dish.  Much healthier than a breaded-chicken version (I'm a sucker for Panda Express' Orange Chicken) so you can indulge and get summer-shape ready at the same time.

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup 100% orange juice (not from concentrate, preferably no pulp)

1 ¼ pounds 21-25 count shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and pepper, to taste

Olive oil spray

2 teaspoons crushed garlic

1.      Put the cornstarch in a medium bowl or measuring cup.  Whisking constantly, add enough orange juice to the cornstarch to form a paste.  Whisk in the remaining juice and continue whisking until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.  Set aside.

2.      Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.

3.      Place a large, nonstick skillet over high heat.  When hot, lightly mist the pan with the spray and add the shrimp in an even layer along with the garlic.  Cool for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until the shrimp turns pink and is no longer translucent.

4.      Pour the orange juice mixture over the shrimp, gently stirring it until the sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.