Sweet and Sour Shrimp
Colorful bell peppers, juicy pineapple, and tender shrimp come together in a sweet and savory sauce. Served over brown rice, this recipe is going to become a family favorite.
No need for Chinese take-out tonight. This sweet and sour shrimp recipe is restaurant-quality delicious and comes together quickly, making it a perfect weeknight dinner solution for busy families.
Packed with protein and relatively low in calories, shrimp provides an excellent source of iodine (needed to make thyroid hormones), phosphorus (helps build and protect bones and teeth), selenium (supports a healthy immune system), and vitamin B12 (needed to make red blood cells and maintain a healthy nervous system). Shrimp is also a good source of copper, an essential mineral which helps keep bones, blood vessels, nerves, and the immune system healthy.
For convenience and availability, I purchased frozen shrimp for today’s recipe. One thing you’ll likely notice on the front of a package of frozen shrimp are two numbers such as 21 – 25. This number range refers to the shrimp count, or the number of shrimp found in one pound. For example, “21 – 25 count” means there will be 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. While terms like “jumbo” and “extra large” are not standardized and mean little when buying shrimp, here are some common shrimp counts and names often associated with those counts.
61 – 70 count = tiny shrimp
51 – 60 count = small shrimp
41 – 50 count = medium shrimp
31 – 40 count = large shrimp
26 – 30 count = extra large shrimp
21 – 25 count = jumbo shrimp
16 – 20 count = extra jumbo shrimp
15 or less count = colossal shrimp
Bottom line when it comes to the size of shrimp – the lower the number, the bigger shrimp. Smaller shrimp are nice in soups and pasta salads. Larger shrimp are great for sauteing, stir-frying, and grilling. I used 31 – 40 count shrimp in today’s recipe.
Another item to take note of on the packaging is the ingredient list. To maintain moisture and prevent discoloration, many manufactures add salt and/or salt solutions such as sodium phosphates (e.g., sodium tripolyphosphate) or sodium sulfites (e.g., sodium metabisulfite or sodium bisulfite) to shrimp. If you’re sensitive to sulfites, avoid shrimp that contain sodium metabisulfite, sodium bisulfite or other forms of sulfite.
While shrimp naturally contains some sodium, look what happens to the sodium content when salt and/or salt solutions are added to shrimp.
Ideally, it’s best to purchase frozen shrimp that only lists “shrimp” on the ingredient list. If you’re purchasing fresh shrimp at a seafood counter, ask the fishmonger if they have labeling information regarding the presence of added salt or salt solutions.
To your health,
Darlene
SWEET AND SOUR SHRIMP
Yield: 5 servings
Serving Size: 1 cup shrimp stir-fry over 1/2 cup cooked rice
Prep: 15 minutes
Ready: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Marinating Shrimp
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/3 cup apricot or peach preserves
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar or rice vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup canned pineapple juice (reserved from drained canned pineapple chunks)
1 tablespoon corn starch
Shrimp Stir-Fry
2 tablespoons canola oil or peanut oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups red onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup green pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup canned pineapple chunks packed in juice, drained (reserve juice from can)
1/4 cup sliced green onion, green tops only
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (prepared without salt)
DIRECTIONS
To marinate shrimp, pat shrimp dry with paper towel and place in a sealable plastic bag. Add soy sauce (1 tablespoon), seal bag, and toss to distribute soy sauce. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To prepare sweet and sour sauce, in a small saucepan stir together apricot preserves, white vinegar, sugar, soy sauce (2 tablespoons), tomato paste, and red pepper flakes. In a measuring cup, stir together pineapple juice (reserved from canned pineapple chunks) and corn starch until corn starch is dissolved. Over medium-low heat, bring preserve mixture to a simmer. Add corn starch mixture and stir continuously until mixture thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for later use.
To prepare shrimp stir-fry, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat sides and bottom of pan. Add shrimp to hot oil and stir-fry until just pink, about 2 minutes. Remove shrimp from pan and transfer to a plate.
Add remaining tablespoon of oil to wok or skillet, again swirling to coat sides and bottom of pan. When oil is heated, add garlic, onion, green pepper, and red pepper and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add pineapple chunks, shrimp, and sweet and sour sauce. Stir and continue to cook until shrimp, pineapple, and sweet and sour sauce are heated through, about 3 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds. Serve over brown rice. One serving consists of 1 cup sweet and sour shrimp over 1/2 cup cooked brown rice.
Nutrition Information per Serving
380 Calories, 8 g Total fat, 1 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 138 mg Cholesterol, 465 mg Sodium, 54 g Total carbohydrate, 4 g Dietary fiber, 22 g Total sugars, 11 g Added sugars, 22 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 76 mg (6%) Calcium, 3 mg (15%) Iron, 773 mg (15%) Potassium
© 2023 RECIPES MADE HEALTHY BY DARLENE ZIMMERMAN, MS, RD LLC
