There are plenty of Asian stir-fry dishes that contain shrimp. Shrimp with Garlic Sauce and Creaky Shrimp were always my favorites. Don’t ask what “creaky” means—I still don’t know. I do know that Six Happiness Chinese Restaurant in my neighborhood in New York City was happy to deliver it within fifteen minutes, guaranteed every time. They also delivered a cardboard container—full of sugar and fat at about 800 calories a pop. This is a wholesome 600-fewer-calorie version of that “creaky” stuff: luscious shrimp, asparagus, a simple sauce, and basil.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

　　1 medium Vidalia onion, sliced thin

　　1 large bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces

　　1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　2/3 cup Rockin’ Asian Stir-Fry Sauce (page 210) or store-bought sugar-free teriyaki sauce, such as Seal Sama

　　1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

　　

Step 1

Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the sesame oil. Add the onion and asparagus, and stir-fry until the vegetables are almost tender, about 6 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste, and add them to the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the stir-fry sauce. When the shrimp are cooked through and the sauce is hot (after about 2 minutes), stir in the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired, and serve.

　　

nutrition information

Step 3

Fat: 19.1g (before), 6.4g (after)

　　

Step 4

Calories: 873 (before), 198 (after)

　　

Step 5

Protein: 21g

　　

Step 6

Carbohydrates: 14g

　　

Step 7

Cholesterol: 129mg

　　

Step 8

Fiber: 3g

　　

Step 9

Sodium: 886mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.