shrimp on rice

nce in a while, I like to write about food. Not so much because I’m a “foodie” and a fairly decent cook, as to illustrate the principle of “gourmet living” that’s such a key part of my 10 Life-Charged Words initiative.

Simply put, excellence is the best antidote to excess. I’ve found that gourmet cooking facilitates satisfaction without resorting to over-eating. Fact is, over-eating is often a response to satisfaction deficit; we keep consuming but we’re never fulfilled.

The spiritual lesson here is that most Americans are caught in a consumption cycle that never ends, because we’re consuming so much (and too much) that can never satisfy. Why? because what we’re so desperately seeking fails to meet the real needs that only faith can address.

“DEREK’S SESAME-GINGER SHRIMP ON RICE” (serves 2-3:) So yesterday evening I employed the principle of gourmet living to my preparation of dinner. The result was so flavorful that Rebekah suggested I write it down. My last food post – November 10, 2012 – generated a lot of interest. So give it a try, I highly recommend you try this one too.

INGREDIENTS:

• Half-cup long-grain white rice
• Two-thirds of a pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (fresh is best)
• Three small onions, chopped (about a rounded half-cup)
• Half-cup chopped celery-heart
• One good-sized clove garlic, pressed then finely minced
• Half-cup fresh carrots, sliced thin
• 8-10 stalks fresh asparagus
• Quarter-cup chopped walnuts
• Quarter-teaspoon ground ginger
• Quarter-teaspoon curry powder
• Ground sea-salt
• Ground pepper
• Liberal quantities sesame-seed oil
• Cup or more hot-water
• Four potato-rolls
• Fresh pitcher of ice-tea (four parts black tea, one part mint tea)

Image from Internet

PREPARATION: First, get the rice cooking. When it’s just about done, just turn off the burner and let the pot sit, covered, to continue cooking slowly.

Then (and this should take around 20-minutes, so begin when the rice gets going) put some sesame-seed oil in a good-sized skillet and sauté the onions. After the onions begin to brown, add the chopped celery, the carrots, and the walnuts. Continue to saute until the flavors begin to blend, then add a third-of-a-cup of hot water (the water should be near boiling as cold water interrupts the cooking already taking place). Add a little sea-salt too, and pepper. Cover and simmer.

Keep the heat high enough to cook the carrots, and add hot water whenever the mixture gets dry (you’ll want to have enough moisture so that there’s around a half-cup of liquid when it’s time to serve). This is a good time to stir in the curry powder, the crushed garlic, the ginger, and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust to your preference, but remember that the spices are best when they’re subtle, not overwhelming.

Around the time you turn the rice off, add the asparagus and the shrimp. Stir frequently, and cook for no more than five minutes. Pop the bread in the oven, too.

SERVE: When the asparagus is cooked, but still firm, serve the mixture over rice. Provide soy-sauce as a table condiment; your guests can add a splash at their discretion. The hot potato roll makes a nice complement.

Enjoy! And I recommend you read the chapter on “Excellence” found in my new book, 10 Life-Charged Words (Upper Room Books, 2012)

Bon Appetit!  DEREK