a weekend of celebrations
Recipe: pan-seared sichuan shrimp with glass noodles
You know it was a good weekend when you make food for three separate parties. I’m essentially partied out. But they were all wonderful, excellent, very good celebrations. The most important was Kaweah’s half birthday – her 15.5 birthday to be exact. Jeremy and I are still in awe that she is not only here with us, but generally in good spirits and always happy to eat. While we don’t normally celebrate her half birthdays, we felt it was appropriate to celebrate this one. I seared a few meatballs (ground beef, milk, bread, salt), fried a couple of bacon strips, and procured a proper filet mignon. Kaweah gets ALL of the good stuff.
kaweah loves birthdays and half birthdays
Kaweah gets so excited when we set a plate of goodies in front of her. She looks from the meatball to the filet to the bacon, to me, to Jeremy, then back to the meatball – over and over. All the while, she is trying to be a good girl, waiting for her release word… except she’s almost completely deaf. Instead of letting her eat off the plate, we hand-fed her (and I sliced that steak) so she wouldn’t choke on anything. I dare say she had a really really good time!
jeremy blows out the candles while kaweah stares at the meatballs
the tip of her tongue is sticking out in anticipation
chomp!
The rest of the weekend, we attended our friends’ birthday party and then prepped for and hosted a dinner party for my parents for Father’s Day. I know that I’m very lucky to have my parents here with me – even luckier that I can cook a special meal for them that they enjoy. But now that the weekend is over, I need to get back to simpler fare! I love the prep and great flavors of this shrimp and glass noodles dish.
shrimp, snow peas, vegetable oil, sichuan peppercorns, white pepper, salt, ginger, green onions, chili oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, glass noodles
grind the peppercorns
grate the ginger and slice the green onions
Glass noodles are mung bean noodles, also called bean thread noodles or cellophane noodles. They are white-ish when dried, but once cooked in hot water, they are clear with a slightly chewy, almost jello-like texture. I grew up eating glass noodles in soups, so this stir-fry piqued my interest.
peeled and de-veined shrimp, sliced snow peas, ground sichuan peppercorns, white pepper, salt, grated ginger, sliced green onions
rehydrate the noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes
cook in boiling water for 25 seconds and drain the noodles
The combination of Sichuan peppercorns and white pepper make for a spicy, aromatic, and punchy flavor. These spices are complemented by the tang of Chinese black vinegar. You should be able to find both Sichuan peppercorns and Chinese black vinegar in an Asian grocery store or a regular grocery store that has a well-stocked Asian or international section.
mix the sichuan peppercorns, white pepper, and salt with the shrimp
sauté the shrimp
I added snow peas to the recipe because I wanted vegetables and crunch. Use whatever you like (asparagus, broccoli, chinese broccoli, cabbage), but I think snow peas and shrimp are a perfect combination.
sauté the snow peas with the ginger and green onions
stir in the noodles, soy sauce, black vinegar, and chili oil
add the shrimp
There is a lively kick from the chili oil, Sichuan peppercorns, and white pepper without being overwhelming. The noodles are filling yet you won’t feel stuffed after eating them. This dish whips up quickly and easily for a weeknight dinner or can be part of a dinner ensemble for entertaining. It’s also fantastic as leftovers or eaten cold. If you want to change up your menu, add these noodles into your rotation.
garnish with chopped chives
fresh and tasty
Pan-Seared Sichuan Shrimp with Glass Noodles
[print recipe]
slightly modified from Food and Wine
6 oz. dried glass noodles (aka bean thread noodles, mung bean noodles, cellophane noodles)
1 lb. shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
3 tbsps vegetable oil
4 green onions, sliced thin
2 tbsps fresh ginger, grated
1 1/2 cups snow peas, cut in half
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tbsps Chinese black vinegar
1 1/2 tsp chili oil
Place the dried glass noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Drain the noodles. Bring a quart of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the noodles and broil for 25 seconds. Drain the noodles and rinse in cold water. Set aside. Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and season with salt, white pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns. Mix to coat the shrimp. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a sauté pan and sauté the shrimp for about 2 minutes until cooked. Remove the shrimp to it’s bowl. Heat the last 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the sauté pan over high heat. When the oil is hot, stir-fry the green onions and ginger until fragrant (about a minute). Add the snow peas and sauté until they turn a deep green color (3-5 minutes). Stir in the noodles, soy sauce, black vinegar, and chili oil. Add the last 1/2 teaspoon of ground Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry for a minute. Add the shrimp and season with more salt and white pepper to taste. Serves 4.
more goodness from the use real butter archives
|
korean glass noodles |
|
chinese cellophane noodle soup |
|
chinese honey walnut shrimp |
|
chinese stir-fried shrimp with snow peas |
June 16th, 2014 at 5:42 am
Wow! I know some people who would be thrilled to have Kaweah’s birthday feast. Happy half birthday to her! I’m not letting my cats read this, because they might demand more elaborate birthday celebrations and, you know, they really don’t appreciate the effort or the sentiment!
June 16th, 2014 at 6:14 am
Happy 15 1/2 birthday, Kaweah! What a feast! I love Sichuan peppercorns and am always excited when I find new recipes to try with them. This shrimp dish sounds so great. The glass noodles coated in that sauce looks mouthwatering!
June 16th, 2014 at 6:41 am
Happy half-birthday Kaweah! You’re both such amazing dog parents. Love, love, love.
June 16th, 2014 at 7:11 am
Happy half birthday to Kaweah!
June 16th, 2014 at 10:32 am
Happy birthday, Pup! I made our dog a birthday meatloaf-cake one year. Everyone thought I was a bit insane, but it was totally worth the look of amazement on my dog’s face when I put it in front of him. He kind of looked at me like, “Am I dying or something?!” Anyway, these noodles look so good. Love me some glass noodles!
June 16th, 2014 at 11:02 am
Happy half-birthday to little Kaweah!
June 16th, 2014 at 12:54 pm
Happy Half Birthday!! Beautiful pictures as always and very happy to see her so excited about her meal! :)
Definitely will try these glass noodles out!
June 16th, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Happy Birthday beautiful girl!
June 16th, 2014 at 1:54 pm
Happy half birthday Kaweah!
June 16th, 2014 at 11:37 pm
very sweet. happy birthday Kaweah!
June 16th, 2014 at 11:44 pm
Jen, you are such a great mama!!! Lovely photos and happy birthday, for a 108 year old girl, she looks pretty awesome!!! Love the recipe, being in Malaysia now, I appreciate Asian booking to it’s fullest! Thank you!!
June 16th, 2014 at 11:46 pm
She always makes me smile. Happy Birthday, you beautiful creature.
June 17th, 2014 at 1:10 am
Happy Birthday to your gorgeous pup!
June 17th, 2014 at 1:58 am
Bought my first bag of glass noodles and was looking for the right dish to make as my first dinner. This is it!!
What a gorgeous animal. Happy everyday Kaweah!
June 17th, 2014 at 3:52 am
What a wonderful, tasty dish! Happy Birthday to your beautiful senior pup! Mine is 16 1/2! We celebrate his health and his happy doggy life everyday!!
I have subscribed to your blog and I so enjoy the down to earthness that you have. Your recipes are a joy!
June 17th, 2014 at 4:10 am
Happy Birthday to Kaweah! She has such a beautiful face! She’s lucky to have such wonderful parents as you and Jeremy!
June 17th, 2014 at 6:11 am
Kaweah, happy birthday to you little girl!!!! She looks so sweet…
The glass noodles look absolutely spectacular!!
June 17th, 2014 at 6:25 am
Oh my goodness! 15.5 y.o.? She looks FANTASTIC for her age! I would never have guessed….she looks young. Her eyes are very sweet. Did she gobble everything down quickly after the snapshot? :-)
BTW, I love glass noodles. I could literally taste the shrimp and snowpeas with each image. I want to make this recipe this weekend! Thank you always for sharing your delicious recipes and Kaweah!! Happy Birthday, you lucky furry kiddo!
June 17th, 2014 at 8:15 am
Luckiest pup ever. <3 Thanks for sharing her with us!
June 17th, 2014 at 8:33 am
I absolutely am going to add these noodles to my menu… if there’s one thing I will *never* be able to get enough of, it’s stir fries and noodles. Yumtown. Kaweah is also the biggest sweetheart there ever was!
June 17th, 2014 at 4:08 pm
I have a confession. I only read this blog for doggie updates! Happy Birthday Kaweah! Great post!
June 17th, 2014 at 7:26 pm
You and Jeremy are simply wonderful doggie parents. Wishing you extra days of joy together.
June 17th, 2014 at 8:30 pm
YAY Kaweah!!! Happy Happy half-Birthday sweet girl!! She’s SUCH a good girl!! She’s not even drooling as she stands there in anticipation of all those yummy treats. She looks like she feels great and definitely looks happy. Thanks for sharing your love for her with us. I can’t tell you how much i appreciate people who appreciate their pets.
June 17th, 2014 at 9:21 pm
15 and a half? That’s a lot of love. And she still looks like a pup! And it looks like your dad made out pretty good, too! Happy celebrations!
June 18th, 2014 at 5:02 am
Awww! Lovin’ those pup photos.
June 18th, 2014 at 6:07 pm
Happy Birthday to Kaweah! :) looks delicious
June 19th, 2014 at 5:26 am
Sweet, sweet Kaweah girl! Such a proper lady, my Goldens would have devoured that wonderful plate of savory meat along with the candles no doubt. Happy 15.5 bday Kaweah!
June 19th, 2014 at 7:02 pm
Happy 15.5 birthday, Kaweah!!
June 22nd, 2014 at 10:44 am
Happy Birthday Kaweah!!! I know what it’s like to appreciate everyday you have with a senior pet. I use to have a herd of guinea pigs that were ridiculously spoiled (they got their own room and shared a 25 square foot cage that I built for them!). I only have one left now, but since I have no desire to start another herd, she’s all alone (her last companion died a year ago). She has that huge cage to herself now… She’s 6 1/2 years old (average lifespan for a guinea pig (IF you are lucky and take good care of them) is 4-7). I’m surprised but quite grateful she’s still with me. She’s blind and going deaf with some arthritis, but she’s sound mentally, happy, interactive, and still has quite an appetite. She’s slowed down quite a bit, and I’ve made some changes to her cage to make it easier to navigate, but I’m just so happy that she’s still with me…BTW Kaweah DOES look amazing for her age!
Now, on to the recipe! I just made this last night for my boyfriend, and he loved it! He just had some of the leftovers for lunch as well! He just seems to love all your recipes! I haven’t been to an Asian grocery store in a while, so I didn’t have the Black Vinegar, so I look forward to trying it with that next time!
I could only find the glass noodles in 3 3/4 ounce packages, so I bought 2 and used both completely. Bad idea, it was too many noodles! So next time I’ll only use 1 1/2 packages… I’m also thinking of adding some more veges…maybe broccoli for an extra vegetable boost!
Thanks for giving me another fabulous recipe to add to my collection! You really are amazing, Jen!
June 28th, 2014 at 2:04 am
Happy half birthday Kaweah! A very big kiss!!!
June 30th, 2014 at 5:18 pm
Thanks everyone for the sweet half birthday wishes for Kaweah! :)
Pey-Lih – we rationed it out between 3 meals (otherwise I think she gets the upchuck) :)
Stacey – it’s very much an issue of adding what you like to the dish to make it your own. Glad you liked it!
July 28th, 2014 at 7:34 am
[…] Pan-Seared Sichuan Shrimp with Glass Noodles Use Real Butter […]