Five-Spice Shrimp with Plum Sauce

Try new foods and spices. The complex flavor of Chinese five-spice powder and the sweet-sour taste of plum sauce combine beautifully in this dish. Rather than serving the vegetable-shrimp mixture in endive leaves, stir in the plum sauce and serve the mixture over Chinese wheat-flour noodles for a change of pace.

1/2 cup Chinese plum sauce
1/4 cup water, or as needed
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 ribs bok choy, cut into 1/4-inch cubes; also finely shred green tops
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
8 ounces small (41 to 50 count) shrimp, peeled, de-veined, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
Dash of salt and ground white pepper
12 Belgian endive leaves
Toasted pine nuts for garnish, optional (not included in nutritional analysis)

Spoon the plum sauce into a small bowl. Stir in water, as needed, to reach a maple syrup consistency.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy and greens, bell peppers, and green onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for four minutes or until crisp-tender. Add the shrimp, garlic, and five-spice powder; cook, stirring constantly, for one minute or until the shrimp turn pink. Season with salt and white pepper. Serve warm, at room temperature, or refrigerate to cool.

To serve, spoon the vegetable-shrimp mixture into the endive leaves. Drizzle with plum sauce and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: calories 187, total fat 5 g, sodium 174 mg, carbs 24 g, fiber 6 g

Tip: Chinese five-spice powder, sometimes called five-fragrance powder, is a sweet and pungent mixture of five ground spices including fennel, star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves. A licorice flavor predominates, thanks to the fennel seeds. Some brands also contain ginger and licorice root. The seasoning is available in the ethnic section of most supermarkets and in Asian markets.

Used with permission from The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet: Creative Cuisine Made Fast and Fresh by Paulette Mitchell.