Crispy Noodle Cakes with Shrimp

Know why I like the idea of noodle cakes in this recipe?

You will eat less of the noodles and more of the vegetables, but that's our little secret, OK?

Seriously, this is a very healthy dish. Years ago it was thought that shrimp were loaded with cholesterol (it is if you eat a whole pound) but 4 large shrimp has only 43mg of cholesterol and is low in saturated fat. It is also a good source of Niacin, Iron, Phosphorus and Zinc, and a very good source of Protein, Vitamin B12 and Selenium.

You could substitute scallops or calamari and I imagine, that all adaptable chicken, would also work in this dish. If you don't have snow peas, use pea pods (they freeze beautifully and stay crisp), or use carrots and mushrooms. Red pepper strips (for Vitamin C) or asparagus would also work. I would try to use a few of the Top 20 Power Foods for Diabetics which, by the way, are not just for Diabetics. This is a GREAT clean out the crisper drawer recipe.

I slice my shrimp horizontally for three reasons. I love the curl that the shrimps cook into, I love the speed and ease (easy to see when they are done) with which they cook and I like that it tricks you into thinking you have tons of shrimp on your plate.

I also like that you don't have to pick up your knife to cut the shrimp into bite-sized pieces. OK, that was four reasons but a man easily eats a whole large shrimp so for them it doesn't count (sorry guys, not necessarily a bad thing, but it is true).

If you can not get fresh Chinese noodles, substitute linguine (you want the flatness that is linguine).

Crispy Noodle Cake with Spicy Stir-Fried Shrimp
Serves 4

* Salt
* 8oz fresh Chinese noodles (or 1/4 pound dried linguine)
* 2 scallions, sliced thin
* 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons dry sherry
* 1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 4 ounces snow peas, stems snapped off and strings removed
* 1/2 large carrot, julienned (optional)
* 1 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil. Add tablespoon of salt and cook noodles until al dente.
Drain and toss with scallions. Meanwhile, whisk hoisin, soy sauce, sherry and chili-garlic sauce in a bowl and set aside (can be done early in the day and stored in the fridge until dinner, just mix noodles with a teaspoon of vegetable oil).
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet and cook snow peas (or any other vegetables) until tender, 2 minutes. Add shrimp and ginger and cook until shrimp are cooked through. Stir in hoisin mixture and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and cover.



3. Wipe out skillet and heat 1 tablespoon oil until just smoking. Press noodles evenly with spatula across bottom of skillet. Cook until crisp, about 3 minutes, then slide cake to plate, add 1/2 tablespoon oil to pan and slide noodles back into skillet. Cook until crisp. Slide onto platter and cut into wedges (I find a pizza cutter works great for this).

I made 2 individual cakes and only used 1/4 pound of noodles for both.

4. Spoon shrimp/vegetable mixture over top of cake.

Enjoy!!

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