Orange Shrimp with Pickled Cucumbers

I was craving orange peel shrimp not long ago, but take out always has so much sodium in it that I end up waking up several times during the night having to chug water from being parched from the salt. This is not only a lower in sodium alternative, it’s also lower in fat. I make a batch of pickled cucumbers to give a cool balance to the slightly spicy shrimp. I always make a bigger bowl of cucs than I really need because they are a perfect warm weather snack!

Orange Shrimp

adapted from Cooking Light

Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs of peeled and deveined shrimp

1 Tbsp of flour

1/3 cup of fresh orange juice

1 Tbsp of orange zest

2 Tbsp of low sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp of honey or agave

1 Tbsp of rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp of chili paste

2 Tbsp of canola oil or coconut oil

1 Tbsp of grated fresh ginger

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup of green onions, white and green part

Pickled Cucumbers

serves 4

3 medium size cucumbers

1/2 cup of rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp of sugar

red pepper flakes (optional)

In a medium size bowl combine the rice wine vinegar, water and sugar together. Peel the cucumbers and thinly slice. Add them to the vinegar mixture and sprinkle with the pepper flakes. Toss the cucumbers around in the liquid and then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Wash and pat the shrimp dry. Toss them with the tablespoon of flour in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, chili paste, ginger and garlic. Heat up the oil in a medium size sauté pan over medium heat. Add in the chopped green onions and cook for about a minute. Next toss in the shrimp. Cook for another minute and pour in the liquid mixture. Cook the shrimp just until done (about 3-5 minutes) and the sauce is slightly thickened.

**To make this dish gluten free, substitute cornstarch for the flour and gluten free soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids.

Enjoy!