Sweet and Sour Shrimp

Ingredients:

8 ounces firm light tofu (optional)

2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

8 ounces peeled large shrimp

1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 cup prechopped onion

1/2 cup prechopped green bell pepper

1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger

1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained

Instructions:

1) Place tofu (if using) between paper towels until barely moist; cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Combine tofu (if using) , 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and shrimp. Combine remaining cornstarch, broth, and next 4 ingredients (through chile paste); set aside.

2) Heat sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp mixture to pan; saute 3 minutes. Place shrimp mixture in a bowl. Heat canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, ginger, and pineapple to pan; saute 2 minutes. Add shrimp mixture; cook 1 minute. Add broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute.

*makes 4 servings* (Serving size: 1 cup shrimp)

Asian Pineapple

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

1 1/2 tablespoons minced red onion

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 cups diced fresh pineapple

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1) Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes. Add pineapple; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add soy sauce, pepper, juice, and ginger; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro.

*Makes 4 servings* (serving size: about 1/2 cup)

Steamed Salmon with Sauce

*Picture above also includes a lemony tomato sauce and separate vegetables for a more delicious touch*
Ingredients:

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons water

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons Wasabi paste

1 (1 1/2 pound) center-cut salmon fillet, skinned

4 Napa Cabbage Leaves

Instructions:

1) Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves; set aside.

2) Combine vinegar and wasabi in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Spread Wasabi mixture evenly over top of salmon.

3) Line a bamboo steamer with cabbage leaves. Place salmon, wasabi side up, over cabbage in steamer basket; cover with steamer lid.

4) Add water to a large skillet to a depth of 1 inch; bring to a boil. Place steamer in pan; steam salmon 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove salmon from steamer; discard cabbage. Serve salmon with sauce; sprinkle with onions (I prefer grilled), if desired.

*Makes 4 servings* (Serving size: about 4 ounces of salmon and 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Steamed Shrimp and Mushroom

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray

3 1/2 cups thinly sliced cremini mushrooms (about 6 ounces)

1 3/4 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 4 ounces)

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon dry sherry

2 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

4 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp

24 gyoza skins (round wonton wrappers)

6 peeled and deveined medium shrimp, each cut crosswise into 4 pieces

4 Large Napa (Chinese) Cabbage Leaves

1 tablespoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste) or Sriracha (hot chile sauce)

Instructions:

1) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushrooms to pan; saute 8 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Spoon mushrooms into a food processor. Add onions and next 5 ingredients (through 4 ounces of shrimp); process 10 seconds or until finely chopped.

2) Working with 1 gyoza skin at a time (cover remaining skins to prevent drying), spoon about 1 tablespoon shrimp mixture into center of each skin, moisten edges of skin with water. (A) Gather up and crimp edges of skin around filling; lightly squeeze skin to adhere to filling, leaving top of dumpling open. Place 1 shrimp piece on top of filling, pressing gently into filling. Place dumpling on a baking sheet; cover loosely with a damp towel to prevent drying. Repeat procedure with remaining skins and filling.

3) Line each tier of a 2-tiered bamboo steamer with 2 cabbage leaves. Arrange 12 dumplings, 1 inch apart, over cabbage in each steamer basket. Stack tiers, and cover with steamer lid.

4) Add water to skillet to a depth of 1 inch, and bring to a boil. Place steamer in pan, and steam dumplings for 15 minutes or until done. Remove dumplings from steamer, and spoon 1/8 teaspoon sambal oelek onto each dumpling. Discard cabbage.

*Makes 8 servings* (Serving size: 3 dumplings)

Asian Chicken

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons minced green onions

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 1/2 teaspoons hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste) or chile paste with garlic

1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken

1 star anise

4 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned

1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Cooking Spray

Instructions:

1) Combine first 9 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.

2) Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade. Pour marinade into a large skillet; stir in broth. Arrange chicken in a bamboo steamer coated with cooking spray; cover with steamer lid.

3) Place bamboo steamer in pan; bring marinade mixture to a boil. Steam the chicken 18 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in center of breasts registers 165 degrees. Transfer chicken to a platter.

4) Remove steamer from pan. Strain marinade mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Return marinade mixture to pan; bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 2 minutes). Serve sauce with chicken.

*Makes 4 servings* (Serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 2 tablespoons sauce)