Rush-Hour Gourmet

When you start with a dish developed for a restricted diet, you can add flavor in different ways. Here, the rice is perfumed with ginger as it cooks. Fish sauce and white wine go into the sauce.

4 servings

3-inch piece ginger root

1 cup uncooked jasmine or basmati rice

2 cups water

12 ounces U-15 (jumbo) raw shrimp

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 cup fish stock or bottled clam juice

2 or 3 medium cloves garlic

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 pound asparagus

1. Peel the ginger, then cut it crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Put a third of the ginger in a medium saucepan, along with the rice and water; stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low; cook for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, peel and devein the shrimp; place them in a bowl. Sprinkle with the cornstarch and toss to coat. Add the wine, fish sauce, and clam juice to form a marinade.

3. Peel and cut the garlic into thin slices. Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus; cut into 2-inch pieces. Mince the remaining ginger slices.

4. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger; stir-fry for 1 minute, until golden. Add the asparagus and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until crisp-tender. Push to the side of the pan.

5. Drain the shrimp, reserving the marinade. Add the shrimp to the pan and stir-fry for 2 to 4 minutes, until just opaque, then add the reserved marinade and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until it has thickened to form a sauce.

6. Remove the ginger from the cooked rice, then divide the rice among plates. Top with the shrimp, asparagus and sauce.

- Adapted from The Diabetic Seafood Cookbook (American Diabetic Association, 2009).

Per serving: 337 calories, 25 g protein, 45 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 130 mg cholesterol, 570 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar