Happy Birthday! / Moo Shu Shrimp

Happy Birthday to Jim and Claire!!!

I hope that you both had a great birthday. Uncle Jim, I hope that I get to talk to you later this week.

I am continuing on my Chinese food kick. The following is a recipe that I tried this weekend. I don't have any pictures, but it was very tasty. I tried making Mandarin pancakes to go with it. I had mixed success, but I'm determined to get it right in the future.

Moo Shu Shrimp

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, divided
• 1 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 6 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 8 (6-inch) flour tortillas or Mandarin pancakes

Preparation

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic and shrimp; stir-fry 3 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through. Remove shrimp from pan; keep warm.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic and mushrooms; stir-fry 1 minute or until mushrooms are tender. Add carrot and onions; stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in cabbage; cook 2 minutes or until wilted.
Combine soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, cornstarch, and Sriracha in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir soy sauce mixture into cabbage mixture. Remove from heat; stir in shrimp, tossing to coat. Serve with hoisin and tortillas.
The recipe can be found at My Recipes: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1591067&cookbook_id=5326623
Below is the recipe for Mandarin pancakes. I had difficulty making them because of the dough, but the few that I did make were very tasty. I will try again soon and keep the dough warm as I work with it.

Mandarin Pancakes

Yield: 16 pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

Preparation

Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and water in a large bowl. Stir until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 3 minutes). Shape the dough into a 1 1/2-inch-thick log. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions. Roll each dough portion into a 6-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Brush 8 pancakes evenly with oil. Top each with one of the remaining pancakes, gently pressing together.
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place 1 pancake stack in pan, and cook 1 minute on each side or until slightly puffed. Remove from pan, and cool. Peel pancakes apart.

The recipe can be found at My Recipes: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=222042&cookbook_id=5326623