Spicy Honey Walnut Shrimp and Egg Rolls

I haven’t been feeling inspired in the kitchen lately. I’ve been kind of lost, just wandering around peeking in cupboards and behind boxes and jars. Kind of like Winnie-the-Pooh when he woke up and couldn’t find his hunny pot.
I could blame it on the weather. I naturally gravitate toward heavier comfort food that isn’t always appealing during the summer. My garden was a great source of inspiration last summer. I’m sure it will be the same again, but it will be a while before I harvest any rewards from it. Meanwhile I’m waiting for the lightning bolt of inspiration to hit and drive away this foggy, uncertain thinking. I’m hoping I find my kitchen magic again, and soon, like Winnie-the-pooh who eventually, after some searching, found his missing hunny pot.

I have wanted to make honey walnut shrimp for a long time. Well, kind of. What stopped me before was it seemed to be a one-note dish; sweet shrimp with crunchy walnuts and little else to flavor it. Very delicious but I wanted more. Given my current state of mind this was perfect. Unfussy. Unpretentious.

I added red chilies for a little heat and snow peas for nutrition’s sake. The mayonnaise and condensed milk make it seem like a heavy dish, but it isn’t at all. It’s light and the thick, creamy, smooth sauce is sweet and nicely spiced. I served the shrimp over salad greens but craved rice when I was eating. Rice would have been more satisfying and been a nice texture to include with the succulent shrimp and crispy walnuts. And did I mention the egg rolls? Another first for me. The filling was made from shrimp, cabbage and for a nice bit of crunch – water chestnuts. They were little packages of lightly-fried, golden-brown goodness.

Spicy Honey Walnut Shrimp

(by Reeni)

For the walnuts:

1 cup walnut halves

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon honey

Pinch of Sea or Kosher salt

For the shrimp:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (like Hellmann’s or Best Foods)

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk or heavy cream

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 pound shrimp, cleaned

cornstarch

1 tablespoon vegetable/Canola oil

1 cup snow peas

2 small red Chile peppers, diced or cayenne pepper

Salad greens or rice, for serving

1. Toast the walnuts in a dry saute pan on low-medium heat for about five minutes. In separate bowl whisk the oil and honey together. Pour over the walnuts, toss, and saute another five minutes. Remove and spread on parchment. Sprinkle with salt.

2. In a large bowl whisk the mayo, honey, condensed milk, and lemon juice. Set aside.

3. In a large saute pan or wok heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the peppers for a 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of cornstarch over the shrimp and toss to coat. Add the shrimp and snow peas to the pan . Saute until shrimp start to curl. Remove from heat and add the shrimp to the bowl with the mayonnaise mixture. Toss until shrimp is coated well. Serve over salad greens or rice. Top with walnuts.

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Shrimp Egg Rolls

(by Reeni)

2 tablespoons Canola or Vegetable oil, plus more for frying

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece of ginger, minced

2 cups cabbage, shredded

3/4 cup carrot, shredded

1/4 cup bamboo shoots, thinly sliced

1 cup Water chestnuts, chopped

1/2 pound shrimp, chopped

1/3 cup green onion, chopped

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

8 egg roll wrappers

1 egg, beaten

1. In a large saute pan add the oil, garlic, ginger, cabbage, carrot and bamboo shoots. Saute for about ten minutes until cabbage softens. Add the water chestnuts, shrimp, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Saute until shrimp are cooked. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

2. Keep a moist cloth over the wrappers and the egg rolls to prevent them from drying out. To fill place a wrapper with a corner facing you – like a diamond shape. Place about a 1/3 cup or so of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Roll the corner closest to you over the filling. Brush the top corner with egg wash. Fold in the sides of the wonton and continue rolling the egg roll up until it is closed. Press to seal, using a little egg wash.

3. Fry 3-4 at a time in 2 inches of oil until golden brown, turning them with tongs. Drain on paper towels.

Dipping Sauce (great with dumplings, too)

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 to 2 teaspoons sesame oil

Pinch of red pepper

1. Toast the sesame seeds over low-medium heat in a dry skillet until lightly golden brown. Set aside to cool.

2. Whisk the rest of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Add the cooled sesame seeds.

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