Grilled Shrimp on Lemongrass Skewers

Name: Grilled Shrimp on Lemongrass Skewers
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 1 firm ripe mango; 4 stalks fresh lemongrass; 1/3 cup (75 mL) sweet and sour sauce; 1/4 cup (60 mL) rice vinegar; 1 garlic clove, pressed; 1/8 teaspoon (.5 mL) crushed red pepper flakes; 16 large uncooked shrimp (21-25 per pound/450 g), peeled and deveined; 1 cup (250 mL) hot cooked white rice; 2 tablespoons (30 mL) snipped fresh cilantro; 1 tablespoon (15 mL) chopped peanuts

Prep 25 min

Cook 10 min

Ready in 35 min

Lemongrass, a key flavoring in Thai cooking, adds a distinct lemony perfume to the glaze in this recipe.

Ingredients

1 firm ripe mango
4 stalks fresh lemongrass
1/3 cup (75 mL) sweet and sour sauce
1/4 cup (60 mL) rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/8 teaspoon (.5 mL) crushed red pepper flakes
16 large uncooked shrimp (21-25 per pound/450 g), peeled and deveined
1 cup (250 mL) hot cooked white rice
2 tablespoons (30 mL) snipped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon (15 mL) chopped peanuts

Directions

Peel mango; slice off flesh. Cut eight 3/4-inch-thick chunks from flesh. Dice remaining mango and set aside for later use in rice. Remove tough outer layer from each lemongrass stalk. Make a sharp diagonal cut 8 inches from top of each stalk; set aside top halves of stalks to use as skewers.
Finely chop bottom halves of lemongrass stalks with Food Chopper. Combine chopped lemongrass, sweet and sour sauce, vinegar, garlic and pepper flakes in (8-in.) Sauté Pan; bring to a boil and remove glaze from heat. Set aside, reserving 2 tablespoons glaze in a (1-cup) Prep Bowl for serving with skewers.
Heat Grill Pan over medium heat 5 minutes. Meanwhile, alternately thread shrimp and mango chunks onto reserved lemongrass stalks. Lightly spray pan with vegetable oil; place skewers in pan. Brush some of the remaining glaze over skewers using Chef's Silicone Basting Brush. Cook shrimp 2-3 minutes; turn skewers, brush with glaze and grill an additional 2-3 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through. Remove skewers from heat (discard any remaining glaze used for brushing on shrimp).
Combine rice, reserved diced mango and cilantro. To serve, spoon rice onto serving plates. Top with skewers. Brush skewers with reserved glaze and sprinkle with peanuts.

Yield:

2 servings

Nutrients per serving:

Calories 450, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat .5 g, Cholesterol 260 mg, Carbohydrate 60 g, Protein 39 g, Sodium 540 mg, Fiber 2 g

U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving:

1 starch, 3 fruit, 5 low-fat meat (4 carb)

Cook's Tips:

Lemongrass can be found in the Asian produce section in larger supermarkets. Outer leaves of each stalk should be removed and discarded. If desired, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh gingerroot can be substituted for the lemongrass.

To prepare skewers on an outdoor grill, prepare grill for direct cooking over medium coals. Lightly grease grid of grill. Grill shrimp, covererd, 4-6 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, turning once and brushing with glaze.

Fresh pineapple can be substituted for the mango, if desired.