Turn up the heat with hot and spicy stir-fried shrimp

Stir-fry some shrimp with hot pepper sauce, garlic, ginger and lemongrass for a succulent, quick, Thai-flavored dinner.

Lemongrass is the secret to the flavors in this dish. It adds a tang like that of lemon or lime and is one of the most important spices used in Thai cooking. It looks a little like a scallion with long, thin, green-gray leaves and a lighter bulb at the tip. If you can’t find it fresh, there is a lemongrass paste that works well, or use lemon zest as a backup.

To use fresh lemongrass, remove the outer leaves and slice the pale inner leaves and bulb into thin slices.

Sesame noodles with snow peas complete the meal. Fresh snow peas add a crisp texture to the noodles. If in a hurry, use microwaveable rice and add peas instead of the sesame noodle recipe.

The secret to stir-fry is to prepare all ingredients first and line them up on a plate or cutting board in order of use. That way you don’t have to keep looking at the recipe to know what goes in next.

Another tip is to make sure your wok or skillet is very hot before adding ingredients. The oil should be smoking.

Hot And Spicy Stir-Fry Shrimp

Makes 2 servings

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger or 2 teaspoons ground ginger

3 stalks lemon grass, sliced, or grated lemon rind from 1 lemon

3/4 pound peeled shrimp, (wild caught or local)

2 tablespoons unsalted, roasted peanuts, chopped

Mix tomato paste, hot pepper sauce, water and sugar together and set aside. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and lemon grass or lemon rind and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp just turn pink. Add sauce and mix a few seconds. Remove to a plate and sprinkle with peanuts.

Per serving: 310 calories (23 percent from fat), 8.1 g fat (1.2 g saturated, 3.3 g monounsaturated), 276 mg cholesterol, 39.1 g protein, 24.4 g carbohydrates, 3.0 g fiber, 259 mg sodium.

Sesame Noodles With Snow Peas

Makes 2 servings

1/4 pound Chinese noodles

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 pound snow peas, (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles, cook 1 minute and drain. Toss with sesame oil. Using same wok as for shrimp, add snow peas and stir-fry 1 minute. Add noodles and toss 2 minutes. Add sesame seeds and salt and pepper to taste. Remove to dinner plates and serve shrimp on top.

Per serving: 298 calories (22 percent from fat), 7.2 g fat (1.3 g saturated, 2.5 g monounsaturated), 48 mg cholesterol, 11.1 g protein, 47.6 g carbohydrates, 4.5 g fiber, 16 mg sodium.