Xing Eats

Since I’m trying to eat more protein recently to build muscle, one of the constant struggles is how do you accomplish more protein without an accompanying burst of additional calories. This dish has become a reliable stand by because it’s tasty, easy to prepare, and packed with protein without breaking the bank on calories.

Ingredients

• Shrimp, 1 pound. I use Argentine red shrimp because it tastes the best, but realistically any shrimp would work here. A tip with shrimp generally is to try to get it as dry as possible before cooking. I usually set it out on some paper towels for a few hours before cooking.
• Tofu, medium firm, one 14 oz package. I like using the House Foods brand, but I don’t think there’s a big difference between different tofu brands. I do like the medium firmness, however, because while stir frying the tofu, some of the pieces will inevitably break. I find that if you use the soft firmness, the tofu basically becomes a mess, whereas with medium, it’s a nice balance where most of the tofu stays in nice chunks.
• Green peas, approx. 4 oz. Any frozen green peas will do. I also tried a version of this recipe with edamame beans. It’s a lot more protein, but the edamame beans don’t absorb flavor the way green peas do, so it makes for a lot more bland of a dish (and harder to eat).
• Olive Oil (or similar frying oil) approx. 3 tbsp.
• Old Bay Seasoning (or just Salt), to taste. I especially like the combo of Old Bay, Shrimp, and Peas. But salt will do just fine.
• A wok or frying/saute pan to do some stir fry.

Directions

• Thaw the shrimp and get them as dry as possible. Peel shells and de-vein if necessary. You may need to add some salt to the shrimp, depending on the raw ingredient. The Argentine red shrimp I get from Safeway is already salty, so I never add any additional seasoning. Also, I like adding some black pepper to the raw shrimp prior to cooking.
• Thaw the green peas. Just having them out for a few hours should be fine.
• Cut the tofu in approx. 1 inch cubes. Brine them in salt water for 1-2 hours. This is optional, but it is really difficult to infuse seasoning into tofu. The longer you brine for, the better the tofu will taste. If you don’t have time for this, another trick is to mix up some cornstarch, water, and salt, and add to the dish at the end. This way, you simulate the seasoning because the cornstarch gravy is spread across the dish. But it’s not as good as having seasoning in the tofu itself.
• Fry up the shrimp in olive oil on medium high heat. I try to keep the shrimp in the wok for no longer than 1 minute. Remove the shrimp.
• Heat more olive oil on medium heat, and stir fry the peas. Add some seasoning.
• After a few minutes, add the tofu. This will go quickly, since tofu is already edible and doesn’t need to be “cooked”.
• Add in the cooked shrimp. You’re done!

Nutrition Information

• ~1050 calories
• ~105 grams of protein
• ~55 grams of fat