Stephencooks

It's last call for Maine shrimp for this year so I grabbed one more bag of these beauties. The season legally extends until the end of May but Mother Nature has other ideas: these little guys come to in-shore waters in the winter and early spring to spawn, but once the eggs have been released – the exact timing of which depends on the weather and water temperature – they depart for deeper waters. That means the end of the catch for another year, since the cost of fuel to chase them to deep water plus the potential for spoilage on a long trip back to market adds up to an unacceptable risk for our fisherman, who all too often operate on a razor's-edge profit margin. This year's mild winter (in these parts) meant a short season for Maine shrimpers. 

This dish, inspired by similar Chinese recipes (did I mention that I lived a block from Boston's bustling Chinatown for twelve years?) is a quick and easy way to take advantage of these sweet little morsels. (Of course, it can be done with other types of shrimp, but I'm loyal to our important wild-caught crop.)

Not only is this a flavorful dish, full of lemony ginger tang, but also it's a really healthy recipe: only 135 calories per serving and 4 (FOUR!) grams of carbohydrates. This is good food for people with glucose-control and calorie-restriction diet requirements – and, as a bonus, it's easy and quick.