Spicy "shrimp" and broccolini

Hello lovelies!  I'm excited because I get to post about a recipe I haven't had for several years...well, since I stopped eating seafood.  There's a wonderful Buddhist restaurant here in Vancouver called 3G Vegetarian restaurant.  Last year one of the groups I belong to held a fundraising bake sale there, and a percentage of all food sales went towards the cause. Well.  Those Buddhists really know how to do mock meats! I can't seem to find a website for the restaurant (or its shop), but the phone number is 604-568-9008 and it's located on Cambie St.

I think I've mentioned before I'm not a fan of fake meats (Gardein, Field Roast, etc.), but this place was incredible.  They had the most amazing little "chicken" drumettes that really tasted like chicken! It was like I'd gone back in time 6 years. Their sweet and sour "pork" was also incredible.   Just this past week, we learned that the restaurant has a separate retail store where they sell all their "meats", so off we went on a sunny Saturday to take a look.

Well. They had EVERYTHING. Fake seafoods, game meats ("lamb"??, which a friend used in a stew and tasted like the real thing!), the drumettes, "pork", "scallops", you name it, it was there.  They also had a wonderful selection of vegetarian condiments, including a vegetarian Oyster Sauce that I really regret not picking up.

Last night, I used the fake shrimp we bought to make Spicy Shrimp and Broccolini - one of my favourite recipes from my seafood-eating days.  I'm not sure where I got the base recipe from, but I think it included cabbage instead of broccolini, and it's evolved over the years to the following:


2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
4 cups broccolini/broccoli rabe - flash boil for a few minutes, then remove from pot
4 cloves minced garlic
3 cups large "shrimp" or deveined real shrimp, if you're a pesceterian
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 small-to-medium thinly sliced onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
3 tablespoons + soy sauce

Heat oil in the skillet over high heat. Place the garlic, pepper flakes, and onion into skillet and stir fry until the onion begins to turn translucent, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Add the shrimp and broccolini and stir fry for several minutes more (fake shrimp is already cooked, needs only to be reheated. If you are using real shrimp, make sure to cook until it turns pink and curls). Add cilantro, soy sauce and water to the skillet. Stir-fry for about another minute, then serve over hot rice.

I have to admit that I probably added more chili flakes than called for, and I think I finally experienced last night what they call "heartburn", which I hear can appear (or worsen) in pregnancy.

I gotta tell you: I'm not a big fan.