Food Matters Project: Shrimp-Grapefruit Stirfry with Fennel

It's my turn to host The Food Matters Project once again. This dish - inspired by Mark Bittman's Stir-fried Fennel with Grapefruit and Shrimp - is pulling triple duty as my Food Matters post, a post for #BrunchWeek, and a wrap-up of my adventures in cooking with flowers for the book review I did for Quirk Books of Cooking with Flowers by Miche Baker of Mali B Sweets.

Well, my review was done, but I still had flowers to use. So, the orchid-addition is more gratuitous than anything else, but they are pretty and they do actually taste good. Still, they won't make or break this stir-fry; feel free to skip them.

I also added dandelion greens because I had them leftover from my CSA box from Fogline Farm. I never miss the chance to add a handful of nutrient-rich greens to our food. Another quick note, whenever I buy seafood - which is multiple times per week - I try to be diligent about making sustainable choices. Here's what the Seafood Watch told me about shrimp: click here. So, I used wild-caught spot prawns and put my kitchen elves to work cleaning them!

This dish comes together quickly, looks gorgeous, and tastes fantastic. It'd be a wonderful addition to any Mothers' Day brunch array or a summer picnic because it's just as good chilled as it is fresh out of the pan.

2 shallots, minced
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced
splash of olive oil
1 pound shrimp/prawns, cleaned and deveined (I leave the tails on)
1 bunch dandelion greens, rinsed and sliced
2 grapefruits, peeled and segmented
4 scallions, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 T soy sauce
miniature orchids for garnish, optional

In a large, flat-bottom pan heat a splash of olive oil. Add the shallots and fennel and cool until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add the shrimp and cook until they begin to turn opaque. Toss in the dandelion greens. Cook until just wilted. Stir in the grapefruit and scallions. Season with soy sauce. If you're using the orchids, place them on top of each serving.

Click to read what all of the creative cookers in The Food Matters Project made: here. Look in the comments section. Next week join us as Sandra from Meadows Cooks hosts Bittman's Japanese Spiced Roasted Beets! Yum. Can't wait.