Stir Fry Shrimps with Squash and Tomatoes

Zucchini and squash are still rare find ingredients in Taiwan,
Let it be traditional outdoor market or high-end grocery store, you just can't see them easily,
Only if you get lucky sometime.

Thanks to my mom's luck,
She found this giant squash the other day at a local traditional market,
Even though I didn't plan on stepping into the kitchen for the next few days due to overwhelmingly amount of leftover food from Chinese Father's Day dinner,
But well, I guess exception can be made for this rare* ingredient -

Let me cook something for my dad,
Keep feeding him even after Father's Day! -

*August 8th is Chinese Father's Day because the pronunciation of the number "8" is similar to "father" or "pa pa." Therefore, August 8th is also known as 88 holiday (papa holiday).

Ingredients?

1 big squash
1 dozen shrimps (peeled and deveined)
1 can of diced tomatoes (drained)
2 garlic cloves
2 fresh chili peppers
1 teaspoon of tomato paste
1/4 cup of dry white wine
Some olive oil
Some sea salt
Some freshly ground black pepper
Some parsley or rosemary (optional)

How?

Peel and finely mince the garlic cloves,
Finely mince the fresh chili peppers,
Chop the squash into smaller cubes.

Drizzle enough olive oil until it evenly coat the bottom of the pan,
Toss in chopped garlic, chili peppers, and sprinkle some salt and pepper,
Cook till the garlicky aroma comes out.

Add the shrimps, give it a quick stir,
Toss in squash cubes and sprinkle a little bit more salt, cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the drained tomatoes together with tomato paste and 1/4 cup of dry white wine,
Mix well and cook till the juice has reduced by at least 1/2.

To brighten up the flavor, I recommend using some fresh herbs,
My top choice would be parsley, but sadly...my little pot of parsley died couple months ago...
But at least my rosemary flourishes -

Well, it works too!
Take a short sprig, remove the leaves from the stem,
Finely chop the rosemary and toss some into the pan,
As for the remaining herb, just sprinkle them onto the plate before serving, or just use the whole sprig as a garnish.

I gonna make my dad fat!
( > _.^)b

Cindy's Rating: 7