Cashew Shrimp Stir Fry- My First Mock Meat!!

 I had this dish at a restaurant called Green Sprout in Atlanta, Georgia one night, and it was the bomb.  I highly recommend Green Sprout, by the way, if you ever happen to be in Atlanta.  I'm pretty sure they are vegan, and they have such a delightful array of chinese dishes with the most stellar mock meats.

But, when I saw this recipe on Chow Vegan, I knew fate was calling to me.  I had to make this stir fry.  As luck would have it, the Asian Market has a whole isle in the frozen section dedicated to vegetarian stuff, which M and I have looked at before, but never really thought of buying anything.  That was totally a mistake.  If you ever have the chance to buy some of those mock meats, do so.  Yes, they are a bit pricy, but I think that a couple dollars is a small sacrifice if you are floating in happiness for several days afterward, which I was.  Actually, M did not like the shrimp at all, but that is only because of what we called "the Fishy Flavour".  If you like nori, seaweed, and things like that, this is so a dish that you should try.  I loved the texture of the shrimp, and they were so cute!  Even though I am not a big fishy flavour person, I still liked the shrimp enough.  M had the stir fry sans the shrimp-tofu instead- and was in love with it.  Of course, I loved it too!  And, like most stir frys, this one is really quick to whip up. 

I think that the ham flavouring was such a nice addition to the sauce.  I really have to start using it more.  It's kind of like miso- adding a dark, rich, and complex flavour.  And if you find that you need more sauce, don't hesitate to add more- the rice is like a sponge...

Cashew Veggie Shrimp

Inspired by Chow Vegan

Serves 4

8 oz package frozen vegetarian shrimp, or other mock meat
.75 lb package shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 large carrot, coined
2 cups cabbage, shredded
1 large bell pepper, chopped
2 cups broccoli
.75 lb package snap peas, trimmed
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1" piece fresh ginger, minced
4 tbsp soy sauce
Chili paste, to taste
2 tbsp agave nectar
Salt, to taste
4 tbsp rice vinegar
½ tbsp Better Than Bullion Vegetarian Ham flavouring
½ tbsp corn starch
Cashews, for topping

Set out the shrimp to thaw.
Mix together the soy sauce through the corn starch in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat a wok coated in nonstick spray over high heat with a bit of water. Cook the carrots for a minute, adding more water as needed. Add the broccoli and mushrooms, and after two more minutes add the cabbage, garlic, and ginger. After another minute or so, add the peas and bell pepper. 3 minutes later add the shrimp and sauce and heat through. Make sure the shrimp is thawed!
Serve over rice, topped off with cashews.