#283 – Shrimp Stir-Fry w/ Green Pepper, Pineapple & Bacon & Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Shrimp Stir-Fry with Green Pepper, Pineapple and Bacon

• 2 Tbsps. sweet chili sauce
• 2 Tbsps. rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 Tbsps. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsps. water
• 2 tsps. cornstarch
• 2 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 12 oz. peeled and deveined raw shrimp
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 Tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple

Combine chili sauce, rice wine, soy sauce, water and cornstarch in a bowl, set aside. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate. Add bell pepper to the drippings in the pan and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add shrimp, scallions, ginger, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until the shrimp are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir the reserved sauce and add to the pan along with the pineapple and the bacon. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Topping

• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 13 candied cherries
• 7 slices canned pineapple rings (reserve 1/2 cup juice for the cake)

Cake

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsps. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides of a 9×3-inch round baking pan with cooking spray. Make the topping: Beat the melted butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange 6 pineapple rings around the edge of the pan and 1 inch from the middle. Place a cherry in the middle of each ring and the rest between the rings at the edges. Make the cake: Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and cloves in a large bowl. In another large bowl, beat the butter and sugar using a mixer until light and fluffy; beat in the eggs, one at a time. Using a spatula, alternately fold in the flour mixture and the heavy cream and reserved 1/2 cup pineapple juice until blended. Spread the batter over the pineapple slices and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean from the center, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a metal spatula around the edges to loosen the cake. Invert a serving plate over the cake pan and turn the caked and plate over together. Remove the cake pan and serve the cake warm with whipped cream.