Tribune News Service

With thoughts of Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day coming up this weekend, here’s an Asian-inspired easy dinner to celebrate both. It’s made with jumbo shrimp and vermicelli noodles, also called rice noodles. The sauce from the shrimp is absorbed by the noodles as they steam together.

The entire meal is steamed on one plate. You don’t need a special steamer to make this dinner. Here are some ideas if you don’t have a steamer:

Use a roasting pan or large skillet with a rack or broiler pan. Cover tightly with foil if you do not have a lid for the pan.

Or, use a collapsible vegetable steaming rack and place in a skillet.

Another option is to place a rack or perforated foil pie plate upside down in a wok or other pan to keep plate elevated from the water.

Helpful Hints

- Any size shrimp can be used for the recipe.

- Angel hair pasta can be used instead of vermicelli noodles. Cook them in boiling water first, then complete the recipe.

- Three teaspoons minced garlic can be used instead of crushed garlic cloves.

Countdown

- Soak vermicelli noodles.

- Prepare steamer.

- Saute garlic in oil and remove to a plate.

- Make sauce in the same pan.

- Steam shrimp.

Shopping List

To buy: 3/4 pound peeled jumbo shrimp, 1 small package vermicelli noodles, 1 bottle sesame oil, 1 small bottle reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 pound snow peas and 1 bunch scallions.

Staples: garlic, sugar.