This sesame shrimp stir fry with Swiss chard, edamame, and spinach, and served over brown rice for a quick, easy, and healthy recipe for a weeknight dinner!
You’re right there with me, aren’t you? Please say yes.
All the new year resolutions are in full swing. Exercise more. Be kind. Take 10,000 steps. Drink less wine. Drink more water. Get organized. Have better life balance. And of course, eat better—and healthier.
But will those (re)solutions turn into actual habits? Yes. Yes they can.
Let’s do this together, okay?
Okay, hold the phone. This doesn’t look like shrimp! Here’s the story…
I normally eat a pretty dang healthy lunch. It typically consists of salad fixings or leftover veggies as the base for one of these spicy Morningstar buffalo chick patties (totally vegetarian and I’m pretty much devoted) toasted in the toaster oven and chopped over whatever else I can scrounge from the fridge or freezer.
And that’s where today’s recipe got it’s #eatseasonal nugget of inspiration from—as seen in my actual lunch in the pic above.
I hadn’t been to the grocery store after being at my mom and dad’s house after the week of Christmas. We were out of everything. No milk. No lettuce. No tomatoes. No cheese or eggs. No bread. No fresh spinach. All my lunch staples were depleted.
Which made my freezer the perfect poaching spot.
I made the original version of this recipe with my fave buffalo chickn patties topping microwaved-no-longer-frozen spinach and frozen-now-thawed-edamame topped with a super simple ponzu, sesame oil and ginger sauce over some leftover brown rice and doused in Sriacha sauce.
I love happy accidents in the kitchen.
So then I started thinking.
How good would this lunch be if I added January’s seasonal fresh swiss chard for a bite of bitterness. The rainbow version even. And seasonal fresh spinach to mellow the chard out. And edamame because they’re in the freezer and so they’re always in season, am I right? And green onions because, well, they continue the green theme.
And while you could certainly use frozen chickn patties—or regular chicken even—sesame flavored shrimp makes it a totally delicious dinner, lunch or make-ahead everything.
Let’s bowl it this year. Let’s line ’em up, and knock ’em down.
I’m game for seasonal eats. Are you?
This recipe was inspired by a whim. But it worked because I had a stocked freezer and pantry. Eating in is so much easier when they’re better planned.
To get you started with meal planning, download this free printable weekly meal planner/to-do list to fill in, tape to the fridge, take to the grocery store, and use for reference next year, and use this free weekly meal plan and prep list to help narrow those bee-in-a-bonnet-tendencies when you can’t figure out what to fix for mealtime, too.
Hello re(solutions). We have our eyes on the prize, and we are ready to conquer along with you.
To Make This Meal Prep-Friendly: Have your rice cooked ahead of time, and buy your shrimp already shelled, cleaned, and deveined.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

Sesame Shrimp With Asian Greens Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup ponzu sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
- ¼ teaspoon red chile flakes
- 1 pound large shrimp , shelled and deveined with tails removed
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 5 cups rainbow swiss chard , chopped with hearty stems removed
- 6 green onions , chopped
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 4 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, whisk the ponzu sauce, grated ginger, sesame oil, garlic and red chile flakes. Add the shrimp to the sauce and toss to coat. Set aside the shrimp to marinade for 30 minutes in the refrigerator up to 1 hour.
- In a large pan or a wok, bring the heat to high and add the oil to the pan. Add half of the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until cooked on one side then stir the shrimp quickly with a wooden spoon or tongs for another minute until the shrimp is browned on each side. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and add a bit more oil of needed then add the rest of the shrimp, repeating the cooking process, and transfer to the bowl when cooked. Pour the remaining marinade in the pan and bring to a boil then scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the green onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the swiss chard, spinach and edamame and cook, tossing often like stir fry for 1-2 minutes or until slightly wilted. Add the shrimp back to the greens and stir to combine. Garnish with more green onions and sesame seeds.
- Divide the brown rice to serving bowls and top with the shrimp and greens. Serve immediately with Sriracha sauce if you like it spicy.
#eatseasonal January
As we have for the past few seasons, Becky of The Vintage Mixer has posted her list of what’s in season to eat now and from that list, has amassed a group of us who are posting #eatseasonal recipes today. Some are some are sweet, some are savory and they’re all in season now. They’re all good and they’re all seasonal and are listed below.
We’d love to see what you’re eating seasonal now, too. Share your eats and follow the #eatseasonal hashtag on Instagram to discover more seasonal eats.
Please hop over to their sites, say hi and enjoy their seasonal inspiration.
Apple Almond Bircher Meusli with Winter Fruits by Simple Bites
Healthy Tangerine Julius Smoothie by Letty’s Kitchen
Leek and Turnip Soup by Vintage Mixer
Olive Oil Cornmeal Cake with Grapefruit and Fennel by Floating Kitchen
Saucy Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Curry and Mint by Healthy Seasonal Recipes
Garlic and Herb Spaghetti Squash Boats by She Likes Food
Peanut Butter Crusted Sweet Potato Fries by JoyFoodSunshine
Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad with Harissa Vinaigrette by Project Domestication
Winter Cauliflower Rice Bowl with Cranberry-Mustard Sauce Cafe Johnsonia
Meyer Lemon Coconut Panna Cotta by Kitchen Confidante
Maple Orange Teriyaki Salmon Bowls by Flavor the Moments
Hey, thanks for stopping by, choose something seasonal and cook something good.
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I found your recipe when searching under “31 Healthy Shrimp Recipes to Make”. While it does seem healthy, it would be very nice to have the nutritional values posted…maybe in future?
Hi Sandy, yes, I’m slowly going through all the recipes posts on the site and updating them with nutritional info. Stay tuned!
Do you think you could make this with chicke? Also, what is ponzu sauce, and where can I find it? Thanks!
Hi Angela, yes you can definitely make it with chicken. Ponzu is a citrus-flavored soy sauce that isn’t quite as salty. You can find it in the Asian aisle of most any grocery store. Enjoy!
Hi Angela! Ponzu is a soy sauce based sauce that you could either find in the asian food isle or make your own. Enjoy!
Today is really amazing day, I just found Amazing recipe for this special day, Thank You Admin
I just realized, I am working from home tomorrow and I don’t have any leftovers to eat….but I do have frozen shrimp and some fresh spinach!
In the spirit of your post I’ll adapt the recipe to what I have on hand. Maybe teriyaki for the sauce because I don’t have ponzu? I’m looking forward to a delish lunch!!
Such a gorgeous Asian-inspired bowl!
Wow that looks amazing!
Please see my stroganoff video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qdQZ7JuuPg
It’s easy to eat healthy with a dish as flavorful and gorgeous as this!
Hi, is ponzu sauce readily available in the Asian section of my market? I don’t recall ever seeing it….I will look.
Yum! This looks so healthy AND delicious!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/antioxidant-smoothie-post-raisin-bran/
What a beautiful start to my Monday!
This looks so delicious!
Hmm … super yummy! Thank you for submitting this delicious recipe.