It is Day 18 of the Lose It! veggie challenge and I am still going strong. It is much more difficult to get 150 calories worth of vegetables every day without just ordering a small, greasy french fry from one of my various go-to fast food places.

My cousin Lexi is coming over twice a week so I can help her with homework. This benefits me because she also forces me to work out on those nights when I feel like being lazy. She also wants me to cook so we can have something healthy instead of our usual 2 for $20 at Chili’s. Therefore I turned to the Food Network Cookbook I am cooking my way through this year and found a “Mix and Match” Stir-Fry page. We decided which veggies worked best for us and added more than required. Here’s the concoction we came up with:

Recipe: Shrimp and Vegetable Stir-Fry

(Makes 4 Servings)

What You Need:

• 1 bag peeled and de-vined shrimp
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 cloves garlic

What To Do:

1. Marinate shrimp in medium-sized bowl with 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 egg white. Leave in the fridge for one hour.

2. Make the sauce by mixing the remaining cornstarch, soy sauce, and the chicken broth in a small bowl.

3.  Heat wok or skillet with oil. (If using a wok for the very first time, BE CAREFUL. We discovered tonight that woks get much hotter than skillets much faster and will burn your face if the oil jumps at you.)

4. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Set shrimp aside.

5. Add garlic, sugar, and ginger before adding the veggies. Cook until all of them are cooked throughout.

6. Add the shrimp and the sauce. Continuing cooking until the sauce thickens.

Serve with rice, if desired.

Calories: 258 per serving

Protein: 32.8 grams per serving

Lexi really wanted to do a “hand model” shot, so I thought I would add it just for fun.