Shrimp Cooked in Lime Juice and Spicy Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw

I wanted to use our napa cabbage quickly, and in a raw application because it is one of my favorite ingredients and I didn't want to let it wilt at all.  Other cabbage will stay for weeks in the fridge, but I think napa doesn't last nearly as long.  I had a package of frozen shrimp that I wanted to do something simple with, and while I thought about a stir fry, I thought a slaw would be the best use for the cabbage so it can keep it's fresh, crisp texture.  The shrimp recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's The Minimalist Cooks Dinner, and the slaw I made up (with so-so results).

Shrimp Cooked in Lime Juice
Combine juice of 3 limes, 1 tablespoon nam pla (Thai fish sauce), and 1/4 cup of sugar in a bowl.  Heat 2 tablespoons peanut or neutral oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add a teaspoon of minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (or more if you like heat) and cook until the garlic starts to become blondeish.  Restir and add the entire lime juice mixture and cook until it reduces by half and becomes thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.  

Add one pound shrimp and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until pink throughout and curled - probably about 5 minutes depending on their size.  Serve over brown rice and top with chopped cilantro.

Asian Slaw
Veggies: 1/2 head napa cabbage, sliced horizontally into thin strips, 1-2 shredded carrots, 1/2 red or orange bell pepper cut into matchsticks, 1-2 minced spring onions, 1-2 red fresno or thai chilies sliced into thin rounds.
Dressing: 1/4 cup mayo, juice of one lime, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1-2 teaspoon nam pla, 1 teaspoon soy sauce,  1/2 teaspoon sriracha (if you like it spicy), small dash of five spice powder or Penzey's Bangkok Blend.

Mix dressing, and toss veggies in it.  Top with toasted sesame seeds.

All in all, this was not my best work.  I think the mayo made the slaw too heavy; I would just go with more lime juice and maybe a little sesame oil instead of the mayo next time.  Pretty good flavor though, and lots of crunch.  The shrimp was easy, and I thought produced a good result.  Meghan thought they were bitter - probably too much garlic (I put in way more than the teaspoon listed in the recipe), and I might have over-reduced the lime sauce.  That being said, I think it was more sour than bitter, but if mouth-puckeringly sour isn't your thing, I wouldn't try the shrimp recipe.