Summer Shrimp Stir Fry

It’s getting hot in here.

And by in here, I mean outside. Champaign has been having summer weather this week and it doesn’t look like it is going to pass on by in the near future. Temperatures forecasted for this holiday weekend in the mid-90’s. Did I really move away from NC? Basically no snow this winter and now summer in late May. Not that I’m complaining, but stating facts. :)

Well, one of my all-time favorite summer dinners is stir fry! Actually, truth-be-told, stir fry is a meal I enjoy making any time of the year. You can load up on seasonal veggies and just go crazy. Plus, it is one of those quick and easy meals I’m always looking for. I cannot tell you how many times Scott and I had stir fry last summer. We were a part of a local CSA (don’t know what CSA means? Go here and find one near you. They are great!) so every week we were loaded up with fresh vegetables straight from the farm. One of the easiest ways to incorporate a lot of them into one meal was to whip up a stir fry. I’m sure I’ll be sharing with you many stir fry recipes over the next few months, but really the concept is the same for each one:

1. Pick some protein (chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, tofu, etc.)                                                                                  

2. Chop up veggies (whatever your heart desires)

3. Mix up a sauce

4. Stir fry away

Depending on the day, I like to serve my stir fry with rice or noodles or as lettuce wraps. Today I’m sharing with you a recipe for a simple clear sauce that I used with shrimp, mushrooms, red pepper, onion, zucchini and broccoli slaw served over brown rice. It is a light and fresh albeit not super flavorful sauce that really lets you enjoy the taste of the vegetables and shrimp. You could certainly use it with any combo of protein and veggies.

Summer Shrimp Stir Fry (adapted from Food Network Magazine)

Ingredients:

¾ lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 egg white

½ red bell pepper, thickly diced

½ medium onion, sliced

8 button mushrooms, sliced

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 cup broccoli slaw                                                                                                                      

¾ cup chicken broth

2 tbsp cornstarch, divided

3 tbsp dry sherry, divided

½ tsp sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ginger, minced

Pinch of salt

Pinch of sugar

Peanut oil for stir frying

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

2 cups brown rice, prepared as directed

Directions:

Wisk the egg white, 1 tbsp dry sherry and 1 tbsp cornstarch in a small bowl. Toss with your shrimp and refrigerate for 20 to 60 min. (I usually set up the marinating and then cut up all my veggies. When I’m done prepping everything else, I’m ready to stir fry). Drain excess marinade from shrimp.

Mix the sauce (chicken broth, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp dry sherry and sesame oil) in a small bowl.

Heat ½ tbsp peanut oil in a wok (or skillet) over medium heat. Add shrimp and stir until opaque, approximately 2-3 min. Transfer to a plate and wipe out pan.

Add 1 tbsp peanut oil to the wok and heat over high heat for 2 min. Add the garlic, ginger, salt and sugar and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the vegetables and stir fry until crisp-tender.

Add the shrimp and the sauce. Stir until the sauce in thick and everything is cooked through, about 3-4 min.

Serve hot over cooked brown rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Serves 4.