Stirring it Up

There are days when I can find a million things to write about, but then there are days, I struggle to find a single inspiration. At such times, I find myself looking for one in just about everything I read, watch, see and do. Today happens to be one of those days but luckily, I found one stirring in my kitchen. Now believe me, I have read all the blogs about finding a niche and sticking to it, but I’m sorry to say I really don’t have one. The way I figure it, I’m in the niche of “life” and food is a big part of life, we all need it, I love it, so let’s have a little fun with it. As I’m writing this line though, I’m being inspired to write a blog about niches and why I don’t have one, so that’s for a later post.

My Shrimp Stir Fry is a favorite in my house, it’s quick and easy to make and quick and easy have become my two best friends.

Vegetables are one of the main parts of this meal. You can include as many or as little as you like. I never use measurements; I just toss in whatever I have in the refrigerator based on the number of family members I’m cooking for. Today I’m including broccoli, mushrooms and red peppers along with some garlic and onions. I normally include carrots, but today I’m not.

So, as you can guess from below, the vegetables are washed, sliced, diced and set aside to wait for their turn to be included in the mix.

Of course, no shrimp stir fry is complete without shrimp. I cleaned and seasoned my shrimps with a little black pepper, cilantro and some Cajun and fish seasoning. Today, I’m cooking for four so if you’re thinking the portion of shrimps looks a little small for four people, you’re probably right. Somebody will be left wanting for more, but that person, most likely, will not be me.

Now, as they say, “the secret’s in the sauce.” No secret here today since I’m using a combination of two store bought sauces. Ingredients are on the bottle for the whole world to see so I’m guessing the secret’s out. Sometimes though, when quick and easy are not my best friends, I actually make my own sauce from a combination of soy sauce, brown sugar, wine and honey. Again, no measurements, a dollop here and a dash there until it’s perfect.

Now this is where the fun starts “heating” up. First, I blacken the shrimp by sautéing it in a little olive oil with some brown sugar. To prevent the shrimps from getting rubbery, I never sauté for very long. Just a few minutes will suffice.

Next, once the shrimp is brown, I include all the other ingredients, sauce first with a few tablespoons of water and bring to a simmer. Then I add my vegetables and I simmer for only a few minutes more because I want my vegetables to still be crunchy when they finally make it to our plates.

Voila, shrimp stir fry is ready! Today it will be served with quinoa. Not a favorite in my house so there is a white rice alternative for the ones given a choice 😜.

So, there you go dinner, Shrimp Stir Fry…Sincerely Jan!

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