Kung Pao Shrimp Rice Bowls

The cleaning out of the freezer continues...

Tuesday's nights dinner used a couple of items from the freezer. I used some frozen shrimp and then threw in a bag of frozen broccoli for good measure. The meal ended up being quite tasty. It's always easy to come up with good results with a stir fry. Really, it's just sautéing the veggies to your desired tenderness, and adding a flavorful sauce. It all comes down to science :)

The recipe I used didn't call for broccoli but I added some for more veggies. I also doubled the sauce, because well, we like sauce! I always feel with Cooking Light recipes that the sauce is never enough.

The results? Completely edible :)

Some freshies. Minced garlic, roughly chopped peanuts, chopped red pepper, and chopped celery. I love all the crunch in this dish.

Some ingredients for a flavorful sauce. I actually left out the salt. I figured there was enough saltiness from the soy sauce. I was right. Chile garlic sauce, rice vinegar, sherry, soy sauce, and homemade chicken broth.

Whisked into a pretty, shiny sauce.

I like to coat the shrimp with cornstarch, salt, and pepper, and then sear them for a very short amount of time. They are finished in this short cooking time, so I remove them from the pan and add them back at the very end of the dish.

I add all the veggies, the chopped peanuts, and the garlic next. Stir fry for a couple of minutes, until the veggies are tender.

Add in the broth mixture, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until it begins to thicken up. At this point, I turn off the heat and add the shrimp. Toss to combine. Serve over hot cooked rice, drizzling pan sauce over the rice for maximum flavor.

Ingredients:
1 lb large shrimp
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tsp sherry
2 tsp rice vinegar
1/2-1 tsp chile garlic sauce
2 tbsp peanut oil, divided
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
1 cup red pepper, chopped
1 (12 oz) bag of frozen broccoli, defrosted
1/4 cup peanuts, roughly chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
hot cooked rice

Directions:
1. In a large Ziploc bag, combine shrimp, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Shake to coat. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine chicken broth through chile garlic sauce. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tbsp peanut oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. When hot, add shrimp. Sear 30 seconds-1 minute on each side, remove from pan. When shrimp are cooked, set aside.
4. Heat remaining tbsp peanut oil in pan. Add celery through garlic to the pan. Stir fry for 4-5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add broth mixture to the pan, cook for 2-3 minutes or until broth mixture begins to thicken. Remove pan from heat, and stir in the shrimp. Serve immediately over hot cooked rice.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light