Shrimp Stir Fry with Snow Peas, Mushrooms, Sweet Peppers & Baby Corn Cobs

Printable Recipe

Soaking time for mushrooms 10-20 minutes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 8 -10 minutes

Serves 2-4 (depending on how many vegetables used)

Ingredients:
1lb/450g large uncooked shrimp, peeled
Vegetables vary depending on what's in your fridge or pantry.  Here's what I used this time
1/2 tin baby corn cobs, drained and cut in half
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup dried Chinese Shitaki mushrooms, re-hydrated & sliced (reserve the mushroom water for the sauce)
1 onion, cut in wedges
2 cups or so sweet snow peas
2 cups small red, yellow & orange peppers, seeded and cut into wedges
3 cups or so of spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1-2 tbsp canola oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan)
Sauce: a dash of this and a dash of that -
1 clove garlic, minced or sliced on a microplane (my latest fave slices them paper thin)
1" nub of ginger, finely grated
dash of dark soy (it's thicker and sweeter, but still salty so use sparingly)
dash or two of hoisin sauce
1 tbsp or so Asian chili garlic sauce or Sriracha sauce
dash of sesame oil
(reserved mushroom water only if needed)

Directions:
1. Prepare all ingredients and line up sauces by the stove, as this cooks up very quickly.

2. Heat oil in a wok or large heavy bottomed skillet over high heat.  When it almost starts to smoke, add the onion wedges and mushrooms.  Toss and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the peppers, corn cobs, shrimp, ginger and garlic.  Toss well  for another minute or so.

3. Add the soy sauce, hoisin and chili sauce as well as the chopped spinach.  Toss and allow the natural juices to mix with the sauces.  The shrimp should  be pink when cooked through.  (2-3 minutes).  If the sauce starts to disappear before the shrimp are done, add a little mushroom water.  Continue to toss until done.

Serve over rice or as we did, just as is.

Chicken, BokChoy & Eggplant in Black Bean Sauce

Chicken, Bok Choy & Eggplant in Black Bean Sauce

Prep time: 10 minutes
Stir Fry time: 20 minutes

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:
grapeseed or canola oil for the pan
2 lb/900g boneless chicken breasts or thighs
2 Japanese eggplant, sliced in 1/2' pieces
1 cup fresh shitaki mushroom caps, thickly sliced
4-5 baby bok choy, quarted lengthwise
½ cup Fermented Black Bean & Garlic Sauce
soy sauce to taste

Directions:
1. Heat a wok or skillet (I used a non stick pan) over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the chicken and stir fry, until the meat is browned on all sides and mostly cooked through(5-6 minutes). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add the eggplant and a little more oil and cook, flipping when the bottom is golden and the top softens.(another 3 minutes or so). Remove and repeat the process with the mushrooms. Finally add the bok choy and stir fry until the bottoms are beginning to soften.

3. Return the chicken, eggplant and mushrooms to the skillet or wok and add the black bean sauce. Toss well and continue to cook for another 3 minutes or until the flavors meld.

Serve immediately. I like it over steamed rice.

Mark Bittman's Stir Fry Shrimp with Black Beans & Bok Choy

Stir-Fried Shrimp With Black Beans & Bok Choy
Mark Bittman for NY Times

Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons fermented black beans, sold in Asian markets
2 tablespoons dry sherry or white wine
About 1 ½ pounds uncooked shrimp, in the 20 to 30 per pound size range, peeled
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, sliced, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 pound bok choy or other cabbage, trimmed, washed and dried
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon peeled and minced or grated fresh ginger
¾ cup chicken stock or white wine, optional
¼ cup minced scallions.

Directions:
1. Soak black beans in sherry, wine or water. In large bowl, marinate shrimp in ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sliced garlic, salt and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.

2. Separate bok choy leaves from stems; chop stems into ½ - to 1-inch pieces, and roughly chop leaves.

3. Preheat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil and raise heat to high. When it begins to smoke, add minced garlic and, immediately thereafter, shrimp and its marinade. Cook shrimp for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon it out of wok or skillet.

4. Put remaining peanut oil in wok or skillet and, when it smokes, add ginger, followed immediately by bok choy stems. Cook, stirring, until bok choy is lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes, then add leaves. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add 3/4 cup water, stock or white wine and let it bubble away for a minute.

5. Return shrimp to wok or skillet and stir; add black beans and their liquid, scallions, and remaining sugar and soy sauce. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Turn off heat, drizzle remaining sesame oil on top, and serve.