Peanut shrimp stir fry

Thai Peanut Shrimp Stir fry!

"Hey Honey, what's for dinner?"  "Oh, I don't know, let's just order in!"  Okay, so this isn't something you hear in our house, but that's mostly because we have never really lived somewhere that had an abundance of food delivery options, especially here, in the North woods of Wisconsin!  Anyway, if you are having an overwhelming craving for some takeout Thai food, this is your solution!  It is quick to prep, (unless you're a weirdo like me, and enjoy chopping), and cooks up in literally minutes!  

For starters, make your peanut sauce!  I am going to give you my recipe, that comes out of my obsessively stocked pantry, but in case you don't have all these ingredients, there is a guideline!  You need peanut butter, some kind of acid, like lime juice, or vinegar, something spicy, like Sriracha, or Sambal, and a salt, like soy sauce...  but here's my go to recipe:

2 Tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Tablespoon oyster sauce

1 Tablespoon Sriracha sauce

1 Tablespoon Sambal 

Now to talk veggies!  After a long, stressful day, nothing calms me down more than some intense veggie chopping.  No, really!  If you aren't neurotic like me, there are so many options to choose from.  I love to use broccoli slaw if I'm short on time, or you can buy pre-chopped veggies from the produce section.  I love to have a wide variety of colors, it makes eating so much more exciting for me!  I typically use about 6-8 cups chopped broccoli, red cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, and garlic.

The shrimp is next!  I love to stock up on large shrimp anytime they are on sale.  I always buy frozen, raw, with shells on, but deveined.  They are easy to thaw, just run under cool water for about 5 minutes.  Then peel the shells off, and save for future stocks!  They cook on medium high heat, with about 1 Tablespoon veggie oil, flipping once.  Pull them out of the pan just before they are cooked, they will continue to cook as they cool, and then a bit further at the end. 

If you are using mushrooms, and I recommend you do, they come next in the same medium high heat pan.  Let them sear without salt, and develop a deep brown.  This adds so much flavor!

Now, get some long thin noodles boiling (we tend to use thin spaghetti, because, well, Northwoods and all).  And throw in the julienne veggies.  I recommend adding a bit of liquid like lime juice, a bit of water, or stock, and saute until the veggies are just beginning to soften.  I love a good crunch, and the color will be bright and vibrant!  If you want softer veggies, go for it!

Add in the cooked noodles, and put the shrimp, with juices, back in the pan.  Fold in your peanut sauce off the heat, and add a touch of stock, if you need to thin it out.  

To serve this gorgeous meal, you need to plate beautifully!  I like to use tongs to grab a serving of the noodles, and swirl onto the plate.  Then grab some extra veggies for the top, and place shrimp in a circle.  If you can't wait to dig in, feel free to skip this step!  I usually have to shoo away my vulture of a husband while plating!