Stir-Fried Shrimp and Snow Peas with Coconut Curry Sauce

Note: This come together super fast, so have all the ingredients prepped before cooking, including the sauce.

SHRIMP

·          1 pound extra-large shrimp (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined (I bought frozen ones and then peeled them.  They were already deveined)

·          2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

·          2 teaspoons Chinese rice cooking wine (Note:      I substituted 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon of chicken broth, and 1 teaspoon of coconut milk).

STIR-FRY

·          3 scallions, minced

·          3 garlic cloves, minced

·          1 T grated fresh ginger

·          5 teaspoons canola oil (used 1-2 teaspoons at a time)

·          2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into matchsticks

·          1 recipe of Coconut Curry Sauce*

1.  For the shrimp:  Toss the shrimp in the soy sauce and rice vinegar mixture in a bowl and marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour in the fridge.

2.  For the stir-fry:  Combine the scallions, garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon of oil in a bowl.  Set aside.

3.  Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking.  Add the shrimp, break up any shrimp that stick together and cook until lightly browned on all sides but not fully cooked about 1½ minutes.  Transfer to a bowl, cover, and set aside.

4.  Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet and return to high heat until shimmering.  Add the bell peppers and cook until almost crisp-tender 2-3 minutes.  Add the snow peas (I also added shredded carrots) and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 1 minute longer.

5.  Clear the center of the skillet, add the garlic mixture and cook, mashing the mixture into the pan until fragrant 15-30 seconds.  Stir it into the vegetables.

6.  Return the shrimp, with any accumulated juice, to the skillet.  Whisk the sauce to recombine, and then add to the skillet.  Simmer, tossing constantly, until the shrimp are cooked through and the sauce has thickened 1-2 minutes.  Serve over rice or quinoa.  From The American’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.

Coconut Curry Sauce

These are Baldy's favorite flavors so I've been searching for the coconut curry sauce for our stir-fry dinners.  And I think I finally found it!

2/3 cup light coconut milk
6 tablespoons of chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and add to stir-fries at the end.

Magic in the Middle Cookies

Amazing!  Any peanut butter and chocolate fan will love these cookies--soft, rich chocolate flavor, with a warm peanut buttery middle.  Adapted slightly from King Arthur Flour.

photo from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Dough
1 1/2 cups (6 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar (plus extra for dredging)
1/2 cup (3 3/4 ) brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

Peanut butter filling
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice
3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line with parchment two baking sheets (or use a nonstick mat).

To make the dough: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg, beating to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.

To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth. With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls.
To shape the cookies: Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation.

Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass, and use it to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they’re set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, let cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before sliding the parchment with the cookies onto a cooling rack.