Broccoli and Shrimp Stir-Fry
Stir-fry is that foolproof quick and easy weeknight dinner. Rice + vegetable + protein and you’ve nailed it. My best advice for avoiding a plate of mushy ingredients is to take the time for a little prep work. Mix your sauce and set it aside so it’s ready to go when you need it. Chop, dice and mince all of your ingredients before you heat your pan. Time your rice so that it is done before your meat and veggies otherwise they sit in the pan and become overdone. Steam the large vegetables first so they don’t take longer to cook than the rest of your ingredients. With a little kitchen time management you’ll be whipping dinner together like a pro.
I have this little corner restaurant by my house called Snappy’s Shrimp that has fresh shrimp from the Gulf on a daily basis. It sure makes it convenient for accessing fresh shrimp. They also have the finest, crinkle fries around which make for a good excuse to have a pre-dinner appetizer. If you can’t find fresh shrimp you can use frozen shrimp too. Frozen shrimp retains more water so thaw the shrimp first and stir them in at the last minute. Enjoy this quick and healthy meal!
Broccoli and Shrimp Stir-Fry Recipe
Serves 2.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
- 2 cups water
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp + 1/3 cup water
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 large bunch of broccoli (1 and 1/2 to 2 cups florets)
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 scallions, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated (substitute 1/8 tsp of powdered ginger)
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp canola or coconut oil
- 8-10 large shrimp, deveined and cooked
Directions
- In a medium-sized saucepan, add 1 cup of brown rice and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered on low for 40 minutes. If liquid remains and the rice tastes done, remove the lid and keep over low heat until absorbed.
- In a small bowl whisk together 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp water, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1/8 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 tsp sugar.
- Prepare then remaining ingredients.
- Cut the broccoli florets into bite size pieces for 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups.
- Dice the carrot.
- Dice 2 scallions – keep the white and green parts separate.
- Peel and mince 3 garlic cloves.
- Peel and mince fresh ginger into 1/2 tsp. (If substituting powdered ginger, stir 1/8 tsp of powdered ginger into the soy sauce mixture.)
- In a separate saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Steam the broccoli florets in a metal colander over the boiling water. (Or drop the broccoli directly into the water.) Cook the broccoli for 4- 5 minutes or until tender. Drain off excess water if needed.
- Heat 2 Tbsp canola or coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the white part of the scallion, garlic, fresh ginger and 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until the scallions are tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add the carrots, steamed broccoli and soy sauce mixture. Stir together, add a sprinkle of salt. Stir in 1/3 cup of water and the cooked shrimp. Let the sauce thicken for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve the shrimp and broccoli over the rice. Top with the green scallions.
The most important part of a stir fry is having your ingredients ready because it all comes together fast. You want the veggies to keep a little crunch and the already cooked shrimp to just warm through without becoming chewy.
If you are not a fan of ginger, you can remove it without a substitute.
Brown rice is more filling and has more nutrients, but you can substitute jasmine or white rice. (Jasmine is my favorite, but I went the healthier route and opted for brown in this recipe.)
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