Frozen Is My Friend

In a perfect world I would have a fish market just down the street where I could go and get fresh seafood any day I wanted, every day if I wanted. But alas, this is northern Indiana and while some of our supermarkets have a nice seafood counter, it's just not quite the same. Yes, I can go to the nearest Kroger and get some fine looking fish and seafood out of their case, and it tastes great, but sometimes I wish for what we were lucky enough to have in Florida during our summer beach vacation. When I shared my Fried Oysters and Crispy Cajun Shrimp with you I told the story of how we love visiting the market as soon as the boats come in with the fresh catch of the day~ it doesn't get more fresh than that! Not to mention taking out the "middle man" makes it so much more affordable. In fact, the only problem with using my supermarket's seafood counter is that it can get a bit pricey. But I have found one way around this...bagged frozen shrimp. I can find various sizes, tail on or off, EZ peel, already deveined, etc at an economical price to feed our family of 3. Yes, I still buy fresh, but I save that for special occasions when we are home in the Hoosier State. Other nights when I just want shrimp for an "everyday" supper I turn to the frozen and they work really great in recipes. And I have found that since I discovered this little trick we are able to eat shrimp more often because I'm not waiting for those special occasions or trying to find room in the grocery budget for them. If you are blessed to live on a coastline where seafood is at your fingertips any time you wish, I am green with envy. But if you are like me and want to cook with shrimp but not break the bank, check out the frozen section the next time you are at your store. You might be just as pleasantly surprised as I was!

Shrimp Stir Fry
1 12 oz bag (71/80ct) frozen deveined shrimp, thawed
1 c. frozen broccoli, thawed
1 c. frozen asparagus, thawed and cut into 1 inch pieces
3 medium carrots, peeled and julienned into 1 inch pieces
4 scallions, greens only, cut on a diagonal into 1 inch pieces
2 small green bell peppers, seeded and julienned into 1 inch pieces
2 (4 oz) cans mushrooms, drained
1/4 c. teriyaki sauce
Soy sauce to taste
3-4 TBS vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

To begin, make sure all thawed veggies and shrimp are VERY dry. Preheat vegetable oil in an electric skillet to 375. The key to this is making sure the oil is screaming hot and the ingredients are super dry. You don't want spatter if water hits the oil. When oil is hot, add carrots, mushrooms, peppers and broccoli. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add asparagus and scallions. After about 2 minutes, add shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook until pink and opaque. At this point, turn heat down to 325. Add teriyaki sauce and soy. Stir and let flavors combine until veggies are completely cooked and flavors are combined, about 5-7 more minutes. Serve over rice, noodles or on the side with some egg rolls.

Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box Oct. 16, 2012
Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain Oct. 17, 2012
Shared on The Country Cook Oct. 19, 2012

Shrimp at Very Good Recipes
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