Coconut Thai Stir Fry

I have made this recipe more than anything else in my collection. It's easy to cut in half for two, it's adaptable to other meats and vegetables, and it''s yummy. I am more than certain I've never made it the same way twice. It was one of the first things I ever cooked for Dennis, because we both liked Thai food and we both liked shrimp. The recipe actually has something about "Shrimp and Zucchini" in the title, but since I've made it with broccoli more than I have with zucchini (only because broccoli was in season when zucchini was not), it's been nick named Thai Stir Fry. This week it will be with yellow squash and green bell pepper from Grow Alabama, and later this summer I am going to use eggplant. I always serve it with rice (usually basamati).

I will say this recipe is a snap to put together if you have a good knife. When I first made this, I was just beginning my cooking journey and was using steak knives to cut vegetables. I think it took Dennis and I 45 minutes just to get everything ready. But since we both have good knives now, it takes maybe 15 minutes. Stir fry comes together quickly, so you have to have everything ready before you start.

Did I mention this is pretty healthy?

A note about cutting recipes in half: I cut a lot of recipes in half, some are much easier to cut than others. This happens to be one of those easy recipes. Sometimes, I don't cut this recipe in half. Honestly, it's so good it's hard not to eat most of it in one sitting. But I manage to control Dennis and I by explaining that we'll have left overs. I posted the original recipe, so I'll let you decide if you'd like to cut it in half or not.

Coconut Thai Stir Fry

Serves 4

2 tsp Canola Oil

1lb peeled and deveined large shrimp

3 medium zucchini cut into 2x1/4in matchsticks.

2 red bell peppers, cut into thin strips

3 scallions sliced

1 tbs grated peeled fresh ginger (or 1/8 tsp dried)

2 garlic gloves, minced

1 tsp Thai Red Curry Paste

1/2 cup light coconut milk

1.5 tbs Asian Fish Sauce

1tbs brown sugar

1. Heat 1tsp of the oil in a nonstick wok or large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When a drop of water sizzles in it, add the shrimp and stir-fry until just opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

2. Heat the remaining 1tsp oil in the wok. Add the zucchini, bell peppers, and scallions; stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, and curry pastel stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add to the bowl.

3. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, and brown sugar to the wok; bring to simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Return the shrimp and vegetable to the wok; stir-fry until heated through, about 1 minute longer.