Satay Chicken and Shrimp Stir-Fry...My delicious little experiment.

I love making stir fries.They are delicious,easy to make and can be very nutritious depending on what you put into them.I have tried many sauces and ingredients to stir fry with and am always looking for exciting flavors to explore. One of my favorite places to eat at is the Cheesecake Factory and I always order this dish called the 'Bang-bang Chicken and Shrimp' which I adore.We recently went to one in West Hartford (nice to have one close enough) and they didn't have the coconut milk to make the dish,so I couldn't have it. Missing eating that dish,I decided to do something with a peanut sauce to compliment the Malaysian satay marinated chicken which I had leftover from our memorial day barbecue.So here's my little experiment which turned out to be a great dinner.



Satay Chicken and Shrimp Stir-Fry


You'll need:

1/2 lbs Easy peel shrimp
3-4  Boneless chicken breasts(cut into bite sized pieces)
3 Multi-colored bell peppers(cut into 2 inch pieces)
3 stalks Baby bok choy (or green leaf vege of your preference)
1 Onion (thinly sliced)
1/2 pack Baby Portobello mushroom(wiped and sliced)(you can also use canned mushrooms)
2 inch Fresh ginger (grated)
5 cloves Garlic (chopped finely)
2 stalk Scallion(chopped including white part)
1 1/2 tbsp Oil(heart healthy oils)

Sauce:


3 tbsp Natural peanut butter 
1 tbsp Light soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp Sriracha thai chili sauce or other chili sauces
1 tsp Chinese cooking rice vinegar
1 tbsp Agave nectar or stevia

Mix all sauce ingredients and set aside.



Method:


Heat oil in a wok and add in the garlic and ginger.Fry until fragrant.Be careful not to burn as this will render a bitter taste to the stir-fry.Add in the  onions immediately and fry until it turns a light brown.Add in the sauce and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.You can add water if it gets too dry.Once the sauce begins bubbling,add in the shrimp and stir in with the sauce.Let it cook for about 2 minutes and add in the chicken.Stir well to mix in the chicken with the sauce until cooked.Once chicken is cooked(when meat turns all white),add in the mushrooms and peppers.Let it cook for about 3 minutes before adding in the Bok choy.Stir everything together to make sure the sauce coats your ingredients well.Don't over cook the vegetables.Chinese stir fries are known for their crunchy and fresh vegetables.After about 3 minutes,add in the scallions and do a quick stir.Take stir fry off heat as sometimes electric stoves can keep cooking even after its been turned off.You can eat it as it is or serve with a side of rice or noodles.You can also garnish with some crushed peanuts if available.

Here it is....a great recipe for a simple stir fry that your friends and family might enjoy.You can show off your culinary skills with the simplest of meals.It doesn't always have to be a six course dinner to prove you can cook so give this a try and charm your loved ones with a delicious meal.Have fun trying it and remember that the smiles you put on the faces of the ones you serve is the best reward you can get and not to mention,the delicious burst of flavors for yourself doesn't hurt a single bit.So,enjoy this recipe and let me know how it goes.



Note:Many don't know that fresh mushrooms should not be washed.Washing them will only result in rubbery textured mushrooms.To clean them,use a wet kitchen towel or paper towel and wipe them down.Hope this tip helped you.


With love for food and you,
    Renu