Continued after the jump...
The menu:
- Bang-Bang shrimp
- Zucchini & bell pepper stir-fry
- With oven-baked rice
I'm not sure if it was just the long week at work, but I entered the kitchen slightly stressed. I wish I poured myself a glass of wine before I started cooking, cause after all it is Friday night, but I didn't... Even though I know my way around a kitchen, I couldn't get in my groove. Trying to focus on the task at hand, I took all my normal prep steps: reading the recipes, setting out all my ingredients to make sure I don't forget anything, and got to chopping, mixing, & stirring... but I was still feeling out of place.
In a fog, I just kept on going: I had to start with the rice, that would take the longest. I made my rice similar to the risotto-pilaf recipe I made last weekend, but much simpler. Melting butter in my wok, I threw in my raw rice. OOPS, my wok was too hot and I quickly smoked up my kitchen. HAHA, now I was literally in a fog. For a minute I stirred the rice in the buttery wok before pouring in some boiling water. Then into a cover casserole dish adding some S&P before placing it in the oven at 375° until simmering, then reduced to 350° for 15 minutes. Once that was going, I made the bang-bang sauce, and breaded the shrimp.
By the time I got to the bang-bang sauce, I had my mojo back. It was so easy, anyone can do this, really! Some mayo, Sriracha, sugar, and rice vinegar & you've got your sauce. After mixing it together, I covered it with some plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge to keep it thick.
FakeGinger's recipe calls for medium shrimp, but I used large shrimp since it was for our dinner. Doing so, I ended up having to make the panko-breading mixture twice before it was all said and done. (Keep the size of the shrimp in mind if you are going to make this dish.)
Frying your shrimp is quick and easy, just make sure your oil is deep enough for the shrimp to float around, and that it's nice and hot. I fried the shrimp in batches to keep the oil from cooling down to rapidly, but it still didn't stay as hot as it was for the first batch by the time I got to my last few shrimp. (I will now be getting a good oil thermometer next time I am at the store, HAHA!)
While I was frying my shrimp, I was also finishing up my zucchini & orange bell pepper stir-fry. This is an easy side dish: a little butter down in the wok and once it's melted, in go your veggies. Top with a little S&P, and occasionally stir.
Out of the oven came the rice, so I fluffed it and set it aside while I put the on the final Bang-Bang touches. After all my shrimp we fried and drained onto paper towels, I quickly tossed the shrimp in the sauce, piled them onto some large lettuce leaves, and topped them with some chives.
And then we were ready for dinner! BUT...did they live up to the Bonefish reputation of Bang-Bang Shrimp?
They were certainly delicious, but in my opinion, they were slightly spicier than what I remember at the restaurant. Although, YUMMY none the less!
Some of you may be wondering... what are the kids eating when I make these dinners? Honestly, I turn myself into a short-order chef for some meals. I'll make the elaborate dishes for David and myself, (and tonight my Dad joined us too) but then I'll make separate meals for the kiddos at the same time. Tonight, Marley and Ryan ate chicken nuggets and cucumbers. Shame shame! You may say "nope, my kids will eat whatever we are eating." That works at my house sometimes, but if I'm cooking spicy food or anything that isn't very toddler friendly, I'd rather make something I know they will eat instead of fighting through dinner to get food in their bellies.
In a fog, I just kept on going: I had to start with the rice, that would take the longest. I made my rice similar to the risotto-pilaf recipe I made last weekend, but much simpler. Melting butter in my wok, I threw in my raw rice. OOPS, my wok was too hot and I quickly smoked up my kitchen. HAHA, now I was literally in a fog. For a minute I stirred the rice in the buttery wok before pouring in some boiling water. Then into a cover casserole dish adding some S&P before placing it in the oven at 375° until simmering, then reduced to 350° for 15 minutes. Once that was going, I made the bang-bang sauce, and breaded the shrimp.
By the time I got to the bang-bang sauce, I had my mojo back. It was so easy, anyone can do this, really! Some mayo, Sriracha, sugar, and rice vinegar & you've got your sauce. After mixing it together, I covered it with some plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge to keep it thick.
FakeGinger's recipe calls for medium shrimp, but I used large shrimp since it was for our dinner. Doing so, I ended up having to make the panko-breading mixture twice before it was all said and done. (Keep the size of the shrimp in mind if you are going to make this dish.)
Frying your shrimp is quick and easy, just make sure your oil is deep enough for the shrimp to float around, and that it's nice and hot. I fried the shrimp in batches to keep the oil from cooling down to rapidly, but it still didn't stay as hot as it was for the first batch by the time I got to my last few shrimp. (I will now be getting a good oil thermometer next time I am at the store, HAHA!)
While I was frying my shrimp, I was also finishing up my zucchini & orange bell pepper stir-fry. This is an easy side dish: a little butter down in the wok and once it's melted, in go your veggies. Top with a little S&P, and occasionally stir.Out of the oven came the rice, so I fluffed it and set it aside while I put the on the final Bang-Bang touches. After all my shrimp we fried and drained onto paper towels, I quickly tossed the shrimp in the sauce, piled them onto some large lettuce leaves, and topped them with some chives.
And then we were ready for dinner! BUT...did they live up to the Bonefish reputation of Bang-Bang Shrimp?
They were certainly delicious, but in my opinion, they were slightly spicier than what I remember at the restaurant. Although, YUMMY none the less!
Some of you may be wondering... what are the kids eating when I make these dinners? Honestly, I turn myself into a short-order chef for some meals. I'll make the elaborate dishes for David and myself, (and tonight my Dad joined us too) but then I'll make separate meals for the kiddos at the same time. Tonight, Marley and Ryan ate chicken nuggets and cucumbers. Shame shame! You may say "nope, my kids will eat whatever we are eating." That works at my house sometimes, but if I'm cooking spicy food or anything that isn't very toddler friendly, I'd rather make something I know they will eat instead of fighting through dinner to get food in their bellies.
A good meal for a Friday after a stressful week at work!
(Recipe courtesy of fakeginger.com)
Yummy...and love your photos too! Hi to Dan :)
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