Why Use Frozen Vegetables?
Did you know that frozen vegetables are not only crazy convenient, but also quite healthy? Because the veggies are frozen immediately after harvest, much of their original nutrients are retained. As long as you use the vegetables in your freezer within a reasonable amount of time (sources suggest anywhere between 3 months up to a year) you can enjoy the healthy benefits of fresh veggies with the convenience of having a bag of pre-chopped produce right in your freezer.
I usually keep a variety of frozen vegetables in my freezer and one of my go-tos is a stir fry mix that contains broccoli, sugar snap peas, carrots, water chestnuts, red peppers, mushrooms, & baby corn. For this recipe, I combined the mix with a tasty sauce, tossed in some garlic, and added some shrimp. We ate it served over cauliflower rice one evening and brown rice the next, and it was a delicious and super duper easy weeknight meal.
How Do I Preserve The Texture Of Frozen Vegetables?
Because frozen vegetables tend to get softer faster and quickly lose their color when cooked, I chose to simmer the stir fry sauce in a separate pan so that I could add it near the end of the cooking process and help keep the color and texture in the frozen vegetables. If allowed to simmer in a sauce for too long, the veggies can start getting mushy and will be bland in color (not a big deal really, they'll still taste good). Enjoy!
How To Make Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry
PrintEasy Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry
Here's an easy dinner idea using mixed frozen stir fry vegetables and fresh or frozen shrimp. Serve it over cooked white or brown rice or lower the carbs by using cauliflower rice.
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- Sauce
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 TBS sesame oil
- 1 TBS sweet chili sauce
- 1 TBS cornstarch
- 1 TBS water
- Stir Fry
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 3 generous cups frozen stir fry mixed vegetables
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and tail off (from fresh or thawed from frozen)
- Sesame seeds for topping, optional
- Cooked rice or cauliflower rice for serving, optional
Instructions
- Whisk sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and heat to a low simmer, stirring frequently, to give the sauce a chance to thicken. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the frozen vegetables. Cook, tossing frequently, until vegetables are starting to soften. Add the garlic, cook for an extra minute or two.
- Add the warmed sauce to the skillet and then add the shrimp. Allow to simmer for a few minutes, turning the shrimp once until both sides are pink.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using and serve over cooked rice or cauliflower rice.
Notes
Warming the sauce separately lowers the amount of time that the frozen vegetables will be sitting in the sauce, helping prevent them from becoming too soggy or losing their color.
If you are using cauliflower rice and want to add extra flavor, I like to cook it in a skillet with a touch of sesame oil.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
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