Kung Pao Shrimp

My mom has a wonderful recipe for Kung Pao Pork (of an origin unknown to me) that I have made many times over the years. Feeling particularly lazy yesterday, I decided to switch out the pork for shrimp that I didn't have to cut. Of course, I did need to take time to peel them, so my logic might have been off. Still, it was something new, and it came out great, served over soba noodles.


Kung Pao Shrimp
• 1 lb medium (easy-peel) shrimp
• 1 big red pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 4 TBS sugar
• soy sauce, about 1/4 cup (divided)
• 4 tsp corn starch
• red pepper flakes, a pinch
• oil for cooking (I used olive oil)
• unsalted peanuts, handful

Marinate shrimp in soy sauce for at least 30 minutes. In a wok or good sized pan sauté shrimp and garlic in oil over medium-high until shrimp starts to turn pink. Toss in red pepper, onion, and red pepper flakes and cook for about 3 minutes. In the meantime, mix together lemon juice, 4 TBS soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, corn starch and 1/4 cup cold water. Add the mixture to the hot skillet and cook until sauce thickens. Toss in the peanuts and serve over rice or noodles - yum!