This dish is adapted from a recipe found on Tasty.com. There is quite a bit of prep work involved, so be sure to allow yourself enough time to get food on the table. ;-) The flavor pallet originally was and still can be all about the heat, but in my version the heat is turned down some so that the many ingredients can more easily shine equally. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb lge shrimp, defrosted, peeled, deveined, tail off
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp soy sauce, divided
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tbsp lime juice – one lime
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
- 1 pc fresh ginger, peeled & sliced into 12 matchsticks
- 1 cup scallion tops - cut into 1” pieces on the diagonal
- 1.5 cups asparagus - cut into 1” pieces on the diagonal
- 1 cup snow peas
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup fresh Thai or regular basil
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews - chopped
Preparation:
Start the pearl barley first as it takes 40-45 minutes to cook.
In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the cornstarch, Aleppo pepper, salt, and 1 tbsp soy sauce until evenly coated.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons
soy sauce, the rice vinegar, honey, lime juice, and orange juice until well
combined.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or
nonstick skillet over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the bell pepper, ginger and
scallions, and cook, stirring frequently, until the scallions are starting to
brown, about 2 minutes.
Add the asparagus, snow peas, and water, and cook, stirring
frequently, until the water has evaporated and vegetables are bright green and
tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add the
shrimp in a single layer and cook without disturbing for about 1 minute, or
until golden brown on the underside, then toss and cook for another 2 minutes
until cooked through and opaque.
Add the soy-orange sauce and cook for 1 minute, until the
sauce is starting to bubble and thicken. Add the cooked vegetables and basil,
and toss in the pan for another 30 seconds, until the sauce thickens slightly
and the vegetables are coated.
Serve the shrimp & vegetable mix over barley and top with
chopped cashews and a drizzle of sriracha, if desired. For more heat add some
thinly sliced or minced peppers of your choosing on top.
Blessed be... and happy cooking!