Valentines Day Surprise - Shrimp Stir-Fry

I think it is likely that my wife might get into some trouble with her parents when I tell this next story. For some time after she moved into her house, the front door lock wouldn't work. This got fixed eventually, but it worked out for a surprise dinner I cooked up on Valentines day. I left work early, and drove down to her place before she got home and cooked the following recipe from the food network web site. Shrimp is one of her favorite foods, so I was pretty sure this one would be a hit. She wasn't ready for someone to be in her kitchen when she got home though- in retrospect, possibly not one of my most brilliant ideas.

Thai Shrimp Stir-fry with Tomatoes and Basil- slimmed.

2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs water
2 tsp southeast Asian fish sauce
4 tsp light brown sugar
3 tbs peanut oil
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 tbs grated ginger
1/2 to 1 tsp red chili flakes (season to your taste)
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 medium red onion, cut in 1-inch dice
1 yellow pepper cut into 1-inch dice
1 jalapeno sliced into thin rounds
2 cups cherry tomatoes halved. (those slightly smaller ones you can get work well)
3/4 cup basil, torn by hand
1/4 cup mint, torn by hand
2 tbs freshly squeezed lime juice
serving suggestion: Jasmine rice

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, fish sauce, and sugar. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. (break out that wok if you have one. get it nice and hot) Add the garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until pink but still translucent in the middle- maybe 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp with a slotted spoon to a medium bowl. Add the onion, yellow pepper, and jalapeno to the skillet and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Return the shrimp with the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil to glaze the shrimp. Turn the heat off and add the tomatoes, basil, mint, and lime juice. Transfer to your serving plate and serve immediately.

As stated above, jasmine rice is a great flavor for this recipe, so have it cooking at the same time. This recipe is quite low cal- 286 calories per serving. Lots of flavor and no guilt!