Welcoming to Souped Up Recipes: Mandy's Kitchen Corner

Today, we're going to make one of my favorite dishes that keeps me on track with my diet - shrimp and broccoli stir fry in garlic sauce. This classic Cantonese dish is not only delicious but also super healthy and easy to prepare. And the best part? It can be made in just 15 minutes!

Preparing the Shrimp

To start, we need to prep our main ingredient - 14 oz of peeled and deveined shrimp. These were previously frozen to remove excess moisture, so we'll make sure to pat them dry with paper towels before cooking. If we don't, the shrimp might end up boiling in the wok instead of browning nicely. Simply season the shrimp with 1/4 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of paprika, and a pinch of black pepper, and drizzle it with some vegetable oil to help bring out its natural flavors.

Now, let's not forget about one of my favorite tricks - using the broccoli stems! Some people might throw them away, but I love finding creative ways to use up every part of the vegetable. Simply peel the skin off the stem and cut it into quarters. Then, pickle them just like you would cucumbers - it's a game-changer!

Adding Aromatics

While we wait for our wok to heat up, let's prepare some aromatics that will add depth to our dish. I'll be using 8 cloves of garlic, diced and ready to go, as well as half a tablespoon of ginger, minced. If you like a little spice, feel free to add some dried red chilies or chili flakes to give it an extra kick.

Making the Sauce

Now that we have all our ingredients ready, let's make the sauce! In a small bowl, mix together 2 tsp of cornstarch - this will help thicken the sauce and give it a nice glossy finish. I like to start by mixing it with some soy sauce first, so it won't clump up when I add the oyster sauce later on. Then, I'll add in half a tablespoon of hoisin sauce, half a teaspoon of sugar, and half cup of water. Finally, I'll squeeze in a teaspoon of dark soy sauce to give it that signature Cantonese color.

Assembling the Dish

With our sauce ready, let's heat up our wok until it's smoking hot! Drizzle in a few tablespoons of oil and swirl it around to cover the bottom - this will help prevent the shrimp from sticking. Then, toss in the shrimp and cook for just a couple of minutes on each side, until they're nice and pink but still slightly translucent. Don't worry if they're not fully cooked yet - we'll finish them off later.

Stir-Frying the Broccoli

Now it's time to add in our broccoli and aromatics! Tilt the wok to leave the oil behind, then throw in the garlic, ginger, optional red dried chilies (if using), and broccoli. Stir-fry for just a minute or two until everything is tender-crisp. If needed, splash some water from the side of the wok to help steam cook the broccoli - this will give it that extra burst of flavor.

Introducing the Shrimp

Now that our vegetables are cooked, it's time to bring everything together! Pour in the sauce and toss in the cooked shrimp until they're fully coated. Cook for just a couple more minutes until the sauce has thickened and we're done!

A Dish Fit for a Queen (or King)

And there you have it - a delicious shrimp and broccoli stir fry in garlic sauce that's perfect for a quick dinner or lunch! This dish is not only tasty but also packed with nutrients from the veggies. So go ahead, give it a try, and let me know what you think!

A Word from Mandy: Carbon Steel Wok

As I mentioned earlier, this dish is made possible by my trusty carbon steel wok. I'm thrilled to recommend it to all of you because it's been my go-to cookware for years! This wok is not only lightweight but also responds quickly and evenly to heat changes. Plus, it can withstand super-high temperatures without any damage - perfect for wok cooking!

If you're interested in getting your hands on one of these amazing woks, I've got some exciting news: we just relaunched them in the UK! That's right, folks - you can now get your carbon steel wok shipped directly to you with free shipping and no customs fees. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to elevate your Chinese cooking game!

Thanks for watching, everyone! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them in the section below. Until next time, when we'll be whipping up another mouth-watering recipe, goodbye!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHi everyone, welcome to Souped Up Recipes. I am Mandy.Today, we are making one of the recipes that I eat often to keep my shape. It is  shrimp and broccoli stir fry in garlic sauce. This is a classic Cantonese dish. It is super healthy,  delicious, and easy to make. It takes about 15 minutes. Let’s get right into the cooking.I have here 14 oz of peeled and deveined shrimp - previously frozen so it has some excess liquid.  Pad it dry with paper towels. Otherwise, you will end up boiling your shrimp in the wok.Simply season it with 1/4 tsp of salt,1 tsp of paprika, 1/3 tsp of black pepper,and a drizzle of vegetable oil.Mix well and set it aside.Cut the broccoli into florets.Some people will throw out the stems. Let me share a wonderful way to use the stems.  Just peel the skin and cut them into quarters. Pickle them just like how  you will pickle cucumbers. You will be surprised by how good they taste.Besides the broccoli, I also diced 8 cloves of garlic and 1/2 tbsp of ginger. Optionally,  I added some dried red chilies to spice it up, you can also use chili flake, if you want.Before we turn on the heat, let’s put the sauce together. 2 tsp of cornstarch, this is important for helping the sauce to wrap around the broccoli and shrimp.  Makes the dish taste extra flavorful.I like to mix it will the soy sauce first, so it won’t clump up when you add the oyster sauce.Continue by adding 1/2 tbsp of hoisin sauce, 1/2 tsp of sugar, and 1/2 cup of water. Mix well.  Oh, I also add a teaspoon of dark soy sauce for the color.Turn the heat to high and heat your wok until it is smoking hot. Drizzle in a few tbsp of oil  and swirl it around to cover the bottom, toss in the shrimp.The wok is super hot, you only need to stir the shrimp for a couple of minutes  and they should turn nice and pink.  They are not completely cooked through yet. The inside is still a bit translucent. That  is the point you want to take them out. Don’t worry, we will cook them furthermore.Make sure you tilt the wok to leave the oil behind.  We will use that to stir fry the vegetables.Turn the heat back on medium and throw in the garlic,  ginger, the optional red dried chilies, and the broccoli.Toss for a minute or 2.Add a splash of water from the side of the wok. Quickly put on the lid to trap the steam,  so it cooks the vegetables through. This way, the broccoli is stir-fried and then  semi-steamed, which tastes so much better than just blanched broccoli.Pour in the sauce, and introduce the shrimp back into the wok.  Toss for a couple of minutes or until the sauce is thickened, and you are done.The sauce is very flavorful and savory, so this will go perfect with some white rice.  But if you are on a diet, it is totally fine to eat it on its own.  If you have been following my show, you will know that I have serious arthritis.Actually, I have been taking steroids for almost 2 years now. They messed up my appetite.  This is one of those dishes that I can enjoy without worrying. Of course, besides this,  I have many other recipes and tips to keep me from getting a chubby face and a fat stomach.  If you want to know more details, I'll talk about it in the pinned comment. Go check it out.I hope you give this a try soon.As always, you can click the link in the description and find the printable recipe.Thank you for watching.this video is sponsored bySouped Up Recipes Carbon Steel wokThis is the wok that I’m selling and I’m proud to recommend it to you.As I have been using it on my channel for years.It’s lightweight and it responds to heat changes quickly and evenly.It can also sustain the superhigh temperature without damage,perfect for wok cooking.If you like Chinese food and you want to learn how to make it at home better than take out.You definitely need one of these, as it is the most basic cookware in China.The link is in the description. Go check it out.By the way, we just relaunched this wok in the UK  because last year we weren't able to ship to the UK anymore after Brexit.Now you can buy it again, it's free shipping and customs fees included.Thanks again for watching, and I'll see you next time.Bye.\n"