How you doin’? My Bang Bang Shrimp & Broccoli is creamy, crispy, savory, spicy and sweet, all at the same time. It will blow your mind!
 
I first tasted Bang Bang Shrimp at The Cheesecake Factory. More recently, I tried it at Bone Fish Grill at Town Square in Las Vegas. It is one of the more popular menu items at the restaurant. According to the restaurant's menu, it’s just crispy fried shrimp tossed in a signature creamy, spicy sauce.
 
My recipe replicates the appetizer's crispy, decadent, spicy deliciousness with the addition of roasted broccoli. It’s probably not the first vegetable you think of when you’re looking for an exciting entrée, however, this recipe will change your perception of all that. It’s shrimp and broccoli as you’ve never tasted it before.
 
This name and flavors are from a popular street food in Bangkok, Thailand. The Bang Bang essence is from the explosive chili flavors. The balanced sweet and spicy sauce made the jump from shellfish to lots of other foods—from potatoes to cauliflower to chicken fingers, and more!
 
I love to serve this dish over rice with a squeeze of lime and even some shredded toasted coconut. The Bang Bang sauce also works well with grilled chicken, crispy beef or pork.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients 
For the broccoli
1 pound broccoli florets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Up to 1 teaspoon chili flakes (to the spice level of your choosing)
2 tablespoons sliced green onion tops, for garnish
2 tablespoons store-bought fried onions (I prefer French’s brand)
 
For the fried shrimp
1/2 cup cornstarch, or as needed
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
oil for frying
 
For the Bang Bang sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 teaspoons sriracha (or your favorite hot sauce)
Kosher salt, to taste
 
Directions
To make broccoli

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven.
3. Place the broccoli florets on to a rimmed sheet pan and drizzle with the vegetable oil.
4. Season with salt, pepper and chili flakes.
5. Toss to ensure each piece is coated.
6. Roast on the upper rack until fork-tender throughout, about 20 minutes, flipping the broccoli halfway through.
7. If the spears are browning more quickly than you’d like, move them down to the middle rack of the oven.

To make the sauce

1. While the broccoli is roasting, add the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce and sriracha to a small bowl and mix to combine. Taste and season with salt as needed.

To fry the shrimp

1. Place cornstarch in a shallow bowl.
2. Gently press shrimp into cornstarch to coat; shake off any excess.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan to 375° F.
4. Working in batches, cook the shrimp until they are lightly browned on the outside and no longer transparent in the center, about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Transfer shrimp to paper towels to drain.

To put it all together

1. Put the cooked shrimp in a bowl and pour the chili sauce mixture over the shrimp; toss gently to coat.
2. Line a serving plate with lettuce leaves.
3. Place the cooked broccoli over the lettuce leaves.
4. Pour the sauced shrimp over the broccoli and top with chopped green onion.
5. Top with the crispy fried onions before serving.

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ChefSecret:  Coating the Bang Bang Shrimp in cornstarch before frying will give you that wonderfully crispy texture.
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Quip of the Day:  Sad moment today when I ran over a box of shrimp. Road krill.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Entree #BangBangShrimpBroccoli #ShrimpBroccoli #PerspectivesOnFood #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                         ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? Rice is nice... especially when it's wok-fried with lots of flavors and ingredients.

Did you know that the earliest record of fried rice is found in the Sui dynasty (589–618 AD) in China?
 
Fried rice is a common street food in Asia and other parts of the world. In some Asian countries, small restaurants, street vendors and traveling hawkers specialize in serving fried rice. In Indonesian cities it is common to find fried rice street vendors stationing their food carts in busy streets or residential areas. Many Southeast Asian street food stands offer fried rice with a selection of optional garnishes and side dishes.
 
Many varieties of fried rice have their own specific list of ingredients. In China, common varieties include Yangzhou fried rice and Hokkien fried rice. Japanese chāhan is considered a Japanese Chinese dish, having derived from Chinese fried rice dishes. In Southeast Asia, similarly constructed Indonesian, Malaysian, and Singaporean nasi goreng and Thai khao phat are popular dishes. In the West, most restaurants catering to vegetarians have invented their own varieties of fried rice, including egg fried rice. Fried rice is also seen on the menus of non-Asian countries’ restaurants offering cuisines with no native tradition of the dish. Additionally, the cuisine of some Latin American countries includes variations on fried rice, including Ecuadorian chaulafan, Peruvian arroz chaufa, Cuban arroz frito, and Puerto Rican arroz mamposteao.
 
Make sure to use leftover, day-old rice when making fried rice. Freshly made rice will produce mushy fried rice.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Yield:  4 side servings / 2 entrée servings
 
Ingredients
8 ounces small peeled and deveined raw shrimp
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons peanut oil, canola oil, or rice bran oil
3 large eggs, beaten
2 chopped green onions
4 cups leftover rice, grains separated well
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus more to taste
3/4 cup frozen or fresh peas and diced carrots
1 teaspoon dark toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
 
Directions

1. In a medium bowl, sprinkle the shrimp with salt, pepper, and cornstarch, and toss to coat. Set aside to sit for ten minutes at room temperature.
2. Heat a large sauté pan or wok (a seasoned cast iron pan or hard anodized aluminum works well; they're relatively stick free and can take the heat) on high heat.
3. When the pan is very hot (a drop of water instantly sizzles when it hits the pan), swirl in one tablespoon of the cooking oil to coat the pan.
4. Add the shrimp to the hot pan, spreading them out quickly in a single layer. Let them fry in the pan without moving them, for 30 seconds.
5. Flip the shrimp over and let them fry on the other side for another 30 seconds or until they are mostly cooked through. (Do not cook them all the way.)
6. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the shrimp out of the pan to a bowl.
7. Return the pan to the burner and lower the heat to medium. Add a little more oil if needed.
8. Add the beaten eggs and stir them quickly to scramble them while they cook.
9. When the eggs are not quite cooked through, still a bit runny, transfer them from the pan to the bowl with the cooked shrimp.
10. Wipe out the pan or wok with paper towels and return it to the burner.
11. Heat the pan on high and when it is hot, swirl in the remaining tablespoon or two of oil.
12. When the oil is shimmering hot (almost smoking), add the green onions and sauté for 15 seconds.
13. Then add the cold leftover cooked rice to the pan and stir with the green onions to mix well.
14. Spread the rice onion mixture over the surface of the pan and let it fry, without moving it. You should hear the rice sizzle. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
15. Use a spatula to turn over the rice, and spread it over the pan again. Let cook for a minute longer.
16. Add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, carrots, peas, shrimp, eggs and sesame oil.
17. Heat everything until sizzling hot. Add more soy sauce to taste, if needed.
18. Transfer to warm serving bowls to serve and top with sprinkle to toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!

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ChefSecret:  If you are looking for a spicier fried rice add a tablespoon or two of Asian chili oil.

Quip of the Day:  I once saw a Shrimp finish third in the Olympics... They gave him the Prawns Medal.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Entree #SideDish #SesameShrimpFriedRice #FriedRice #ShrimpFriedRice #PerspectivesOnFood #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                                  ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025