Five Ingredient Spicy Shrimp

Happy Monday Readers! I had this post completed, pictures and all, ready to go for Thursday morning but somewhere between blogger and my iPad I lost it all and was unable to recover the original post. I was visiting my family in Jersey for my sister's bridal shower, so Thursday really was Jerz-day and while I didn't cook a whole lot over the weekend there was a lot of eating, dogs, and George Washing-guys.  I couldn't hold out on this recipe so here it is! We can recap the weekend tomorrow.

This one was so quick, easy and impressive that I couldn't stand  holding out any longer. It hits all the same notes as a restaurant  style 'bang bang' or 'firecracker shrimp' but comes together so simply in just minutes. With five main ingredients (and a few pantry freebies) you can prepare this restaurant knockoff and impress your dinner guests any day of the week. For us I think this is going to be our go-to , weeknight, summer entertaining staple. Five ingredient spicy shrimp has just enough kick in its creamy sauce to keep your palate second guessing, but not so hot that any of your guests (even those who don't care for heat) should feel intimidated.

Five Ingredient Spicy Shrimp (serves two, but can easily be adjusted by increasing shrimp count by 9 per person)

• 18 medium-large (30-41 count) shrimp, peeled and devained
• 1/2 C mayonnaise 
• 1/4 C sweet chili sauce
• 1-3 Tbsp Sriracha Sauce (I used about 2.5...but this depends on personal preference)
• 1/4 C cornstarch
• salt & pepper
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp onion powder

In a small bowl combine mayo, sweet chili sauce,1 Tbsp water,  Sriracha and onion powder. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine cornstarch, salt and pepper and cayenne pepper. Using paper towels, pat dry the shrimp.  Add the shrimp to the cornstarch and evenly coat using your fingers. 

Heat the oil in  a large wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat. As you coat the shrimp, drop them into the oil one by one in an even layer. Cook about 3 minutes per side until slightly golden on the outside and pink, cooked through inside. In a second medium bowl add the cooked shrimp and mayonnaise sauce and coat evenly.

To fancy these up you can sprinkle thinly sliced scallions on top and serve them over mixed greens as an appetizer. I served them with some onions and zucchini (in an effort to clean out the fridge before we left for the weekend) and brown rice. A quick, homemade fried rice would be super easy and impressive if using this recipe to entertain. The serving possibilities are virtually endless.

I hope you all had an equally indulgent weekend as I did---ironic that I had such a weekend while starting to read the Hunger Games ...