Deep in the midst of my healthy eating escapade, I am beginning to have cravings. The craving for all these pound cakes is one that I know I cannot indulge, but some are workable. This week, I wanted Asian food. I was craving anything and everything that could be deep fried, rolled in rice, or was made of dough and steamed into submission- all topped with spicy mayo or slathered in soy sauce. And I can cook it too!

That, unfortunately, is not diet friendly thinking. So how could I get my fix without blowing my hard work out of the water in epic, buffet level proportions?

Stir fry. There is always a solution to every problem, and I find, quite often, that stir fry is always the answer.

Something sweet? Thicken that sauce with some brown sugar and even toss in some grilled or roasted fruit.

Something spicy? Add sriracha.

Something savory? The old, soy sauce-based fave has you covered.

Between this being the season of fresh vegetables and knowing that where there is a will, there is a way, I had stir fry for dinner. Fresh, filling, and healthy, it fulfilled every need I had. The stir fry I made on Friday was vegetarian, with tofu, locally grown noodle beans, snap peas, and carrots… ahh! But as I continue to keep this lifestyle of healthy and fresh, I realize that stir fry is truly the answer! It’s easy, it’s fast, and it’s so customizable!

As I often do when looking for new ways to adjust a dish, I wandered back to the Farmhouse Spice Rack to seek some inspiration. With stir fry on my mind, it could only be expected that the first spice to pop out at me was our Citrus Ginger Stir Fry! Combining sweet, sour, salty, and savory with just a bit of heat, our Citrus Ginger Stir Fry is a balanced seasoning blend that perks up food with its relentless brightness. The interplay between sweet and sour really makes the flavors in this blend kick, going back and forth between lime and vinegar until it’s followed by the sweet, caramel tones of demerara sugar. The spicy brightness and bold florals from ginger come in behind the lime and tamari soy powder holds up the middle ground umami with onions and garlic. These hold the door open for the heat; cayenne comes in fast, and red pepper maintains the burn to the end without being overwhelming. This blend ends with a nutty crunch of sesame and a little hug of onion from the chives.

Now this is a spice to play with!

Because stir fry can be adapted in so many ways, I really decided to have some fun with this recipe by using a creamy sauce that echoed traditional Asian flavors while being rounded out by the dairy. Knowing that lighter meats like shrimp would pair great with the citrus tang throughout this dish, it could easily be adapted to work with any meat from chicken to scallops. This could also make a great vegetarian stir fry by using tofu or jackfruit. It really is the sauce that decides the stir fry.

I do want to put some notes here about how to really make this dish shine:

There are few worse textures in food than overcooked seafood as it turns into something roughly the consistency of a balloon, so when you are cooking the shrimp (or any other seafood you decide to toss in) remove it from the heat before it is fully cooked. They are going back in the pot later and will continue to cook then.

I used Neufchatel cheese for this recipe as it has less calories and fats, but you could easily use cream cheese for a slightly more unctuous feel. You could even use sour cream which would allow those sharper flavors to stay stronger.

You can also make those notes brighter by garnishing your dish with more citrus. A lime wedge squeezed over top would add the citrus you desire. You can also add another pinch of the Citrus Ginger Stir Fry itself.

Feel free to substitute the pasta for another! I love how linguine is thick enough to hold to the sauce, but not so much that it outweighs the delicate shrimp, but to each their own, from tofu pasta to rice noodles to soba to shells, there is no wrong was to pair a pasta into this recipe.

Want to get some veggies in on this goodness? Steam them up well and toss them in when you add the shrimp and pasta!

Ultimately, this is an easy dish that is especially perfect for these hot summer evenings and can be made into whatever you want it to be. The only thing that limits stir fry is your own imagination!

Citrus Ginger Stir Fry Linguine

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive oil

8 oz. Linguine

4 oz. Neufchatel or cream cheese

1 Lb. Shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 Garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp Citrus Ginger Stir Fry

1 cup reserved pasta water

3 Tbsp Scallions, chopped for garnish

1 Lime, sliced for garnish

Instructions:

1. Cook 8oz. linguine to al dente per package directions- remembering to reserve the water before draining.
2. In a skillet, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Lightly salt the shrimp, then add to pan and cook until translucent- about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add garlic to the same pan and cook for 1 minute. Add Citrus Ginger Stir Fry, cheese, and reserved water. Mix well.
4. Add drained pasta and shrimp to skillet and toss until all ingredients have been coated in the sauce. Let simmer for a few minutes until desired consistency. I cook it down for about 5 to 6 minutes until just thick enough to coat the noodles. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.
5. Garnish with 3 Tbsp scallions and lime slices and serve.