Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry with Lemon Sauce

More than once, I've gushed over the wonders of living in the midst of farm country, all the fresh fruits and veggies we have within minutes of home. But fresh produce doesn't last long, is best used as soon as possible.  Often, when gifted with a bunch of fresh produce, I find myself at a loss as to how to incorporate them in my meal plans. Such was the case when a neighbor brought me a huge bunch of asparagus. I had already bought groceries for the week, had things pretty well planned out.  We love asparagus but I wanted to do something different than serve it as a side dish.  So I went browsing online and found this recipe.  I had shrimp for another recipe already in the fridge, so changed my plans to make this dish.  We devoured it! The only thing different I will do next time is double the sauce, there wasn't nearly enough for our tastes! It was a very easy after-work dinner.

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry with Lemon Sauce

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed and each stalk cut into 2-3" pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Lemon Sauce
2/3 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

In a small bowl, whisk together all the lemon sauce ingredients and set aside.

In a large frying pan or wok, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to pan in a single layer and cook for about 3 minutes, turning them over to cook both sides. Season shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Shrimp should be beginning to pink on both sides and be opaque, but just slightly undercooked (they will finish cooking when added back to the sauce).  Remove from frying pan and place shrimp on plate.

In same frying pan, heat another 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and cook until asparagus is tender-crisp, bright green, and just barely beginning to brown. Season asparagus with 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Add ginger and garlic and stir to combine with asparagus.  Cook for another 30-45 seconds.

Pour in lemon sauce mixture into frying pan with asparagus.  Add shrimp back into pan and combine with sauce and asparagus. Simmer for about a minute or until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and serve over rice, if desired.