Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry

I can hardly believe spring break is half over. So far, I've been doing a lot of spring cleaning, going to and from various check up appointments, and seriously working out. Yup exercise. It may be cold outside, but I can no longer handle being pinned up. Monday I had the opportunity to join my good friend and colleague, Jenny Maleta, for a free boxing training session. It was the most hardcore workout I've ever done and I got to wear boxing gloves. We did a lot of high intensity intervals with a healthy mix of punching various bags around the gym. The best move was jumping from a squat onto two tractor tires stacked on top of each other. I have muscles in my glutes that I never even knew existed! Tuesday morning, I was still feeling pretty tough and ran early in the morning. I am pretty sore and taking a day off to clean my house, but plan to be up and running again tomorrow. I am feeling more and more confident about the run this weekend. I'm not looking to win. I just want to feel good and finish strong!

Keeping these things in mind, my Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry is a great meal to replenish after training. It is a healthy mix of vegetables, super lean protein, and whole grains. If you are not a fan of shrimp or are allergic like my sister, you can easily substitute chicken. Also, just an FYI if you are on a gluten-free diet, Target's Market Pantry low sodium soy sauce is no longer gluten free:( I ran out about two weeks ago and was double checking labels while shopping over the weekend. They must have changed their ingredients from the last time I purchased their soy sauce. Fortunately, my Target did carry another gluten-free brand, San-J. It cost me a pretty penny, but tastes outstanding.

You may be feeling to sore to cook but, I don't want to hear any excuses as everything can be put together with minimal effort in less than 30 minutes. You will feel so much better after this great meal and a little rest. It is totally worth it!

Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (I used San-J in this recipe)

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ketchup

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 16 oz. stir fry blend frozen vegetables
1 12 oz. bag frozen broccoli florets
1/2 lb. frozen precooked, peeled, deveined, tail off shrimp, thawed

In a small dish, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, ketchup, sesame oil, and corn starch until combined. Set aside.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl the olive oil and add the stir fry veggies and broccoli. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are thawed and beginning to brown in some places. Add the shrimp and soy mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 3-4 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken and the shrimp are heated through. Serve over hot brown rice or rice noodles for a complete meal.