Name: Stir-Fried Broccoli and Red Peppers with Peanut Sauce
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: ThaiAsia
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons fish sauce; 1 tablespoon lime juice plus 1 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lime; 1 tablespoon light brown sugar; 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 3/4 cup coconut milk; 1/4 cup water; 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter; 1 tablespoon peanut oil plus 1 more teaspoon; 1 large red bell pepper (about 8 ounces), cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch strips; 9 ounces broccoli, cut into even 1-inch florets (about 4 cups); 2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons); 1/4 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)

Why This Recipe Works

For our Thai-style stir-fried broccoli and bell peppers, we wanted to find a way to give our dish powerful flavor while using ingredients already in the pantry. We found that a simple sauce base of fish sauce, lime juice and zest, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes gave our broccoli and bell peppers the complex flavor we were looking for.

Instructions

For Thai Sauce Base: Mix fish sauce, lime juice and zest, sugar, and red pepper in small bowl until sugar is dissolved.

Add coconut milk, water, and peanut butter to Thai Sauce Base, whisk until smooth; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add red pepper and broccoli; cook, stirring every 10 to 15 seconds, until just barely tender, about 2 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of skillet, clearing center of pan. Add remaining teaspoon oil, garlic, and ginger to center of pan and mash with back of spoon; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir mixture into vegetables. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in sauce mixture. Simmer to heat through and blend flavors, about 1 minute; serve immediately.