Spicy Shrimp & Bok Choy Noodle Bowl

When I found this recipe in one of my Rachael Ray cookbooks, I felt skeptical that I would like this recipe. Why? Because of one main ingredient. Clam juice!

“Clam Juice” – doesn’t that sound a little gross to you? Well, rest assured that the addition of this ingredient helped make the dish delicious. If you like clams, then the clam juice won’t be a big deal at all. It adds a hint of sea flavoring & saltiness to the dish that really supports the shrimp. It was a little hard to find at the store – I believe I found it around the lemon juices?

I made this dish on a cold, snowy evening and it really hit the spot. It was also quick (it’s one of her famous ’30 minute meals’…I can never get the timing down to exactly 30 minutes but oh well).

Spicy Shrimp & Bok Choy Noodle Bowl – adapted from Rachael Ray

2 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes *if you don’t like spicy food, then simply omit this*
4 cloves chopped garlic
2 in ginger root cut into matchsticks, or grated
8 oz baby bella mushrooms
1 medium head bok choy
salt & pepper, to taste
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup clam juice
1 lb medium-sized peeled & deveined shrimp (get the raw kind if you can)
1/2 lb rice noodles
4 green onions, sliced

Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat.
Add oil, crushed red pepper, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and bok choy; season with salt and pepper.
Add chicken broth and clam juice. Put a lid on the pot and bring soup to a boil.
Add shrimp and noodles and cook until no longer pink.
Add in scallions and cook for a minute.
Turn off the heat & let it sit 2 to 3 minutes more. Adjust your seasonings and serve.

I added sriracha to this, because it wasn’t spicy enough for me.

I thought it was neat that this dish thickens over time. I expected it to be more like soup; I suppose if you wanted it to remain that way, you could add more chicken broth.

Thanks for being patient with me as my posts have become a little more sporadic. It’s Christmas Concert season and with two jr/sr high schools, I’ve got TWO concerts coming up. Plus, it’s also basketball season, a.k.a. pep band season. Yuck. I’ve been so busy, and I’ve taken pictures to blog, so I’m behind. I assure you – there is more to come!

Rumor has we’ll be blessed with a bunch of snow Sunday night into Monday…which means it’s time to up my arsenal of warm, comfort food meals. Yum. Stay tuned! 🙂