Just a little something I whomped up years ago. It tasted good so I've kept on making it. For me, it's comfort food.

Krab Stir Fry

Ingredients:

Rice: 1 ½ cups dry rice
1 jar Thai Kitchen Roasted Red Chili Paste
½ tsp Ground red pepper (or to taste)

Prepare rice per package directions, adding the full jar of chili paste to the boiling water with the rice and red pepper. Set aside. Best if refrigerated overnight, then gently brought back to room temperature.

Stir Fry: ¾ lb Krab meat
½ cup coarsely chopped onion
1 pkg (1 lb) frozen veggies, thawed, I like a “Snap Pea Stir Fry Mix”
1 clove minced fresh garlic
1-6 oz bottle Thai Kitchen Red Chili Sauce, Sweet or Spicy
2 Tbsp Soy or tamari sauce
1 tsp Ground Red Pepper (not Cayenne)
1 tsp dried Lemon peel
1-2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder, normal or Szechuan
1 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp ginger, fresh or ground
1 Tbsp Fish sauce
½ cup Cashews
Cooking or stir fry oil, peanut oil recommended
1-2 tsp Srirachi sauce, or peppers (optional, for a spicier flavor)
1-4 Thai chili peppers (optional, for a hot and spicy dish, green peppers are hotter than the red, ripe ones)

Pre-heat large wok or skillet on med-high to high heat, add oil (2-4 Tbsp) to cover bottom of pan well.
Add chopped onion, sauté until translucent – 2-3 minutes
Add veggies and garlic, sauté until heated through – 3-5 minutes
Add remaining ingredients, except cashews, sauté 2-5 minutes
Add cashews, saute 1-2 minutes
Add rice, mix and heat through – 2-5 minutes

Plate and enjoy.

Notes: All spice quantities can have “or to taste” added. The flavors are personal preference. I normally add those ingredients “by eye” rather than by measurement. So tweak and adjust to suit yourself.

I use Thai Kitchen brand sauces and pastes by preference, since my stir fry is Thai based. The quality is excellent and the flavors are difficult or impossible to duplicate from other vendors. Thai Kitchen does have an on-line store if you can't find them locally. I prefer tamari sauce to soy sauce, since the tamari is not wheat based like soy (read the labels).

This dish can also be prepared using rice noodles instead of the rice. Just add the chili paste to the stir fry with the other sauces. Give it a little extra time to spread throughout the dish (or add it earlier, with the veggies). The red chili paste is very versatile, and can be used in many dishes to add a savory flavor.

Krab is imitation crab meat, made from ocean whitefish. It's close to crab legs in flavor and is commonly found in the seafood area at the supermarket. I find that it has better texture if it's frozen for at least a day or two, then thawed before use. It's more flakey that way, rather than rubbery.

When cooking with a wok, higher heat is better. You just have to be prepared and move quicker. On an electric range with dials graduated 1-10, I generally cook at about 8 ½ or 9. Cooking completes much faster that way. By cooking on a lower setting, 6-7, you have more time and mistakes are much easier to correct, and you're much less likely to burn anything. You have time to think about what you're doing. If food is sticking, add more oil. Peanut oil is best.

Serving variation: the rice (or noodles) can be plated, rather than mixed in, then put the stir fry on top. Whichever way you prefer.

Ground red pepper is not cayenne, although cayenne can be substituted. Red pepper is capsicum frutescens, the same pepper you find as flakes, the ones commonly used on pizza. My Spice Sage is an excellent on-line source for spices and I recommend them highly. My last order was shipped less than two hours after I submitted it.

In this batch, I used a bag of mixed veggies, since I was out of snap pea mix. The veggies can be added still frozen, it just adds to the cooking time. Don't let them burn if you do.