Shrimp Fried Rice ( Secret Ingredient)

Shrimp Fried Rice ( Shh with the Secret Ingredient) 

People who have had my shrimp fried rice comment that it is some of the best they have had outside of a Chinese restaurant, which thrills me to no end to hear. I am one of those people that  if I like something or if I enjoy eating it I will try to recreate and eventually prefect that dish at home. I have scoured the internet and peeked into various kitchens to get the secrets (yes with a “s”) that I’m going to share here with you today only because I am in a generous mood. My family doesn't even know these tips so I am showing yall major love by telling you out there in internet land. But you didn't come here to hear me talk about the secrets I keep from my family so let’s get to the food.

Ingredients

3 cups of cold cooked rice (Secret number one: use cold rice. If you try to fry hot rice it will get sticky, gummy and gross overall. Use cool to cool rice. It works every time)

1-1/2 pounds of peeled and deveined shrimp

1 whole yellow onion diced

2 Eggs

4- 5 Stalks of Green/ Spring Onion chopped  (I like a lot of green onion but feel free to use your discretion, cooking is an art not a science)

Salt (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

Soy Sauce (to taste) 

1 Tablespoon Sesame oil (Secret number 2, sesame oil give my fried rice the authentic flavor that people comment on. The stuff is pretty strong so I recommend adding a little to start off with then adding more if you like)

Directions

1.     Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat, add yellow onions, stir and cook until onions are translucent, take about 3 to 4 minutes.

2.      Stir in rice and fry, if rice starts to stick add a bit more oil and stir continuously cooking for 3-4 minutes.

3.     Add your shrimp they should be peeled and deveined to your pan/ wok continue to stir and fry.

4.     Prepare your eggs the same way you would if you were going to scramble an egg then you have cooks choice, you can either scramble the egg in a separate pan then add it to you frying rice or if you are lazy daring and don’t want to use multiple pan- then push your still frying rice to the side and scramble your egg in the same pan. Once your egg is scrambled mix it thoroughly into your rice

5.     Add in your green onions and soy sauce cook while constantly stirring for two minutes or until heated thoroughly.

6.     Garnish with green onion and serve immediately.

* This recipe is really a stripped down version of fried rice. One you master the basic recipe feel free to add things such as different meats of veggies. 

What are some of your favorite takeout dishes to make at home? Do you have any tips or tricks you have picked up that make your take on the dish more authentic? Comment below.

Asian Inspired Shrimp with Vegetables

Every Wednesday at the appointed hour I sit myself in front of my TV to watch the ABC Wednesday night line up. So tonight as I prepared to began my normal routine of laughing at the antics of the ABC families my stomach growled which brought me back to reality I still need to cook dinner. Looking for a quick meal to fix I had some shrimp so I decided to whip up a stir fry which some how parleyed into something else... but  i'll stop my yammering and get to what you came here for the food.


Asian Inspired Shrimp with Vegetables

Total Cooking Time: 45 minutes         

Prep Time: 30 minutes 

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients 

1 whole yellow onion

1 half of a red onion

2 whole bell peppers ( I used 4 halves of 4 different colors of peppers)

1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp

1 cup of chopped carrots

1 whole zucchini

1 whole squash

6 cloves of garlic

2 cups of broccoli 

Cooked brown rice

1/4 of a cup of low sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons of sugar ( I used raw sugar)

1 cup of broth

1 tablespoon of flour ( substitute with cornstarch) 

3 tablespoons of water

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil ( for stir fry)

1 tablespoon of Sesame oil (optional) 

*Tip* Prior to starting the actual cooking have all your prep done. The process of cooking goes really quickly if you have all your prep work done before hand. That means all the chopping and peeling should be done.

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar set aside.

2. In another small bowl or cup, stir together the tbsp of flour (or cornstarch) with the 3 tbsp of water and set aside. ( this is added later to help thicken the sauce) 

3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a wok; add onions and garlic cook briefly, and then add vegetables while continuously stirring. ( it’s a stir-fry after all, lol)

4. Stir-fry vegetables for approximately 5-6 minutes (just long enough to cook the veggies but allow them to remain firm), then add the shrimp.

5. Cook the shrimp 1 minute or until it barely curls and turns slightly pink.

6. Add the sauce mixture and cook 5-7 minutes more; then stir in the thickener (briefly stir first) and stir-fry until mixture thickens, about 1 minute.

7. Serve with hot cooked brown rice.

Here are a few pictures of the finished product:

This meal was delicious, and satisfying. it healthier than your normal take out, much less sodium, no msgs, and brown rice ( triple threat)  The beauty of this type of dinner is that it packs perfectly for lunch tomorrow. Tonight dinner combined with the laughs of ABC's Wednesday night shows equaled a blissful evening for me. Are there any quick fix meals you like to make on weeknights? Have you ever tried to make your favorite takeout at home? Comment below

xx. Toya