Stressed? Hungry? Dinner is easy tonight!

Tonight, I had no plans to blog.  I'm totally busy, stressed, and exhausted these days getting ready to go back to school.  But, then I thought, maybe people don't just want to see my well thought out, I went to the grocery store just for this ingredient kind of foods.  Maybe, just maybe my readers are busy too and would appreciate seeing a dish that I made up on my ride home, mentally scanning my fridge.  

This is my version of vegetable fried rice with shrimp.  It's quick, easy and tastes good.  A little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and very filling.  Good stuff, I'm telling you!  So, here's what you need.  All are things I have either in my freezer or fridge most of the time, except in the most desperate of times.  That's when I have corn flakes for dinner.  Judge away, it happens.

1 pouch of Trader Joes frozen brown rice (This is awesome, fast, and great for quick meals)

1 egg

olive oil

6ish shrimp, uncooked (I used my frozen Trader Joes ones from the last recipe)

Shredded carrots chopped or one carrot peeled and cubed (like 1/4-1/3c)

1/4-1/3c of frozen peas

1 small shallot diced

light or regular soy sauce

Trader Joes Sweet Chili Sauce (My FAVORITE sauce :)

pepper

Ok, first things first, get a medium saute pan over medium high heat and go around the pan twice with the olive oil, then slice the top of your rice pouch and pop it into the microwave for 3 minutes.  Once the skillet is hot, crack an egg and it should start cooking right away.  Start mixing it around and scrambling it up right away, I like to use a rubber spunula (as Rachel Ray calls it) but a wooden spoon would work too.  I usually add some pepper at this point, too.  No salt, because the soy sauce is salty!  Once it's cooked, go ahead and add the shrimp.  While they are cooking a little chop up your veggies, unless you already did that.  After about a minute or two, drop your veggies.  Toss them all together and when your shrimp curl up a bit and pink-up, you are ready for the next step.  It should look pretty much like the picture below.

  Then add a little more oil and the package of rice.  Mix it all together, and once it is all evenly distributed, add some soy sauce.  I think it's about 3 tbsps, but do it to taste, it's your dish!  Give it another minute, then serve and top with the sweet chili sauce, as much as you like.  I like a lot, so I add plenty.  Then curl up and enjoy!

Now I'm off to play ukelele
with my friends. Later!