School is back on full swing & so are the almost 7 yo’s extra-curricular activities which means mealtimes are all about easy recipes – quick to make but with no compromise in the flavor department. This is a quick fix Shrimp Fried Rice flavored with soy sauce and lots of ginger with a healthy amount of bok choy thrown in.
Mostly I buy baby bok choy, but this time I got a big bunch of regular bok choy which added a lot of greens to this Shrimp Fried Rice. Since I throw it in right before I turn off the heat, there’s a bite to it and we just love how this dark green leafy vegetable easily adds another layer of delicate flavor.
I make this particular recipe often and many a times switch out rice with cooked quinoa. It is also something that I pack in the husband’s lunch-box. I do not to give the 7 yo old shrimp in his lunchbox since it is an allergen which can be a scary deal if another child from school is allergic to it.
Ingredients: (Serves 2)
- Cooked Rice – 1 Cup
- Bok Choy – the biggest bunch you can lay your hands on, washed and chopped
- Green Onions – 1 bunch, washed and chopped
- Frozen peas and carrots – 1/2 Cup (you can use fresh carrots too)
- Grated Ginger – 1 tbsp
- Garlic – 2 fat cloves, chopped or minced
- Shrimps – 10-12 pieces, cleaned and deveined
- Eggs – 2, at room temperature
- Soy Sauce – 1 tbsp + 1 tsp for marinating the shrimp
- Vinegar – 1 tsp for marinating the shrimp
- Oil – 2 tbsp (I use canola or sesame oil – sesame oil adds a lot more flavor)
- Freshly cracked black pepper – 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp for marinating the shrimps
- Salt – to taste
Marinate the shrimps with soy sauce & vinegar & freshly cracked black pepper and set aside.
Heat oil (preferably sesame) in a pan. Once it is hot enough. fry the shrimps in it till they turn pink. Do not over cook or the shrimps will turn tough and rubbery. Take the shrimps out of the pan and drain the excess oil on a paper towel.
To the remaining hot oil add the grated ginger, chopped garlic and chopped green onions (save a little for garnish) and fry till fragrant. Throw in the carrots and peas cook for a couple of minutes. Make a well in the middle of the veggies and crack open the eggs directly into it. If required, add a few drops of oil before adding the eggs. Whisk vigorously till the eggs scramble and turn into a soft pillowy mush and then mix it with the remaining veggies just so that the scrambled eggs stick to the veggies – oh, how I love that!
Drizzle the soy sauce and stir to coat the veggies. Season, taste and adjust for salt. Since the soy sauce already has sodium in it, you might want to go easy on the salt. Add a healthy sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper.
Spoon in the rice, while tossing and stirring gently till the rice and veggie mix gets mixed nicely.
Take it off the heat and throw in the chopped bok choy and fold the leafy green veggies in. Garnish with the remaining chopped green onions and serve hot.
I usually make enough for 2-3 servings – just enough for our family – we are not a big fan of leftover fried rice.