Italian Fried Rice
Servings
2Serving size
about 2 1/2 cupsThis recipe makes good leftovers.
Ingredients
| 2 1/4 cup Water |
| 1/2 cup Brown rice |
| 2 Tbsp. No salt added tomato paste |
| 1/4 cup Red wine |
| 1/2 tsp., leaves Dried oregano |
| 1/8 tsp., leaves Dried tarragon |
| 1/2 tsp. Dried marjoram |
| 1/4 tsp. Salt |
| 1 to taste Black pepper |
| 1 tsp.. Maple syrup |
| 6 ounce Grape or cherry tomatoes |
| 2 tsp. Olive oil |
| 1 large White onions (diced) |
| 1 Large Red bell peppers (seeded and diced) |
| 8 Ounces Shrimp, raw (peeled, deveined and sliced in half lengthwise) |
| 1 ounce Cheese, parmesan, grated |
| 6 leaves Fresh basil (chiffonade) |
Instructions
When the water boils, stir in the brown rice.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Do not boil away all of the liquid and do not stir the rice.
When a very small amount of liquid remains, remove the pan from the burner and let it stand, covered.
While the rice is cooking place the tomato paste, wine, oregano, tarragon, marjoram, salt, pepper, maple syrup and tomatoes in a mini-chopper or blender. Process until smooth.
After the rice is cooked place the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
When the oil is hot add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
Add the pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
Add the shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
Add the rice and the tomato sauce and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir until the sauce and other ingredients are well blended.
Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Toss well for about 30 seconds and serve topped with the basil.
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Special Diet Information
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Lactose
This recipe is safe for those who are lactose intolerant
Recipe Notes
This recipe is slightly higher in sodium that I like, but rice dishes are that way. They take a little more salt to create a balanced flavor profile. We do complain about prepared meals in our reviews that more than about 500 milligrams of sodium but those dishes are generally 1/3 the size of this one. It took about 20 minutes prep time to make this, it is 3 times the food of a similar Lean Cuisine, costs half as much, tastes world’s better and has about the same amount of sodium.
This recipe happened because we were talking about the different types of fried rice dishes and realized that they were all restricted to Asian flavors. That makes sense but the fact is fried rice is a simple, essentially one pot meal that is both a quick and a great way to use leftovers.
Why not Italian? There is a key component of Asian food and fried rice – soy sauce. That rich umami flavor is what makes fried rice, well, fried rice. It also offers enough saltiness for the rice dish which requires it.
For this dish the shrimp and tomatoes help – as do the onions – but the key was the cheese. By adding just a bit of Parmigiano this strikes the right balance of being both Italian flavors but also a fried rice.