Seafood and rice, especially shrimp and rice, is often an easy and tasty meal. Two of the easiest dishes to make using shrimp and rice include shrimp over rice and shrimp stir fry. Cooks might also make shrimp fried rice, shrimp jambalaya, or a shrimp casserole.
With shrimp and rice, plus a few other staple ingredients, cooks can easily make shrimp over rice. The rice should be cooked first and set aside, and the tails on the shrimp should be removed. Seasonings, like garlic and parsley, can then be sprinkled over the shrimp. This shrimp can then be fried in butter, and immediately served over hot rice.
Shrimp stir fry is another easy Chinese dish made with shrimp and rice. Tailless shrimp should be sauteed in a wok over high heat first. A variety of chopped vegetables can then be stir fried in the hot wok. Just about any vegetables can be used in a stir fry, including broccoli, carrots, squash, onions, peppers, and mushrooms. The shrimp and vegetable mixture can then be seasoned with soy sauce and served over hot rice.
Another popular Chinese dish made with shrimp and rice is shrimp fried rice. Most culinary experts recommend using cold leftover rice for this dish, because rice that is still hot and moist can make the dish soggy. The shrimp is first chopped up and sauteed in a hot wok, then vegetables, like peas and onions, should be sauteed. The rice is then seasoned and fried in the wok, and the vegetables are added. Some fried shrimp and rice recipes also call for egg.
Shrimp jambalaya is a popular dish in the southern part of the United States, particularly Louisiana. This shrimp and rice dish usually includes onion, green pepper, and tomatoes as well. Spices, like cayenne pepper, are also added to make the dish slightly spicy.
A casserole can usually be made with almost any ingredients a cook has on hand, including shrimp and rice. An easy shrimp and rice casserole can be made with shrimp, rice, vegetables, and canned cream of mushroom soup. Cheese can also be added, and the entire mixture is cooked in an oven. Shrimp and rice casserole can often be served as a one-dish meal.
Before cooking with shrimp, it is important to properly prepare the shrimp. The dark vein along the back of the shrimp should first be removed. This can be done by slicing down the back of the shrimp with a sharp knife and using the tip to scrape out the vein. Shrimp should also be thoroughly rinsed in cold water before cooking.