Easy Fried Rice and Shrimp

As the holidays wind down, work is starting to pick back up, and I find myself looking for simple yet delicious meals I can make with minimal effort. Wanting to avoid the unhealthiness of eating takeout, I decided to try my hand at Chinese food.

The recipe for shrimp fried rice comes from my Grandma Loretta's recipe box and was a huge hit at my house. Even better than the taste, the recipe is simple, taking only 20 minutes to make, and fulfills that craving for Chinese without all of the sodium and oil. To save yourself some time, you can cook the rice the night before and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to make this dish. And, if you don't have shrimp but do have leftover chicken, you can use that instead. This recipe is all about convenience and using what you have on hand.

To make this recipe, you'll need:

• 3 Tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• A dash of pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 lb. of shrimp, shelled, cleaned and each cut into three pieces
• 1/3 c. onion
• 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms
• 4 c. cold cooked rice
• 2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sugar

Place the oil, salt and pepper in a heavy pan; I used my wok, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Add the eggs and fry until firm. Cut the fried eggs into small strips. Add the shrimp, onions and mushrooms. Cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Next, add the rice, soy sauce and sugar. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the rice is hot. Enjoy!