Hoisin Shrimp and "Fried" Brown Rice

We love Chinese food, especially take-out on a busy night! It’s usually breaded in something, deep fried, and smothered in a sauce. To keep with our healthier lifestyle, I changed out a few ingredients in our favorites and thoroughly enjoyed the results. I would have upped the spice amount but I wanted to include the kids in the meal tonight. I would encourage you to play around with spices like white pepper, crushed red pepper, Chinese five spice, and ginger to add some punch and heat.

I replaced the usual white rice with a brown rice. I did a little research on the two and found that while there is a little difference in the calorie count there was a big difference in the nutrients and the way the body processes the rice.  According to the Mayo site and several others, white rice causes a high spike in blood sugar levels while brown rice does not. Brown rice is reported to be a much better choice for people battling type 2 diabetes.

I also added in some nutrients with the veggies and omitted the usual fried egg. I would encourage everyone to maximize the veggies they might have on hand (green onion, spinach, celery, etc) and to suit personal tastes…and feel free to add back in the egg based on your preferences and calorie needs.

Just be sure that if you’re going to add calories be sure they are worth it and bringing something else to the party like iron, vitamins, or potassium.

Have fun and Happy Eating!

“Fried” Brown Rice

1 cup uncooked brown rice short grain (feel free to substitute Uncle Ben’s instant brown rice)

3 strips of bacon, diced

1/4 cup onion diced

1/3 cup shredded carrots

1/3 cup of shredded cabbage

1/3 cup bean sprouts

1 clove of garlic, pressed or minced

2 tsp olive oil

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

Cook the brown rice according to package directions, omitting any salt or fat.  Sauté the bacon until some of the fat begins to render out (liquefy). Add the onion and garlic cook for 5 minutes. Add in the oil, carrots, cabbage and sprouts. Sauté for 7 minutes.  Add in the cooked rice and the soy sauce. Stir/fold well until all ingredients are incorporated. Cover and remove from the heat.

While the rice rests cook the shrimp

Hoisin Shrimp

1 pound of large deveined shrimp uncooked and pealed

2 Tablespoons of Hoisin sauce, divided

Toss the shrimp in 1 tablespoon of the sauce. Coat well. Place on a lightly sprayed (non-stick cooking spray) grill or broil pan.  Place under the broiler for four minutes (depending on shrimp size). Turn and brush on extra hoisin sauce. Cook for another three minutes. Shrimp should be pink.

Place 1 ½ cup of the rice mixture into a bowl and top with several shrimp and serve warm!