Tag Archives: rice

Dirty Brown Rice with Shrimp

A healthier twist on a Cajun classic, the addition of shrimp turns this into a fabulous main dish. I’d like to think of this as a Cajun shrimp fried rice.

Dirty rice is a classic Cajun dish made “dirty” by cooking the rice with minced livers or gizzards. I created a healthier version using brown rice and lean ground beef in place of the chicken livers that normally make dirty rice “dirty”.

But don’t worry, this healthier version does not skimp on flavor! It has plenty of spices and a bit of kick, you can adjust the heat to your taste but don’t be shy with the cayenne if you can handle it!
Normally a rice dish like this if made with white rice would be cooked all in one pot, but after several attempts to perfect this I found that cooking the brown rice all together created an unpleasant mushy texture. By cooking the brown rice separate, the texture of the rice was perfect when mixed with the beef and shrimp and made a delicious main dish even my “non-brown rice eating” husband enjoyed.

Dirty Brown Rice with Shrimp
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 5 • Serving Size: 1 1/3 cups • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 9 pts
Calories: 346.6 • Fat: 5.9 g • Protein: 27.8 g • Carb: 44.2 g • Fiber: 2.5 g • Sugar: 1.1 g
Sodium: 151.0 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
chicken bouillon cube (Knorr)
2 bay leaves, divided
1/8 + 1/4 tsp cayenne, divided
1/8 + 1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 + 1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp oil
1 onion, diced
2 celery, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb 96% lean ground beef (Laura’s lean beef)
salt and fresh pepper, to taste
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 scallions, chopped

Directions:

Cook brown rice according to package directions in water along with a chicken bouillon, 1 bay leaf and 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 each of salt, cayenne, paprika and thyme.
When the rice is almost done cooking, heat a large heavy saucepan on medium-low heat. Add the oil, onions, green pepper, celery, bay leaf and garlic. Sauté on medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add beef, salt, black pepper, remaining paprika, thyme and cayenne pepper. Sauté until browned, about 10-15 minutes; add shrimp, cover and cook 5 more minutes.

When the rice is done, toss with beef and shrimp and combine well. Top with scallions and serve.

Makes 6 1/2 cups.

Jamaican Red Beans and Rice

Coconut milk, thyme, scallions and scotch bonnet peppers give this rice dish an island flair! The perfect side dish for chicken, or enjoy this as a meatless main dish with a simple avocado and tomato salad on the side. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free!

Rice and beans are a staple in most Latin and Caribbean countries because they are inexpensive and nutritious. Beans are an excellent source of fiber, protein and complex carbohydrates.

The rice is not spicy since the pepper is cooked whole for added flavor and is discarded before it’s finished. Of course, if you want a spicy rice dish, you could chop the scotch bonnet and add it to the rice, but be warned, it will be hot!

You can easily make half the recipe for less servings, but sometimes using a half a can of coconut milk could be such a waste, so I find it easier to make more and save the rest for leftovers.

Jamaican Red Beans and Rice
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 10 • Serving Size: 3/4 cup • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 192.4 • Fat: 3 g • Protein: 4.9 g • Carb: 35.4 g • Fiber: 2.6 g • Sugar: 0.7 g
Sodium: 133.4 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

1 tsp coconut oil (or canola)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 scallion, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme
15.5 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups uncooked long grain rice
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 1/4 cups water
13.5 oz can (1 3/4 cups) light coconut milk
1 whole scotch bonnet hot pepper (not chopped)

Directions:

In a medium heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; add garlic, scallion, onion and thyme. Sauté a few minutes, then add rice, beans and stir.
Add the coconut milk, water, salt and fresh pepper and place the whole scotch bonnet pepper in the pot, stir to combine and bring to a boil.

Remove and discard the hot pepper and continue to cook the rice until almost all the liquid is absorbed and just skims the top.

Cover; reduce heat to low; simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for 10 additional minutes to allow the steam to finish cooking the rice (do not be tempted to lift the lid before that). Serve hot.

Makes 7 1/2 cups.