April 7, 2002 – Rice is a mainstay in Virgin Islands cuisine. To turn this side dish into a full meal — and fast — just add shrimp.
All of our favorite rice dishes come out at Carnival time, both at the Food Fair and in the village booths. There's seasoned rice, pigeon peas and rice, spinach rice, and crab and rice.
For a tempting change, trying adding little morsels of salad shrimp to your rice. Shrimp in this form, available in small packages in the frozen fish section at the supermarket, are relatively inexpensive and easy to use — just defrost them for 1 minute under cold water. Plus, they don't add to your cholesterol count the way larger forms of this shellfish do.
The beauty of the recipe here is that you can jump-start its preparation by using leftover rice. Simply heat the rice, then stir in sautéed seasonings, veggies, flavorings and defrosted shrimp. Add a green salad, and you're ready for a quick and easy dinner.
Spicy Shrimp and Rice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium tomato, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
hot pepper sauce, a splash or to taste
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup cooked white rice
5 oz. package frozen cooked salad shrimp, thawed
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over moderate heat. Add onions and green pepper; cook until onions are transparent. Add tomatoes, parsley flakes, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, hot pepper, bay leaf and cloves. Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove bay leaf. Stir in rice and shrimp. Transfer mixture to a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired. Bake uncovered at 375 F for 20 minutes.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 215 calories, 8 gms fat (33 percent fat calories), 130 mg cholesterol, 313 mg sodium.
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