Thai-Style Pineapple and Shrimp Fried Rice

This is another easy Asian knock-off. This version of fried rice is adapted from a recipe originally develop by Nancie McDermott, one of my favorite food writers. I don't have great luck with most cookbooks and rarely walk away with more than two recipes to show for the time and  money I've spent, but her books, like those of Julia, Ina, Dorie and Mark Bittman, are treasures, and the trick is to find a bad recipe between the covers. I say that without need for a disclaimer. I simply appreciate the ease with which her recipes come together. Her books target everyday cooks who want something special to serve their families, and while her food is not sophisticated, it is delicious and almost always quick to prepare. If you'd like to learn more about Nancie, pay a visit to her website, which you can find here. I really like this recipe and often serve it for lunch or a light supper. The trick to any good fried rice is using leftover rice that has firmed and can be separated into individual grains. I personally think it is necessary to control the amount of liquid that goes into this kind of stir-fry. I really dislike wet and gummy rice, so I use fresh or well-drained canned pineapple to make it. The shrimp helps make the dish more substantial and adds some much needed texture texture to the mix. In the real world, I coarsely chop them so they are the same size as the pineapple and peas. I hope you will try this simple dish. I really think you'll like it. Here's the recipe.

Thai-Style Pineapple and Shrimp Fried Rice

Directions:

4 cups cooked (preferably leftover) rice, chilled

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 small jalapeno, stemmed, seed and chopped chopped (optional)

1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1-1/2 cups diced fresh pineapple

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

Garnish: Chopped green onions

Directions:

1) Break clumps of chilled rice into a bowl and separate into individual grains.

2) Heat a wok or large high-sided skillet over high heat. Add oil and heat until it shimmers. Add garlic, onion and jalapeno and toss or stir until shiny and fragrant, about 1 minutes. Add shrimp and toss or stir-fry until onions wilt and shrimp turns pink and is cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes.

3) Add rice, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar and toss to combine well. Stir in pineapple and peas and stir-fry until rice is heated through, about 2 minutes longer. Turn rice onto a serving platter. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve hot or warm. Yield: 4 servings.

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