Lighter, Brighter Version Of A Classic

You may be in the mood for a Chinese restaurant classic: shrimp fried rice. This recipe is a lot lighter and brighter than many takeout versions.

MENU:

Shrimp fried rice

Braised bok choy

Mandarin-orange salad

Lemon cookies

Hot spiced tea

TIME-SAVING TIPS:

* Buying chopped vegetables from a supermarket salad bar will cut down on preparation time.

* Buy already-shelled shrimp or even cooked shrimp.

Kristin Eddy writes for the Chicago Tribune.

Shrimp Fried Rice

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 6 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

1/3 cup each: soy sauce, chicken broth

2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar or sherry

1 / 8 teaspoon ground white or black pepper

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups fresh snow peas

1/2 cup each: fresh or frozen corn kernels, shredded carrot

2 bunches green onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups jasmine or long-grain white rice, cooked

Combine soy sauce, broth, vinegar and pepper in a small bowl; set aside. Place shrimp in a medium bowl with the sesame oil; toss, set aside. Heat peanut or vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Stir in snow peas, corn, carrot, green onions and garlic; stir-fry until vegetables are glossy and softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate; set aside. Add shrimp and sesame oil to pan; stir-fry until shrimp become pink, 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside with vegetables.

Reduce heat to medium. Add eggs to pan; cook, stirring gently to scramble, 1 minute. Remove from skillet; set aside with the shrimp. Add soy sauce mixture to skillet. Cook 1 minute. Stir in vegetables, shrimp, eggs and rice; cook, stirring to combine and heat all ingredients, 1-2 minutes. Serve hot.

Nutritional information per serving: 695 calories, 24 percent calories from fat, 18 grams fat, 3.5 grams saturated fat, 265 milligrams cholesterol, 1,660 milligrams sodium, 97 grams carbohydrate, 33 grams protein, 4.9 grams fiber