Shrimp Pilaf

An easy and fast dinner is always on my mind when developing weeknight meals. On a recent trip to Longhorn’s Steakhouse, I ordered a side of their Rice Pilaf to go with my Grilled Salmon entree.

It had been at least 5 years since my husband and I had stopped into Longhorn’s for dinner, but I immediately realized that I needed to try to recreate their delicious rice pilaf at home.

I keep a bag of cooked shrimp from Costco in my freezer at all times. Shrimp are easy to thaw out and the perfect option for those busy nights that we need a fast and easy dinner. Base your shrimp amount on the number of people that you’re serving and on how much shrimp to rice you prefer.

This Shrimp Pilaf was easy to whip up since I cooked my Pressure Cooker Rice, while the shrimp thawed in a bowl of water. As soon as the rice was completely cooked, I scooped it out of my pressure cooker, so that I could make my Pressure Cooker Broccoli to serve alongside the Rice Pilaf. One pot and one skillet made for easy cleanup after dinner.

If you don’t own a pressure cooker, follow the cooking instructions on your bag of long grain rice. Make sure to rinse the rice first (several times) to remove as much starch as possible if using a stove top method, so that the finished rice isn’t mushy and doesn’t clump together.

Likewise, steam your broccoli on the stove or in the microwave for a few minutes until tender, but not mushy, if you don’t have a pressure cooker.

I hope that you’ll try this recipe today and leave a comment below. For daily updates, follow @lifeabovethecafe on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest using the social media icons found on this page.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 cups of cooked shrimp (41-50 count size)
• 3 cups of cooked long grain rice
• 2 – 3 Tbsp. of butter
• 1 – 2 Tbsp. of minced garlic
• 1/2 cup of diced white or yellow onion
• 1/2 cup of diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. of salt
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. of black pepper
• 2 – 3 Tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley
• optional – lemon wedges for serving

Directions:

Thaw frozen precooked shrimp.  Cook the rice.  I used my pressure cooked rice recipe that is on the site (linked above). Wash and dice the vegetables into 1/4 inch size pieces, and chop the parsley leaves into small pieces.

In a large nonstick skillet, over medium high heat, melt 1 Tbsp. of butter and saute the onions and bell pepper for about 4 minutes or until desired level of tenderness is achieved.  Sprinkle part of the salt and pepper over the vegetables as they cook.  Add 1 more tablespoon of butter and then add the garlic.  Saute for about 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant.

To the cooked vegetables and garlic, add the cooked rice and chopped parsley to the skillet and lightly stir fry it with the vegetables for about two minutes.  Sprinkle over more of the salt and pepper so that the rice is also seasoned.  (I use chicken broth when cooking my rice so it is well seasoned, which means less salt is necessary.  Taste as you go so that you don’t over/under season the dish).

If necessary add another tablespoon of butter (I only used 2 tbsp. of butter).  Finally, stir in the precooked shrimp until they are just warmed (about 1 to 2 minutes).

I served the dish with a side of steamed broccoli and lemon wedges for added freshness.

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