Shrimp Fried Rice

I have been salivating all day thinking about cooking shrimp fried rice along with sesame chicken for dinner tonight. It was definitely worth the wait. It was really simple to make, used only one skillet (well one skillet and one pot to cook the rice), and tasted just like take out. We loved it! I was planning to use a combination of two recipes (most fried rice recipes have the same ingredients, just different proportions), but I ended up changing a lot to fit our tastes - and was very pleased with the results! I will definitely be making this when I am craving a little Chinese.

Shrimp Fried Rice

1 cup uncooked enriched white rice
2 cups water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
5 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
2 large eggs, beaten
12-15 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup uncooked vegetables (I used a mix of peas, carrots and green beans)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Combine rice, water, 1/4 tsp. salt and butter in stock pot. Bring to boil, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. (Do not stir or remove lid while cooking; it will make the rice gummy.) Stir and remove from heat.

Heat 1 Tbsp. canola oil in large wok over medium-high heat. Add the eggs, and stir until just cooked. Remove the eggs from the wok, and set aside on a plate.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in the wok, season shrimp with salt and pepper, and cook for 4-5 minutes, flipping frequently until just cooked. Remove shrimp to plate, and cut into small pieces.

Heat the remaining 3 Tbsp. of oil in the wok. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs, shrimp and green onions. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and continue to stir-fry for 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Source: Me! (Loosely adapted from Curtis Stone)