I love an easy recipe with easy clean-up that gives me a chance to use leftover rice in the fridge. This is an easy recipe that will only take you minutes. This dish is full of flavor and simple to make with ingredients that are easily found in your kitchen.

Easy Shrimp Fried Rice 

Ingredients:

large cooked shrimp thawed
1 lb bag of frozen vegetables 
1 medium onion diced
red bell pepper diced
green bell pepper diced
red pepper flakes (if desired)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground garlic
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 
3 cups cooked rice
1 cup water

Directions:

Heat oil in a large non-stick pan on med-high. Once oil is hot, add diced peppers and onions. Cook until fragrant. 

Add cooked rice. No cooked rice, no problem. Just add 1½ cups of uncooked rice to the pan and stir fry until it turns white or opaque.

Next add spices, soy sauce and stir. 

Now toss the vegetables into the pan and cover the rice with water. The rice needs to be tender to the tooth so be sure to add more water to the rice that was stir fried. Rice prepared this way requires a 1:1 ratio of rice to water. Cover and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. 

Lastly add the cooked shrimp and a tablespoon or so more water to prevent the rice from sticking at the bottom and stir the shrimp into the mix. Cover again and allow to cook for 5 to 7 minutes. 

Remove from heat and now you are done.


So in about 20 minutes you have an easy shrimp fried rice that you and your family will enjoy. This recipe is great because the flavor will change based on the vegetables that you use and the amount of seasonings that you can use so it will never get old

​People love good food. You can go online or turn on the TV to see people eating, cooking, or talking about food. Food is a part of everyday life in every way. Some of you will probably even try some new dish tonight off of a social media platform because you want to try something different for dinner.
 
People just love food. The way it looks, smells, and tastes just draws folks in. I bet mouths are watering just from me writing f-o-o-d.  People will go and try all kinds of food that spans across the ethnic spectrum, looking for authentic dishes that are packed full of culture and history, yet they never follow the recipe to the letter.
 
Now I know some people are wondering why is that so important? Who cares if I change the recipe a little? The truth is most people in your prospective corners would not. You and maybe even close family members would not care if you decided to omit or substitute an ingredient or two. A dish like that would still be great and may even become a family favorite, however you could never say that you got the recipe from someone because once modified it's yours.
 
As we begin to start going back to life as we knew it, there are going to be more people getting together for long awaited events, like getting together with family for Sunday dinner. People are going to bring foods that commiserate the occasion with dishes that have significance to the occasion. Dishes that have a history of family gatherings that have become a tradition for every family event. 

You know that the dish has to be respected because you can hear people inquiring who made what dish. That is why if you are supposed to make that one of a kind cake at a family gathering just like Grandma did when she was alive and well, please understand that a modified version of that is not likely what people are looking for.
 
It is this way with all dishes. They all have a history that is rich in culture and this should be respected by everyone. Don't bring a heavily modified cultural dish to someone of that culture and think it will not be a sign of disrespect. 

It may be considered an insult that you did not intend towards a group of people during a time when emotions are high. When you make a dish that has a history and omit a key ingredient it is like saying that you recognize that a cultural group exists but the struggle of that group of people is not so important.
 
Food just like people needs to be respected. So do yourself and your loved ones a favor and don't veer off the recipe too much. It’s okay if you don’t like a certain dish. We don’t all like the same flavors. Maybe this ones not for you. Instead of trying to bend the recipe to fit your taste, why not take the opportunity to make a dish that is your creation using flavors that you love. Inspiration can come from anywhere and this is how the best dishes got created. Your newly created dish could be the next testimony of your culture which would be a great thing.

​Since the start of Quarantine 2020 bread making has taken off across much of food social media. People are making all sorts of breads from biscuits to dinner rolls. Our local stores have been sold out of yeast for months so it seems like bread making might be a new trend for a lot of people.

The most complicated one for me is sandwich bread which has a tender crumb and soft fluffy texture. I lack the technique for making anything but a nice hearty bread that's rich in flavor that is wonderful for toast or with soups. As great as my breads are, sandwich bread is a no go. 

Instead of stressing over the fact I have not mastered a touch for making the infamous sandwich bread, I decided to alter my approach to sandwiches. I have a wonderful roll recipe that I love and use for sandwiches. That's right sandwiches. Whoever said that sandwich bread is the only way for sandwiches was wrongly mistaken. Home made buns are great and can easily convert the ordinary sandwich into a family favorite. 

The cool thing about making your own breads at home you know what is in them. You can take comfort in knowing that you can identify all the ingredients within the breads that you have provided for your family's consumption. With health being a major concern these days you definitely want to be as healthy as you can be.

Now I know that making bread can be kind of intimidating. You search the internet for an easy bread making recipe and find some guy on Youtube taking a week to make a simple loaf of bread. Who has time to wait a week when you just want bread now.

There really are some easy quick recipes that we will share with you later but expand your thinking when it comes to breads. Tortillas are great and they are very easy and quick to make. You can use them for a lot more than tacos and burritos. Wraps and hummus taste great with flour tortillas too.  And let’s not forget my husband’s favorite from the South, cornbread. For them cornbread is the only bread there is and it goes great with everything.

Bread has always been a part of people and families. It’s how we get to know each other. I mean who doesn’t love bread. I know I love breads of all kinds and my children do too. They even love my sandwich bread because it is made with a lot of love. 

If you can’t master making bread from scratch then grab one of those boxes or ready to make tubes from the grocery store. You will get the same warm feeling making bread by yourself or with your family. It is all about enjoying the process and not just eating the results.

So whether it is homemade white sandwich bread that you have mastered, tortillas, cornbread, rolls, or that tube of ready to bake pizza dough enjoy making bread. It is so relaxing and meditative and we definitely need that today with everything that is going on.