Ricely riches

I am lucky enough, that while I have a pretty small apartment, I have a ton of cabinet space. However, you’ll notice that several shelves are dedicated predominantly to a specific brand.

Example:

Check that out. Between the boxes and the microwave pouches, I could probably be snowed in for a good two weeks, and never run out of some variant of rice. And that doesn’t even count the annex supply I keep in storage (i.e. my parents’ basement).

Am I a carb-loving fiend? Well, yes. But not in this case. The Ready Rice variety (which is what mainly dominates my cabinet) is completely kitchen-dummy-proof. You throw it in the microwave, and less than 2 minutes later, have fancy rice on your plate, which you can pretend is a result of your mindful creation. (And not something you tossed in your microwave as you finished flat-ironing your hair.)

And it’s surprisingly healthy too, since it’s made with whole grain rice, it’s a great source of iron and fiber (and is low-fat too), and the brand-new Cajun-style flavor blends long grain rice, Cajun seasonings, red beans and red and green bell peppers.

During my test run with it, I grilled a piece of salmon on my mini grill, and put it on a bed of the rice - with enough rice left over to toss into my spinach salad the next day! (Do not give me that look. A bit of seasoned grain in salad makes a huge difference to the texture.) But Uncle Ben’s just sent me a recipe for it that I think might be even more fun to try!

UNCLE BEN’S® Spicy Cajun Rice and Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Serving Size: 2 tbsp. of filling and one lettuce wrap

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 90 seconds

Makes: About 24 “cups”

Ingredients

1/2 lb. frozen, cooked shrimp

1 pouch Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice Cajun Style

1/2 tsp. hot sauce

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/3 cup red pepper, diced

1/3 cup scallions, diced

1 head iceberg lettuce

Instructions

1. Thaw shrimp by placing it in a bowl of cold water and allowing it to sit for about 15 minutes. Drain water, pat shrimp dry, remove tails and cut each shrimp into three pieces. Place in a medium size bowl.

3. Add hot sauce, garlic powder, olive oil, diced pepper and scallion to shrimp bowl. Toss well to thoroughly combine ingredients.

4. Prepare rice according to package instructions and place in large bowl to slightly cool. Then add shrimp mixture to the rice. Remove the core of the lettuce head and gently tear off the outer leaves.

5. If ready to eat lettuce wraps immediately, use one or two of the larger, outer leaves and scoop the filling into it using a tablespoon measuring utensil, wrap it up and enjoy!

If preparing the dish for later meal, prepare filling as directed above and then place mixture in a portable container and refrigerate. When ready to eat, heat rice mixture in microwave for one minute and then scoop a serving (two tablespoons) of the filling into one or two layers of the outer leaf, wrap it up and enjoy!

The remainder of the dish can be separated into individual servings or stored for future use.

Rice is more a staple of my life than I could have realized pre-moving, and I think a lot of you may feel the same way - so Uncle Ben’s has super generously offered to give TWO readers each a six-month supply of the new Uncle Ben’s Cajun-Style Ready Rice. To have your chance to win, please share how you plan to enjoy your rice, should you win. (And start making space in your cabinet…you are going to need it!)

Deadline for entries June 5. (But don’t expect to be notified then, I’ll be on a beach with my margarita that day…!)