Recipe: Cheesy shrimp and rice casserole

Hello. Before I get to the recipe I just have to say, in response to LeAnn's comment, I think taking a cooking class is a wonderful idea. Anybody can cook with a bit of guidance. It's such a fun way to wind down from the day, you have to eat so you might as well have a little fun preparing things that you'll enjoy. Not to mention, it's way healthier than eating out and/or eating prepared foods all of the time. Plus, double bonus...chopping things with a big knife and pounding stuff with a mallet/rolling pin can be good stress relief!

Anywho, I got this recipe out of my Trim and Terrific cookbook. I am trying to make a conscious effort to eat more seafood (boo) and I'm OK with shrimp for the most part. This recipe was easy and tasty and would still be good with another meat substituted for the shrimp or served vegetarian style.

You will need:
3 c. cooked rice
1.5 lb shrimp*
1 onion
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 bunch of green onions
0.5 c. fat free evaporated milk
1 c. fresh mushrooms, chopped, or 1 8 oz. can of mushrooms
1 tbs. canola oil
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. salsa
1.5 c. reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet heat oil. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms and shrimp. Cook over medium heat about 8 minutes or until shrimp is pink and veggies are tender. Add evaporated milk, salsa, Worcestershire sauce, green onions and rice. Stir to combine and heat until warmed through. Stir in cheese. Heat until melted.

*You can use raw or frozen/pre-cooked shrimp for this recipe. If you buy raw make sure that they are deveined so you don't have to worry about cleaning them yourself. If you use frozen, which I did all you have to do is thaw the shrimp by running them under cold water for a few minutes and then remove the tails. Also, if they are pre-cooked, throw them in at the same time as the rice because they don't need to cook, just be heated. If they get overcooked they will shrink and get rubbery.

This dish is very simple and quite tasty, and that's coming from someone who has a very low tolerance for seafood on the whole.

Also, stay tuned. I am tyring a chicken breast Florentine recipe tonight that I think has a lot of promise. I can't wait to taste the chicken, spinach and cheesy goodness!