Vegetable Shrimp Fried Rice

Someone once described to me their version of "the perfect fried rice". This is hardly "the best" by most culinary standards, I'm sure, but it fit their criteria to a tee: dark rice, (not brown rice, but white rice that is dark) separate grains, not sticky and oily, NO peas, NO carrots, EXTRA bean sprouts. I managed to solve my problem of getting the rice "dark", (without using sooo much soy sauce that it turned into a salt lick), by making the rice using vegetarian mushroom broth instead of water. I am by no means an expert in wok cooking, but I tried to describe to the best of my ability the frenzied way I usually make this rice. The key, I find, for all wok cooking is to have all you stuff prepped and ready to go, cuz once you start, there's no turning back! Also, be sure to have a plate ready for the cooked shrimp and egg when they're removed from the heat.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons canola oil
• 2  teaspoons  sesame oil
• 1⁄2 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, grated with microplane zester or minced
• 1 -2  inch fresh ginger, run over microplane zester or minced
• 1  cup  pea pods, strings removed, sliced in 1/2 diagonally
• 1  cup bean sprouts
• 2  eggs, lightly beaten
• 4  cups  cooked converted white rice, day old if possible, cooked in
•  mushroom broth
• 3  tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 -4  scallions, sliced diagonally

Directions

1. In a large non-stick skillet or wok, heat oil over medium high heat.
2. Add some of the grated garlic and ginger for 30 seconds.
3. Next add shrimp and cook quickly until they turn pink.
4. Remove and set aside.
5. If needed, add a little more canola oil to wok.
6. Add beaten eggs.
7. I swirl the wok to coat the bottom with the egg.
8. It will cook very quickly.
9. Once eggs are set, you can chop them up smaller pieces.
10. Then remove from the pan and set aside as well.
11. Again if needed, add a little more canola oil to the wok.
12. Add the rest of the grated garlic and ginger.
13. Then add the pea pods and green onion and cook for about 1 minute.
14. Splash in some of the soy sauce and sesame oil.
15. Mix with vegetables.
16. Add rice and cooked egg.
17. Toss quickly to mix rice with soy sauce.
18. Stir in whatever is left of the soy sauce (this part can be to taste if you don't like too much sodium).
19. Fold bean sprouts into warmed rice, for about 30 seconds.
20. Add shrimp, top with some scallion, and serve.