Posted February 26, 2013 / Desiree

Guest Blogger: Desiree Glaze of Wee Share

There just is not enough time in the day to get everything done.  With parents working a full-time job, extracurricular activities, and general errands to run, the day can simply slip away before you know it!

Dinner can be one of the biggest challenges.  We have to eat every night, but preparing that hot meal tends to take up quite a bit of time and is the last thing we want to do after a long day.  Wouldn’t it be nice to figure out so easy, time-saving dinners that we can have ready in just a matter of minutes?

That’s where RO*TEL Mexican Diced Tomatoes come in.  This can of RO*TEL adds a little festive attitude and spicy flair to your meal.  It mixes fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes with jalapeno peppers, a touch of garlic, savory cilantro, and lime juice for a taste that is absolutely divine.

Recently, I used this savory product to create a dish for my family that is both tasty and incredibly easy.  When I say “easy”, I mean less than 5 minutes of prep work that produces a hot, tasty dish is less than 20 minutes.

Spicy Shrimp Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 can RO*TEL Mexican Diced Tomatoes
• 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 1/3 cup Minute Rice
• 1 lb. frozen cooked shrimp (tails removed and deveined)

Note:  You can add more garlic or any of the seasonings to suit your tastes.

Directions:

1.  Combine RO*TEL, garlic, water, salts, and pepper in a skillet.  Cover skillet and allow ingredients to come to a boil.

2.  Meanwhile,  place your frozen shrimp in a strainer and place in the sink.  Run cold water over them, shaking the shrimp occasionally.  This will easily thaw your shrimp out.

3.  By the time your shrimp are thawed, your mixture should have reached a boil.  Add the Minute Rice, followed by the thawed shrimp.  Mix to combine all the ingredients.

4.  Cover and continue to simmer for approximately 7 minutes.

5.  Serve and enjoy!

This is such an easy, yet flavor-filled dish to whip up on any busy night.  The lime in the RO*TEL produces the most delicious scent when the dish is cooking.  Your house will smell amazing.

Now, the dish definitely has a kick to it, as the RO*TEL Mexican Diced Tomatoes add an authentic spicy flavor.  The heat was quite enjoyable to us, though!

If you’re looking for more easy, time-saving recipes to use, I encourage you to visit the ReadySetEat website.

We all need to eat, but it can sometimes be a challenge to find the time to actually cook a meal.  What are some of the ways that you save time on dinner? Are there certain meals that you keep on stand-by for busy weeknights?  I would love to hear about them!