You’re definitely going to want to try this flavor explosion of a one-one-bowl dinner! Probably not on a weeknight after a long day of work, but maybe on game night so you can eat it in front of the TV. Maybe the next time Syracuse plays Pitt in men’s basketball. I always get angry during that game (making the recipe title an apt one) because Jimmy never listens when I remind him (over, and over, and over) you really need to play man against Pitt — they’ve kind of got the zone figured out. But I digress. 

This recipe is adapted from one I found on Epicurious. I haven’t changed much, mostly just tweaked a bit to clarify and make the assembly a bit more efficient. Don’t be discouraged by the long list of directions. I’ve broken it down into more steps than the original, just to make it easier to follow. As I recall, the entire thing took me under an hour — including stopping to take photos and make notes. The prep work can all be done well in advance, too, making it an easy dish to make for company since the stove time is only about 15 to 20 minutes. 

Ingredients:

¼ cup golden raisins (40 g)

2 tablespoons + ¾ teaspoon water, divided

½ cup (96 g) uncooked brown rice (I like Uncle Ben’s because it’s parboiled and only needs 20 minutes to cook.)

1 small white onion

3 cloves garlic

1 bunch frilly kale

1 tablespoon pepitas (hull-less pumpkin seeds)

4 teaspoons olive oil

2 tablespoons dried cherries

1 teaspoon ground chipotle

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ cup (60 ml) Grand Marnier (may substitute orange juice)

1¼ cups (300 ml) no-salt-added vegetable or chicken broth

1½ teaspoons cornstarch

1 lb. (454 g) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined 

1 orange 

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Preparation: 

1.) Place the raisins and two tablespoons of the water in the bowl of a small food processor. Let this sit a while so that the raisins can start to rehydrate. You can do this hours ahead of time — the longer they sit, the easier they are to purée.

2.) Start your rice cooking according to the package directions. If you’re using a kind of rice that needs more than 20 minutes, wait until there are only 20 to 30 minutes left in the cook time to start the rest. Dice the onion for about ⅓ cup (50 g), and mince the garlic for 2 tsp. Set aside.

3.) Cut the thick stems off the kale; discard or reserve for another use. Chop the kale for 3 cups (about 50 g); set aside.

4.) Toast the pumpkins seeds in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, about 90 seconds or until lightly browned. Transfer the seeds to a small prep bowl and set aside.

5.) Add 2 teaspoons of the oil to the skillet. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Cook for about 4 – 5 minutes, or until the onion softens and becomes translucent. 

6.) Returning to the food processor, pulse the raisins and water until uniformly puréed. 

7.) When the onions are ready, add the raisin purée, ½ tsp of the garlic, and the cherries, chipotle, and cumin. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. 

8.) Add the Grand Marnier. Cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute or two, or until it looks like all the alcohol has evaporated. (Note that not every molecule of alcohol will evaporate. If you don’t want to consume any at all, substitute orange juice.)

9.) Stir in the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Be sure to scrape up all the yummy brown bits from the bottom of the pan. 

10.) Meanwhile, stir the remaining ¾ teaspoon water into the cornstarch in a small bowl, mixing well. Gradually add this mixture to the skillet, stirring until well combined. Simmer until the sauce thickens enough to leave an empty trail momentarily when you scrape the bottom, about 5 to 10 minutes.

11.) Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, then add to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, or until done. 

12.) Finely grate 1½  teaspoon of zest from the orange. Stir it, along with the salt and pepper, into the pan. Heat briefly, then transfer the pan contents to a bowl. 

13.) Add the remaining oil to the pan. Once hot, add the remaining tablespoon of garlic and the kale. Stirring frequently, cook over medium heat until kale begins to wilt. This will only take a couple of minutes. Add a bit of water as needed to keep the garlic from sticking to the pan.

14.) Stir the kale and rice together, then spread over a serving platter, or divide between two plates. Distribute the shrimp mixture over the rice, then top with the toasted pepitas to serve.