This shelf holds one potent liquid: a bottled hot sauce that tastes of pepper, garlic, and vinegar. Build tonight's dinner around it, turning the bottle into an instant sauce for shrimp and rice. Fast enough for a weeknight, bright and spicy enough to feel like you cooked.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 910 calories a serving, 45 g protein, 143 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat, add 1/2 medium onion chopped and 2 cloves garlic minced, and cook until soft, about three minutes. Pour in 3/4 cup rice and stir for two minutes until the grains are coated with oil and turning translucent at the edges.5 min
2. Add 1 1/2 cups water, cover, and bring to a boil, then lower heat to maintain a gentle simmer for fifteen minutes while you start the shrimp.
3. While the rice cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, add 3/4 pound shrimp and cook without stirring for two minutes until the bottoms turn opaque.2 min
4. Stir the shrimp and cook for one more minute, then pour in 3 tablespoons of the hot liquid seasoning and squeeze in the juice of 1 lime. Toss to coat and cook for one minute until the shrimp are cooked through and the sauce is warm.2 min
5. Check that the rice is tender and the water is absorbed; when it is, remove from heat and let it rest for two minutes covered. Taste the shrimp sauce and adjust salt and pepper.
6. Divide the rice between two bowls and top with the shrimp and sauce.

Note Swap shrimp for chicken breast cut thin or white fish fillets. Leftovers keep cold for two days; serve with a squeeze of lime. Offer cilantro, avocado, or sliced jalapeño on the side if you have them.