Sensible splurge: Just a bit of bacon is enough to create indulgent flavors

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

3 cups precooked brown rice

2 slices bacon

2 large fennel bulbs, chopped in ½-inch dice, some fronds reserved

¼ teaspoon salt

½ red bell pepper, chopped in ¼-inch dice

1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined

½ cup white wine

• Heat rice according to package directions.

• Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel to cool and drain, leaving the fat in the skillet.

• Add fennel to skillet, stirring to coat with the bacon fat. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook until just starting to soften; 3 minutes. Stir in red bell pepper; cook, 3 minutes. (The vegetables should remain tender-crisp.) Add the shrimp in a single layer; season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, turning once, until just cooked through, 5 minutes.

• Pour wine into skillet; lower heat to a simmer. Crumble the bacon; stir into the skillet. Cook just to heat through. Serve the shrimp and vegetables over the rice. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds.

Nutrition information per serving: 325 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 185 mg cholesterol, 45 g carbohydrates, 26 g protein, 1,097 mg sodium, 7 g fiber.