January 31, 2016
I woke up today with an extreme craving for shrimp. Usually that kind of craving sets the tone for my amateur culinary creation in the evening. After contemplating 10 different recipes and settling on none, I decided to just head to the grocery store and just see what would hit me when I got there.
For those of you that don’t know me, this is my first winter in Boston, and I am still having trouble adjusting to the freezing temperatures. But as I stepped out of my building this morning, I was hit by warm sunlight. So warm! At 55 degrees, it felt almost tropical. TROPICAL!!! That’s it! I need to make something tropical and reminiscent of an island getaway.
I decided on Coconut Shrimp. One problem – I’m trying to “eat better,” and my beer battered coconut shrimp is nothing short of a clogged artery waiting to happen. A thick, fluffy coating of beer and flour, deep fried until crunchy and dripping with oil with every bite… it’s not exactly made for the faint of heart (pun intended). I decided to try my hand at making a lighter version – I was determined to have my coconut shrimp one way or another!
So there you have it… A slightly lighter version of coconut shrimp: Pan-fried in coconut oil, not deep fried in canola. No beer. The crunchy coating is made of mostly coconut and sesame seeds (just a little bit of panko, just for the crunch). Sure, it’s still not exactly #1 on the healthy foods list, but it is considerably better for me than the old recipe. With a zippy pineapple dipping sauce, I have to say this was a huge win in my book.
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