Healthy Coconut Shrimp & Kindness

Last night's dinner was a healthier version of a restaurant favorite: Coconut Shrimp. Shrimp is packed with protein (23 grams in 4 oz.) and with a few modifications Coconut Shrimp can be made weight loss surgery friendly... ax the heavy batter, no deep frying, use unsweetened coconut. A few changes and still super yummy! It was a great dinner with a green salad on the side.

These would also make a great appetizer at a holiday party. Our family does all seafood Christmas Eve (Feast of the Seven Fishes) so this dish may show up on our table this December 24th.


Shelly's Coconut Shrimp

14 Large Raw Shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left on
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Southwest Seasoning (any blend you love)
2 Egg Whites
1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. In a shallow dish combine the cornstarch with seasonings and stir to combine. Beat egg whites until frothy (about 2 minutes).

Dredge the shrimp first in the cornstarch mixture, then in egg whites and then into shredded coconut.

Place shrimp on a foil lined cookie sheet that has been generously coated with non stick cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, turn once halfway through cooking time.

Shelly's Apricot-Ginger Dipping Sauce

2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Apricot Jam (I use Smucker's Simply Fruit)
1 teaspoon Ginger, crushed
1 teaspoon Garlic, crushed
1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar

Mix well. Use as a dip for cooked Coconut Shrimp or Bacon Wrapped Apricot-Ginger Shrimp Skewers. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

The salad I served on the side was mixed greens, shredded carrot, crumbled cotija cheese, slivered almonds with a lemon vinaigrette: 1 part lemon olive oil to 1 part orange muscat champagne vinegar (any fruity vinegar will do). Soooo good. Perfect combo with the shrimp.

After dinner I was off to help out my pal/boss for a few hours. We finished at 10 PM but ended up staying till almost midnight talking about the state of the world... all the random violence and killing of innocents. Stress + lack of coping mechanisms + easy access to guns (not getting political) + people not picking up their refills (kidding sort of) = a bunch of sadness. Ended a sad conversation on a high note though... we decided that though we are single drops of water in a huge ocean, we can make an extra effort to be kind to our fellow humans and hopefully the kindness will spread like ripples on the sea.

"If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make the change." ~Michael Jackson, lyrics "Man In The Mirror."

Speaking of being kind...

✮ ★ ☆ A huge thank you to all the vets this Veterans' Day for your kindness and sacrifice ✮ ★ ☆