Coconut Shrimp with Cilantro Coconut Rice and Fiery Mango Sauce

Mmmmm....this dinner was way good. And, since I got the recipe out of Cooking Light Magazine, I feel justified in eating it because it must be healthy right? (Actually it's not as bad for you as I thought it might be, thanks to a few good Cooking Light tips and tricks) Anyway, this dinner comes together pretty fast except for the rice which requires a lot of chopping. I would make this again anytime as it's fairly cheap (esp. if you get frozen shrimp), warm, flavorful and very satisfying! Enjoy!

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (12-ounce) can mango nectar
• 1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper, unseeded
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Shrimp:

• 28 jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. To prepare sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add nectar and pepper; bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Place mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Stir in juice and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cool.

2. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; discard shells.

3. Place coconut in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until finely chopped. Add panko; pulse to combine. Place coconut mixture in a shallow dish. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Sprinkle shrimp evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Working with 1 shrimp at a time, dredge shrimp in cornstarch, shaking off excess. Dip in egg whites; dredge in coconut mixture.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 7 shrimp to pan; coat tops of shrimp with cooking spray. Cook shrimp 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure 3 times with remaining oil and shrimp.

*Notes: You definitely need the Cooking Spray for this recipe, otherwise the coating falls off and you have to use way more oil, negating the healthy factor. Also, we substituted one habanero pepper for the scotch bonnet, and it was very spicy (in a good way) and flavorful. I'm sure the scotch bonnet would be good, I just couldn't find one.

Cilantro Coconut Rice
My mom introduced me to this recipe, and the original can be found here. We've modified it a bit based on others' reviews and our own taste preferences. Be warned: this makes a TON of rice, so invite someone over for dinner or plan a few menus that use it.

• 3 cups basmati rice (20 ounces)
• 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh jalapeño including seeds (from 1 chile)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups packed fresh cilantro sprigs
• 4 scallions, chopped (1 cup)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Wash rice in several changes of cold water in a bowl until water is almost clear. Soak rice in cold water 30 minutes, then drain well in a sieve.

Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.

Cook ginger and jalapeño in 1 tablespoon oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until chile is softened, about 2 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil, covered. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.

While rice cooks, pulse together coconut, cilantro, scallions, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until finely chopped.

Add cilantro mixture to cooked rice and stir gently until combined well.

Disclaimers: You'll notice from the picture that our rice is green. Boo. It's because we used the food processor. Ideally, I prefer to chop all the cilantro etc. by hand because that way it doesn't turn your rice green, and instead the rice looks really beautiful because of the contrast between the bright white rice and the green leaves. Still, if you're short on time, the food processor won't affect taste. We also prefer to use about 2 cups (1 can) of coconut milk and only 2 cups of water to cook the rice in. It's more calories, but also more delicious. You decide. As a last note, watch the coconut very carefully while it toasts. (Toaster ovens are ideal for this step because you can see the coconut the whole time.) It browns very quickly; one time Dean and I had to throw away 3 batches of coconut before we got it right because we kept forgetting about it and letting it burn!