Time for a recipe swap!
The theme for this swap was fish/seafood. I have been on a big shrimp kick lately and was super excited about this theme. When I opened my inbox and saw my assignment I was even more excited. I recieved Christina's recipe for Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa....I love coconut shrimp! Ron hates coconut so I never get it, but I knew it was a perfect appetizer to share with my in-laws. The recipe is reall easy and came together quickly. I made the salsa a few hours before so it had a chance to chill in the fridge. I also put the salsa in the food processor for a pulses to make it a little easier for dipping. The only other change I made was to increase the cooking time for the shrimp. After 10 minutes mine were a little soft and not as toasty as I wanted. I increased the time to 12 1/2 minutes per side and I was very pleased with the results.
My family and I loved this appetizer! I also loved that you didn't have to fry the shrimp to get the crunchy coconut crust.
Thank you Christina for an awesome recipe and thank you to Sarah of A Taste of Home Cooking for organizing our swaps!
Ingredients
Shrimp:
28 large shrimp
1/3 cup cornstarch
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
3 large egg whites
1-1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
Cooking spray
Salsa (can be prepared beforehand):
1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup pineapple preserves
1-1/2 Tbl fresh lime juice
1 Tbl finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup cornstarch
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
3 large egg whites
1-1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
Cooking spray
Salsa (can be prepared beforehand):
1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup pineapple preserves
1-1/2 Tbl fresh lime juice
1 Tbl finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400.
To prepare shrimp devein, leaving tails intact. Rinse shrimp in cold water; drain on paper towels.
Combine cornstarch, salt, and red pepper in a shallow dish; stir with a whisk. Place egg whites in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium high speed until frothy (about 2 min). Place coconut in a shallow dish.
Working with one shrimp at a time, dredge in cornstarch mixture. Dip in egg white, and dredge in coconut, pressing gently with fingers. Place shrimp on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat shrimp with cooking spray.
Bake for 25 min turning halfway (be gentle so the coconut does not fall off).
To prepare pineapple salsa, combine pineapple and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; stir to combine.
If you would like a less chunky salsa, pluse 2-3 times in a food processor.