As the weather gets warmer and warmer every day, my interest in labour-intensive and heavy meals declines. Light and easy is what I’m looking for these days. To that end, I thought I’d share a meal that we enjoyed last week that fits the bill perfectly.
I love coconut shrimp and admittedly, it’s hard to call something fried in oil “light”. But it is light on coating (not a heavy batter) and on time to make. And besides, you only need 3 or 4 to satisfy, so that’s not so bad. Paired up with a generous side salad with a tangy poppy seed dressing and you can be enjoying this meal in just 15-20 minutes! (And not feeling too guilty about it!)
Coconut Shrimp and a Salad
Summary: This is a quick and easy dinner, perfect for a summer evening. This can be on the table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 18 large shrimp
- 1 1/2 cups coconut
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups oil, for frying
- Lime wedges, for garnish
- Chili Vinegar:
- 3 oz. rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp. crushed chilies
- Salad:
- Mixed greens
- Chopped tomato and/or cucumber
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 to 2 1/2 Tbsp. liquid honey
li>Poppy Seed Salad Dressing:
Instructions
- Prepare Chili Vinegar and set aside.
- Devein shrimp (if not already deveined). Rinse.
- In 3 separate bowls, put flour in on, eggs in another and coconut in the third. Dip shrimp in flour, then egg and then roll in coconut, laying them on a baking sheet as you complete the process.
- Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat to 350° (*Thermometer is handy here. If oil is too cool, the shrimp will absorb oil and be heavy. If too hot, the outside will burn while the inside will be undercooked.) Fry shrimp by placing them in a single layer in hot oil, turning once underside is golden brown. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate until all the shrimp are finished. Serve immediately with lime slices and dip into Chili Vinegar.
- For salad: Prepare salad dressing by whisking all ingredients together. Place lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber in a large bowl. Toss. Re-whisk salad dressing and then drizzle over salad and toss again.
Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 5 min | Total time: 20 min
Number of servings (yield): 4
Photo
Thanks so much, Jillian. As long as I keep cooking, I’ll keep it coming ;)
Jen – I love your blog!!! I went looking for a light dinner and this popped up. Thanks for the brilliance! Great recipes – great blog!!! Will be following faithfully! I’m already mad about your Earl Grey Chocolate Tea cakes and I haven’t even made them yet! Thanks again!
No oil, val. I was skeptical when I first tried it as well but it is lovely. The sour of the vinegar with the tang of the mustard and the sweet of the honey makes it perfect without a drop of oil!
No oil in the salad dressing?