Skinny Coconut Shrimp

This past weekend I wanted to celebrate getting back into cooking by making something decadent and delicious. So why not delve into the sea food aisle- Large Shrimp!  A bit pricy, but we are worth it!
Well, I just love Coconut Shrimp when we go to restaurants, but I know that they deep fry them and I didn't want to do that. So I found this great recipe from one of my favourite Healthy Recipe Blogs. Skinnytaste.com. 

They were delicious. Really crispy and meaty. The panko breadcrumbs made all the difference, it was my first time using them and let me tell you, it won't be my last. The sauce they describe was OK, but next time I would use a orange marmalade based concoction instead.

I served the Coconut Shrimp with rice and a nice Spring Mix Salad.

Big Red Salad Bowl with big red strawberry salad! It was enjoyed by all!

Skinny Coconut Shrimp (Skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients:

1 lb (24) large shrimp, peeled and deviened (weight after peeled)

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp panko crumbs

2 tbsp all purpose flour (you will only use 1 tbsp)

1 large egg

pinch salt

non-stick spray

For the Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup apricot preserves (you can use sugar free if you wish)

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°.  Spray a non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine coconut flakes, panko crumbs and salt in a bowl. Place the flour on a small dish.  Whisk egg in another bowl.

Lightly season shrimp with salt. Dip the shrimp in the flour, shaking off excess, then into the egg, then in the coconut crumb mixture. Lay shrimp on the cookie sheet then spray the top of the shrimp with more cooking spray; bake in the middle rack for about 10 minutes.  Turn shrimp over then cook another 6-7 minutes or until cooked though.  Remove from oven and serve with dipping sauce.

For the sauce, combine all the ingredients and place in a small bowl.

Nutritional Information:

Servings: 8 , Serving Size: 3 shrimp, 1 tbsp sauce

Calories: 161.6

Fat: 3.4 g

Protein: 10.2 g

Carb: 22.2 g

Fiber: 1.8 g

Sugar: 15.7 g