Coconut Shrimp

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This was REALLY tasty - a big salad could round it out but we opted to stick with starch and shrimp ;) The shrimp breading took longer than I anticipated - about 20 minutes - but not a horribly long time for 1.5 pounds of shrimp done individually. This recipe is from Southern Living.

Coconut Shrimp
1.5 pound large raw shrimp, shells removed, deveined. Leave tails on.
Vegetable cooking spray
2 egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon Caribbean jerk seasoning
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup panko
1 tsp paprika
Honey mustard sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 425.

Place wire rack coated with cooking spray on a rimmed baking sheet.

Whisk egg whites in a small bowl just until foamy.

Stir together cornstarch and jerk seasoning in a shallow dish.

Stir together coconut, panko, and paprika in a separate shallow dish.

Dredge shrimp, 1 at a time, in cornstarch mixture, dip in egg whites, and dredge in coconut mix. Lightly coat shrimp with cooking spray; arrange on wire rack.

Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes or just until shrimp are pink, turning after 8 minutes.

*I did not flip them, it was tricky to keep them from falling through the rack as it was. Since my racks were a little elevated, both sides browned nicely. I also waited and sprayed them down with cooking spray after they were all on the racks instead of as each shrimp was breaded. The cooking spray helps get the crust nice and crispy so don't skip it.

Honey Mustard Sauce
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup coarse grained mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp horseradish

Just stir it all together.

Saucy Beef

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This recipe is from my friend, Kathy, and it was delicious! It's not the most beautiful dish when photographed but it was very tender and flavorful - plus it couldn't be easier! Be sure you leave yourself enough time for it to bake.

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Saucy Beef

1 large size oven cooking bag

2 tablespoon flour

1 can (14.5 ounce) stewed tomatoes

1 envelope onion soup mix

1/2 cup water (or red wine)

1/4 tsp pepper

1 lb. sirloin steak, cut into thin strips

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Preheat oven to 350. Shake flour in oven bag and place in 9x13 baking pan. Combine tomatos, soup mix, water, and pepper in mixing bowl. Put beef strips in bag and then add the tomato mixture. Close bag, cut slits in it, and bake until beef is tender - about 1.5 hours. It was tasty served on egg noodles!

Panko Crusted Chicken with Mustard-Maple Pan Sauce Brazilian White Rice

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Tonight's dinner was a hit - the chicken recipe is from Bon Appetit and the rice was from All Recipes. Both dishes were finished in about 30 minutes. The rice is a kicked up white rice - very easy and makes it taste a lot more interesting. Jason doesn't like white rice much but he had a full serving of this.

 Panko Crusted Chicken with Mustard Maple Pan Sauce

3-4 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves

1 large egg

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup low-salt chicken broth

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard

1 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter

Using meat mallet or rolling pin, pound chicken in resealable plastic bag to 1/3- to 1/2-inch thickness. Whisk egg, parsley, and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard in large bowl. Place chicken in egg mixture; turn to coat.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dip each chicken piece in panko; turn to coat.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, whisk broth, syrup, coarse-grained mustard, and remaining 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard in glass measuring cup.

Transfer chicken to plates. Add broth mixture to skillet; boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add butter; whisk until melted. Spoon sauce alongside chicken.

Brazilian White Rice
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 cups long grain white rice
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 4-5)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used EVOO)
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups hot water (I used chicken broth)

Place the rice in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water; set aside.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion in the oil for one minute. Stir in the garlic and cook until the garlic is golden brown. Add the rice and salt and cook and stir until the rice begins to brown. Pour hot water over rice mixture and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover the saucepan, and allow to simmer until the water has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Onion Straws

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This recipe should be called Fried Goodness on a Plate. I've never made onion rings or onion straws but saw it on Pioneer Woman, realized how easy it was, and decided to give it a shot. Glad I did, though I wish there were more people in my house to eat them all. Onions are a big no-no for dogs so I sadly can't share leftovers with them. And microwaved onion straws are just icky.

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Ingredients

Onions (I used 2 large sweet onions)

Salt and pepper

All Purpose Flour (2-4 cups)

Cayenne Pepper (I ran out so I used some cajun dust I had)

Buttermilk (I used a half gallon container for 2 onions)

1 quart (or more) canola oil

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No need to really measure anything. Slice your onion(s) thinly. I used a mandolin to get even slices. Keep a hanky handy for all the crying you'll do. I couldn't even see half the time I was slicing, but I digress.

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Throw the onions in a big bowl of buttermilk. Pioneer Woman says to soak for at least an hour but I didn't have that kind of time so they soaked while the oil got hot. Maybe 15 minutes? Not sure what difference an hour would have made. For two onions, I used the entire container of buttermilk. For one, you could have used half. Whatever works.

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Mix in another bowl some flour (2-4 cups), cayenne or cajun dust (eyeball about a teaspoon or two), salt (at least a tablespoon, preferably two), and fresh cracked pepper.

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Get your canola oil going in a deep pot until 375. Or until you sprinkle some water in it and it sizzles and pops, which was my method (I can't find my thermometer). Toss some of the onions into the flour mixture, swirl it around to get it nice and covered, then shake off the excess before throwing them into the hot oil. It cooks fast so just flip it around in the oil with a slotted spoon until browned. Remove and do the next batch.

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Sprinkle each batch with salt when you pull it out.

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Eat.

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We had these with burgers - delicious!

Coconut Tilapia with Apricot Dipping Sauce

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This is a super easy, fast, stand-by meal. Fish thaws so quickly, and cooks so quickly, that it's a great item to cook when you're short on time.
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Coconut Tilapia with Apricot Dipping Sauce

1 cup flaked coconut, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

4 tilapia fillets
1/2 cup cornstarch

4 ounce carton of egg substitute or 2 eggs

1/2 canola or vegetable oil

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Toss the coconut, flour, and Creole seasoning together in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, put the egg or egg substitute. Put the cornstarch in yet another shallow bowl. Toss the tilapia in the cornstarch, shake off excess, dip it into the egg then dip all sides into the coconut mixture.

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Heat oil in frying pan to about 350 degrees. Fry fillets one or two at a time on both sides until golden brown.

**I didn't feel like frying so I put my fillets on a greased baking sheet and baked at 425 for about 14 minutes. Still tasty and saved a few calories.

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For the dipping sauce, blend together 1/2 cup apricot jam, 2 teaspoons brown or yellow mustard (I've used both - it's good either way), and 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish. Serve with the fish.