Recipe contributor Laura Hahn says “This is a great sweet and crunchy appetizer that I always loved to order at a restaurant. It’s a recipe I really wanted to re-do gluten free. These are baked instead of fried to make them a little healthier.
You can’t have coconut shrimp without a great sauce to dip it in. This spicy mango salsa is a great dip for the coconut shrimp. And it’s so easy to make, you will never buy salsa in a jar again.”
Ingredients
- SPICY MANGO SALSA
- 2 mangos, skinned and diced
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1⁄3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 small Thai chili, diced
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- COCONUT SHRIMP
- ½ cup almond meal
- ⅓ cup crushed pecans
- ¾ cup unsweetened coconut
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and cleaned with tails on
Directions
For the salsa: Place everything in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower to a low simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Puree mixture in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Return mix to saucepan and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Chill salsa in the refrigerator for about an hour.
For the shrimp:
Place the almond meal, pecans, coconut, salt, pepper, paprika, onion, parsley and sugar in the food processor. Blend it for about 30 seconds until well mixed. Pour the mixture on a large plate.
In another bowl whip the two eggs and milk. Put the shrimp in the egg mixture and toss by hand to make sure all are coated.
Remove the shrimp one by one and allow extra egg to drip off.
Coat each shrimp in the nut mixture. You can use the tail to help move the shrimp around.
Place each shrimp on a foil-lined baking sheet that has light coating of gluten-free cooking spray. Once the tray is full, broil the shrimp on high for a few minutes. (The shrimp are done when they all turn pink. Watch to make sure they don’t burn.)
Cook’s Tip: The nut mixture can also be used as a coating for any fish filet. Follow the same directions for the shrimp and broil for a few minutes for a weeknight meal.
Nutritional Analysis:
Calories: 380, Carbohydrates: 14 g, Protein: 24 g, Fat: 27 g, Cholesterol: 235 mg, Sodium: 1280 mg, Fiber: 5 g
Laura Hahn, winner of Philadelphia’s 2012 NBC Next Local TV Chef competition, operates a restaurant consulting company and hosts her own cooking show on Ehow.com. She entered the chef competition shortly after being diagnosed with gluten sensitivity. She blogs about gluten-free food at GuiltFreeFoodieCutie.com.
