Cheater Coconut Shrimp

Cheater Coconut Shrimp

Cheater Coconut Shrimp - No Breading Required! 

If you are looking for a summery, flavorful dish, this one is for you!  Crispy coconut rice with sauteed sugar snap peas, juicy shrimp, and a coconut topping is sure to make you happy!  No need to bread your coconut shrimp, just serve it with a coconut topping instead.  Easy cooking and so yummy!

This recipe really isn't hard, but it does have a couple components to keep track of.   But it's worth it!  The coconut rice with the lime and the topping is to die for.  Highly recommend!


Cheater Coconut Shrimp 
Skill Level: Medium
Feeds 4
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Rice:
1 Tbs butter
1/4 red onion diced
Zest of 1 lime
1 cup white rice
3/4 cup water
7 oz (half a can) of unsweetened coconut milk
Salt and pepper

Peas:
1 Tbs butter or coconut oil
1 lb sugar snap peas - ends trimmed off

Shrimp:
1 Tbs butter or coconut oil
1/2 lb raw deveined shrimp (about 4 shrimp per person depending on the size of your shrimp)
Juice of 1 lime (same lime we zested for the rice)

Coconut Topping:
1 Tbs butter or coconut oil
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 unsweetened coconut flakes

*Lime wedges for serving

Directions:

Rice Part 1:

• In a medium pot over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs butter.  Add diced red onion and saute for 3 minutes (or until onion is translucent).
• Add the zest of one lime and 1 cup of white rice.  Stir for 1-2 minutes, until the rice starts to toast.
• Add 3/4 cup water and half a can (7 oz) of unsweetened coconut milk.  Bring to a boil, cover, and turn to low, and cook for 20 minutes.  
• We will come back to the rice once the shrimp are finished cooking!

Topping:

• While the rice is cooking, in a medium pan, melt 1 Tbs butter over medium-low heat.
• Add 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup coconut flakes.  Stir occasionally for 4-5 minutes or until the topping has browned.  Keep an eye on this!  Once it starts to brown, it browns fast!
• Once browned, turn off the heat and set aside.

Peas:

• While the rice and topping are cooking, melt 1 Tbs of butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add washed and trimmed sugar snap peas. 
• Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pea pods start to brown but the pea pod is still crisp.  
• Once done, transfer to a bowl and cover with tinfoil.

Shrimp:

• Pat your shrimp dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• In the same pan you cooked the peas, add the last tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp one by one into the hot butter.  
• Cook on the first side until the shrimp has turned pink halfway up the shrimp (about 1 minute depending on the size of your shrimp). (**See note)
• Flip the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are completely pink (1-2 more minutes).  Pour into a serving bowl, squeeze lime over the shrimp, and set aside.

Rice Part 2:

• In the same pan you cooked your shrimp, add the cooked rice.  
• Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice starts to brown—Cook for as long as little as you like.  The longer you cook it, the crunchier the rice becomes!

Assembly:

• On your plate, start with crispy coconut rice. Add shrimp, peas, and top with coconut topping.  Sprinkle with lime juice!  
• Enjoy! 

**Note:
Shrimp:  I buy my shrimp frozen at Costco.  They are cheaper per pound, and I just keep them in my freezer.  An hour before I need them, I pour a handful or two into a bowl full of cold water and stick them in the fridge.  Then I rinse them a couple times in cold water and place them on a plate covered in paper towels.  Using a different paper towel, I pat them dry and then season them!

Shrimp cook really fast!  When I cook them on the stove, I watch them carefully.  On the first side, I watch as the bottom changes from gray to pink.  Once they are pink halfway up the shrimp, that is when I flip them.  This usually only takes a minute or two.  Then I cook them the same amount of time on the other side.  Then you are done!  Fast!**



***Recipe adapted from: Here
Changed rice, instructions, and some ingredients.