{Make-Shift Luau}

I have been wanting to make coconut shrimp for a long time now and finally got to it once I saw this recipe from Katie Lee {note, not Kathy Lee}... So EaSY!! Of course, as usual, this was a last minute meal so I only had a few things on hand to make this work and this is what I came up with.

{photo credit}

Coconut Shrimp: You can watch Katie Lee make her recipe at the link above but if you prefer the written version...

24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tail left on
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 egg whites, beaten until slightly foamy
2 cups flaked coconut
Canola oil

Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Toss shrimp in cornstarch to coat, then dip in egg whites and dredge in coconut, pressing the coconut onto the shrimp. Preheat a couple inches of oil to 350 F. Fry shrimp until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes {time of cooking depending on temperature of oil.}

Dipping Sauce: Katie Lee recommends heating up orange marmalade but that is, alas, something I don't keep on hand. However, all was not lost! I had apricot preserves and pineapple slices so I chopped up a ring of pineapple, mixed it into 3 tbsp of preserves and heated it for 10 seconds at a time until it was the temperature and consistency I liked, about 30 seconds.

Pineapple and Green Pepper Rice: I didn't have the ingredients needed to make her rice recipe so I made my own recipe using a can of undrained pineapple slices, brown rice and green peppers...

1 small chopped green pepper
3/4 c pineapple juice from the can of slices
1/4 c water
White or Brown Minute Rice
3 rings of pineapple finely chopped

In a medium saucepan, saute green pepper until softened. Add pineapple juice and water and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of rice, cover, and put on simmer for 5 minutes or take off the burner completely until all the liquid is absorbed. Garnish with more chopped pineapple. 

Now, if only I had a Pina Colada!