07/21/2011 7:15 pm
Hooray, its that time of year again! The Orange County fair opened on Friday, July 15th and with free admission and free parking being offered for the first hour – I heard from a fairly reliable source (my daughter who’s working in the Culinary Arts division this year) that more than 20,000 people showed up to take advantage of that special! I later read in the Daily Pilot that it was an astounding 32,000 and Friday’s total attendance was 70,000 – the biggest opening day in fair history!
The theme for this year’s Orange County Fair is “Let’s Eat!”, and of course, there’s all kinds of crazy fried foods – new offerings from two of the fair’s most notorious food vendors include deep-fried brownies, deep-fried Kool-Aid, chocolate-dipped corn dogs, deep-fried bacon, a Babe Ruth stuffed jalapeno and deep-fried Girl Scout cookies. As a judge for the Concessionaires Award on Wednesday, I had a chance to try a nibble of each and every one of those heart-stopping goodies and, along with Chef Andrew Gruel of Snapfish Truck, had the difficult task of deciding which entries were the best in categories for Fried Sides, Fried Entrees, Grilled Entrees, Fried Desserts, Fresh Desserts,and Snacks. Check out the winners at She’s Cookin’.
When it comes to fair food, bigger is better and everything’s better fried!
But that’s not all… this year it’s going to be even harder to decide what to EAT! Not only will you find your traditional favorite fair foods but they’ve kicked it up a notch by including a rotating selection of gourmet food trucks every Thursday afternoon from 12:00 to 10:00 p.m. So if you haven’t had a chance to try any of the food trucks this is the perfect opportunity to check some out – just do it after you finish rocking the rides!
88 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
07/14/2011 10:26 pm
In keeping with my garden theme during this bountiful time of year, the past week was officially declared Zucchini Throwdown at She’s Cookin’ and I’ll be sharing three simple + seasonal recipes for this most prolific summer squash. First up is a recipe from Chef Michael Symon’s Easter Goes Greek spread featured in Bon Appétit‘s April issue.
Michael’s big personality and bawdy sense of humor had me smiling as I read his tips for preparing this holiday feast, like #4 “Go Hard – lots of ouzo, straight up, no retsina!” , and #5 “Put the Fun in Dysfunction – When you get a bunch of Greeks in a room it gets very emotional. I explain to my friends that regardless of the yelling or crying, it’s all a sign of happiness.”
Plus, I’m crazy for Greek food – helloooo, did you see my post on the Taste of Greece? – and everything from the Lamb Chops with Lemon to the Walnut and Pistachio Baklava had me salivating! But what earned the dog-eared page was the Zucchini Keftedes because I’m always on the lookout for ways to morph the zuke into something fabulous.
Keftedes are actually Greek meatballs and in the recipe head notes Michael referred to them as zucchini fritters, which is what I would call them – either way it’s a delicious vegetarian dish with flavors of bright lemon and mint and salty feta, perfect as a starter or several fritters make a satisfying and delicious vegetarian main dish.
Zucchini Keftedes with Feta
from Michael Symon for Bon Appétit, April 2011
1 ⅓ pounds medium zucchini, ends trimmed
1 teaspoon kosher salt*
½ cup thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill*
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese
Canola oil (for frying)
Garnish: Greek yogurt (plain or reduced-fat)
* These were the only two changes I made: I didn’t use salt due to Don’s low-sodium diet and I left out the dill (not a fan) and I can’t imagine the keftedes being any better.
1. Grate zucchini on large holes of box grater onto a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle zucchini with kosher salt. Let zucchini stand at least 30 minutes to an hour. Roll up the zucchini in the towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
2. Place zucchini in a medium bowl. Mix in green onions, mint, garlic, lemon zest, and black pepper. Gently stir in panko and egg, then the feta.
3. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment or foil. Using about 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture for each, shape mixture into patties; place on baking sheet. Chill at least 1 hour. Can be made 4 hours ahead. Keep chilled.
4. Pour enough canola oil into heavy large skillet to be ¼ inch in depth. Heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add patties to skillet. Cook until golden and cooked through, adjusting heat if browning too quickly, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels.
Arrange keftedes on platter. Top each with a dollop of yogurt. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy 
07/07/2011 10:14 pm
I’ve written about this month’s Top Mom, Marina, and her seemingly easy, breezy style at pulling off major league fun parties back in December of 2009 when I attended her annual Holiday boutique party. (Sheesh, this is when I first launched my blog – don’t even look.) Besides her girl time get-togethers, Marina and her husband traditionally host, not one, but at least three parties a year – de rigueur in the annual party line-up are a costume party for Halloween, a winter casino party, and a 4th of July party and you can expect to see usually around 200 of their closest friends, family members, neighbors, work associates past and present, and friends of their two beautiful daughters. This 4th of July was no exception…
In years past, as soon as school was out we would escape to the Ozarks for a summer sojourn at the lake and stay through the 4th to gather with family and friends to shoot off some big-guns fireworks – outside of California there’s very few pyrotechnics that you cannot buy and ignite to celebrate our nation’s independence. But this year, circumstances found us at home and we were excited to be a part of the patriotism and shenanigans that surround the Huntington Beach 4th of July Parade and join the party at Marina and Gary’s house – which, of course, is perfectly located one block from the parade route and party central.
FYI for next year – the Annual 4th of July Parade and celebrations in Huntington Beach begins with the Surf City Run (all levels) and ends with an amazing fireworks display at the beach – and it’s all free! There’s something for everyone and it’s a unique combination of family fun, small town charm, all-American patriotism, beach city vibe, and neighborhood block party. Billed as the largest Independence Day parade west of the Mississippi, with an estimated 100,000 people lining the 3-mile route from Pacific Coast Highway to Main St., this year’s parade was the 107th.
Back to the party and food for 200… Marina pulls this off with two core dishes that everyone has come to love. First, the rich, creamy Crème Brulee French Toast – if you love crème brûlée and French toast then you’ll be in heaven; and a hearty, cheesy egg and tater tot casserole that I named Eggs Napolean, because I’ll never think of tater tots the same way after seeing the 2004 sleeper hit, cult classic movie Napolean Dynamite .
Spoiler alert: major crowd pleasers but in no way low-calorie and, as with any party, requires prep time the night before and the help of some awesome friends and relatives! To give credit where its due, this recipe is nothing new and can be found on Food Network and Epicurious, but don’t let that dissuade you from making it to satisfy the hungry masses at one of your family gatherings. I swear, and Marina can testify, that every man, woman, and child will rave about it!
Crème Brulee French Toast
Yield: 8-10 servings | Level: Easy
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 round loaf country-style bread*
5 eggs
1 ½ cups half and half
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp Grand Marnier
1/4 tsp salt
*other good breads to use are Texas Toast or challah
Trim crusts from bread.
In a small heavy saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth.
Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Arrange bread in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.
In a bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla, Grand Marner and salt until well combined. Pour evenly over the bread. Chill bread mixure, covered, for 8 hours or over night.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring bread mixture to room temperature. Bake uncovered until puffed and edges are pale golden, approximately 30 – 40 minutes.
Note: No additional syrup is required for the fluffy toast wrapped in a caramelized crust – maybe some crisp, salty bacon to make it sing! Not planning any parties for 200? Crème Brulee French Toast is ideal for a weekend brunch or breakfast when you want to relax and spend time with visiting friends or family.
Enjoy
Being more of a savory person and an egg lover at breakfast, I’m still partial to Eggs Napolean, but either way, you’ll be a happy camper!
06/30/2011 1:24 pm
We’re celebrating the arrival of summer with a bumper crop of slender, tender green beans. Picked young, they are best simply prepared to highlight their sweet flavor and crunchy texture. Blanching brings out their vibrant green color, then toss to coat with this quick, light, Thai-inspired sauce and you have an impressive, sassy side that has the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and umami to accompany fish, grilled meats, or with brown rice for a delicious vegetarian dish. Fresh green beans are in the markets, so I’m declaring Green Bean Week with this being the first of three quick, simple + seasonal green bean dishes from She’s Cookin’s kitchen.
After spending the better part of the past two weeks at the hospital, our little family was grateful and relieved to be together – the Young Baker home from college for the summer and Don on the mend; able to spend a quiet weekend at home celebrating Father’s Day with our fur babies who were feeling neglected with all the comings and goings.
Months of dining hall food for the Young Baker, and what the hospital considers a low-sodium, heart healthy options for Don, meant my home-cooked meals were welcomed with almost giddy enthusiasm by both – which is what fuels my desire to keep on cookin’. Besides reigning over the kitchen (until tomorrow when I leave to visit my mom), I’m trying to catch up on my blog reading and rev up the creative juices; as my fellow bloggers know, life can sometimes get in the way of blogging.
Thai-Inspired Green Beans with Coconut Oil
Serves 3-4
1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1 roasted red bell pepper, skin removed
For the sauce:
¼ cup extra virgin coconut oil*
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
red chili pepper flakes
½ cup toasted slivered almonds
1. Half the red pepper lengthwise and roast at 450 degrees in the oven or toaster oven until the skin is blackened. Remove and place in a bag or wrap in aluminum foil. Allow to cool and then peel off the skin.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Transfer green beans to water and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove beans using a slotted spoon and place in an ice bath to stop the cooking.
3. Melt the solid coconut oil in a small saucepan over med heat or in the microwave. Whisk in the fish sauce and tamarind paste. Using the same pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat, sprinkle in some red chili pepper flakes, add the beans, red pepper and almonds, pour in the coconut oil sauce, using tongs to toss to coat the beans and mix all ingredients together .
*Note: Once considered a villain because of saturated fat, coconut oil contains no trans fats and the type of saturated fat it contains is in the form of lauric acid, now the darling of the health food world, read more about it in this N.Y. Times article.
Enjoy
You might also like: Green Beans with Blue Cheese and Walnuts and Moroccan Chicken with Green Beans
Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
06/16/2011 9:50 pm
I didn’t fact check the stats but I’m pretty sure that a majority of households across the country will be grilling this Sunday for Father’s Day! Whether dad’s favorite is a juicy, medium-rare steak, robust barbequed ribs, or a burgers and hot dogs All-American guy, you’ll want a few simple, but sensational sides to round out the festivities and an appetizer or dip to keep the hungry masses at bay while the aroma of meat sizzling on the grill whips everyone into a salivating frenzy.
Whether its football season or summer backyard grilling, guacamole is the #1 dip and a must-have at our house. There are many different kinds of avocados, but the variety generally preferred for guacamole is the pebbly-skinned Hass. Fortunately, California has ideal conditions for growing the creamy rich Hass avocados and we’re blessed with a year-round supply of the nutritious velvety fruit.
With Don’s emergency hospital stay last week and the upcoming procedure looming, this year’s Father’s Day is heavy with significance. I like to keep the tone light here, so suffice it to say that the Young Baker and I are grateful to modern medical technology for making this a Father’s Day to truly celebrate. Always with a low-sodium and heart-healthy diet in mind, I now make my own chips from corn tortillas - I love the blue corn tortillas at Trader Joe’s for an added pop of color, and I use more lime as a replacement for salt to flavor the guacamole.
Guacamole with Blue Corn Chips
Guacamole is a snap to make and, even at its simplest, packs so much more flavor than pre-made. If you’re in the habit of grabbing a container of the stuff, take a few minutes to put your own signature touch on this #1 Dip.
3 small or 2 large Hass avocados
2 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
dash of cayenne
juice of half lime
salt to taste
4 blue corn tortillas
1 tablespoon canola oil
red pepper flakes
Yield: approx. 1 ½ cups
Stack the tortillas and cut into 6 triangles. Mix canola oil with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and brush tortillas with oil. Bake in toaster oven set at 300 degrees until crisped, about 5 minutes.
Cut avocados in half lengthwise, give a little twist to separate the halves. Remove the pit. Scoop out avocado into a glass or ceramic bowl. Using a fork, coarsely mash. Add the red onion, jalapeno (if you like it hot), cilantro, and lime. Blend until mixture is creamy but with little chunks of avocado. Add salt to taste and more cayenne if desired. Garnish with the pit, cilantro sprigs, and/or sliced lime.
Serve surrounded with blue corn chips. I like to have a dab of guac and a bit of salsa in each bite, and have found that serving them together prevents the inevitable “salsa on the shirt” incident.
How simple is that! And, you’ve made your own crispy, fiber-packed blue corn chips with less fat and salt than any packaged brand.
Happy Father’s Day
I’d love to know: What’s your favorite twist on guacamole?
06/09/2011 11:13 am
Today’s recipe is from Cristina Ferrare’s gorgeous new cookbook Big Bowl of Love , a wonderful collection of over 150 of her favorite recipes that are great for quick week night dinners and special occasions. I was excited to receive a copy to preview, especially knowing that the stunning photos were the brilliant work of none other than local food photography rock stars, Todd Porter and Diane Cu of White on Rice Couple, and was pleased to discover how Cristina’s natural warmth, generosity, and passion for cooking shines through in her anecdotes and recipes.
Big Bowl of Love offers a wide variety of recipes, from starters and lunches to dinners and desserts; and includes dishes that Cristina has created and cooked over the years and enjoyed with her family and friends. American and Italian influences are apparent and I was impressed with how approachable the recipes are; from her #1 favorite pasta sauce, fresh roma tomato sauce, to mac and cheese and strawberry shortcake, she shares it all, along with helpful tips to cut down your time in the kitchen. Her passion for food has made her a New York Times Best Seller and a host of her own cooking show, Big Bowl of Love, on the Oprah Winfrey Network. I’m excited to be able to share a recipe from this gorgeous cookbook and offer a copy to one of my readers!
With all this deliciousness, it was hard to decide what to showcase from Big Bowl of Love. Because we’re fish lovers, for heart-health reasons and because we love it, and I’ve mastered many ways to prepare fish, I decided to make the Sea Bass with Soy Glaze and Cucumber Salsa. Cristina says this is the dish she makes when she wants to impress her dinner guests big-time! With its wonderful glazed sauce paired with the cool cucumber salsa, its quite impressive!
Sea Bass with Soy Glaze and Cucumber Salsa
6 servings | from Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love
Cucumber Salsa
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1½ teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Sauce
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup mirin
¼ cup sugar *
2 tablespoons dry white wine
Fish
6 (3-ounce) sea bass fillets *
½ cup all-purpose flour
a4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
Directions:
Salsa: Make the cucumber salsa first. In a glass bowl, combine cucumber, soy sauce, vinegar, scallions, and cilantro, and mix well. Cover and set aside.
Sauce: In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir together the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and wine. Stir frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Pour the sauce into a small bowl and set aside.
Dredge the sea bass in the flour. Heat a skillet on medium-high until hot. Add the olive oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Saute the sea bass for 2½ minuts on each side, until browned. Reduce the heat to medium, then pour in the sauce mixture and cover with a lids. Cook until the fish is cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness.
Place fillets on a platter, and pour the pan juices over the top. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and top with salsa, or the salsa on the side if you prefer.
* The only changes I made to the recipe were substituting Pacific Halibut for the sea bass and brown sugar for granulated. I make a similar glaze for salmon and brown sugar works beautifully.
Enjoy
Here’s how to enter the Giveaway for Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love cookbook:
Leave a comment on my website and tell me what dish represents a big bowl of love to you.
The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only and ends at 10:00 p.m. PST on Monday, June 20, 2011. A winner will be chosen by random drawing. The winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond, if the winner does not claim their prize by responding within 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited and another winner will be chosen.
Good Luck to all!
Just one more… Aren’t the photos and styling breathtaking!
Disclaimer: I was sent a complimentary copy of Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love cookbook. One random winner will also receive the same. The opinions however, are my own.
06/02/2011 10:00 pm
Here I thought I would catch up on my writing over the three-day weekend! Not…
The Don was home from Paris and craving some healthy home-cooking after an extravagant dinner at, 
, The Ritz!
So I did a lot of cooking…. How was your Memorial weekend? Relaxing, fun in the sun, catch a flick, some BBQ and brews maybe, that’s fantastic! Now its the final countdown to summer
Today, I’d like to share a quick and easy, light, healthy, fruit-filled dessert that I brought to the May meeting of FBLA (Food Bloggers Los Angeles). I had only been to one other meeting of this amorphous group of LA food bloggers and I really hoped that these little dessert cups would turn out better than good because, as you can imagine, the “pot luck” at these meetings is quite the spread.
When I added the mulberries, my first reaction was, “they look like caterpillars!”, but I was sacrificing the entire pint of elusive mulberries I scored at the farmers market, minus the few that I popped into my mouth as a taste test, and my last minute creation would have to suffice. Luckily, my colorful caterpillar creations garnered a few raves from my esteemed colleagues and figuratively blushed at all the attention from the food paparazzi! There is much more to share about the wonderful community that I’ve found in FBLA and the star of the show that day: Creminelli Fine Meats, more on that to come.
Wonton Dessert Fruit Cups
adapted from Eat Better America
24 wonton wrappers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
1 ½ cup Greek yogurt
1 cup fresh chopped mango
1 pint mulberries
Garnish: mint leaves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using a 12-cup muffin pan or two 6-cup muffin pans, line each cup with a wonton wrapper. Brush wonton wrappers with a little butter. Place a second wrapper diagonally on top of each of the first ones. Brush second wrapper with a little butter.
Bake 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool. Remove from pan.
Heat honey in the microwave for 20 seconds. Brush with wonton cups with honey.
Using a spoon, place a dollop of yogurt in each wonton cup. Top with chopped mango and a mulberry.
Variations: spoon a teaspoon of cherry or other fruit preserves into the wonton cups in place of honey. Fold a cup of mixed fresh berries into the yogurt instead of topping with mango.
Enjoy
Photo credit: Louse Mellor
05/26/2011 8:59 pm
To inspire and challenge myself, I decided to join a group called 5 Star Foodie Makeover Cooking Group, created by two well known, creative culinary masters: 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro Cooks. Gourmet picnic food was the theme of this month’s 5 Star Foodie Makeover Cooking Group, and with Memorial Day and the long weekend coming up, I was excited to put my spin on a traditional picnic dish.
Although born in Chicago, I grew up in northwest Arkansas in the middle of chicken country (you might have heard of a company called Tyson’s that is based there), the word picnic and fried chicken are synonymous. Along with fried chicken, a picnic is not complete without slaw, beans, and cornbread or biscuits – or what the heck, both!
Naturally, the slaw couldn’t be your average mayo-based cabbage variety. I really think that people that don’t like slaw just haven’t had anything except for the often soggy, supermarket variety. It’s a shame because slaw can be a creative vehicle for using many different fruits and vegetables in a myriad of creamy or vinegar bases. My sweet and tangy slaw was inspired by the kohlrabi I bought at the farmer’s market and the luscious mangoes that are still in season and included in my CSA deliveries.
My recipe for the Chicken Bites with Onion Confit pictured calls for brining the chicken in Thomas Keller’s Chicken Brine to season the chicken and helps the chicken good and juicy. Then white and dark chicken meat is chopped, mixed with buttermilk and the onion confit, breaded in panko crumbs and baked or, if you prefer, deep fried. Once you’ve prepared the brine, it’s really not that difficult and you can find the recipe on my website.
I am sharing the Sweet and Tangy Apple and Mango Slaw because I knew OC Family readers would enjoy a fresh take on cole slaw that is very simple to make and is the perfect accompaniment to any picnic, whether it be deli chicken, grilled steaks, BBQ, or hamburgers andhot dogs over the beach fire pit.
Sweet & Tangy Apple, Mango Slaw
1 cup kohlrabi (about half a kohlrabi), peeled and sliced into matchsticks
1 mango, peeled and cubed
1 apple (I used Gala), sliced into matchsticks
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
¼ cup white balsamic or cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
salt and pepper to taste | Yield: 6-8 servings
Combine the kohlrabi, mango and apple in a glass bowl. Whisk together the vinegar, honey, and mint. Toss to coat.
Variations: You can easily substitute jicama or daikon radish for the kohlrabi, pineapple or papaya for the mango, and asian pear for the apple, although I like Gala, Fuji, Jazz or any pink or red-skinned apple for its lively color.
Shown with Almond Herb Drop Biscuits. Just add wine and Enjoy
05/19/2011 11:05 pm
So what foods do you crave when you’ve been on vacation? I think everyone has a craving for a certain food or dish they love when returning home from traveling. For me it’s Mexican – you just can’t get good Mexican food in most places, except for Mexico, of course. The day after I got home from my two week sojourn in The Netherlands, I was ready for some hearty Mexican fare and I knew just the place. Anepalco’s Cafe is no secret to Orange County foodies and I felt like one of the last to experience their unique Euro-Mexican cuisine.
Don’t jump to hasty conclusions – this is not fusion food, Anita of Mad Hungry Woman and I talked at length with the owner Danny about his vision for Anepalco’s. Danny decided to combine his French fine dining restaurant experience with the foods of his homeland, Acapulco, Mexico to set Anepalco’s apart from the plethora of Mexican restaurants in Orange County. If you’re in search of the biggest burrito or enchiladas swathed with “Mexican” blend cheese served with rice and beans – you won’t find it here.
But you WILL find deftly prepared light, fluffy dessert and savory crepes and some of the best Chilaquiles this side of Mexico. Layers and layers of thin tortillas with a deeply flavorful smoky anchiote chile sauce and real Cotija cheese. My craving was fully satisfied… until maybe next week
Pictured below are the Savory Crepes, Poblana Omelette, Anepalco’s Pork Sandwich, and a Fraises et Créme crepe.
ANEPALCO’S CAFÉ
(714)771-2333
415 S. Main St
Orange, CA 92868
Craving more? Visit She’s Cookin’ for more recipes and fun foodie stuff!
05/12/2011 9:29 am
I’m crazy about coconut! My favorite cake as a child, and still to this day, is chocolate cake with coconut cream cheese frosting. A smoothie without coconut milk is unimaginable and one of the few fried foods I absolutely can’t resist is coconut shrimp! Since “discovering” coconut oil at the Natural Products Expo, I’m adding it to coffee, tea, baked goods, and, of course, my version of Coconut Shrimp, for a double whammy of coconut flavor.
Recently, I tweeted about coconut milk and using it in a coconut date shake, and was contacted by the founder of Kelapo, a company in sunny southwest Florida that is focused on providing the market’s highest quality virgin coconut oil. I especially like a company that is socially conscious and Kelapo is committed to wholesome, sustainable living and the ethical treatment of the farmers that cultivate their product. Knowing that their coconut oil is organic and Fair Trade certified, I gladly accepted a sample of Kelapo Virgin Coconut Oil™ to review and developed this recipe for them which will be featured on their site. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Next I’m experimenting with a baked version and I’ll let you know if it passes the crunch test!
Twice the Coconut Shrimp
If you’re like me and can’t resist ordering coconut shrimp when it appears on a menu, try this recipe – its super easy! Serves 2-3
1 pound large shrimp (12-15 shrimp per pound)
2 tablespoons Kelapo Coconut Oil
½ cup Panko bread crumbs
½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
approx. 2 cups peanut oil for frying
Remove the peel from the shrimp, leaving the tail intact, de-vein if necessary. Rinse under cold water. Drain, pat dry with paper towels. Cut lengthwise to butterfly shrimp.
Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.
Warm coconut oil in a glass bowl for 20 seconds in the microwave to liquify. Mix the panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut in another small bowl.
Dip each shrimp first in the coconut oil to coat, then in the panko mixture. Use a candy thermometer to determine if the oil is heated to 365 degrees, or immerse one shrimp to test. (Oil should bubble around the shrimp, browning it quickly – 2 to 3 minutes.) Add shrimp to hot oil, 4 to 5 at a time for quick cooking and even browning. Remove and place on toaster oven pan lined with paper towels to drain and keep warm at 200 degrees.
Shown served with Quinoa with Creamy Yogurt-Lime-Curry Dressing (posting next week).
Enjoy
She’s Cookin‘ strives to bring you fresh, seasonal, family-friendly recipes that are nutritious and simple to prepare – designed specifically for busy parents and professionals. Hopefully, this will encourage you to eat at home more often and demonstrate some love in that old-fashioned way: a tasty, home-cooked meal.
