Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh shrimp
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup cream of coconut
3 Tbsp. lime juice
2 cups flaked coconut
Vegetable oil

Peel shrimp and coat each one with cornstarch. Combine cream of coconut and lime juice and dredge shrimp through this mixture. Coat each piece of shrimp with flaked coconut. Heat vegetable oil in a deep fat fryer or deep skillet and fry until golden brown.

Tips : Coconut cream and flakes are very high in fat. However, you can't really have Coconut Shrimp unless you use coconut. If you would really like to avoid the coconut cream, you could use the actual milk from a fresh coconut. The milk still contains lots of fat but nowhere near as much as coconut cream. You will still get some of the flavor and cut down on the fat. If you do use the fresh coconut milk, add a little sugar or corn syrup to make up for the added sugar in the coconut cream.

Risotto and Vegetable Salad

Ingredients

2 cups risotto, cooked
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped
2 zucchini squash, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and toss well. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. Risotto is so easy and tasty. The combination of the Risotto with the veggies and vinaigrette makes this side dish a sure winner with the Shrimp or with any other main course like baked or barbecued chicken.

Tips : The little bit of oil in this recipe is nothing to worry about, especially since it is olive oil which is better for you than the standard vegetable oil.