Guilt-Free Coconut Shrimp

When I was growing up, the only seafood that I would eat was shrimp.   Since I come from an Italian family, Christmas Eve was difficult for me since all we have is fish!  As I’ve grown older, I have started to try more types of fish, but shrimp will always be my favorite.  Coconut shrimp is something that I really enjoy, which is surprising because I’m not a huge coconut fan.  My boyfriend came up with this lightened version and it tastes just as delicious as the fried version.  It’s really great to serve as a side or for a dinner party.  We had some of his cousins over this weekend and decided to make it as one of our appetizers. 

Ingredients:

·         1 ½ lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

·         ½  cup flour

·         1 egg

·         1 cup shredded coconut

·         Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

·         ¼  cup apricot preserves

·         ¼  cup pineapple preserves

·         2 tablespoons honey

·         2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Layer a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with non-fat cooking spray.  If not, the shrimp will stick to the foil!

2.       Pat shrimp dry and season lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder

3.       Dredge each shrimp in flour, then the egg, back into the flour, and then roll it in the coconut.  Repeat this until all shrimp are coated.

4.       Transfer the prepared shrimp to the baking sheet and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes until the shrimp are golden brown.

5.       As the shrimp is cooking, mix all the ingredients of the sauce together and refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

6.       Once the shrimp is finished, serve with the dipping sauce.

**My friend Samantha got me the serving dish dish and bowl above. I love the colors!! She purchased them at Crate and Barrel.  

Nutritional information without dipping sauce (serves 10):  125 calories, 3.9g fat, 6 carbohydrates, .9g fiber, .6g sugar, 15.7g protein

Weight watchers points per serving:  3 points plus

Nutritional information for dipping sauce (serves 10): 54 calories, .1g fat, 14 carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 11.7g sugar, .2g protein

Weight watchers points per serving for sauce: 2 points plus