Tonight was, yet again, another Cooking While I’m Driving night. I was at a work seminar all day. I had eaten a big lunch and was not hungry and of course I didn’t meal plan, like I should. I called home while I was driving (using my Bluetooth of course) and asked my daughters what would they like for dinner. I don’t know is usually the answer, I want it to be keto says my other daughter. I think about what I have available in the house. I know I have frozen shrimp. I usually keep a bag of frozen uncooked shrimp in the freezer for a variety of meals. Shrimp is a great food to have on hand because it defrosts and cooks quickly. You can make a variety of meals with shrimp.

Shrimp scampi over pasta, honey garlic butter shrimp, garlic lemon shrimp, shrimp and rice, white wine garlic baked shrimp, spicy shrimp over spaghetti, orange garlic shrimp, shrimp and broccoli or string beans.

Tonight it was Baked Coconut Shrimp and white rice. I recently added this recipe to our families favorites. I defrost the shrimp, I usually estimate 10 shrimp per person but that will depend on the size of the shrimp. At this time, I start to cook the rice. Rice takes approximately 30 minutes, 5-10 minutes to boil the water and 20 minutes to cook the rice, so you should start the rice first then prepare the shrimp. Follow the directions for whatever rice you use. If you are in a real hurry there are plenty of quick cook rices you can use, I keep a few bags on hand just for those times.

• frozen uncooked shrimp (approx 10 per person)
• Sweetened shredded coconut. (1 cup or as much as needed)
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup of uncooked rice
• 1/2 cup of corn starch

Prep time 15 minutes Cook time 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Coat shrimp with corn starch (which is gluten free and a great alternative to coating with flour). Start with 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut or as much as needed for the quantity and size of shrimp. Crack eggs in a bowl, I only use egg whites, and slightly scramble with a fork, coat shrimp in egg then coat with coconut mixture. Place coated shrimp on a baking pan, I use a Pampered Chef stone which I heat in the oven then place the shrimp on it. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the coconut starts to brown.

I started using an air-fryer recently, if you have one and prefer using that. Place shrimp in air fryer, press the shrimp setting, set temperature to 330 degrees and cook for 16 minutes.

Christmas Eve last year, I planned on making coconut shrimp. The breading and coconut would not stay on the shrimp before cooking so I placed shrimp in the pan and poured the breading and coconut mixture on it and baked it like that. It was just as delicious. Don’t worry if it doesn’t stay on. The corn starch seems to help the coconut adhere better.