Crispy Coconut Shrimp

When we lived in Oregon we often dined at the local hotel,

The Village Green. They had the most amazing coconut shrimp we'd ever tasted, and it's one of the things we've missed since moving to Texas. After several attempts we think we've managed to duplicate what the hotel serves. The recipe is a bit of work, but definitely worth it! Plan on at least four shrimp per person.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds large brown gulf shrimp (about 30)
1 1/2 c. plain Panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 c. shredded coconut
2 eggs or the equivalent egg substitute
13 oz. can coconut milk
1/2 all-purpose flour
spices: garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder
Oil for frying - recommend grape seed, peanut oil, or other vegetable oil

Directions

1. Day 1 - Rinse the shrimp under running water. Clean them if necessary (de-vein, remove shell, leave last segment and tail on).  Pat with paper towel to remove excess water. Place in a glass bowl, cover with about 1 cup of the coconut milk. Toss to coat, cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Day 2 - Place shrimp in a colander and allow to drain while you prepare the coating.

3. Process the crumbs and coconut together in a food processor. Pulse until the coconut is fairly fine, but has not all completely lost its texture. Put 1/2 of the mixture in a shallow dish and the other 1/2 set aside in a jar or other container.

4. In the food processor, pulse together the eggs, 4T. coconut milk, 1/4t. garlic powder, 1/2 t. salt, and 2 t. flour. Pour into a small dish.

5. In a shallow dish, combine the remaining flour, 1t. salt, 1t. pepper, 1/2t. garlic powder, and a dash of chili powder (amount based on your preference for spice).

6. Line a large tray or cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle a little of the coconut mixture on the tray so the shrimp are not laying directly on the paper.

Arrange the items in this order:
                                                                                        COOKIE SHEET
SHRIMP, IN COLANDER         FLOUR          EGG MIXTURE          COCONUT MIXTURE

Hint: For the right handed cook, work left to right. With left hand holding the shrimp, and right hand holding a fork to assist, coat the shrimp with flour, dip in the egg, then in the coconut. Use the fork to turn the shrimp back and to press it into the coconut to get a good, even coating. Place the coated shrimp on the tray with a bit of space between each.

When all the shrimp are coated, cover the tray and refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours. This helps the coating to adhere better during the frying process.

Heat the oil in large pan or fryer to 350F. Cook in small batches for 2-3 minutes.
Drain on paper towels - if your oil is the proper temperature there shouldn't be much oil on the towels.

Serve hot with a Thai sweet chili dipping sauce, sweet and sour sauce or other favorite. Our favorite is Safeway's Waterfront Bistro Sweet Chili Sauce, and we'd also recommend Roberts Rothchild's Pineapple and Habanero dip.

If you don't like things spicy, any sweet and sour sauce would work well, as would an Asian plum sauce, or garlic-soy sauce.

Mexican Pickled Carrots

I first had these crispy pickles at a little Mexican restaurant near the University of Oregon. They're a perfect appetizer or side to tacos and other standard fare. The heat is easily adjusted by varying the amount of jalapenos that are used.
2 lbs large carrots, peeled and sliced into ⅛ inch thick pieces
½ large white onion cut in ¼ inch slices
5 cloves garlic peeled and diced
1 ¾ cups cider vinegar
1 ¾ cups water
10 bay leaves, whole
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
3 oz. pickled jalapenos

Combine vinegar, water, peppercorns, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes and then add the carrots. Simmer 5 minutes. Add the jalapenos along with a little of the juice they were packed in and bring to a simmer again for another 5-10 minutes. Check for texture = you want the carrot slices firm, but tender enough to bite easily, not limp and mushy.

Let the carrots cool to at least room temperature and then transfer the carrots and cooking liquid into a covered container and refrigerate overnight. It improves the flavor if you layer in a little fresh cilantro, but do this only if they will be eaten within a few days.
OR
Transfer hot into canning jars and seal. You can combine the carrots with fresh cilantro at serving time if you seal  them.

Store the carrots in the liquid in the refrigerator and use a slotted spoon or pickle tongs to serve them. You may leave the bay leaves in the liquid to add to the flavor, but do not eat them.
This proportion of jalapenos produces an only slightly hot pickle. Double it for more fire. The pickles also pick up more “heat” if they stand for several weeks. Best stored in the refrigerator a few days before serving so the flavors mingle, they will keep for several weeks.

Pimento Cheese

When my dear husband said, "There's a great recipe for pimento cheese in the electric co-op magazine that I want to try",  I have to admit I looked at him cross-eyed. My childhood memories of pimento cheese involved a disagreeable paste one scooped out of little glass pots that later turned into juice glasses. This is not even vaguely related to that stuff. Pimento cheese is a classic in the South, and you'll find a wide variety of approaches, using all kinds of cheese and varying spices.

The original recipe from an article in the PerdernalesEC Edition of the Teas Co-op Power magazine (March 2010), by Juddi Morris:
Juddi's Pimento Cheese
1 pound grated longhorn or mild or sharp Cheddar cheese
6 ounces chopped pimento
1/2 c. minced onion
1/2 c. chopped green olives
3 T. capers
2/3 c. mayonnaise

I increased the amounts slightly, and thought it needed a bit more mayonnaise than the original proportions, so here's the final version.
1 1/2 pounds grated cheddar cheese (fine or coarse grate, your choice) this is about 5 c.
8 oz. chopped pimento
3/4 c. minced onion
3/4 c. chopped green olives (pimento stuffed type)
4 T. capers (chopped)
1 1/4 c. mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients, then to meet your own tastes, add any of the following:
Tabasco, fresh lime juice, minced jalapeno peppers or other peppers of choice, chili powder, or anything else that appeals to you! My taste testers insisted it didn't need any of the additional ingredients suggested, so we continue to make it this way. It's great as a dip or sandwich filling, and goes well with sliced ham or roast beef. Good also on sourdough bread or plain crackers.

Sweet and Spicy Pecans

We bought some seasoned pecans at a specialty shop in Gruene, Texas, last year and really enjoyed them. I've been trying to duplicate the recipe ever since. This recipe is a little different that the type we purchased, as they didn't have an egg white coating, but this looked interesting so we thought we'd give it a chance.

Preheat oven to 300°F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray

Combine:
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1-1/2 t. chili powder
3/4 t. cinnamon
pinch cayenne

1 egg white

2 cups pecan halves

Mix sugar and spices together. Beat the egg white until frothy. Toss the pecans into the egg white and stir. Sprinkle with the spice mixture, stir to coat, then the lift the pecans out of the bowl one by one and spread on the prepared baking sheet, separating them as much as possible. Discard any leftover sugar-egg mixture.
You can use as little as a heaping tablespoon of the spice mixture, or all of it, depending on how flavorful you want the final product to be. A heaping tablespoon gives a nice lightly seasoned product enjoyed even by folks who don't like spicy foods.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to another baking sheet. Break pecans apart as necessary. When completely cool store covered in a dry place. Should keep for at least a week.

Crazy Larry's Crab Cakes

We've been in pursuit of the perfect crab cake for several years now. This recipe is from Weber's Bib Book of Grilling and is the best we've found so far.

For the crab cakes:
12 ounces fresh, frozen, or canned cooked lump crab meat
Drain in a colander, pat dry with paper towels. Flake meat with a fork, discarding any bits of shell. Add remaining ingredients.
3/4 c. plain breadcrumbs
1/2 c. finely chopped red bell pepper
4 green onions (white part only) finely chopped
3 T. mayonnaise
2 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 t. hot pepper sauce
1/4 t. Kosher salt
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper
Shape into eight cakes about 3 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick. Place on a plate covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours. This firms up the cakes so they hold together on the grill.

For the dressing:
Mix together
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 t. white wine vinegar
1/2 t. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Lightly brush or spray both sides of the crab cakes with vegetable oil. Grill over direct high heat until the bread crumbs are toasted (6 - 8 minutes) Carefully turn with a wide spatula halfway through the grilling time. Places two crab cakes on each plate with about 4 handfuls (about 4 ounces) of greens that have been tossed with the dressing. Serve with a lemon wedge if desired.

Texas Caviar

We've made this a family tradition for the holidays.
The practice of eating black-eyed peas for luck is generally believed to date back to the Civil War. At first planted as food for livestock, and later a food staple for slaves in the South, the fields of black-eyed peas were ignored as Sherman's troops destroyed or stole other crops, thereby giving the humble, but nourishing, black-eyed pea an important role as a major food source for surviving Confederates.Common accompaniments include cornbread (representing gold) and cooked greens (representing paper money).

Ingredients:
4 cups of cooked black-eyed peas (or 2 16-oz cans), drained and rinsed of all juice
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, green part only
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
3 canned or fresh jalapeño chilies, chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes or 1 ripe, chopped tomato
3/4 cup olive oil
Juice from one lime
1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, pressed or minced

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and serve with your favorite chips, pita bread, or serve as a side dish.