Coconut Shrimp, Risotto Squares, and Chicken Meatballs with Thai Peanut Sauce

 These shrimp tasted delicious!  I have never had them before and have not seen any that were gluten-free, so this was a first for me.  They were pretty easy to make and I will definitely make them again.  They are most likely best eaten right away (usually not a problem).  I have seen the coconut shrimp you can buy in the freezer section of the grocery store, and I am not sure if the shrimp are raw or cooked beforehand.  More experimentation on my part might be in order...The recipe comes from a Best-Ever Recipe edition of the Simply Gluten Free magazine.

 Put 1 cup gluten-free bread crumbs in a shallow plate.  I used 4C gluten free plain crumbs that I found at the Independent Grocer on the North Shore.  The actual recipe calls for panko-style bread crumbs, but I could not find any.

 In another shallow pan, add 1 cup gluten-free bread crumbs and 1 1/2 cups coconut (unsweetened)

 

  Whisk egg whites together with 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, and 1 tsp. garlic powder.  (The original recipe called for 2 tsp. salt, but I found it to be too salty).

 Add thawed shrimp to egg white mixture.  Toss to coat.

  Take shrimp out of egg white mixture; let the excess drip off; put in breadcrumb mixture, the return to egg whites; finally, put in coconut mixture, pressing down.  (After a certain point, I found that the first amount of breadcrumbs was falling off in the egg whites.  I also started to run out of egg whites, but carried on.  The final product was just fine).  Spray lightly with cooking spray and bake for 6 minutes.  Turn the shrimp over, spray again, and cook for another 5-6 minutes, or until the coconut is golden brown and the shrimp are bright pink.

 

The recipe called for a spicy mango sauce (blend 1 1/2 cups mango chunks, 1 tsp. Sriracha sauce, and 1 lime, juiced), but I skipped that part.  You do not need a sauce, but you could try a mango chutney as well.

Ingredients for Coconut Shrimp
4 large egg whites

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

16 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails left on

2 cups panko-style bread crumbs, divided

I have seen risotto balls at an appy party before, so I was eager to give these ones a try.  The recipe comes from Gluten-free Makeovers by Beth Hilson.  These take a while to make, simply because you can't rush risotto.  That said, they are relatively easy to make.  I don't see why you can't freeze these ahead of time and warm them up for party, but I have not tried this yet.

Ricotta Squares - Ingredient List

1 medium onion, finely chopped

olive oil

1 1/4 cups Arborio rice

3/4 cup white wine

3 cups gluten-free chicken broth

salt and pepper

2 cups frozen, chopped spinach

one 16-ounce container part-skim Ricotta cheese

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Several grinds of fresh nutmeg or 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly oil a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan, saute the onion in oil over low heat just until translucent.  Raise the heat to medium, add the rice, and toss to coat.  Cook about 2 minutes.  Add the wine and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Add 1 cup of the chicken broth and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed.  Gently shake the pan.  If the rice is not moving, loosen with a spoon but do not stir.  Add the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before the next addition.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spread the spinach over a plate and microwave for 2 minutes.  Squeeze the spinach dry to remove the extra moisture and set aside.
4. Combine the ricotta and eggs in a mixing bowl and beat well.  Stir in 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese and the nutmeg.  Fold in the spinach and the rice mixture.  Spread into the dish.
5. Bake for 25 minutes.  Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.  Let cool on the counter or in the refrigerator, until the mixture is set and firm.  Cut into squares and serve.

Chicken meatballs with Thai peanut sauce

This recipe comes from a Best-Ever Recipe edition of the Simply Gluten Free magazine.  It is one of those magazines that I have had for a while (and drooled over), have not yet used.  Sunday night was the night!  This recipe looked tasty and also relatively easy to make.  It also makes a nice change from beef meatballs.  I froze these to use later (after some ample taste testing).

Ingedients

1 cup ground gluten-free crackers (I used gluten-free crumbs)

1 pound ground chicken

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, grated or minced (I used about 1 tsp.)

2 small garlic cloves, minced

4 green onions, minced

2 Tb. gluten-free soy sauce

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 large egg, lightly beaten.

Sauce

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter or sunflower seed butter (I used natural)

3 Tb honey

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, grated or minced

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

2 limes, juiced

1 Tb. gluten-free soy sauce

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees f.  Put parchment paper on two baking pans.
2. Pour the cracker crumbs into a large mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix well to combine.
3. Shape mixture into balls about 1 Tb. each.  Place on baking sheets and spray lightly with non-stick spray.  
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until meatballs are browned and firm to the touch.  Transfer meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extra fat. 

Sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.  Serve with the meatballs.