Ninety-three degrees …. the sun is scorching hot. My skin feels warm from the sun shining on it. It feels as if I am reaching into the oven to see if my baked goodies are done and then I jumped in too. Summer is definitely here. When it is hot, I want something refreshing. Food that is on the lighter side, like a salad. Along with my Hawaiian influenced recipe from last week, the Paleo Hawaiian Mango Bread with Toasted Coconut we have another recipe influenced by Hawaii. It is a Macadamia Coconut crusted Shrimp Salad with a Dragon Fruit Vinaigrette.
When I think of Hawaii, I think of palm trees, coconuts and of course, the macadamia nut. A fun fact, macadamia nuts were not originally from Hawaii. It actually originates from Australia and was not imported to Hawaii as a commercial crop until the 1920s. When I think of Hawaii, I also think of seafood, tropical fruits and fresh produce. As I have mentioned before, I love cooking with the season. Nothing beats the flavor of fresh ingredients. One of my favorite ways to get inspiration is to go to farmers markets and natural groceries stores to see what local produce is around. A lot of times, it almost feels like the food is calling out to you, saying, “I should be in your next dish!”
So, as I walked through the natural grocery store the other day, they had fresh pineapples and dragon fruit. I got so excited because those would wonderful ingredients to cook with. In Cantonese, the dragon fruit translates to “the fruit of the fire dragon,” and my nerdy/geeky side is screaming at me. Being a huge Game of Thrones fan, I was thinking to myself, this must be the Khaleesi Fruit! Now, let’s get to the recipe!
Macadamia Coconut Crusted Shrimps:
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Freshly Peeled Shrimps
Macadamia Nuts
Toasted Coconut Flakes
Sweet Potato Starch
Coconut Flour
Garlic Powder
Toasted Onion Powder
Sweet Paprika
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Salt
Egg Whites[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]
1 lbs.
1/2 Cup
1/2 Cup
1 tbsp
1 tbsp
1/2 tsp
1/2 tsp
1/4 tsp
1/4 tsp
1/2 tsp or to preference
1 to 2 [/ezcol_1half_end]
- Let’s start off by marinating the shrimps. Mix together the sweet potato starch, coconut flour, garlic and onion powder, sweet paprika, black pepper and salt.
- As the shrimp marinates, let’s put together the macadamia coconut crust. If you have a mortar and pestle, I really prefer using that, because it is a great way to control the consistency of the crust. If not, you can use either a food processor to pulse together the macadamia nuts and the toasted coconut flakes.
- Now dip the shrimps in the egg whites and press on the macadamia coconut crust. Be sure to use light pressure to press on the crust, or else it will fall off while frying.
- Heat up your preference of frying oil, may it be coconut or avocado oil, heat about an inch of oil in a frying pan to about 350° and gently place the crusted shrimps into the oil. Fry the shrimps until they are golden brown and curl up. Make sure that the inside is pink and no longer translucent.
Dragon Fruit Vinaigrette:
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Dragon Fruit (Or the Khaleesi Fruit)
Honey
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Champagne Vinegar
Fresh Lemon Juice[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]
1
1/4 Cup
1/4 Cup
1/4 Cup
Juice of half a lemon[/ezcol_1half_end]
- Start by cutting the Dragon Fruit in half. You will notice a soft flesh/meat on the inside. To get the juice of the dragon fruit, I like to mash the flesh/meat through a fine strainer and press down with a spoon. That way only the juice gets through.
- Once you get the juice of the fruit, mix together the olive oil, vinegar, honey and lemon juice. I like to use a whisk instead of a blender, because I feel the blender whips too much air into the vinaigrette.
Salad:
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Red Leaf Lettuce (Cut into salad size)
Green Leaf Lettuce (Cut into salad size)
Slice Red Onion (half rings)
Fresh Pineapple (Diced)[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]
2 Cups
2 Cups
1/2 Cup
1 Cup[/ezcol_1half_end]
- First, mix all the ingredients in the salad together in a large mixing bowl. If you do not know how to dissect, here is a video on how to do it: How to Cut a Fresh Pineapple
- Pour in desired amount of dragon fruit vinaigrette and toss the salad.
- Now plate the salad with the Macadamia Coconut crusted Shrimps, and viola! You have your salad.
I hope you have enjoyed my recipes!