Organic & Thrifty

Those of us in the Fast are faced with the challenge of creating innovative, delicious ways to serve shrimp.  We were hosting a dinner party of fellow fasters recently and wanted to come up with an entertainment-worthy dish.  I was also anxious to create a dish that highlighted the amazing mandarin oranges from Chaffin Family Orchards that are so amazingly delicious.  I searched high and low for a good recipe, and in the end I fused two recipes together.

I won’t lie and say this is a “quick and easy” recipe, or even that my kids liked it (they have a phobia of shrimp and won’t touch it with a ten foot pole, so they didn’t even try it. But I would bet that kids who like shrimp would love this.  But it was a labor of love, delicous, and got rave reviews by all eight in the dinner party.  Served alongside a simple Thai Coconut  (which contained a shrimp stock base made from the shells of the shrimp in this recipe!) and some stir-friend veggies, this meal was perfectly primal, lenten, and delicious! 

For being grain free, the shrimp sure had a great texture and crunch.  Shrimp are so nutrient-dense; high in protein and vitamin D.  You won’t be sorry if you splurge a litle for some good quality shrimp from a reputable fish market. This is an entertaining dish; not everyday fare!  Besides, it will rival P.F. Chang’s in taste but in the end cost you much less!

Baked Sesame-Orange Shrimp
Serves 8 as a main course

For the shrimp:

2# large shrimp, uncooked, shelled
2 large egg whites
1/4 c. arrowroot starch
1/4 c. brown sesame seeds (white works too)
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 T of coconut oil
For the sauce:

2 cups of fresh-squeezed, Chaffin Orchards mandarin orange juice
2 T wheat-free tamari soy sauce
2 red chili peppers, de-seeded
a small amount of honey or stevia, to taste (this was not necessary due to the amazing sweetness of the Chaffin mandarins)
4-6 green onions, for garnish.

1 T of arrowroot starch dissolved in 1 T of water

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving the tails intact.  Rinse and pat dry. Set aside.

3. In a blender or Vita-Mix, blend the ingredients for the sauce (except for the green onions).  Pour into a small saucepan and and add the dissolved arrowroot.  Gently heat, stirring regularly so that the sauce thickens.  Set aside until ready to use.

4.  Place coconut oil into a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan and place in the oven to melt.

5. In a large shallow dish (such as a pie pan), combine the sesame seeds, arrowroot, salt, and pepper. 

6. Get ready to get your hands dirty. Have your husband take the kids out of the house and have a dishcloth handy.  Don’t answer your phone.  This is intense!

7. Make a litle assembly line; dip shrimp into the egg white, coat with sesame seed mixture, and arrange shrimp in the pan (which by now you’ve taken out of the oven and is now full of melted coconut oil!

8. Think peaceful thoughts….pretend you are working in a monastery and this is your joyful obedience….or your zen moment or something.  I found it strangely relaxing to do all this work knowing it was for people I love dearly!

9.  When you are done with that, place in the oven for about 10 minutes or until shrimp are opaque and the crust is golden. 

10. Remove pan from oven, and pour orange sauce over all. Bake 10-15 more minutes (watch it; I found that more time didn’t hurt anything).

11. Garnish with green onions.

Enjoy!!!