Endings matter to me.
Last night I watched Dear John again, hoping the ending would be different. It wasn’t.
I re-read the final page of The Island for days because I wanted a cleaner finish. That didn’t happen either.
I even DVR-ed the Bachelorette thinking that if I watched the ending twice something dramatic might happen to the television. Nope. Still a mess.
When it comes to food, though, I have different rules about endings. I don’t pour out a cereal box because the last bits are all crumbs and powder. I don’t scrape a tub of ice cream clean because the best bits are already gone. And I rarely finish the last sip of a smoothie because I usually move on to something more satisfying.
I do, however, enjoy the bottom of a pickle jar — I like the brine — and I’m fond of the last of the coconut rum because it often means I’m about to enjoy a drink, maybe with pineapple juice, a splash of cranberry, a lime wedge and a sugared rim.
If you like pickle brine and coconut rum as much as I do, I’d hand you my final rose — unless your name is Bentley. And please, don’t combine those two flavors; that’s just odd.
I loved the ending of this meal. Much better than Dear John — probably because I was eating and ended perfectly full and content. Shrimp baked in coconut milk with a crunchy topping is my kind of comfort. Add a chunky pineapple-peach salsa on top and I’m blissful.
Coconut Baked Shrimp with Pineapple Peach Salsa
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Ingredients
Coconut Baked Shrimp
- 1 pound tail-on, peeled and deveined shrimp (16–20 count)
- 2/3 cup lite coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional: infused with chopped tarragon)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons shredded coconut (unsweetened)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (or parsley)
Pineapple Peach Salsa
- 1/4 cup chopped pineapple (about 4 large chunks)
- 1/3 cup chopped peaches (2 white peaches recommended)
- 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Juice of half a lemon
Instructions
Coconut Baked Shrimp
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick spray. If you like, slice each shrimp down the middle to butterfly for a larger appearance.
- Toss shrimp with salt and pepper and arrange in the baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together coconut milk, olive oil, garlic and tarragon. Pour over the shrimp. In another bowl, combine panko and shredded coconut; sprinkle over the shrimp. Bake 20 minutes, until the topping is golden. Spoon some of the coconut milk mixture over the shrimp and top with the salsa before serving.
- If you dislike shredded coconut texture, omit it and increase the panko. The coconut milk itself is mild.
Pineapple Peach Salsa
- Combine pineapple, peaches, tomatoes, tarragon, cilantro, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Toss to mix. Keeps 2–3 days refrigerated.
Did you make this recipe?
I appreciate you so much!
This, now, is a happy ending.