Spicy Coconut Shrimp with Mango Basil Salsa

This post is brought to us by my friend Ginny Miller (who you may remember me mentioning in our chocolate zucchini bread post). Mother of two seriously cool little boys, her family lives most of the time in Northern California but is soon to make a summer move to North Dakota. Wait. What? California to the Dakotas? Maybe a little strange for the rest of us, but not if you're a beekeeper. And that, my friends, is exactly what Ginny's husband is.

Beekeeping gets me excited on a number of levels: 1) We wouldn't have much food without bees. Save the bees! I ♥ bees! I plant flowers and herbs and vegetables that will attract bees so they can happily pollinate the neighborhood. 2) What would the world be like without honey? I shudder to think of it. It makes me want to go buy barrels of honey to store in my closet...Dutch Gold honey because that's where the Miller family honey goes. 3) Being a beekeeper means you get to be around bees all the time...which means you get to be outside a lot. And you're kind of saving the planet, too. So the fact that Ginny and her husband made the decision to bring on the bees makes them that much cooler.

But I digress. Aside from being a beekeeping family, Ginny is a great cook and lover of good food. When we were lucky enough to live near each other, our conversations inevitably turned to food and travel. Eating while traveling. Eating food that makes you feel like you're traveling. Traveling for the food. All good options, if you ask me. So please welcome Ginny and enjoy what promises to be a superb combination of flavors.  I can't wait to try it.

My friend sent this recipe to me a few years ago and it quickly became a family favorite.  We tend to love anything with coconut milk, so this is right up our alley.  The sweetness of the coconut milk combined with the spicy jalapeños creates a really delicious, intense flavor.  The mango salsa adds a fresh taste to it all.  I usually serve this with a roasted edamame salad for a light, healthy dinner. 
-Ginny  (You can read more about Ginny's adventures here).

Spicy Coconut Shrimp with Mango Basil Salsa
Recipe and pictures from Ginny Miller

For the salsa: 
1 mango, peeled and finely diced

3 scallions, sliced

5 basil leaves, julienned

1 lime, juiced

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Make up to a day in advance. Keep covered in the refrigerator.

For the shrimp: 

2 fresh jalapenos, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 lime, zested
1/4 cup coconut milk
small handful basil leaves, torn into bits
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
15 grinds pepper
1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp

1. In a mixing bowl, combine jalapenos, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime zest, coconut milk, basil, vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours, refrigerated.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat. Use tongs or a fork to remove the shrimp from the marinade and place in an even layer in the pan, reserving the marinade.
3. Cook the shrimp until well browned on each side, turning once, about 3to 4 minutes total. Transfer cooked shrimp to a serving plate. 
4. Add reserved marinade to pan, bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. 
5. Pour over the cooked shrimp and serve with Lime Jasmine Rice and Mango Salsa.

Lime Jasmine Rice:

1 cup jasmine rice

3/4 cup coconut milk

3/4 cup water

Pinch salt

1/2 lime, zested

1. Put the rice, coconut milk, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover and gently simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 12 to15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in the lime zest. Serve immediately.