Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Coconut Rice

I like SimplyRecipes because the meals here are usually really simple and full of flavor. This Spicy Garlic Shrimp recipe served over Coconut Rice is a perfect example of a quick and easy meal that is simple to prepare.

Directions are easy to follow and if you keep a well stocked pantry you may have everything on hand. If not, it's a short list that won't cost you much at the grocery store.

Gather a lime, a jalapeno, coconut milk, and some sort of red chili sauce. I happen to have this Garlic Chili Pepper Sauce made by A Taste of Thai, which turned out to be great in this recipe. You also need rice, shrimp and garlic.

Start cooking the rice to the package directions.

Also, marinade the shrimp for 10 minutes by combining six garlic cloves with 1.5 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. You can put the garlic cloves, water and salt in a cuisinart and pulse until you have a chunky mixture - or if you are using minced garlic from a jar (shortcut that I love to use) just combine the right amount with water and salt and add the shrimp and let marinade in a zip top bag in the fridge.

After 10 minutes strain the water from the shrimp and garlic mixture. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and add the shrimp, add the juice of one lime, add 1 jalapeno pepper that is seeded and julienned along with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Cook the shrimp for one minute, then add one can of coconut milk to the saute pan. Stir and cook for one minute longer.

Now squeeze in as much Chili Sauce as you can handle. I added about a tablespoon. You could sub chili powder for chili sauce if you needed to.

When rice is fully cooked, add the other can of coconut milk to the cooked rice. Serve shrimp over rice.

Jim and I really liked this. It was fast and simple to put together. In the future I would chop the jalapeno instead of cutting into strips so there was more bits of jalapeno in every bite. This was wonderful!

Looking for more shrimp dishes? Try these other favorites of mine:

• Shrimp and Grits - a classic New Orleans recipe.
• Shrimp Bisque - this is SO good, but it takes some time - although worth it on a cold Sunday!
• Firecracker Shrimp - a PW recipe, great for a crowd.

Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Coconut Rice

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Serves 4

1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
1 pound, about 20 large jumbo shrimp (peeled with tail on or unpeeled, but veins removed)
6 large garlic cloves
1 1/2 cup of water
Salt
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and cut into strips
Juice of one lime

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 small cans (5.6 ounces) coconut milk
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of red chili sauce, or to taste

Start cooking rice from package directions. Combine minced garlic, water and 1/2 teaspoon salt with shrimp and marinate for 10 minutes. Strain the water from the shrimp and garlic mixture. Add the lime juice, jalapeño, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the shrimp. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on high heat in large sauté pan. Add shrimp. Cook one minute. Add 1 small can of coconut milk. Cook one minute. Mix in red chili sauce to taste. Put rice into a large bowl. Mix in the second 5.6 ounce can of coconut milk to the cooked rice. Serve shrimp on rice. Enjoy!