Shrimp Enchiladas in a Coconut Chile Sauce

In my month long quest to cook lighter meals, I have been also trying to clean out my pantry of some canned goods. I came across a can of light coconut milk the other day and the wheels in my foodie head began to turn! I have a dear friend named Suwanee, who is from Thailand and we have cooked together now and then. I am really fond of this one particular recipe, "Chicken Coconut Soup", that she prepares. So, I had the coconut milk, and you all know how much I love chile peppers! A recipe was bound to be created! LOL! The coconut milk is creamy, flavorful, yet not overwhelming when combined with dried chiles.

Yields up to 6 servings

Ingredients:

For Coconut Chile Sauce:
13-ounce can of light coconut milk
4 dried guajillo peppers
8 chile de arbol peppers
1 serrano chile pepper
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
Juice of 2 key limes
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon salt

To finish the Sauce:
1½ tablespoons olive oil, set aside
1½ tablespoons flour, set aside
1½ cups low sodium chicken broth, set aside

For Shrimp:
1½ tablespoons olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and sliced in half
5 tablespoons coconut chile sauce
2 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red bell pepper, diced (about ¾ cup)
Salt and white pepper
Up to 12 corn tortillas, set aside

For Garnish:
Cilantro
Green onions
Key limes
Crushed chile de arbol

Prep all of your ingredients ahead of time... always a good way to start any recipe.

The coconut chile sauce and the shrimp marinating...

Directions:

1. Preheat a nonstick pan to medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and lay them in hot pan to toast. This only takes a few minutes, so as soon as peppers become aromatic, turn and cook for a few seconds more. Remove 6 of the chile de arbol, crush in a mortar, and set aside. Add 2 cups of water to the pan with chiles, reduce heat and cook to soften, about 10 minutes. Drain the water and transfer to the blender.

2. To the peppers in the blender, add the remaining ingredients to make the coconut chile sauce. Blend on high until smooth, taste for salt. Strain the sauce through a wire mesh strainer, using the back of a spoon to push through, set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, add the cleaned and chopped shrimp. Season the shrimp lightly with salt and white pepper, and 5 tablespoons of the coconut chile sauce. Stir well to combine, cover and marinate for at least an hour.

4. While the shrimp is marinating, heat the 1½ tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat in a sauce pan. Whisk in the 1½ tablespoons of flour to the oil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. Add the coconut chile sauce and 1½ cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. Taste for salt as it cooks down, cover and keep warm on low.

5. After 1 hour, remove shrimp from the refrigerator. Heat 1½ tablespoons of olive oil in a nonstick pan to medium/high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers, season lightly with salt and white pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the shrimp and cook just until shrimp turns pink. Taste for salt, cover and remove from heat.

6. Preheat a comal or griddle pan to medium heat for 5 minutes. Spray the corn tortillas with canola or olive oil spray. Heat the tortillas for a minute on each side, transfer to a tortilla warmer or in between foil paper to keep warm. To plate, add a couple of tablespoons of shrimp filling to corn tortilla, roll and place on serving plate. Top with just enough sauce to cover, top enchiladas with remaining shrimp, green onions, cilantro, lime to taste and crushed chile de arbol. Yields up to 6 servings.

Other recipes by Sonia:

Mini Gorditas Stuffed with Chorizo and Cheese
Tilapia In a Green Chile Sauce With Coconut Lime Rice
Chile Relleno with Serrano Shrimp
Tequila Lime Shrimp
Steak Ranchero and Potato Tacos
Pumpkin Empanadas
Annatto-Citrus Marinated Chicken
Chile Garlic Shrimp Kabobs
Avocado Fries
Chicken Enchilada Soup with Chayotes
Chocoflan / Pastel Imposible

Save this recipe to your HK profile by clicking on the Favorite button below!