Crunchy Shrimp with Israeli Couscous & Ginger Orange Sauce

This is one of those easy dishes that is really something special. I will warn you that while this takes only about 30 minutes to prepare, you have to constantly be paying attention to what's going on so that nothing gets overcooked or burns. (I may or may not have evaporated all of the orange juice into a black mess once before...oops!) This is not a dish that I would prepare without another set of hands to watch little people...and to help clean up as it uses a lot of pots/pans. There was not a morsel left of this meal tonight. It's definitely worth trying...especially if you can snag some shrimp at the beach this summer and bring them home to use/freeze for later use. One of my children doesn't love shrimp, so I will perhaps make a little chicken to go on his plate next time, but overall this was a great success for a family dinner!

Crunchy Shrimp with Toasted Couscous & Ginger Orange Sauce
Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Light found HERE.

**Before you begin, read entire directions so that everything will come together at the same time.**

SAUCE:

• 1 cup orange juice 
• 1 T chopped  cilantro
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• ISRAELI COUSCOUS
• 1 cup Israeli couscous
• 1 1/2 cups less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup orange juice 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1 T unsalted butter
• SHRIMP:
• 1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp 
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten 
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 tsp finely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 2 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 cups trimmed watercress
• 
  
• SAUCE:
• Bring 1 cup orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat; cool completely. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients & set aside.
• While orange juice is boiling, start to prepare...
• COUSCOUS:
• Place Israeli couscous in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring often. Add broth, orange juice, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover & simmer for 8- 10 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork; add onions, almonds, and butter, stirring until butter melts. 
• While couscous is cooking, start to prepare...
• SHRIMP:
• Combined peeled & deveined shrimp and egg white in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Combine the panko, cilantro, ginger, and black pepper in a large ziploc  bag. Add shrimp to the bag, and seal and shake to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; arrange shrimp in a single layer in pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. DO NOT overcook.

Serve family style by layering couscous, then watercress, then shrimp. Drizzle entire plate with sauce and serve remaining sauce on the side.

Happy Cooking!