Shrimp appetizer elegant, simple

While I was visiting a Thai restaurant conducting research for a recent column, I came across a beautiful appetizer. The Thai Shrimp Coconut Wrap was elegant, yet simple and it was so colorful. It got my attention, so I tried to recreate it at home so I could share this very easy appetizer with you.

Thai Shrimp Coconut Wrap

This is fresh tasting and looking works as an appetizer or side dish. You can serve these with bottled or homemade sauce such as Thai Dipping Sauce, Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, or Thai Peanut Sauce. They stand alone well, too.

1/4 cup finely grated carrot

1/4 cup finely grated jicama (peel away the thick outer skin, leaving the crisp white interior)

1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

2 teaspoons lime juice

12 spinach leaves

12 large shrimp, cooked, deveined and tail removed (available in bags in the freezer section in many supermarkets), thawed and kept chilled

12 whole cashews, roasted and salted (unsalted can be substituted)

Add carrots, jicama and coconut to a 2-cup measure and drizzle lime juice over the top and toss to blend well.

Lay a spinach leaf on a flat surface and top with a level tablespoon of the carrot/coconut mixture. Lay one of the shrimp on top of this and in the curve of the shrimp lay one of the cashews.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 12 shrimp appetizer wraps.

Yield: 6 appetizer servings (2 each)

Approximate nutrition per serving (2 shrimp wraps each): 59 calories, 3 grams fat (1.5 grams saturated, 45 percent fat calories), 4 grams protein, 5 grams carbohydrate, 21 milligrams cholesterol, 1.2 grams dietary fiber, 75 milligrams sodium.

Weight Watchers POINTS = 1