Tag: coconut
4th Of July Dessert: Vanilla Coconut Panna Cotta with Mango Lime Sauce
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 packet unflavored gelatin powder
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 cup evaporated cane sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, sliced length-wise and seeds taken out
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 (8 oz) ramekins
In a small bowl dissolve the gelatin in the cold water. Keep aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt, coconut milk, vanilla extract and seeds from vanilla bean.
In a heavy saucepan, heat the cream and sugar on medium heat until just simmering. Remove from heat and add the gelatin mixture. Add the cream mixture into the cold yogurt mixture.
Pour into the ramekins and chill thoroughly- at least 6 hours if not over night. Dip bottoms of cups into hot water and invert into a serving plate. Serve with mango lime sauce.
Mango Lime Sauce
- ½ cup mango pulp
- 2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice
- Juice of ½ lime (1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 mint leaves
Combine mango pulp and sugar in a small saucepan. Add the mint leaves and heat over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes and turn the heat off. Add the vanilla extract and lime juice. Take the mint leaves once the sauce is cool. Serve with the panna cotta.
South Indian Style Brown Fried Rice with Red Pepper and Green Beans
I love south indian style lemon rice… and make it often… so I was in the mood but wanted to make it healthier and filled with veggies- so I came up with this recipe… I cooked it with brown rice and added peppers and green beans.. check it out- it is yummy!
- 1 cup brown jasmine rice, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups water
Transfer the rice to a heavy saucepan with the oil and sauté on medium heat for a minute. Add the salt and water, bring to a boil and cover partially with a lid and lower the heat to a low medium. Continue cooking, about 15 minutes till all the water is cooked off from the surface. Place the lid on the pan and lower the heat to a very low and continue cooking for at least 20 minutes or till cooked. Fluff with fork and let cool.
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 12-15 curry leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon white moong dal
- 1 tablespoon channa dal
- ¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- ½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 cup green beans, chopped
- Salt
- Juice of half a large lemon
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Add the oil to a wok like saucepan with the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, moong dal, channa dal, coconut and peanuts. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the onion and ginger and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the red pepper and green beans and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cooled brown rice, salt and lemon juice. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, check for seasonings and finish off with the cilantro. Serve with grilled meats or lentils.
Coconut Chicken Curry
I taught this dish yesterday in one of my cooking classes and it came out delicous. When I was testing the dish, I started with something completely different. It was okay, tasted fine but it didn’t stand out. So I decided to add some mustard seeds, crushed tomatoes and onions. That made a big difference in the taste and texture of the gravy. I love going out for south-indian food, especially since I am from the north. I then like to come home and try to replicate the dishes to the best of my ability. Hope you enjoy my version of a south-indian chicken dish!
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2 inch pieces
Marinade
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3-4 inch ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon juiced
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sauce
- 1 medium white onion sliced
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup low fat coconut milk
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup chopped cilantro for garnish
Mix all 5 ingredients and marinate the chicken for 2 to 3 hours. In a heavy saucepan heat the olive oil and add the mustard seeds, cook for about a minute until the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the chicken with the marinade, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, salt, garam masala and sauté for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add the onions and cook for 5-6 minutes while the chicken cooks. Add the crushed tomatoes, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the coconut milk and let it simmer till the sauce thickens. Adjust seasoning and add the cilantro.
Coconut Sweet Potato Cake
- 1 cup pureed sweet potatoes
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup extra light olive oil
- 1 cup turbinado sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 teaspoon powdered cloves
- 1/3 teaspoon powdered cardamom
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 9” round pan.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. In a large bowl of a mixer, add the sugar and oil. Beat till the mixture is creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add the sweet potatoes and vanilla and mix well. Stir in dry ingredients and pour into the round pan.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until tester is clean. Let cool and then top with the coconut and pecan icing.
Toasted Coconut and Pecan Icing
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons milk
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
- ½ pecans, chopped and toasted
In a small mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon and milk. Whisk well until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth. Add the coconut and pecans. Mix well and pour the mixture on top of the cake. Let it set for at least an hour before serving.
Coconut Shrimp
This dish is worth reposting. I used the recipe this past weekend for a dinner party I was having. I thought it would be fun to post the dishes I made… next time you want to have a dinner party and cook Indian food- you may want to use this menu…I changed it up a bit by adding sliced onions- made it super delicious…
This dish is truly delicious! I made it the other day- concocted it in my head the day before I was supposed to cook and take it to my friend’s house.
She was having a get together and wanted to know where to get a few meat snacks for a cocktail party. I suggested we cook at home instead. It is so hard to find a place that makes and delivers yummy food. Also, by the time they bring the food over, it’s cooked and cold and doesn’t taste the same reheated. We decided I will cook the shrimp and take to her house. I decided to do a stir fry style dish which will taste good room temperature as shrimp is not so tasty reheated.
There used to be a South Indian restaurant in Edison, NJ that served delicious seafood. We would go once in a while and make it a point to order a shrimp stir fry for appetizer. It was yum! It had cumin and fennel seeds amongst other ingredients. I started to think of that dish and got inspired to make the coconut shrimp.
I roasted the cumin and fennel seeds and powdered them in a spice grinder. I also had fresh frozen shredded coconut which I roasted as well- just to give it more of a crunch in the dish. Store bought, packaged coconut can be substituted for the dish.
The overall flavor was enhanced by the marinade- which was simply lemon juice, garlic, salt and olive oil. I sauteed the marinated shrimp with the spice mix and added the coconut. Very simple, yet very tasty.
It was a big hit at the party. This dish will definitely be part of my repertoire going forward. Give it a try- you won’t be disappointed!
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Homemade Chocolate Granola- Perfect Holiday Gift
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- ½ cup flaxseed meal
- ½ cup wheat germ
- ½ cup oat bran
- ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup sliced raw almonds
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1½ cups mixed dried blueberries, cranberries, cherries, etc
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup extra light olive oil
- 1 cup honey
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl add the oats, flaxseed meal, wheat germ, oat bran, coconut, almonds, walnuts and the dried fruit.
In a large measuring cup, add the olive oil, honey, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Heat in the microwave for a minute to liquefy the mixture and mix well.
Add the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon.
On a large lined cookie sheet or two small cookie sheets, spread the granola mixture, smoothing the surface evenly.
Bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and separate with a fork while the mixture is still warm. Once the mixture cools off, add the chocolate chips. If you want the chocolate to melt all into the granola, add the chips while the mixture is still warm.
Eat with milk, coffee or on its own.
Coconut Cabbage with Peas
After getting back from Italy it took us a while to get back into our usual routine. We all love Italian food but once we got back, we craved other cuisines. We went to our favorite Chinese restaurant the next day and ate some Indian food out of the freezer for dinner.
I soon filled the fridge with groceries and started thinking about cooking again- it’s very hard to get back into it… Pasta kept coming to mind but I knew I wanted to make some vegetarian Indian food. We had consumed quite a bit of meat including salami and prosciutto and wanted to take a break.
While I was in Trader Joes, I picked up a pack of shredded cabbage. I usually never buy the packaged kind but then I get too lazy to buy the whole cabbage and shred it myself. My husband loves cabbage made a specific way with mustard seeds and curry leaves. I never end up making it because of my laziness. So, when I saw the packed cabbage, I picked it up and decided to make him happy.
It’s a very simple dish- the flavor is wonderful with the mustard seeds and curry leaves. I added some shredded coconut to give it a nice crunch and sweetness. I also added frozen peas to give the dish color. It took all of 20 minutes to make. I plan to serve it with lentils and freshly made rotis (Indian bread).
It is great to go on vacation and experience a different culture but it is fabulous to come home and eat food that reminds me of childhood….
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