I’ve Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts
By LANIE PIMENTEL
petunia5043(at)gmail.com
Coconutsthe seeds of palm trees are most comely cultivated in South America and South Asia and are said to have a thousand uses! It is no wonder that most recipes that incorporate coconut into non-desert dishes are found on South Asian menus. Especially Thai recipes. Yummy!
In my opinion, there are thousands and thousands of delicious recipes that incorporate the coconut goodness!
What’s not to love about anything fried. Especially shrimp. But add some coconut flakes to the mix, and you have a succulent treat for the taste buds!
Coconut Fried Shrimp with Dipping Sauce
Recipe courtesy Bobby Deen
Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup orange marmalade
4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Peanut oil, for frying
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup water
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Add all dipping sauce ingredients to a pot on a low temperature. Heat for 10 minutes, making sure you stir ingredients every few minutes.
In a large, heavy pot, heat 2-inches of the peanut oil to 325 degrees F.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the water and whisk until smooth. Let the batter stand for 15 minutes.
In a wide, shallow bowl, toss the coconut and bread crumbs together.
Put the shrimp into the batter. Remove the shrimp, 1 at a time, and dredge in the coconut mixture, pressing to help the coconut adhere. Fry the shrimp in batches in the hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes or until brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Serve the shrimp with the dipping sauce.
Coconut curry chicken is a delicious meal with a hint of coconut flavor. If any of the Asian ingredients looks unfamiliar to you, you might want to try finding an Asian market. Not only will you save the trip to various supermarkets trying to collect all the ingredients, but they have cheaper brands and more of a variety. What you might find in 12 feet of supermarket space designated to “Asian Food” you will find an entire a world of new products at the Asian markets!
Courtesy of Cooking Lighthttp://www.flickr.com/photos/43952263@N00/2335373340/
1 1/2 cups water, divided
2/3 cup uncooked couscous
1 cup light coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 teaspoons bottled minced ginger
1 teaspoon green curry paste
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup prechopped onion
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon lime juice
Lime wedges (optional)
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in couscous, and cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
While couscous cooks, combine 1/2 cup water, coconut milk, and next 6 ingredients (through curry paste), stirring well with a whisk.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes or until done, turning once. Remove from pan; keep warm.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add peas, onion, and mushrooms; cook 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add coconut milk mixture and 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Add chicken and lime juice to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve over couscous; garnish with lime wedges, if desired.
4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture and 1/2 cup couscous)
If you want to add a little zaz to your dinner plate, try this recipe for coconut rice. It’s easy, and may just open the doors and your taste buds to new flavors and worlds!
Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee, 2008
http://img.foodnetwork.com/FOOD/2008/03/09/SH1011_Coconut-Rice-2_e.jpg
2 cups jasmine rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Rinse and drain rice in cold water. Place in a saucepan with water, coconut milk, and salt. Place the pot over high heat and, bring the liquid to a boil. Stir and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cover the pot tightly with the lid. Continue cooking for 15 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and let stand 10 minutes, covered. Fluff with fork and serve.
Nothing says “Party” like the blending scents of a Pina Colada. It’s an easy drink to prepare and a winner at any occasion! If you want to serve it to children, simply omit the 3 oz. of rum from the recipe. It is just as good!
From About.com
http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gifi
4 oz. fresh pineapple juice
3 oz. rum
2 oz. coconut milk
2 cups crushed ice
Pour all of the ingredients into a blender. Blend briefly at high speed. Strain into a glass and serve. Garnish with a slice of fresh pineapple and a cherry.
The list goes on and go. Run to the store and try some of these recipes! They are coco-licious !