More and more often, being at home, we began to dream of an unforgettable vacation: a sunny beach, palm trees and soft drinks. We can still provide ourselves with something atmospheric today – the taste and aroma of coconut. This fruit is gradually gaining popularity in cooking. Now, not only professional chefs use it in production, but also amateur cooks periodically experiment with coconut flour, sugar, butter, milk and cream. Why these products are becoming more and more relevant and what to cook with them, read in the “Culinary Trends” section.
Exotics in your kitchen
Coconut flakes are the most common tropical nut product. But there are some more … Coconut milk is a sweet liquid made from the pulp of a ripe coconut. Unlike coconut water, milk is produced artificially by mixing and squeezing crushed coconut pulp and plain water. Milk can be added to coffee, cooked on its basis, porridge, soups and even stew meat and vegetables in it. Chia seeds, which we wrote about earlier, go well with it. Cream is the same milk, only with a higher fat content. They are mainly used for making sauces and desserts. It is better not to use cream in its pure form because of its high fat content.
How do you imagine coconut sugar? It’s funny, but it’s not white, it’s brown! It looks a bit like a reed. A useful substitute for refined sugar has a low glycemic index, sometimes it is even prescribed for diabetics. Coconut sugar is often added to baked goods, which improves the quality of the baked goods. Another indispensable product is coconut flour: it is gluten-free, but high in fiber. Pancakes, cheesecakes and cookies are often made from it. At the same time, they often supplement with other flour, since coconut slightly dries dishes. All of these products can be found in health food stores or ordered online. Milk is sold in regular supermarkets. Also pay attention to coconut chips and urbech – these are ready-to-eat products that you may be trying for the first time. Shop for coconut products and cook with us!
Marzipan cookies
Meet the author’s recipe from our expert Diana. “This recipe appeared when I was in Bali without scales, mixers or even an oven. However, I was definitely not ready to deprive myself of sweets, so all the available products were collected in the supermarket, which, once in the bowl, turned into … marzipan! ”
Ingredients:
almond flour – 1 cup (250 ml)
coconut flour – 2 tbsp. l.
coconut oil – 3 tablespoons l.
Jerusalem artichoke syrup – 4 tbsp. l.
vegetable milk – 3-4 tbsp. l.
vanillin – 1 g
salt to taste
chocolate drops or chopped chocolate – to taste
Cooking method:
1. Combine all ingredients in a deep bowl and knead the dough. You should have a gooey mass.
2. Pinch off pieces of dough and shape into cookies. You can follow the classic path and roll a marzipan sausage from a dense mass, from which you will then cut off portioned sweets.
3. Place the cookies on a plate and refrigerate for a while to freeze and hold their shape. Enjoy!
Shirataki with shrimps and coconut milk
Now let’s prepare a light and unusual dinner based on Japanese noodles and coconut milk. Shirataki are made not from wheat flour, but from the root of the plant amorphophallus cognac (a heat-loving culture common in Asia; it grows in the mountains). This product can also be bought from us: in health food stores or in large supermarkets. Girls will appreciate it, because one pack of shirataki contains only 16 calories! The noodles do not have a pronounced taste and smell, so they go well with other more aromatic and rich products. We decided to complement the dish with tender coconut milk. The experiment was a success, try it too! The ingredients are in two servings.
Ingredients:
shirataki – 2 packs
unpeeled shrimp – 450 g
bell pepper – 1 pc.
coconut milk – 200 ml
vegetable oil – 1-2 tbsp. l.
peppercorns, bay leaf – to taste
salt, pepper – to taste
Cooking method:
1. Boil shrimp in hot water with pepper and bay leaves for 1 minute. Peel the seafood and set aside.
2. Cut the peppers into strips and quickly fry them in a skillet with oil. Make the fire stronger and stir the pepper all the time.
3. Rinse the shirataki under running water and boil for 1.5 minutes.
4. Add the shrimps to the almost finished pepper, fry for 30 seconds.
5. Pour coconut milk into a frying pan and add shirataki, add salt and pepper to taste.
6. While stirring, keep on fire for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the skillet with a lid and leave to rest for another 2 minutes. A delicious low-calorie dinner is ready!
Editorial advice
Shake the can of coconut milk well before opening it. From above, the mass thickens, while from below it remains liquid. Therefore, it is necessary to bring it to a uniform state.
You can use coconut oil instead of regular oil, then the sweet taste in the dish will be stronger!
