Showing posts with label coconut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coconut. Show all posts
Sunday, March 22, 2015
A Feast For The Eyes Coconut Ceviche
Sometimes, looking is enough.
And, sometimes, you just have to give in to temptation.Friday Food Porn
Ive spent a considerable amount of time in Central and South America, and enjoyed many variations of ceviche, a traditional seafood dish. So I was intrigued when I recently found this raw vegan coconut ceviche. The lime marinade and coconut texture thats reminiscent of raw squid, certainly satisfied my taste memories of Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru.
You can save yourself some airfare and feed your inner voyeur at the same time by visiting b.alive. No passport required.
Ive spent a considerable amount of time in Central and South America, and enjoyed many variations of ceviche, a traditional seafood dish. So I was intrigued when I recently found this raw vegan coconut ceviche. The lime marinade and coconut texture thats reminiscent of raw squid, certainly satisfied my taste memories of Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru.
You can save yourself some airfare and feed your inner voyeur at the same time by visiting b.alive. No passport required.
Live a little. Its the weekend
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Vegan Kabocha Squash Coconut Curry With Peas Red Bell Pepper And Israeli Couscous
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| Kabocha squash is also known as Japanese pumpkin Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK! |
When you take a Japanese pumpkin, add Indian curry to tropical coconut milk and stir in Israeli couscous, you may just want to wave that zippo lighter while breaking out in a chorus of "We are the World"! I love "fusion cuisine" where you mix different types of cooking. Yesterday, I think I found my new favorite restaurant, "Avatars" in Sausalito. I will do a proper restaurant review of this amazing eatery in the future, but they feature dishes that combine elements of both Mexican and Indian cuisine. The owner surprised me with a vegan curried pumpkin enchilada with a drizzle of mango sauce! Do you have any favorite combinations of ethnic dishes or ideas for some? Write a comment!
Kabocha Squash
Also known as "Japanese pumpkin", this lovely squash has bumpy, dark green skin and is a bit sweeter and denser than a sugar pumpkin. It almost has the consistency of a sweet potato. I really love everything about this squash, especially the fact that you dont have to peel them! Just pull out the seeds, dice them up and throw them in a curry - so easy! I will warn you, however, if you leave the skin on when making a pumpkin pie, youll end up with a pretty unattractive brown pie!
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| A 2.5 pound kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin |
I find it almost impossible to write up a curry recipe for you because there are an infinite number of curry blends using ingredients like turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne, ginger and other spices. I usually keep a "sweet curry" and a "hot curry" in my spice cabinet and blend them together in different ratios depending on how spicy I want the dish. So the amount of curry in this recipe is merely a suggestion.
I like adding the curry when I am sautéing the veggies as it seems to mix in more easily.
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| Sautéing the veggies in a 5 quart Dutch oven |
Larger than regular couscous, Israeli couscous are really just small, round balls of pasta. I love their size and texture. Unfortunately they are difficult to find in "whole grain". There are a few on the internet but read the reviews carefully before you order. Roland, sold on Amazon, has some bad reviews claiming the couscous tasted "stale". If you have had luck finding a good whole grain couscous, let us know!
Vegan Kabocha Squash Curry with Israeli Couscous
[makes 6 servings]
A 2.5 pound kabocha squash, seeds removed and cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup dry Israeli couscous
2 cups or more water with a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet curry, or to taste
1 teaspoon hot curry, or to taste
1 cup frozen peas, rinsed in hot water to thaw
One 15.5 ounce can light coconut milk
1 cup veggie broth or water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Steam kabocha squash for 5 minutes or until barely fork tender. Do not overcook. Remove from steamer and set aside.
In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil, add couscous, lower heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until done but still firm. Stir while cooking to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom. Add more boiling water if needed.
In a 5 quart Dutch oven, heat olive oil and sauté onions and peppers for 5 to 8 minutes until tender.
Add sweet and hot curry and mix thoroughly.
Add peas and cook for several minutes.
Add coconut milk, broth and salt and bring to a boil.
Lower heat and mix in cooked kabocha squash and couscous and heat for several minutes.
Serve immediately.
Per serving: 242.2 calories, 6.3 g fat, 3.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6.4 g protein, 39.6 g carbohydrates and 3.6 g dietary fiber.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites, well beaten
- 3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips, melted
- Pistachios, walnuts, pecans, chopped
- Candied ginger, chopped
- Flaked or shredded coconut
For Finishing:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Beat the egg whites in a bowl until foamy. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
- Form half-egg shapes by pressing together the coconut mixture (the mixture will be sticky - this is normal). Place coconut macaroons on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow macaroons to cool 5 minutes before using a spatula to lift them off of the cookie sheet.
- Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir chocolate chips, and microwave at 15-second intervals, stirring the chocolate in between intervals, until melted (about 1 minute to 1 minute and 15 seconds total). Allow the chocolate to cool and thicken slightly.
- Dip the bottoms or the tops of the macaroons in chocolate, then sprinkle the wet chocolat with desired toppings, such as chopped nuts, candied ginger, or flaked coconunt.
- Place macaroons on their sides on a plate to dry.
By Julia Mueller
Source: http://www.theroastedroot.net/chocolate-dipped-coconut-macaroons/
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