Archive
1 Can of Coconut Milk = 2 Recipes
I love coconut milk, but don’t have many recipes that use an entire large can. Most recipes use a cup or less. The large cans of coconut milk have almost two cups. When I find the tiny cans of coconut milk, I stock up. But I don’t find them very often. So, what to do with the leftover coconut milk? Many possibilities: Thai coconut soup, smoothies, sorbet, rice pudding, coconut oatmeal, pina coladas, etc. But, I thought it might be nice to have two recipes that go well together which use one entire can of coconut milk. So, I give you Curried Coconut Spaghetti Squash and Coconut Pigeon Peas and Rice. Coincidentally, each recipe also uses half an onion!
Curried Coconut Spaghetti Squash
I originally found this recipe on an interesting paleolithic diet website: (http://www.paleoeffect.com/recipes/paleo-coconut-curry-spaghetti-squash-a-delicate-vegan-side/)
I don’t eat paleo so I took a few liberties with the recipe. Ok, I took a lot of liberties with the recipe. Wasn’t really in the mood for green curry or cilantro so I used red curry and hot pepper flakes. Also, added some orange peppers because it sounded like a good idea. I was craving sunny orange and yellow food. This certainly fit the bill!
This is a nice, light vegan side dish that is great served with Coconut Pigeon Peas and Rice.
Curried Coconut Spaghetti Squash
1 medium spaghetti squash
6 ounces coconut water or plain water
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ a medium-large onion, chopped (or 2 large shallots)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon red curry paste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
1 medium red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon honey (or agave)
½ cup coconut milk
¼ cup cashew pieces (raw or toasted)
You can bake spaghetti squash in the oven at 350º F for 45 minute to an hour. However, it is mid-March and we are experiencing record temps in the mid to upper 80s here in North Alabama. Do not want to turn on the AC yet so I used the microwave to avoid heating the house.
Some people bake or microwave spaghetti squash whole, but I prefer to cut them. Wash the outside of the squash. Dry it thoroughly. The rind is tough so it can be a little tricky to cut, so use care when cutting it. Wrap it in a towel, place it on a cutting board and use a large knife to slice it lengthwise from stem to end. Then use a spoon or a sturdy ice cream scoop to scoop out the seeds and the stringy stuff. This is similar to how you clean a butternut squash or a pumpkin.
Place the two halves cut side up in a microwave safe container (I use a Pyrex pie plate). Fill the cavities with either coconut water or regular water. Pour a little extra water in the bottom of the container. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Rotate the squash halves and pour a little more of the liquid over the cut edges – this keeps them from drying out. Microwave another 5 minutes. Let them rest for about 5 more minutes. Then, use a fork to shred the squash so that it looks like strands of spaghetti.
In a large sauce pan, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes. Add the spices, salt, and the bell peppers. Sauté for another 2 minutes. Stir in the honey and coconut milk. Turn the heat to low, add the spaghetti squash and the cashew piece. Mix and serve immediately
Coconut Pigeon Peas and Rice
Pigeon peas are one of my favorite legumes. They are also known as tropical green peas or gandules (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeon_pea). You can buy them canned or dried in most major grocery stores or international markets. In Huntsville you can get them at Publix, Garden Cove, Kroger, and Earth Fare. If you use dried, just soak them for a few hours, rinse, boil for until tender, and then drain. If you use canned peas, drain them for this recipe.
I have a friend and former neighbor, from Puerto Rico, and his specialty was pigeon peas and rice. It was one of my favorite meals and I looked forward to the days when Hector cooked. Over the years, I’ve tried to replicate Hector’s recipe, but nothing can top the original. Therefore, I decided to create my own version of Pigeon Peas and Rice. This is a vegan, curried version with coconut. It’s totally different, but I still like it. Hope you do too.
Coconut Pigeon Peas and Rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ a medium-large onion, chopped
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon curry powder
1½ teaspoons salt (or less if you want to keep the sodium low)
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups rice, rinsed (basmati, jasmine, or brown long-grain rice)
¼ cup dried unsweetened coconut
1 cup coconut milk
2¼ cups water
2 cups cooked pigeon peas
Heat olive oil and coconut oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, turmeric, curry powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook until onions are translucent and tender, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and coconut. Sauté for about 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and water. Bring mixture to a boil. Then, gently stir in the pigeon peas. Cover the pot. Turn the temperature to low. Leave it alone for 20 minutes (no peeking!). Remove from heat and let the rice sit for another 5 minutes. Fluff/stir the rice and peas. Serve.
Date Nut Bars
I have been sick for the past week, so I’m a little slow with posting. Haven’t really felt much like cooking or eating either. However, now I’m taking medicine that must be taken on a full stomach. I’m not a huge fan of eating in the morning. I love breakfast foods, but there is something about eating them early in the morning that is unappealing. I get this honestly from my mom. Having these tasty date nut bars around should make it easier to eat in the morning so I can take my medicine.
This is another adaptable recipe. You can make them wheat-free or vegan. If you don’t like walnuts, use pecans or another nut. Not a fan of pumpkin seeds, then just use sunflower seeds. Want real butter or coconut oil instead of canola oil, go for it. If you want them for dessert or a snack bar, feel free to add a few chocolate, carob, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips. Don’t want to grind flax seeds? You can use sesame seeds or whole flax seeds. You can add other spices – ginger, cloves, or cardamom. If you love vanilla, you can add that too. Ok, I’ll stop now; you get the point.
I included substitutions in parentheses for most of the ingredients. Don’t let that limit you though. This is a fun, easy recipe, so play around with it…
Date Nut Bars
Dry ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats, not instant or quick
¼ cup gluten-free flour blend (or regular flour)
¼ cup maple sugar crystals (or date sugar or brown sugar is fine)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or pumpkin pie or apple pie spice blend)
pinch of salt
¼ cup ground flax seeds (or whole flax seeds or sesame seeds)
1 cup walnuts, chopped (or almonds or pecans or hazelnuts or cashews)
½ cup dried raisins (or cranberries or cherries)
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup dried, unsweetened coconut (or shredded sweetened coconut or coconut chips)
Wet ingredients:
½ cup dried dates (or dried apricots or dried figs)
⅓ cup canola oil (or butter, coconut oil, or vegetable oil)
¼ cup peanut butter (or almond butter or cashew butter)
¼ cup maple syrup (or honey or agave or golden syrup or molasses)
3 tablespoons hot water
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Combine the dates, oil, peanut butter, maple syrup, and hot water in a food processor. Process until it is a thick paste. Pour this date mixture over the dry ingredients. Mix well.
Press into a parchment or foil lined 9”x13” pan (I sometimes use a rolling-pin to make sure it is pressed down firmly). Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Carefully lift the parchment or foil to remove the bars from the pan. Cool on racks. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Cooking with Food Sensitivities
The next few posts will likely deal with my battle against food allergies. However, I have been told by some doctors that I do not technically have food allergies, they are merely food sensitivities. Either way, they are not pleasant. This is a long post, apologies in advance.
My fight against food sensitivities started about 10 years ago. I found myself weighing over 200 pounds. I’m not a tall person, right at 5’5” if I really stretch. I was heavy, unhealthy, and unhappy. I tried dieting and exercising, but only lost one pound in four weeks. I had other health issues (hives, itching rashes, etc.) and suspected I might have food allergies. I went to my family doc and was referred to an allergist. Long story short…it was discovered that I was allergic to several molds, grasses, trees, pollen, pet dander, and dust. However, I only had mild food allergies to fish, peanuts, wheat. and oranges.
Disclaimer: I am NOT a medical professional; please do not take anything I write as medical advice. This is simply my experience with food allergies/sensitivities, a book recommendation, and a recipe. Please talk to your doctor before starting a new diet. Thank you and now back to the blog post…
After eliminating fish, peanuts, and oranges from my diet, I was still having reactions – rashes, stomach issues, joint pain, hives, itching, sinus issues, and no weight loss. A friend, who is also a physician assistant, suggested I read The False Fat Diet by Dr. Elson Haas. This book changed my life!! Haas mentions that people are often sensitive to seven common foods: 1) wheat, 2) cow’s milk products, 3) sugar, 4) corn, 5) eggs, 6) soy, and 7) peanuts. Other common food allergens include: chocolate, tomatoes, oranges, shellfish, yeast, oats, potatoes, MSG, and aspartame.
To determine food sensitivities, you can try an elimination diet, have a blood test, or have a skin test. I tried the skin test and didn’t have success with it. I tried the elimination diet but could not pinpoint my food sensitivities, so I tried the blood test. A few weeks later, I got the results in the mail. The lab results were not good: I was highly sensitive to six of the seven foods! I was also sensitive to several other foods, including one of my favorites – tomatoes!
I decided to change my life, eliminate those foods, and improve my health. I eliminated all the troublesome foods and a few others – wheat, dairy, sugar, corn, eggs, soy, peanuts, oranges, yeast, tomatoes, buckwheat, hazelnuts, MSG, aspartame, alcohol, and food colorings. Did I mention that I was a vegetarian at the time? Well, I was. But I added a little fish, poultry, and pork to my diet so I would have more variety. I also followed a rotation diet. I would eat a given food as much as I wanted in a 24-hour period and then not eat it again for several days. This can be tough, not many people like salads for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! It took some getting used to, but I did it. It also took lots of meal planning; I even had charts and spreadsheets. Did I mention I’m a bit of a nerd?
Before, During, and After Photos:
I followed this diet for about 8 months and increased my exercise. During this time, I lost over 75 pounds and got down to 125 pounds. That was probably a bit too skinny for me; I didn’t feel as healthy at 125 as I did at 130 or even 135 pounds. For the most part, I kept the weight off for many years. I would fluctuate between 128-138 pounds. I generally just avoided my reactive foods (particularly eggs, soy, wheat, dairy, and corn). My healthy lifestyle fell apart when I took a job that included travel and long work hours. I got lazy with meal planning, was less active, and put on weight.
Fast forward a few years to the present. I’ve had some different health issues, not been as active as I could, and my weight is up to its highest in several years. In January, I was at 160 pounds. So I joined a Scale Back Alabama weight-loss team with three friends. The goal is to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks. I would like to lose more. So far, in the first month, I’ve lost 7 pounds. I gave up wheat last week and I think that will help the weight loss. Doubt I will go totally allergy free, but I will go back to limiting my reactive foods, and become more active (my broken toe and torn up knee are not 100% but I can still walk, swim, do yoga, and go to the gym). No more excuses! The Flaming Pot Holder will likely show the diet changes. But then again, I might also post one of my favorite recipes (chock-full of allergens), because I’ve learned that occasional splurges are ok.
Oven-baked sweet potato chips are one of my favorite snacks. They are delicious, allergy free, and cover many of my snack requirements – crispy, slightly chewy, salty, and sweet. Hope you like them…
Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Chips
2 medium sweet potatoes
1-2 tablespoons oil (canola, olive, coconut, sunflower, or vegetable oil)
Kosher salt or flake salt (I like coarse salt in this recipe, but regular salt is fine too)
Preheat oven to 400º degrees F. Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes. I keep the peel because it’s one of my favorite parts, but feel free to peel them if you prefer. Slice the sweet potatoes into thin rounds (I use a slicer, but a knife works fine too, just keep the slices uniform).
Toss the sweet potato slices in a bowl with some oil. Arrange slices in a single layer on a greased baking/cooling rack, placed on top of a cookie sheet (so it catches any drips). If you don’t have a cooling rack, you can just arrange the sweet potato slices on a cookie sheet (place it in the oven while it is preheating so it is hot, then you can get a bit more crispness out of the chips). Just be careful so you don’t burn yourself, I’ve done that way too many times.
Sprinkle the sweet potato slices with salt (optional, you can also make them salt-free). Place in the oven and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Turn the sweet potatoes over, sprinkle with more salt (if you want). Cook until crispy, about 7 more minutes. Depending on your oven temperature, the thickness of the slices, etc. it might take baking up to 10 minutes per side. These chips can burn quickly, it is a good to keep an eye on they while they are cooking. It took me a few batches to keep from burning them (though it still happens occasionally).
The Flaming Pot Holder 