The Flaming Pot Holder

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.