Coconut Entrée Recipes

Gluten Free Garelu with Fresh Coconut Chutney

luten Free Garelu with Fresh Coconut Chutney
Gluten Free Garelu with Fresh Coconut Chutney
photo by recipe author

 

Servings: 10
Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Garelu:

  • 2 cups Black Gram (Urad Dal)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 3 green chilis
  • salt, to taste
  • coconut oil, for frying

Coconut Chutney:

  • 1 cup raw grated coconut, or dried shredded coconut
  • 3 green chilis
  • salt, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon butter 
  • 3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 1 red chili

Garelu: 

First, soak Urad dal for 4 hours. Rinse thoroughly using a strainer. Then add fresh water and soak Urad dal overnight.

Discard water from the soaked dal before grinding. (Grind dal using a wet grinder.) Add the soaked dal to the wet grinder and add salt. Add ginger and green chilies.Then add 2 teaspoons of water and grind. Continue adding 1 teaspoon of water at intervals depending upon the requirement while grinding. Grind the dal until soft to touch, then beat to fluff the batter. (To test the fluffiness of the batter add a small portion of batter to a bowl of water and observe that the batter floats on water. If the batter sinks in water then beat again, until batter is light enough to float.) Set prepared batter aside.

Heat a pan and add coconut oil to it, enough for frying. Bring heat to medium-high.

Wet your fingers and take a small portion of the batter and shape into a round ball. Flatten the ball with your hand. Dip thumb in water and make a hole in the flattened ball. Continue until you have used all of the batter.

Drop the prepared garelu carefully into the hot coconut oil. Using a slotted spoon, turn garelu in the oil until both sides are fried golden-brown. Remove fried garelu using slotted spoon and place on a paper napkin to soak up excess oil before serving. Serve garelu hot with coconut chutney.

Coconut Chutney:

In a blender, combine freshly grated (or dried) coconut, fried green chilis, salt, lemon and a little water. Blend until smooth.

Heat butter in a small pan. Add mustard seeds, 1 sprig curry leaves, and 1 red chili. When the mustard seeds crackle remove from heat and pour this over the coconut chutney. Mix well.

Enjoy with hot garelu.

Note: Add 1/4 bunch cilantro while grinding coconut, if desired.

Sowji from Frisco, TX won $50 for this recipe and photo! Submit your coconut recipes and photos here!

Savory Stuffed Acorn Squash

Savory_Stuffed_Acorn_Squash
Savory Stuffed Acorn Squash
photo by recipe author

 

Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 45-50 minutes

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cook rice.

Slice squash in halves, scoop out seeds, and place in a large baking dish.

In a large pan on medium-high heat melt the coconut oil and coconut cream concentrate. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, cayenne, celery, and ground beef. Cook until well browned. Turn off heat and mix in cooked rice.

Stuff squash halves with ground beef mixture, cover dish with foil, and bake until squash pierce easily with a fork (baking time will vary depending on squash size) approximately 30 minutes.

Marijah from Columbia, KY won $50 for this recipe and photo! Submit your coconut recipes and photos here!

Loaded Red Beans & Quinoa

Loaded_Red_Beans_and_Quinoa
Loaded Red Beans & Quinoa
photo by recipe author

 

Servings: 4-6
Preparation Time: 35 minutes

  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 cup bell peppers, diced
  • 1/4 cup onion, diced
  • 1 cup cooked red beans
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cilantro

In a small saucepan, combine quinoa, water and salt. Cover and cook over low-medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed and quinoa is soft and translucent.

Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a large skillet. Saute peppers and onion for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until slightly soft.

Add in red beans, tomato, garlic, pepper, chili powder, cumin and cilantro. Then add in cooked quinoa. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Serve with desired toppings such as salsa, sour cream, avocado, etc. and chips.

Courtney from Columbus, KS won $50 for this recipe and photo! Submit your coconut recipes and photos here!

Indian Coconut Prawn Curry

Indian_Coconut_Prawn_Curry
Indian Coconut Prawn Curry
photo by recipe author

 

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 45 minutes

  • 15-20 raw prawns, shelled and de-veined
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/3 cup coconut flakes
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons coconut milk*

Place prawns in a bowl, add turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix well and set aside.

Heat one tablespoon coconut oil in a sauce pan. Add sliced onion and saute onions until they turn translucent. Add garlic and coconut flakes and saute till the coconut turns brown and the garlic is cooked. Turn off heat and let the mixture cool down.

In a blender, combine the prepared mixture, coriander seeds and cayenne pepper. Blend until a fine paste is formed. Add water while blending, if necessary.

In the same sauce pan, heat another tablespoon of coconut oil then add the above paste and saute it for a minute. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 cup of water. When it comes to boil, add the prawns. Once the prawns are cooked, add coconut milk and stir well. Boil for a minute and turn off heat.

Serve hot coconut prawn curry over cooked rice.

*For the freshest coconut milk make homemade coconut milk. (See video at this link.)

Sheetal from Foster City, CA won $50 for this recipe and photo! Submit your coconut recipes and photo here!

Shrimp and Coconut Fritters

Shrimp_and_Coconut_Fritters
Shrimp and Coconut Fritters
photo by recipe author

Servings: 6
Preparation Time:  15 minutes

  • 1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
  • 1 egg
  • 2 green onions, trimmed and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, to fry the fritters

Coarsely chop half of the shrimp, and set them aside. Place the rest of the shrimp in a food processor along with the coconut, egg, green onions, ginger, and salt. Pulse until you have a chunky paste. Transfer the paste to a mixing bowl, and fold in the chopped shrimp.

Heat enough coconut oil to just cover the bottom of your skillet. Adjust the heat to medium-high, and drop in the fritter batter in portions of about a quarter of a cup. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through. Remove the cooked fritters to drain on paper towels. Serve hot. This makes about ten fritters.

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Avocado Rosemary Pasta

Avocado_Rosemary_Pasta
Avocado Rosemary Pasta
photo by recipe author

Servings: 4
Preparation Time:  25 minutes

  • 1 large zucchini, spiral cut into strands
  • 1 delicata squash, spiral cut into strands
  • 1 large avocado, peeled and pitted
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk*
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice

In a large saucepan, cover vegetable pasta strands with water and bring to a boil. Cook for just a few minutes until slightly soft – be careful not to overcook.

In a small blender or Magic Bullet, combine avocado, oil, milk, rosemary, salt, pepper, lemon juice and lemon zest; blend until smooth. Pour over pasta and heat until warm.

Courtney from Columbus, Kansas, just won $50 for this recipe and photo! Submit yours here.

*For the freshest coconut milk make homemade coconut milk. (See video at this link.)

Coconut Chicken Strips with Blackberry Mango Sauce


Coconut Chicken Strips with Blackberry Mango Sauce (photo by recipe author)

Servings: 4-6
Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup blackberries
  • 3/4 cup mango, diced
  • 1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced
  • 1 teaspoon organic fermented soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon tapioca starch

In a bowl, combine milk and lemon juice. Add chicken strips into milk mixture and let sit for a few minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Gently coat each chicken strip in dry mixture and place in a skillet to fry or on a greased baking sheet. Pan fry in olive or coconut oil or bake at 400 °F for about 20 minutes (turning halfway through) or until chicken is cooked through.

While chicken is baking, place sauce ingredients in a small blender. Blend until smooth and pour into a saucepan. Bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes before serving with chicken strips.

Courtney from Columbus, KS just won $50 for this recipe and photo! Submit yours here.

Gluten Free Tropical BBQ Pizza


Gluten Free Tropical BBQ Pizza Recipe photo

Gluten Free Tropical BBQ Pizza (photo by recipe author)

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Almond Flour Pizza Crust with Coconut Oil:

Our Tropical Toppings:

  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used a sweet & spicy Chipotle BBQ) – divided portions
  • 1 1/2 cups diced roasted chicken
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 8 ounces chopped pineapple
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/2 purple onion – finely diced or sliced
  • Handful of chopped cilantro, stems removed

Mix crust ingredients together to form a dough. Will look just a bit sticky at this point. That is expected. Just let it rest in the bowl for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees ºF.

Tear off two pieces of parchment paper just larger than your pizza pan or stone. Cut one piece to the round shape and size of the pan or stone and make that the bottom piece. Place dough between the two pieces of parchment paper and roll it until desired thickness. You might find it more of a pressing out with the rolling pin rather than rolling, but just roll it out to the size of the bottom parchment piece. I made mine in a 15? round pan which produces a thin crust that is plenty sturdy to handle lots of toppings.

Remove the top paper and discard. Trim the edges into a nice round crust, like you might a pie crust edge then transfer the crust, leaving it on the bottom paper, to a pizza pan.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until middle is firm, just barely beginning to hint at browning, before the crust is too crispy because it will cook more after topping added. Don’t overcook at this point.

Take out of the oven and top with your desired pizza toppings. We used these:

Add a very thin layer of your BBQ sauce, using a spatula makes this easier to spread and get it evenly to the crust edge. Then add the cheese – ours is 2 cups of good quality mozzarella. Next, mix the remaining BBQ sauce with your deboned and cubed roasted chicken. Then cover the top evenly with the BBQ chicken. Sprinkle with the shredded coconut, the drained pineapple bits, and the finely diced purple onion.

Put the pizza back in the oven for about 10-15 minutes – until hot and the cheese is beginning to brown and bubbling.

Top the cooked pizza with the fresh chopped cilantro and serve!

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