Coconut Milk

Coconut Pudding Squares

Photo by recipe author

Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

2 cups coconut milk*
6 tablespoons organic whole sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon vanilla (if desired)
1 cup whole milk

Pour one cup of coconut milk into a saucepan. Combine sugar and cornstarch stirring into coconut milk. (Add vanilla if desired.) Heat over low stirring consistently until thickened. Add remainder of coconut milk and whole milk and continue to heat until thickened.

Pour into 8 inch square pan and chill until firm. Cut into squares.

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

Recipe submitted by Leah, NY

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Triple Coconut Rice

Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy, Photo by Jeremiah Shilhavy

Three coconut ingredients plus rice!

Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 3 minutes

14 oz coconut milk*
1 tablespoon organic Gold Label Coconut Oil
1/4 cup water
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup organic dried, unsweetened coconut

Bring coconut milk, oil and water to a slow boil. Add rice and dried coconut, bring back to a boil then turn heat down to simmer and cover with a lid leaving a small opening to vent. Stir briefly after 10 minutes.

Continue cooking until rice is tender and done; add more water/coconut milk if needed. Fluff rice and serve.

Goes great with seafood.

Tip: If you want to make this into desert add 6 teaspoons of organic sugar when bringing the coconut milk and water to a slow boil.

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

Recipe submitted by Trish, Orlando, FL

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Spring Wild Mushroom & Pea Ragout

Photo by recipe author

Creamy, delicious and comforting without being heavy, this dish is perfect for early spring when you want something fresh and light, yet still comforting and satisfying. The combination of sweet, brightly colored peas, flavorful, hearty mushrooms and onions with the tender, delicate and distinctive Forbidden rice and a hint of sweet coconut is a visually pleasing, heavenly smelling, delicious tasting treat for all the senses!

Servings: 4-8
Preparation Time: 30 min

1 onion, thinly sliced and cut into 1 inch strips
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup white wine
1-2 tablespoons coconut cream concentrate
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 oz mixed wild mushrooms, sliced
4 oz baby bello or white mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1/4 teaspoon thyme
3/4 cup milk, cream or coconut milk*
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
sea salt & fresh cracked pepper
1 cup Forbidden or Red heirloom rice, prepared to package directions

1/2 lb sautéed ground beef or bison may be added if desired to make this meal even more hearty and nourishing, although it is wonderful the way it is.

In a preheated cast iron skillet, sauté onion with coconut oil and salt until softened and translucent. Add wine and stir until absorbed. Stir in coconut cream. Add garlic and mushrooms, season with salt, pepper and thyme, sautéing until mushrooms are mostly cooked through. Slowly add milk a bit at a time while stirring. Stir in peas, heat through, season with salt and plenty of pepper to taste.

Serve over rice for a visually pleasing and satisfying main dish or combine with the rice for a wonderful side dish.

Recipe submitted by Lydia, Salem, VA

*Use 1 teaspoon of coconut cream concentrate for every 6-8 oz of water for coconut cream milk. Mix together and use as directed or make homemade coconut milk.

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Homemade Coconut Milk

A lot of our recipes call for coconut milk, and we prefer to make our own. Store-bought coconut milk in cans are NOT natural. When we lived in the Philippines we made our own coconut milk from fresh coconuts. Fresh-squeezed coconut milk has a very short shelf life, and whatever is not used immediately will only last a couple of days in the refrigerator. This natural coconut milk will separate very quickly, with the heavier water falling to the bottom and the coconut cream remaining on top.

Coconut milks sold in cans, however, all have some kind of additives and stabilizers in them to stop them from separating like the natural coconut milk does. This could include ingredients like soy lecithin, which some people could have allergies to. Because the amount in the product is so small, the manufacturers may not be required to list it on the can. Since we try to make our recipes as natural and healthy as possible, we prefer this homemade coconut milk recipe which has no additives or stabilizers. It is made with dried coconut (unsweetned) because unless you live in the tropics where coconuts grow, I don’t recommend purchasing fresh coconuts in the stores as they have a very short shelf life, and they are either moldy or have been irradiated to keep them shelf stable.

Homemade Coconut Milk

1 1/2 cups water
7/8 cup dry unsweetened coconut

In a medium-size kettle, heat the water, but do not bring it to a boil.

Place the coconut in a blender and add 1 cup of the hot water.

Blend for 2-3 minutes.

Place a colander in a bowl and line the colander with 4 thicknesses of cheesecloth.

Pour the blended coconut mixture into the cheesecloth and twist to extract the milk, letting the milk go into the bowl.

Return the coconut pulp to the blender and add the remaining 1/2 cup of hot water. Blend for 1-2 minutes, strain and press through the cheesecloth into the bowl.

Makes about 1 cup

Posted by Sarah Shilhavy

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