Uses for Coconut

If your like me you have walked by coconut in the grocery store many times and wondered who in the world buys them.  Well now that I have some uses for them it is rare that I don't have a coconut in the house!

I posted how to make almond milk a few entries ago and the same technique is used for coconut mik.

The first thing you need to do is poke holes in the "eyes" of the coconut.  I used an object that I found in my kitchen utility drawer.  I have no idea what it is but it works.  I suppose a long clean nail would work, or perhaps an ice pick.



Next drain the water from the coconut over a bowl or measuring cup.  This step is just so that when you crack the coconut open it doesn't splash out at you.  Although the water is very good for you to drink, you don't need it for making any of the things I am going to show you.

Next, take it outside and crack it open with a hammer.  If you are doing this inside I suggest putting down newspaper and hitting it open on the floor because you need to hit it pretty hard.

After the coconut is cracked open, you need to get the meat out.  The shell comes off fairly easy, it is the inner shell that may cause some difficulties.  If you have a high powered blender or food processor it is not necessary to even take the inner shell off, in fact it is preferable to leave it on.  But if you have a regular blender you will want to take it off .  Place the meat in the blender and add 3 cups of water to it.  Part of this 3 cups can include the intial water you drained out of the coconut in the first step.

Blend it for a couple of minutes and drain it through a nut bag, or a paint strainer bag as I mentioned in the almond milk posting (April 30th).  The nut bag can be purchased for about $5 at health food stores.  A paint strainer bag can be purchased at such hardware stores as Lowes.  I got mine for $2 and it came with 2 in the package.  I supposed cheese cloth could also me used, but the bags can be used over and over again making it a more economical choice.

Squeeze the cloth and all the liquid you extract is coconut milk!  If you want to sweeten it you can add a little sugar to it, but if you use it for smoothies, I recommend leaving it plain.

Now for the pulp that is left in the bag.  I have done a couple of things with this.  First of all if you put only the white meat in the blender (getting all the inner shell off) you can use the pulp in your baking. I have added it to granola bars and chocolate chip cookies.  It just adds a hint of coconut taste but you get all the health benefits. 

If you are like me and leave the inner shell on, it makes an excellent shower scrub.  I even use it on my face and I don't have to use lotion when I get out of the shower.  The fats from the coconut is very healthy for your skin. 

And last but not least, this is how you make coconut oil.  Pour the coconut milk in a pot and simmer it until it cooks down enough to where you can drain the oil off.  This takes a long time, probably about 40 minutes or so.  You only get approximately 4 tablespoons of oil out of it.  The brown pulp that is left I have also used in my granola bars.  It is filled with healthy fat and when I put it in the granola bars I count it as 1/3 cup of butter.  I would also like to encourage you to research all the benefits of coconut.  I am sure you won't be so quick to pass one by in the grocery store anymore!

Tupelo-Style Chicken

Adapted from Hard Rock Cafe's Tupelo-style chicken

If you like crunchy chicken fingers you will love the taste of these.  The recipe is a bit long, but it really isn't as time consuming as it would appear. There are many different spices in this one.  There have been times I have not had everyone of them on hand and it still turned out good.  So don't let the fact that you don't have something like cumin stop you.  The ingredient that adds the most crunchiness to it is the cornflake crumbs, I would not leave that out!  The dipping sauces are delicious and I suggest doing them ahead of time and having them on hand to have for spontaneous chicken finger snacking.  I have discovered glass baby food jars make excellent containers for storing the sauces in.

Here is everything you need for both sauces and the chicken fingers:

Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 teaspoons honey
Pinch of paprika

Whisk together all the ingredients.  Set aside or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.

Apricot Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons deli mustard (a Dijon type works best, but plain yellow is fine also)
1 tablespoon apricot preserves
2 tablespoons honey

Whisk together all the ingredients.  Set aside or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.

Chicken Fingers
1 cup crumbled cornflakes
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion
Pinch of garlic powder
Oil for frying chicken (either in a deep fryer or pan frying)
1 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 to 2  pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

To make the breading, combine all the dry ingredients, except the flour, and place in a shallow dish.

Preheat oil in either deep fryer or heavy-bottomed saucepan to 350 degrees.  If using a saucepan, coat the bottom of the pan approximately 1/4 inch on the bottom on medium-high heat.

Beat together 1 cup of milk and egg, and set in a shallow bowl.  Place the flour in a shallow dish.

Cut chicken breasts into 1/2 inch wide strips.  Coat each strip; with the flour and the egg, then coat with the flour again and egg again.

Press each strip into the cornflake mixture and carefully fry, in batches, for 4-5 minutes, until each strip is golden brown and cooked through.  Drain on paper towels.

Serve with the two dipping sauces on the side.

Homemade Almond Milk

I think I could of named my blog "coolstuffmysistertellsmeandItryoutanduseandpasstheideaon toyou.blogspot.com.  The name wouldn't have been that much longer and it's true!  All joking aside, this is a recipe I was very excited to share with you.  It can be used for any nut, not just almonds.  It is less expensive than buying it and it is easy peesy to do!

This is what you need to make approximately 1 quart:

1 cup of almonds
3-4 cups of water
blender

paint strainer purchased at Lowes

It is also helpful to have a "nut bag".  You can order one online for about  $5-$10, OR pick up a paint strainer at Lowes or Home Depot for $2 for a 2 pack. This is only to remove the pulp so if you use almond milk for making smoothies you don't even have to strain the milk. 

The other thing you can use is a cheese cloth.  I prefer the "nut bag" because it is nylon and can be used over and over.  It only has to be rinsed out and you are good to go!

One recipe I looked at said you should soak the nuts in water overnight to make the nutrients in the milk more absorbable.  I was too excited to make some so I skipped this step.

The first step is to rinse the 1 cup of almonds with really hot water.  This is to make sure the almonds are free from harmful bacteria that could be on the outer shell of the nut.

Put 1 cup of almonds and 3-4 cups of water in a blender.

If you are using cheesecloth, pour the blended mixture into a cheesecloth lined colander over a bowl.

If you are using the nut bag, pour the blended milk mixture into a bowl. Line the bag in the blender and pour the milk into the bag.  This method worked so much better.  I highly recommend it.

Squeeze the bag until all the milk comes out. 

You will have about a 1/4 cup of pulp that could be used to add to other recipes such as cookie or bread dough.  I think I am going to add it to my granola bars the next time I make them.

Pour the finished milk in a container.  I happen to love glass containers.  I purchased milk from a health food store to get mine.  The $1.50 deposit on the bottle is worth it.


*Note that you can make it taste a little sweeter by adding a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.

Vanila Extract and Vanilla Sugar

I have never bought any type of hard liquor before a couple of weeks ago when I made my first batch of vanilla extract.  I felt the need to explain myself to the cashier as to why I was purchasing vodka, (like she would even care!) She caught me off guard when she asked me why I would make it when you can buy it.  My brain operates differently.  I ask myself why I would buy something if I could make it.  I didn't tell the cashier this.  I answered her question with what I felt she could more easily relate to, that being it costs much less to make your own.  She kind of looked at me like I had three heads, but I don't care.  I am excited to share this with you.

What you need:

1 cup Vodka
3 vanilla beans
jar with tight fitting lid to put it in
time (3 weeks-6 months)

Begin by slicing the vanilla bean down the middle starting one inch from the top and stopping one inch from the bottom.  Place the beans in a jar and pour the vodka over the top.  Shake it up a little. Place in a dark place.  I put my jar in a sock to make it dark.  About once a week I gently shake it up a little. 

It has been 3 weeks since I first prepared mine.  You can see the color change.  When I take the lid off I feel it needs more time.  The smell of liquor is still too strong.  The longer you wait the better.  The neat thing about this is after you have used it up all you do is pour more vodka in.  The same vanilla bean can be used for up to a year!

Some other ideas are to place 10 vanilla beans in a liter of vodka and follow the same steps.  This would be a great idea  if you wanted to make it for gifts.  I would strain it through a coffee filter and pour into 4 oz jars and put one vanilla bean back in each container.

Also it would be good to let you know that Costco sells whole vanilla beans in their baking aisle for much less than you can get it at the regular grocery store.  I have had people tell me they purchased their vanilla beans on e-bay for even cheaper than Costco.

So I had some left over vanilla beans and somewhere I read that you can make vanilla sugar by just putting a vanilla bean in the container you store your sugar in.  My friends always made fun of me because I only had my sugar in a huge container.  It would be a bit cumbersome when all you needed was a little sugar in your coffee.  Now I have this much more manageable container.  And once again the vanilla bean can be reused after the sugar is gone.  Just refill the container with sugar.  When it stops smelling like vanilla, replace the bean.

Chocolate (bunny) Stack Loaf



Alice Medrich"s Chocolate Stack Loaf



I believe I have pulled out my  February issue of Better Homes and Gardens more than any other magazine in the past 4 months or so.  When I was baking for a coffee house I was always on the look out for desserts to place in the display.  This was one that I loved  so much I have repeated it many times.  I decided to post it because my magazine is falling apart and I need a place to store this recipe in a safe place. 

I used this recipe this past Easter weekend to make a bunny cake.  We had an Easter fair at church and they needed cakes for the cake walk, which was also a cake competition.  My daughter and her friends also entered a cake that I have pictured at the end of this post. Neither of us won, but I think they did a spectacular job.

You will need the following for the cake:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teapoon salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanila extract

1/2 cup hot tap water

You will need the following for the fudge frosting:

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

pinch of salt

1/2 cup of heavy cream

(Note: the original recipe calls for twice the amount of frosting I am telling you to use.  I think half the amount is plenty!)

Position rack in the lower third of oven.  Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease side of 13x9x2-inch baking pan.  Line bottom of pan wth parchment paper; set aside.

In large mixing bowl whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt.

Add 1/2 cup cup melted butter, 2 eggs, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla.  Whisk gently until dry ingredients are moistened and mixture resembles a thick paste.  Whisk briskly about 30 strokes.  Tap or shake any batter from whisk. Use rubber spatula to sir in hot water, scraping sides as necessary, just until batter is blended and smooth.  With spatula scrape batter from bowl into prepared pan and spread to make a thin even layer.

With spatula scrape batter from bowl into prepared pan and spread to make a thin even layer.  Bake 14-16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center  comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.  Slide a thin metal spatula or knife around cake edges to loosen from pan.  Invert cake onto rack.  Remove paper liner; carefully turn cake right side up.  Cool completely.

While the cake is in the oven make the frosting since it takes time to cool down. You may even consider making this before you make the cake.  In a medium saucepan melt 3 tbsp butter.  Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and a pinch of salt.  Gradually stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream.  Heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and hot but not boiling.  Remove from heat; stir in 1 tsp pure vanilla extract.  Set aside; cool until thickened and spreadable.  To cool quickly, loosely cover and refrigerate 1 hour.  Store up to 1 week in refrigerator.

Cut cake crosswise in three equal rectangles.  Thickly spread frosting on one piece, top with a second piece and spread with frosting.  Continue with frosting the sides. I put my cake on a piece of cardboard on the bowl turned upsidedown to make it easier to frost.

I transformed my into a bunny by having my artistic oldest daughter draw a bunny face for me on a piece of cardboard.  I cut it out and leaned it againt the cake.  I used colored coconut for grass.

And as promised to my daughters and her friends, the cake they entered in the contest.  I think you will agree they did a great job. Their homemade buttercream frosting was out of this world! I give them honorable mention! (They should have won if you ask me!)

Scattering Seed

Photo by Brooke

"And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest." -Luke 8:15

Best Ever Fresh Salsa

I served this meal a few nights ago and it was something everyone enjoyed.  I thought I would share with you the salsa part of the meal because that is what really made it so good.  For my dinner, I made flour tortillas (posted on January 26, 2010 ) and topped it with breaded chicken fingers and homemade sour cream (posted on June 14, 2010) and then added lettuce and the salsa.  I am sure you will find other ways to use this most delicious salsa.

The recipe comes from my relatives who once lived in Southern California.   If you are someone who perfers fresh salsa over canned salsa, this recipe will not disappoint.  I did process a few jars this past fall by using the tomatoes from my garden.  I had to blanch the tomatoes first to remove the skins.  It turned out pretty good, but not as good as the fresh.

What you will need:

2 tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
3 tablespoons chopped celery
3 tablespoons green pepper
2 whole chopped green onion
2 tablespoons diced green chile pepper (I used 1/2 of a 7 oz can)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped cilantra 
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
2 tablespoons oil

Just mix all the ingredients and your done!  Putting it in the refrigerator about an hour before you serve it makes it slightly better, but isn't necessary.  If you like it hotter, add more green chile peppers.  Or if you like it milder, omit the chile peppers.  I also had some red and orange pepper that I added to mine.  It yields approximately 1 quart.