KITCHEN TABLE
NATURE’S SUPERFOOD
Nathalie Fraise fell in love with coconuts while growing up in Madagascar. She uses it in all its forms – coconut water, oil, sugar, milk and coconut aminos – in nutritional dairy-free and gluten-free recipes in The Whole Coconut Cookbook (Crown Publishing, $21.99).
BLACK BEANS AND CHARD QUINOA WITH TOMATO SALSA
Image credit: The Whole Coconut Cookbook.
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 yellow or red onion, finely diced
Sea salt
¾ cup coconut milk
½ cup vegetable broth
2 cups quinoa, soaked overnight and drained
1½ cups cooked black beans
1 small bunch chard, centre stalks removed, shredded
1 tbsp lemon juice
Black pepper
Parsley to garnish
Salsa:
3 red or yellow heirloom tomatoes (about 2 pounds) coarsely chopped
½ large red onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Sea salt
Black pepper
To make the salsa, combine the onion, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
Preheat a large saucepan over medium heat. Melt the coconut oil, then add the onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and the broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the quinoa, then return to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the black beans and chard and allow the beans to warm and the chard to wilt, about 2 minutes. Mix in half of the tomato salsa and the lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately, topped with the remaining salsa and garnished with parsley.
CHICKEN VEGETABLE THAI RED CURRY BOWL
Image credit: The Whole Coconut Cookbook.
1 tbsp coconut oil
½ yellow onion, diced
Sea salt
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3½ cups coconut milk
¼ cup red curry paste
¼ cup lime juice
½ lemon grass stalk, cut diagonally in 2 or 3 pieces and bruised with a mallet
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
½ head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
½ head broccoli, cut into small pieces
2 large carrots, scrubbed and sliced into bite-sized pieces
½ cup peas
¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
¼ cup chopped basil, plus more for garnish
Cooked brown rice noodles or brown rice
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Melt the coconut oil and add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, coconut milk, curry paste, lime juice, lemon grass, and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until thickened and reduced by one-third, 12 to 15 minutes. Whisk in the coconut aminos and fish sauce.
Add the chicken, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. Cook until the chicken is cooked through but not dry and the vegetables are just tender but still brightly coloured, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the peas, cilantro and basil. Using tongs, fish out the lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves and discard. Taste and add more coconut aminos or fish sauce if you’d like a saltier taste.
Serve immediately over noodles with the extra cilantro and basil sprinkled on top.
COCONUT ORANGE COOKIES
Image credit: The Whole Coconut Cookbook.
2 cups almond flour
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tbsp coconut flour
2 tbsp coconut palm sugar
1 tbsp arrowroot starch
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ cup coconut oil
¼ cup coconut butter
¼ cup coconut nectar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large orange
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, shredded coconut, coconut flour, coconut sugar, arrowroot, baking soda and salt.
Combine the coconut oil and coconut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Gently melt them, then whisk in the coconut sugar, vanilla and orange zest. Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well.
Drop 1 heaping tbsp of dough at a time. Place on the prepared baking sheets, separated by a couple of inches. Do not overcrowd, as they spread while cooking. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake in the middle rack of the oven until golden brown on top, 7 to 9 minutes. Make sure the bottoms do not burn.
Remove from the oven. Transfer to a wire rack, and allow to cool completely. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.
* Coconut aminos is a naturally fermented seasoning sauce made from aged coconut sap and mixed with sea salt. It is similar in appearance to soy sauce, though slightly sweeter in taste.
The Whole Coconut Cookbook is published by Crown Publishing, $21.99.