Coconut can be used in many different ways and just as much in savory dishes as in desserts. For now I’ll tell you how to use Coconut Cream Concentrate (CCC) in savory dishes.

One of our family-favorite coconut, savory dishes is a nondairy lentil soup (see recipe below). Coconut Cream Concentrate gives the soup a mildly creamy taste, complementing the taste and texture of the red lentils nicely. In the recipe below, the Coconut Cream Concentrate is simply stirred right into the soup base. There is no “gritty” texture since the lentils have a thick consistency once cooked and the coconut just blends in. CCC is also a great addition to soups if you want a creamy flavor but cannot have dairy.

For other soups where the gritty texture of the CCC might be an issue, you can first make a sauce or roux using cornstarch or flour and stir the desired amount of CCC into that. Once everything is incorporated, you can add it to your soup.

CCC is also great in stir-fries! Just add a tad bit more butter or oil, stir in a few tablespoonfuls of the coconut, and mix it all together. You could also add some broth or stock to make a light sauce for the stir-fry and add different herbs and flavors (a great combo is lime, CCC, and cilantro). For batters and breads, simply add to the mixture. Unless you add a lot (a cup or more) of the coconut, you usually won’t have to add anything else to the dish. If you use a large amount in baked goods though, you may want to add an egg or flax seeds (1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds soaked in 3 tablespoons of water will replace 1 egg in recipes). For a really yummy and creamy coconut rice, add about anywhere from 2 tablespoons to over 1/4 cup of CCC per 1 cup of rice (cook the usual way).

Coconut Cream Concentrate is very forgiving and versatile. Use your imagination; the possibilities are endless! But for now, try the soup recipe below.

Coconut Cream, Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup organic red lentils
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 3–4 tablespoons Coconut Cream Concentrate, to taste
• 1 tablespoon organic curry seasoning
• 1 tablespoon organic cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in oil for 1 minute. Stir in red lentils. Add chicken broth and water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in Coconut Cream Concentrate, curry seasoning, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Cook for 30–40 minutes or until lentils are soft and cooked through. Ladle into serving bowls and top with yogurt, if desired. Enjoy!

As always, please don’t hesitate to comment or ask me any questions you may have! 🙂

Posted by Sarah Shilhavy

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One of my favorite summer desserts is ice cream, and what’s better than a bowl of freshly churned, homemade ice cream?

I recently made a recipe originally posted on our blog for coconut ice cream. When I first saw the recipe, I quickly scanned over the ingredients. No eggs, no sugar, and no coconut milk—instead it had Coconut Cream Concentrate. I was intrigued; it sounded like something I would like!

The recipe was incredibly simple, and within minutes my brother and I had whipped up the batter. A few hours later we had a wonderful batch of creamy and irresistible looking ice cream. I couldn’t wait to taste it, and I greedily scooped up a spoonful of it and stuck it in my mouth before anyone else had a chance to even know it was done.

Oh my goodness…! It had to be one of the best homemade ice creams I have ever tasted and definitely the best eggless ice cream ever. In fact, it was hardly an ice cream—frozen custard was more like it. (Coming from Wisconsin frozen custard is a favorite with us!) The ice cream was airy, creamy, and rich. It had the perfect amount of Coconut Cream Concentrate and vanilla. It reminded me of the vanilla frozen custard that I miss so much, only this had coconut.

Anyone can make homemade ice cream, even if you don’t have an ice cream maker. I made this recipe without an ice cream maker and needless to say, it turned out perfect. Here’s what you do to make ice cream without the use of an ice cream maker:

Prepare ice cream batter as the recipe below states in a large metal mixing bowl. Place bowl in a very cold freezer and pack frozen things around it. Every 30–40 minutes, whisk the ice cream and break up the clumps and incorporate it back into the mixture. Continue until ice cream has reached desired consistency. When the ice cream becomes too thick to whisk by hand, use a hand held mixer or a standing mixer fitted with a balloon whisk. Do this quickly though since it melts fast!

This is my slightly edited version of the original recipe. Enjoy!

Coconut Cream Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Coconut Cream Concentrate
• 1 pint half-and-half or heavy cream
• one 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, optional
• ground up nuts of choice, optional

Directions:

Warm Coconut Cream Concentrate gently over low heat until soft.

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Place mixture in your ice cream maker, following manufacturer instructions. Let run until it has reached the desired consistency.

There you have it! I didn’t use nutmeg, nuts, or almond extract, but I’m sure it would be delicious with those additions. As always, please feel free to drop me a comment or question.

Posted by Sarah Shilhavy

Recipe made by Sarah Shilhavy and photographed by Jeremiah Shilhavy.

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Rich and ooooooooo sooooooo yummy!!!! And healthy too!!

Coconut Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• approximately 2 pounds of your favorite mashing potatoes, do not peel
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons butter or ghee
• 1 cup coconut milk*, room temperature
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Steam the potatoes until very soft. Mash the potatoes (peel and all) and the oil and butter with a mixer or a potato masher until smooth. Add the coconut milk, salt, and pepper and continue to mash until all is mixed.

*Use 1 teaspoon of Coconut Cream Concentrate for every 6–8 ounces of water for coconut cream milk. Mix together and use as directed or make homemade coconut milk.

Recipe submitted by Tammy, Cape Girardeau, MO.

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