Tag Archives: shredded coconut

Food

Chia Seed Mango Dessert

February 5, 2016 Zeba@Food For The Soul 6 Comments

A cool dessert for cold winter days….simple, healthy and full of energy from Chia seeds, coconut and fruit.

ChiaPudding — Chia Seed, coconut and Mango

This version is vegan, dairy free and gluten free. You could use honey instead of coconut nectar and real grass fed creamy milk if you like. The gelatin is also a vegetarian brand.

I use Chia seeds in smoothies, oatmeal and desserts abundantly. In the category of superfoods now these are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, dietary fiber, and other nutrients.

I added a layer of saffron which happen to be my favorite spice purchased directly from the saffron fields of Kashmir.

The pudding consistency can be managed by adding extra milk or reducing chia seeds. You can adjust both ingredients based on the thickness and consistency you want. Mine got too thick at first so I had to add more coconut milk to soften. You want to stir the pudding a couple of times while it refrigerates to get the creaminess.

Fresh sweet mangoes would be delightful but frozen are fine too. I also found the canned mango pulp to work really well. Just ensure that there is no added sugar.

DSC_1964-2

Chia Seed Mango Dessert

Servings: 4
Difficulty: easy
Print

Ingredients:

For the Chia Pudding:

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup chia seeds
1-2 tablespoons of coconut nectar

For the Mango Layer

Fresh or forzen mango chunks
1 tbsp gelatin ( you can use the vegetarian version)
1 tbsp coconut nectar
Pinch of saffron flakes

For topping

Coconut Flakes
Slivered Almonds
Berries ( or you could use Mango slices)

Putting it together:

Whisk the coconut milk, chia seeds, and nectar together in a large bowl. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and then whisk again . Cover and chill in the fridge for 2.5-3 hours until nice and thick.
Puree the Mango and heat in a pan with 1/4 cup water. Turn off the heat and add the gelatin. Mix well and refrigerate along with the pudding for 2-3 hours until set. You could also use the pureed mango that is readily available and sweeten to taste. I just had some mango chunks in the freezer that I used.
Portion the pudding into bowls, top with a layer of mango and then the toppings . You can add another layer of syrup over the topping if you desire more sweetness.
Enjoy

The party Angie is hosting at Fiesta Friday is waiting for this dessert 🙂 Thanks to the Lily @ Little Sweet Baker and Julianna @ Foodie On Board for Co-Hosting

Uncategorized

Coconut Burfi- Saffron and Rose infused

September 19, 2015 Zeba@Food For The Soul 6 Comments

I still had coconut left over from when I made the Coconut Almond Butter Clusters. Burfi is a true Indian sweet make with reducing milk (and products) thereby intensifying the taste and flavor. I still remember standing in narrow side streets in India waiting for the fresh Khoya Burfi plates which would easily be devoured in minutes…this was of course a teenage appetite which has now changed to moderation 🙂

This recipe is made with sweetened condensed milk so no added sugar is needed. The trick is to cook it down to a lumpy consistency so it can set properly.

The rose petals are optional but I had bought a batch of organic edible dried petals so getting some use out of them.

I also kept the coconut a little crushed and not ground to a fine powder…..just the way I like it so I can taste the coconut pieces. I soaked the coconut for an hour in Almond Milk but you could go regular milk.

Hoping the party at Fiesta Friday #86 will enjoy this. Thanks to Angie from The Novice Gardener, and to our co-host’s this week Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju and Quinn @ Dad Whats 4 Dinner.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened dry coconut flakes
1 cup almond milk
1 cup crushed almonds
3/4 tin condensed milk
1 tsp cardamom powder
10 strands of saffron
1 tsp rose water
1 tsp crushed organic rose petals
3-4 tbsp ghee / clarified butter

Putting it together:

Grind the coconut in a processor and then soak in Almond Milk for a hour
Grind/Crush the Almonds
Soak the Saffron strands in 1 tbsp of warm water
Crush about 9 green cardamom pods to get the powder
Add 2 tbsp of Ghee to a heavy bottomed pan, add almonds and fry for a minute
Add soaked coconut and cardamom powder and cook down for about 2-3 minutes.
Add about 6-7 tablespoons of condensed milk, rose water, 1/2 tsp rose petals and start to cook and medium heat.
In a couple of minutes reduce the heat to low, add 1 tbsp of ghee, saffron and continue to cook until then mixture in lumpy and separated from the oil. This requires stirring and making sure the mixture is not sticking to the bottom of the pan about 5-10 mins.
Pour in a ghee greased pan ( I used silicone) and sprinkle with crushed rose petals and let it cool down. You can slice now and put in the fridge for 30 mins.

The pieces can be stored in a air tight container in the fridge for a few days.

Food, Snack

Coconut and Almond butter energy clusters

September 7, 2015 Zeba@Food For The Soul 9 Comments

The bag of organic coconut flakes went through many a recipe experiments last week….some flops and others a success. This one was a winner and decidedly easy to make. The Almond Butter and Coconut oil make it vegan. Use a good quality dark chocolate to dip in and you will not be disappointed. I used just a tad of coconut palm sugar but you can adjust to your taste. Basically the measurements can be adjusted and are here for reference.

Coconut and Almond Butter Energy Clusters - food for the soul — Coconut and Almond Butter Energy Clusters – food for the soul

The party is on for Fiesta Friday #85 thanks to Angie from The Novice Gardener, our co-host’s this week are Kaila @ GF Life 24/7 and Jenny @ Dragonfly Home Recipes,

Coconut and Almond butter energy clusters

Time: 10mins plus freezing time
Difficulty: easy
Print

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Organic coconut oil

2/3 cup Organic Almond butter

1 cup Organic unsweetened coconut flakes

1 tsp coconut palm sugar

1 tbsp Raw Cacao

1/2 cup cranberries

1 bar of dark chocolate – melted.

Mix the first 6 ingredients together well. Spoon with a tablespoon and drop clusters on a parchment paper lined tray. Freeze for 30 mins. Take them out and dip halves in metled chocolate and put back in the freezer.

Thats it!

Use as you need during the day for energy. They would also go really well topped on homemade ice cream 🙂

Food

Mango Tart

Gallery May 31, 2014 Zeba@Food For The Soul 3 Comments

This one is a Mango version of the recipe I did a while back with chocolate and strawberries https://foodforthesoul00.wordpress.com/2014/04/05/chocolate-raspberry-tart/

It is a heart healthy desert and full of protein and nutrients.

You can use fresh ripe mangoes or frozen ones. I happened to have both on hand so used a combination.

For the crust you need to grind up

1/2 cup pecans; 1 cup golden raisins; 1/2 cup shredded coconut; 1 teaspoon coconut nectar or agave;

Spread the crust out in 3 pans lined with parchment paper. Put it in the fridge while you work on the filling

For the filling use a good blender and blend up. I used the high power vitamix blender.

2 1/2 cups raw cashews; 1 1/2 cup chopped mango pieces; 1/2 cup water; 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ,1 tsp of lemon zest, 1 tsp Maca powder (optional)….once blended add a tablespoon and a half of psyllium husk to thicken.

Pour in the filling and refrigerate for a couple of hours until set. Serve topped with Mango pieces.

Desert that is beautiful, rich and healthy!

Chutney, Food

Coriander Coconut chutney

May 10, 2014 Zeba@Food For The Soul 4 Comments

I am always exploring good and healing Ayurvedic recipes. The simplicity and balance found in such form of cooking balances the pittas and is good for the soul. This is a variation of a Coriander chutney that I found on an Ayurvedic website and was inspired to try it out.

Coriander also known and Cilantro contains antioxidants and has antibacterial properties. It has also been documented to be used for traditional treatment of Type 2 diabetes.

All the good stuff aside, I LOVE Coriander and find something to use it in pretty much everyday.

This chutney was served with Methi Roti ( recipe coming), Green pea pulao and yoghurt.

I used frozen shredded coconut that was unsweetened and had no added preservatives.

Cumin and mustard seeds are readily available in supermarket. I have a plant of curry leaves but you can always buy a bunch from the local asian grocery store.

Heeng or Asafoetida is used as a flavor enhanced and as a digestive aid. It has a strong pungent smell so a pinch is just enough. You can choose not to use it at all.

A bunch on green coriander ( stems and all)

1 cup of shredded coconut

water

3 green chilis

2 inch fresh ginger peeled and chopped

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

8 pieces of curry leaves

pinch of heeng (Asafoetida)

1 lemon

1 tsp ghee

Blend the Coriander, ginger, coconut and green chili in a blender adding water to bring it to a good consistency. Add lemon juice and salt to taste

Sizzle the cumin, mustard seeds in ghee. Add Heeng and curry leaves. give it about 30 seconds and turn off the heat.

Once cool add to the Coriander paste and your chutney is ready.

Food

Coconut Kheer ( coconut rice pudding)

April 12, 2014 Zeba@Food For The Soul 2 Comments

This turned out so good that I had to write this blog. Something about kheer is so comforting, this is a twist on the traditional recipe making it a little healthier with all natural ingredients.

2 cups or whole milk

2 cup coconut or almond milk

1/2 cup rice, soaked overnight

coconut palm sugar ( 1 cup or to taste)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon psyllium husk

1/2 cup shredded coconut ( i used the frozen kind)

1/4 cup almond slices

6-7 pods of green cardamon (crushed), pinch of saffron strands

Fry the rice for a few minutes in the butter, add milk and let it cook for a hour until the milk is reduced. I used a hand blended for a few seconds to crush the rice.

Add the coconut, sugar and cardamon and cook another 10 mins

Add psyllium, saffron and almonds and remove from heat.

Let it set for a few hours and top with berries.

Chia Seed Mango Dessert

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Coconut and Almond butter energy clusters

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

great food and discovery of the soul