The CookMobile » Coconut

Ginataang Gulay (Vegetables in Coconut Milk)

Lalaine — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:04:45 +0000

Coconut is an agricultural abundance in the Philippines and, therefore, a mainstay in Filipino cookery. The succulent, young meat and juice are often used for tropical drinks, sherbets and fruit salads. The rich milk drawn from its mature form makes regular appearances in delicacies and desserts, such as in my cassava cake with custard topping, and completes many different meat and vegetable viands, as my chicken curry.

Aside from the addition of coconut milk and the absence of shrimp paste, ginataang gulay is very similar to pinakbet. The two dishes call vegetables such as eggplant, ampalaya, kalabasa, long beans and okra as main ingredients, and both start with the sauteing of an aromatic onion-and-garlic mixture. Both are fabulous paired with a steaming bowl of hot rice and fried fish!

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

10 to 14 pieces medium-size shrimp, head on
10-12 pcs long beans (sitaw), 3-in lengths
1 eggplant, cut into 1/2-in thick rounds
1 bitter melon (ampalaya), seeded and cut into 1/2-in thick strips
1/2 of small winter squash (kalabasa), seeded and cut into cubes
5 to 6 pieces okra, ends trimmed
1 small onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ginger, peeled and minced
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 cup water
2 tbsps vegetable oil
1 chili, seeded and sliced to strips
2 tbsps fish sauce
salt and pepper

Procedure

Wash and prepare vegetables. With a pair of scissors, trim tendrils from shrimp.

In a sauce pot, heat vegetable oil. Over medium heat, saute onions, garlic and ginger until tender and aromatic. Pour in fish sauce. Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour in coconut milk. Add in water. Simmer, not allowing to boil, until slightly thickened and reduced. Pour in coconut cream.

Add in shrimp. Add in vegetables with 1 to 2 minute intervals, in the folllowing order: squash, okra, eggplant, long beans, and bitter melon.

Stir in chilis. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Truly Pinoy Recipes in The CookMobile Archive:

Lumpiang Shanghai

Binagoongan Baboy (Pork in Shrimp Paste)

Chocolate Velvet Cake with Crunchy Coconut Topping

Lalaine — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 06:41:49 +0000

When I had a fiasco with my cupcakes, I searched and found a wealth of knowledge available over the world wide web to remedy this. This recipe validates one tip~adding mayonnaise to the batter. I found this rich chocolate velvet cake recipe on a late 1970’s magazine clipping of a Best Foods’ advertisement. The mayonnaise in the batter, indeed, resulted to the moistest, softest cake I’ve ever tasted!

Makes 15 Servings

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups unsifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mayonnaise
4 squares (1 oz ea) unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 1/3 cup water
crunchy coconut topping

Procedure

Grease and flour a 13″x9″x2″ baking pan.

In a bowl, stir flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a mixer at high speed, beat sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until fluffy, around 3 minutes.

Reduce speed to low, beat in mayonnaise and melted chocolate.

At low speed, add flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with water, beating until just blended after each addition.

Pour into pan and bake in oven at 350 F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool completely. Top with crunchy coconut topping.

Crunchy Coconut Topping

1 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a saucepan, stirring constantly, bring brown sugar and butter to boil over medium heat, around 2 minutes.

Add milk, coconut flakes and chopped walnuts. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Spread thinly on a baking pan and broil 6 inches from heat until golden brown, around 3 minutes.

Cool and layer on top of cooled cake.

Recipes From the Oven in The CookMobile Archive:

Apple Custard Cupcakes

Mini Bacon Ranch and Pico de Gallo Pizzas

Coconut Macaroons

Lalaine — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 04:26:23 +0000

These soft and chewy coconut macaroons are raised to a whole new level of deliciousness by dipping into melted bittersweet chocolate! The recipe is one of the Christmas cookies presented by Family Circle magazine for holiday gift giving.

Makes 2 Dozens

Ingredients

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 egg whites
1 1/2 tbsps cornstarch
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken up

Procedure

Heat oven to 350 F.

In a heat-proof bowl, combine coconut, sugar, cornstarch, egg whites, and vanilla extract. Set bowl over a pot of boiling water. Heat, stirring until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

Spoon out macaroons, about a tablespoonful each, and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden but still soft and chewy. Cool on a wire rack.

In a microwaveable-bowl, heat chocolate pieces on HIGH for about 1 minute. Stir until smooth, microwaving more if needed.

Dip bottoms of cookies in chocolate. Place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until set.

Recipes From the Oven in The CookMobile Archive:

Cassava Cake with Custard Topping

Scotties

Lychee-Buko Sorbet (Lychee and Young Coconut)

Lalaine — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 05:01:35 +0000

Although it was around 63 degrees outside, I was yearning last Saturday for something cold for dessert. I had in the pantry all the ingredients needed for filipino-style fruit salad but since I’ve been pretty stalwart in adhering to my diet these past few days, I didn’t want to go off the boat by indulging on cream. Filipino-style fruit salad is a heaven of condensed milk, heavy cream, fruit mix, young coconut, and native preserves. I knew if I made it, my daughter and I will not be stopping on one moderate serving. Here below is a lychee-buko sorbet recipe I concocted as my “calorie-friendlier” alternative.

Makes 8 Servings

2 pkgs (16 oz each) young coconut, shredded
1 can lychee, packed in light syrup
1/2 cup sugar

Mix lychee and coconut including juices. Add sugar.

Place in a container and freeze for 4 to 5 hours, or until ice forms.

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Chicken Curry

Lalaine — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:55:01 +0000

This is where the other half of my 5-pounder chicken went (see chicken afritada recipe). On weekends, I try to prepare 4 to 5 dishes for my daughter’s weekday lunches so I don’t worry about what she eats while I am at work, buried in work. I keep the prepared dishes in plastic containers, ready for her to reheat in the microwave. Unfortunately, there are weekends I don’t get around to it, what with the piled laundry and house cleaning waiting to be done (on my only days of rest and relaxation! Welcome to America’s fast life lane!). The poor child has to resort to fat-and-calorie-laden offerings of fast food establishments on her way to school (her college is within walking distance of our house and the road is dotted by A&W and KFC restaurants!). But this weekend, I’ve been good! I resisted the urge to take a much-needed nap and cooked up a storm instead.

Curry is a stew-like dish prepared with coconut milk and a mix of spices such as tumeric, coriander and cumin, to name a few. It is usually served with or over rice. Although its roots come from India, I found it also to be widely popular, during my visit there a couple of years ago, in Japan. Ever had “kare udon” (curried noodles)? The Japanese variation however, is sweeter and milder in flavor compared to its Indian counterpart, and the addition of honey and apples is fairly common.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 lb chicken, cut into serving parts
2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and cubed
1/2 small onion, sliced
1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into wide strips
1/2 small green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into wide strips
1 clove onion, minced
1 can coconut milk, around 16 oz
2 tbsps curry powder
2 cups water
salt and pepper
vegetable oil

Procedure

Wash and drain chicken parts. In a bowl, rub curry powder onto chicken. Set aside.

Heat oil in skillet. Fry potatoes and carrots until slightly brown but still firm. Remove from pan and set aside.

Saute garlic and onions until translucent. Add chicken and stir until lightly browned.

Pour coconut milk. Lower heat. Do not allow coconut milk to boil or it will curdle. Simmer for around 3 to 5 minutes. Add water. Simmer until chicken is cooked, stirring occasionally.

Add potatoes and carrots. Simmer until tender.

Add curry powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When sauce thickens slightly, add bell peppers. Simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes until bell peppers are tender.

Serve hot with rice.

Chicken and Poultry Recipes in The CookMobile Archive:

Rosemary Chicken

Shrimp and Chicken Wonton Soup