Nuts for Coconut Milk

August 15th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner

Vegetarians have long used coconut milk in place of its dairy cousin. Yesterday’s blog entry described one of my favorite recipe ideas.

In the September issue of Bon Appetit, several top chefs offer tips on using coconut milk in their favorite dishes:

  • Michael Cimarusti, co-owner and executive head chef at Providence in Los Angeles, makes a delicious smoothie by combining sweetened coconut milk, a banana, a drop of honey, a splash of fresh lime juice and a few fresh mint leaves.
  • Food Network star Emeril Lagasse of Emeril’s New Orleans, NOLA and Delmonico Steakhouse (among other highly touted restaurants) adds unsweetened coconut milk to chicken broth. He then “kicks it up a notch” by adding lemongrass, ginger, lime and garlic to create a Thai-style soup.
  • And Chef Bruce Sherman of North Pond in Chicago dazzles breakfast aficionados with his pancakes, replacing half the milk in a standard recipe with unsweetened coconut milk. He then tops it off with shredded coconut.

As mentioned yesterday, if you have trouble locating regular or lite organic coconut milk at your local natural or organic food store, you may purchase it online through Amazon.com.

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Organic Coconut Milk

August 14th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner

Organic coconut milk is an extremely versatile product that can be used in place of regular milk in many dishes.

When mashing sweet potatoes, for example, I add butter and lite coconut milk, mixing until I’ve achieved the desired consistency. I sometimes boost the recipe by adding half a mashed banana for an African-inspired side dish.

Thai Kitchen introduced organic coconut milk two years ago, available in both Organic Regular and Organic Lite varieties.

“Our coconut milks have always been the leaders in flavor and quality,” said Marketing Director John Wright at the time. “As more and more people are seeking out organic products, we wanted to offer those consumers products that fit their needs and met our standards of being the finest coconut milks in the world.”

Thai Kitchen’s coconut milks are all-natural, with no preservatives, chemical additives or processing aids, and they meet USDA Organic Standards. You can find them at your local natural and organic food store, and they’re also available for sale online on Amazon.com. A 14-oz. can sells for $1.84. (Shopping links: Organic Regular and Organic Lite.)

Tune in tomorrow for more coconut milk suggestions from top chefs.

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