Coconuts have gained momentum in their popularity over the past few years. Going from a coveted exotic drink and decorative baking ingredient to a mass marketed fruit found in many different forms through extraction processes. Its found in the form of an oil, made popular in SA by the Banting diet, as well as in the form of cream, milk, water, flakes and so on.
The superfood is deserving of all its use, as its extremely versatile and can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes. Its health benefits include balancing the body’s pH level and helping muscle function because of the naturally sterile electrolytes present; it’s high in dietary fibre; and it also helps prevent heart disease and improve metabolic functioning.
Aside from the many nutritional benefits of coconut, it tastes delicious and with each transformation of the raw fruit into its various elements, different flavours are enhanced and of course different textures created. Its basically a miracle fruit, so if you’re not that into it, try incorporate it into your diet by using the oil, cream or milk.
Here are 10 recipes that celebrate the coconut:
1. Death by coconut pie – coconut milk, coconut flour and desiccated coconut
2. Saucy chocolate and coconut puddings – desiccated coconut
3. Low carb coconut pops – coconut oil, coconut cream and desiccated coconut
4. LCHF chocolate and coconut fudge – coconut flour, desiccated coconut and coconut flakes
5. Coconut cream chocolate truffles – coconut cream
6. Spicy coconut broccoli soup – coconut milk
7. Buckwheat, berry and coconut granola – coconut flakes
8. Banting coconut macaroons – desiccated coconut
9. Roasted vegetable and coconut milk soup – coconut milk
10. Coconut cream chicken bake – coconut cream
