One of the things that I like to make out of coconut milk is Chai Crème de Coconut. This is an adult beverage that requires the following ingredients:
If you are looking to create something sweet with coconut cream, then you will want to consider this candy. It is one of my favorite treats to make, and you can add in chocolate, chai, vanilla, orange, lime, or any other flavor to create your own unique dessert. For the base recipe, you will need:
- Two cups of coconut cream
- ½ a cup of honey (you can add up to ¼ of a cup more if you want a sweeter candy)
- Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- Coconut flakes (optional)
To start, you will need to warm the coconut cream in a small bowl until it can be stirred easily. Then mix in the honey, the salt, and the vanilla extract. Press the mixture into small candy molds or shape them and place them on a baking sheet. If you want to add the coconut flakes, you can roll the shaped candy in the coconut to coat it. Chill the candy to harden a bit and enjoy. If you are storing the candy for later, use an airtight container that you can keep chilled in the refrigerator.
Thai Chicken Coconut Curry
One of my favorite dishes to make that uses coconut milk is Thai chicken coconut curry. It is a spicy, yet sweet take on the dish that will have you going back for seconds. You can serve this over rice, quinoa, or even without any starches at all if you prefer. To create this curry dish, you will need:
- Two tablespoons of coconut oil (any oil will work in a pinch)
- One diced onion
- One pound of diced chicken breast
- Three cloves of minced garlic
- One tablespoon of freshly chopped ginger
- Two tablespoons of coriander
- 13 ounces of coconut milk
- 1 ½ cups of shredded carrots
- Three tablespoons of curry paste or powder (choose based on your heat preference)
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Three cups of fresh spinach
- A tablespoon of lime juice
- One tablespoon of brown sugar (more for a sweeter curry)
- ½ of a cup of fresh cilantro
To create this dish, you will need to start with a large pan. Sauté the onion in oil over medium-high heat until the onion becomes soft and translucent. This should take about five minutes. Add the chicken and continue to cook for another five minutes. Stir often as the chicken cooks, and then add the garlic, ginger, and coriander. Continue sautéing until fragrant, which should take about a minute or so.
Add in the coconut milk, the curry, the carrots, the salt, and the pepper. Stir thoroughly, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for about five minutes. If you want your curry to be thicker, you can cook it a bit more to reduce the amount of liquid in the pot. When it is the right consistency, add the lime juice and the spinach and allow it to cook for a minute or two. Taste the curry, and then add more curry for heat or more brown sugar for sweetness. Garnish with cilantro, and enjoy.
Final Thoughts
If you were wondering the difference between coconut cream and coconut milk, the main difference is that the coconut milk is made from equal parts water and coconut, while the coconut cream is thicker because it has much more coconut in the mixture than water. If you have little experience with coconut milk or cream, try the recipes above to see the great flavor that they can add to your food taste.
