This post has been a long time in the writing… for some pretty stupid reasons. My camera lens is still damaged from being dropped in the sand in Israel, and my cell phone is about to kick the bucket and having problems taking and sending pictures. At long last I’ve recovered a few photos of my recent food ventures.
Recently, after a long walk in the sun, I wanted something refreshing- something like Israeli lemonana, but perhaps higher in electrolytes, and not requiring juicer clean-up. I had just stockpiled some Thai coconuts to make cocogurt (recipe link and pictures below), so a twist on lemonana- “coco-nana”- seemed in order!
I started by hacking the top off one of the coconuts:
I have to say, I’m getting pretty good at this! This was a cleaner cut than many I’ve made. Unfortunately, the counter didn’t fare so well:
If I were using a decent camera, you’d be able to see the inch-long gash!
I poured the coconut water into the blender, then scooped out the coconut flesh and added it as well.
Next, a sprig of spearmint:
And lots of ice.
Then blend well…
… and enjoy! I loved the milky bubbles that formed on top from the coconut meat. Mighty refreshing on a hot day!
I used my other three coconuts to take a second stab at cocogurt- a vegan version of yogurt made by blending coconut meat and coconut water with probiotics and a bit of agave. I followed Gena’s instructions (http://www.choosingraw.com/coco-nurt/), subbing agave for stevia, and added extra probiotic (I used 3 coconuts and the contents of 4 probiotic capsules).
Here are the contents pre-blending:
Since my yogurt had been too runny last time, I tried baking it overnight at my oven’s lowest temp- 180 F.
In the morning it was thick and tasty. Honestly, it reminded me of coconut flavored oatmeal- thick and creamy, but not tangy or yogurty tasting. I’m still hoping to perfect coconut yogurt, however, and I’ll report on my next batch when I make it.
If you aren’t in the mood for cocogurt or coconana, there are many other uses for coconut juice, coconut meat, and even coconut shells. If you’re lucky, you might even find yourself some coconut shell real estate! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8408233.stm
