How-To: Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

"How can you have dairy-free whipped cream?!" 

My brother asked me this when I told him I was making vegan Strawberry Shortcake with whipped cream for Mother's day last week. I've been wanting to experiment with something new and for some reason Strawberry Shortcake had been on my mind as a recipe I wanted to "veganize."  And since you can't have Strawberry Shortcake without whipped cream, I knew it was finally time to tackle the foreign Coconut Milk Whipped Cream. 

Ever since I went vegan almost a year ago and started researching dairy-free recipes and substitutes I've seen lots of blog posts and recipes on Coconut Milk Whipped Cream. It looked easy enough to make, but I always wondered if it would have an overt coconut flavor and even more so I wondered if my non-vegans friends and family would approve. 

While I often get nervous cooking new things for people, I figured my family was a safe crowd to have act as my taste testers. And I'm so glad I did, because this whipped cream is delicious and my whole family approved. 

It's so nice to know that I can spruce up a dessert by simply whipping up this creamy deliciousness. It really is so easy to make and doesn't have an overpowering coconut flavor. It's thick and subtly sweet and can dolloped on just about any thing you like. Well, maybe not anything. But I won't judge. 

Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

(Makes about 8 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 cans full fat coconut milk (Thai Kitchen is awesome for this)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2-3 tablespoons sweetener such as agave, maple syrup or powdered sugar

Directions:

1. The day before you need your whipped cream, place the cans of coconut milk in the refrigerator. This will allow the coconut water and cream to separate and for the cream to harden.
2. Without shaking them too much, remove the coconut milk cans from the fridge and open them with a can opener. Use a spoon to scoop the hardened coconut cream from the top of the can into a large bowl or your stand mixer.
3. With a hand mixer or your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the hard cream until it begins to soften and stiff peaks form. This will take about 4-5 minutes.
4. Add in the vanilla and 3 tablespoons of sweetener and mix thoroughly to combine. 
5. Taste for sweetness and add more sweetener if desired. 
6. Dollop and enjoy!

Let the cans of coconut milk chill overnight in the fridge to allow the cream to harden.

Look at how thick that cream is!

Scoop the hardened cream out of the can and place it in your mixing bowl.

Whisk for about 5 minutes until smooth and stiff peaks begin to form.

Add in the vanilla and sweetener and mix again until combined.

Serve it right away or store it in an airtight container for a few days.

Eat Consciously,

Faith

8 Ingredient Coconut Cranberry Scones! {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free}

Does anyone else really miss cooking when you're traveling? Or is it just me? Yet again, Brett and I were gone this past week for a five-day work training and the whole week I kept thinking about cooking and baking. I always seemed to have a recipe swimming around in my head or a new flavor combination I wanted to try. It was killer!

The training was actually held where Brett works, which is only 25 minutes away from our house, but we still opted to stay on campus for the week. There were a lot of sessions after dinner and the days started early, so we figured it would be nice to not have to drive back and forth each day.  

Brett's office is right by a lake and it's actually where a KOA campground is located. We were blessed to be able to stay in "Deluxe Cabin #1" for the week which was right on the lake. We had a porch with a swing where we could enjoy the sunrise in the mornings and the cool breeze at night. One morning we even took two kayaks out to watch the sun rise on the water. The cabin itself was great too. The "master" bed was pretty small, so Brett ended up sleeping on the futon in the main room while I had the bed to myself. We like our space when we sleep.

Even though I wasn't able to experiment in the kitchen all week, I was blessed with some amazing vegan goodies. The hospitality team that cooked all of our meal for us was so sweet. One girl on the team is around my age and is vegan too, so she baked me special, vegan desserts! She made some amazing almond butter snicker doodle cookies, no-bake cookies and brownies. I definitely ate more sugar than I have in a while! Everything was delicious, which just added to my desire to experiment in the kitchen even more. 

The training finished up on Friday afternoon and I'll admit that by Friday evening I had already whipped up these Coconut Cranberry Scones as well as some Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas for one of my new favorite salads. I had been thinking about making scones using coconut oil and coconut milk all week and I'm so happy with how these turned out. They're moist and flaky, easy to make and only require 8 ingredients. They're even refined sugar free!

Here's a list of some of the goodness that you'll find in these scones:

Coconut Oil

Ground Flaxseed

Craisins

Agave Nectar

Gluten-Free Flour

Coconut Cranberry Scones

(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten-free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour)
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/4 cup light coconut milk (from a can or carton)
• 3-4 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water)
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• Optional: 1 tablespoon coarse sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a bowl prepare your flax egg by whisking 1 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Set aside to thicken.
3. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut in the coconut oil until there are no clumps larger than pea size. 
5. Add the coconut milk and agave nectar to your flax egg and stir to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
6. Fold in the craisins.
7. Place the dough in the middle of your baking sheet and use your hand to flatten it into a circle about 1 1/2 inches high. Cut the dough into 6-8 equal wedges, but keep the dough together in a circle.
8. If using the coarse sugar, sprinkle 1 tablespoon on top of the wedges and gently press it into the dough so they don't rub off.
9. Bake for 17-20 minutes until the scones are cooked through and the bottom is golden.
10. Eat warm or store in an airtight container for a few days.

Thai Pineapple Stir-Fried Rice

Thai Pineapple Stir-Fried Rice 
(Serves 6)

Recipe taken from The Daily Vegan Planner: Twelve Weeks to a complete Vegan Diet Transition

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice, rinsed
1 1/2 T Olive oil or Pam spray
1 medium onion, quartered and sliced
2 cups small broccoli florets*
2 medium carrots, sliced*
1 medium red or orange bell pepper, diced*
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 16-oz. can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
1 cup light coconut milk
2 T reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. curry powder
2 tsps. minced fresh ginger root

Note: The first time I made this I didn't have the exact vegetable called for in the recipe. I ended up using 1 cup of frozen peas instead of the broccoli, a green bell pepper instead of the red or orange pepper, and just left out the carrots. Still turned out great!

Combine rice with 3 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a rapid simmer, then cover and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, 30-35 minutes.

Shortly before the rice is done, heat the oil in a stir-fry pan or extra-wide skillet. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until golden.

Add the broccoli, carrots and bell pepper. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir-fry for 3 minutes or so, just until the vegetables are tender crisp.

Add the scallions, tomatoes, and pineapple chunks and continue to stir-fry for a minute or two, just until the tomatoes soften slightly.

Stir in the cooked rice, then add the coconut milk, soy sauce, curry powder, and ginger. Stir gently until all the ingredients are completely combined. Serve at once, and top with chopped cashews to top individual servings if desired.

(Per Serving:  Cal: 315, Fat 7.5g, Protein: 6g, Fiber: 5g)

"Sitting on a curb" Massaman Curry

The first time I had massaman curry was sitting on a curb with my now husband Brett. We had just begun dating and were craving Thai food after playing volleyball with some friends. We ended up getting our food to-go and sat outside the restaurant on the curb and scarfed down some delicious curry. I was hooked. I was also determined to learn how to make it myself. So I found a recipe that didn't look too intimidating and went for it. The result was deliciousness and since then I've made it a few more times. This past time I made some healthy substitutes and loved it just as much. Don't be overwhelmed by the list of ingredients. If you have a good amount of spices in your cupboard, you'll be in good shape. My husband and I eat it over brown rice and sometimes with some roti from our local Indian market. Yum!

Massaman Curry
(Serves 6, with rice)

• I block extra fim tofu, pressed and cut into cubes
• 1-2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 14 oz can coconut milk (I used lite coconut milk)
• 1 small red pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup onion, sliced
• 1/4 tsp. ginger root, minced
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup good-tasting chicken broth, or stock
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. cumin 
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 1/8 tsp. cardamon (or two green cardamon pods)
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 Tbsp.  brown sugar

Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Swirl the oil in the pan and saute the onion, ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper for 1-2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth plus the following: bay leaves, turmeric, ground coriander, cumin, white pepper, cardamon, lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir with each addition and bring to a light boil.

Add the coconut milk and potatoes. Stir and bring back up to a boil. Reduce heat to low, or just until you get a good simmer.

In a separate skillet, fry the cubed tofu in olive oil or Pam until light brown.

Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken and potatoes are tender. Add red pepper and Tofu during last 10-15 minutes of cooking time. I cover with a lid for the first 30 minutes and then remove the lid to let it thicken a little for the last 10 minutes. 

Remove the bay leaves and cardamon pods. Serve on top of rice. Enjoy!