Banana Coconut Cream Pie/Tart – with Dulce de Leche

Banana Coconut Cream Pie/Tart – with Dulce de Leche

This is a tropical modification of “Bananoffee” crossed with regular banana cream pie, with a coconut twist. In place of whipped cream or vanilla custard, I used a coconut custard. And wow, did it come out good — the carameliness from dulce de leche, the coconut custard, the bananas… mmmm.  And no baking required (though there is cooking involved).

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 Tb powdered sugar
1/4 cup toasted coconut
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
1 1/2 cups Dulce de Leche, room temp or luke warm

(custard)
1/2 cup golden sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups coconut milk
3 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

enough ripe bananas to cover bottom of pie, cut into 1/4″ slices

Topping:
Fresh or dessicated coconut flakes

PREPARATION

For the crust:
Mix all crust ingredients in bowl until well blended. Press into bottom and up sides of 10″ pie or tart pan. Put into freezer to harden.

When crust is solid, spread on the dulce de leche. Place back into freezer.

For the custard:
Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Gradually whisk in coconut milk. Whisk over medium heat until custard thickens and boils. Remove from heat and temper egg yolks, then add to the custard along with vanilla.  Return to LOW heat for 1-min. Allow to cool as you cut the bananas.

To finish:
Add sliced bananas to the pie to cover the dulce de leche, then top with warm custard. Spread custard to cover evenly, but slightly higher in the middle. The custard should be quite thick. Sprinkle with coconut flakes.

Cover and place in fridge to chill completely before serving.

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Graham-Coconut Crust

Cheesecake (tart) with white chocolate, macadamia and coconut. Pure heaven.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

with Graham-Coconut Crust

This is a recipe I came up with on the fly

Crust:
1  1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2/3 cup toasted coconut (loose measure, not packed)
1 Tb sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tb coconut oil (or enough to moisten crumbs)

Filling:
1 8oz bar of Cream Cheese
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 ts Vanilla
50g white chocolate, melted (2oz)

Topping:
1 bar Ritter Sport White Chocolate with macadamia (or 50gm white chocolate and a handful of toasted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped)
1 Tb sour cream
1 Tb sugar

Method:
Crust – Combine graham cracker crumbs, toasted coconut and sugar in a bowl. Mix melted butter and coconut oil, then add to the crumbs. Stir until well combined. Pack evenly into a tart or pie pan, forming up the sides, as well. Put into the freezer to harden.

Filling – Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a glass or ceramic bowl, melt the white chocolate and cream cheese together (i use a microwave set on medium for about 1 minute). Heat until just warm enough to melt together, not too hot. Mix until all the white chocolate is incorporated into the cheese. Add the sugar and vanilla; mix well. Add the eggs and mix until uniform. Pour into the chilled crust. Bake immediately at 350°F (175°C) for about 35-min or until center is almost firm but slightly jiggly. Cool to lukewarm before adding topping.

Topping – Coarsely chop up the Ritter Sport bar.  Melt the bar, add sour cream and sugar;  stir well. While still warm and pie/tart is lukewarm, pour topping over the distribute the nuts evenly. Place into fridge and chill completely before serving.

Cheesecake – this is nice in a tart or std pie pan.

Filipino Crab in Coconut Cream (Ginataang Alimango)

Ginataang Alimango - Crab, coconut cream, and chilies. Delish !!

FILIPINO CRAB IN COCONUT CREAM

(Ginataang Alimango)

Ingredients:
2½ – 3      lbs    Mud Crab (or other crab), sectioned, legs and claws cracked
¼    c    Cooking Oil (Palm or Vegetable)
1½      T    Garlic, chopped
¾      c    Onions, chopped
3    T    Ginger root, finely minced
2    T    Bird Chilies (red, green), chopped
2    T    Filipino Shrimp Paste (Bagoong Alamang) (or sub. Shrimp Powder)
2     c    Coconut Cream
1½      c    Green Asian Long Chilies
1    c    Red Asian Long Chilies
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Bias-slice the green and red Asian long chilies into ¼-inch oblong rings and set aside.  Wash and clean the crab pieces. Boil for 5- to 7-minutes, or until almost completely cooked (time depends on the size of your crabs).

Heat up a large wok or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cooking oil.  When the oil is hot add the onions, garlic, and ginger.  Sauté until the onions become translucent, about 5-minutes.  Add bagoong alamang (or shrimp powder) and the chopped bird chilies; stir-fry for 2-minutes.

Pour in the coconut cream and then add the sliced green and red Asian long chilies along with the cooked crab. Bring to a slow simmer (do not boil rapidly), and then cook for another 5-minutes, or until crab is just done. Add salt to taste and stir.

Arrange the crab on a deep serving plate, and then ladle the sauce and chilies on top.  Serve with white rice.

Note:  Ginataang is basically anything cooked in coconut milk or coconut cream, whether sweet, savory, or spicy.  This particular dish is popular in the Bicol and Quenzon regions, famous for their spicy cuisines, and can be prepared with just about any meat.  However, when sliced pork and fresh shrimp are used together, it is called “The Bicol Express”, named after a train running from Manilla to Bicol.

Sri Lankan Tomato-Coconut Curry

Sri Lankan Tomato-Coconut Curry — This delicious dish has a wonderfully rich and complex flavor – and is also wicked-hot. You might want to keep plenty of lassi or other beverage handy.

Ingredients:
1½      lbs    Chicken, boneless, bite-sized pieces;  or Shrimp, de-veined
1    in    Ginger, finely minced
3    clv    Garlic, minced
3    T    Ghee or butter
15        Hot Red Asian Chilies, halved
1    sm    Onion, minced
4     med    Plum Tomatoes, wedge-sliced
1        Cinnamon stick, 2” in length
1    c    Coconut Milk
1    ts    Lime juice

Spice Paste:
1    T    Vinegar
1    ts    Cardamom powder
¼    ts    Clove powder
2    ts    Cayenne powder
2    ts    Paprika
½    ts    Turmeric
1    T    Sri Lankan Curry powder (see below)
½     ts    Fenugreek seed powder
1    ts    Salt, or to taste

Preparation:
Combine all the spice paste ingredients. Marinate the chicken in the spice paste for 1-hour (skip if using shrimp).  Smash or blend the ginger and garlic to a paste; set aside.

Heat a skillet with the ghee over medium-high flame. Fry the sliced chilies and onions along with the ginger-garlic paste until onions start to caramelize.  Then add the cinnamon stick and half of the tomatoes; stir-fry for a few minutes.  Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry for another 5- to 7-minutes; if using shrimp, stir-fry about 2-minutes.

Add the coconut milk and the remaining sliced tomatoes. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the meat is done (about 5-minutes for chicken; 2-minutes for shrimp).  Discard the cinnamon stick when done.

To serve, place everything into a serving dish and sprinkle with lime juice, garnish with cilantro, and then serve with basmati rice and chapatti.

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Sri Lankan Curry Powder

½     c    Chili flakes (dried Asian or Cayenne chilies), hot
1½    T    Coriander seeds
1    T    Cumin seeds
1    T    Peppercorns, whole
1    ts    Cinnamon
2    ts    Turmeric

Preparation:
Be sure to use the hottest chili flakes you can find. You can make your own chili flakes by purchasing dried whole chilies (Asian or cayenne) and then pulsing them in a blender or food processor before measuring.

Pan-roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns separately.

Combine and grind all ingredients to a fine powder. Store in a sealed glass jar.

Thai Coconut Green Curry (Gaeng Kiăow Wăn)

Thai Coconut Green Curry served in a Benjarong style bowl with 24K gold leaf edging. Coconut milk and green curry work so well together, it's no wonder this dish is so popular in Thailand.

THAI COCONUT GREEN CURRY

(Gaeng Kiăow Wăn)

Ingredients:
½      lb.     Pork, sliced; or Chicken, diced
¼     c    Coconut Cream, thick
3     T     Thai Green Curry Paste
1    T    Palm Sugar
1    T    Fish sauce
2     c     Thai Eggplant (or other eggplant)
¼    c    Pea Eggplant (optional)
4         Green Thai Dragon (or Serrano) Chilies
1      c    Coconut Milk, thin
3          Kaffir Lime leaves
2     T     Thai Basil (Horapha), shredded
Fish sauce to taste (for salt)

Preparation:
Cut the green chilies into strips; set aside.  Cut the Thai eggplant into quarters (or other type of eggplant into large chunks), and soak in slightly salted water with a few slices of lemon (to help prevent oxidation).

Heat ¼-cup coconut cream in a skillet over medium heat and add the green curry. Fry about 7- to 10-minutes, or until most of the water from the coconut cream has evaporated out and the coconut oil remains; the curry should also release its aroma and slightly caramelize.  Add the meat, palm sugar, and fish sauce; stir-fry 3-minutes or until the meat is cooked through.

Then add to the pot the Thai eggplant, pea eggplant, green Thai dragon (or Serrano) chilies, and just enough thin coconut milk to cover everything.  Cover the pot and bring to a slow boil over medium heat. When it just begins to boil, add the basil and Kaffir lime leaves.  Taste for salt; add fish sauce, if necessary.  Cover again and remove from heat. Allow to rest for 1-minute, before transferring to a serving bowl.

Top with a tablespoon of fresh coconut cream and serve with Thai jasmine rice.