Favorite ways to use young/Thai coconut meat?

[MagicalDaze]

Gosh, I just love the liquid part of young coconuts, and would love to drink 2 or 3 per day - but even @ one per day or less, I'm having trouble keeping up with the solid part. I've done searches for recipes & tried improvising puddings etc, but so far nothing I've tried has appealed to me. I also add it to my green smoothies, but I find I prefer them without it. I wish I could enjoy it just plain - but the texture really bugs me. I know there must be delicious uses for this incredible food, I just need help discovering what they are! Can U inspire me? Many thanks!! :cool:

I forgot to mention... I don't have a deyhdrator...

[banana shake]

I don't have an answer for you, but I do have the same situation! I've just been stashing the meat in the freezer, hoping I'll get inspired. I hope you get some good answers to a great question!

[Joyful Mary]

When I had an abundance of young coconuts and wanted to preserve them, I blended the meat and water and froze in quart-size ziplocs. When I want a quick ice cream, I just blend the frozen coconut with a bit of water. It's delicious with a slightly bitter carob sauce on it. I thought that perhaps you could just blend the meat with water and freeze, then try that for ice cream. It would have less of the coconut flavor, but might be tasty with a carob or fruit sauce. If you try it, let us know how it turns out for you.

[myrrah29]

I make this drink almost every day:

1/4 cup raw cashews
1 cup young coconut water

Blend. Add:

1 mango
(I also add some frozen peaches)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend. Add:

1 cup orange juice (the recipe I saw suggested frozen oj in ice cube trays, but I always just use it refrigerated.)

SOOO GOOD!!!!! I usually use the coconut water til that's gone (makes two or three smoothies), then I use the meat blended with a cup of water for the next smoothie.

[exurb]

magicaldaze and banana shake I am totally with you, that I love drinking them so much, then I get lazy and don't use the meat. I used to be shocked when Samuel Wilson said he throws out the coconut and just drinks them (blasphemy!), now I find myself doing the exact same thing! eeek!

I know you can make good whipping cream from it, they also make very nice phad thai noodles, sliced by hand. Samuel was also working on a mock sole florentine with the coconut meat as the fish and a spinach filling.

[laurabfig]

I made a smoothie this morning with pineapple, coconut meat, a little coconut milk, a banana, and some ice and it was amazing. I'm having it for breakfast again tomorrow!

[JinxieKat]

There is an asian noodle salad over at www.gliving.tv that uses the meat as 'noodles' in the salad and it is quite good. There are also a few similar recipies, normally a kung pao type recipie that uses it as well. Raw Food, Real World has a recipie that uses the meat as a ravioli wrapper.

Jinx

[KindnessToAllCreatures]

I dehydrate it.
It's great as a snack with dehydrated pineapple (which I dehydrate when I can't eat if fast enough.)

[MagicalDaze]

Thanks for all these suggestions, guys! Joyful Mary, I especially like yours! Of all things, my freezer is acting up... but once it's back to normal I can't wait to try the ice cream!!

[PATH301]

I just eat it after I drink the juice.
Or you can mix it in with a banana and carob and some ice for a banana shake
have you treid dehydrating it yet?
Or put it in your smoothies?
or just eat it?

[RawTruth]

You can slice it in strips or chunks and marinate it in a spicy sauce of whatever taste you'd like -- Mexican, Thai, Caribbean -- use it as the "meat" in tacos, roll-ups, or on salads.

A local restaurant has a Thai salad with the marinated coconut meat on top. Another local raw restaurant uses the meat whipped up (with other stuff, o'course) as cheescake filling. It's really light and creamy. Still another raw restaurant uses it in tacos (seasoned with cumin, cayenne, etc.).

I'm with PATH, though. I scoop it out with a spoon after I've drunk the water.

Oh ... I forgot ... another cool use is to blend it with some coconut water and pour onto dehydrator sheets into crepes. Yep, crepes!! Yummy.

[MagicalDaze]

Hey, everyone - we have a winner! I have experimented a little with the ice cream idea of Joyful Mary's, & it's perfect! However much U happen to have on hand, just blend it up for whenever the mood strikes. It's a wonderful creamy consistency for ice cream too. I'm sold!!

I'm also interested in the marinating for taco meat idea - haven't tried it yet tho. I haven't actually done any marinating yet, & kinda don't know how to start. Does it always include oil?

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions! Cocos rawk!

[Chickadee]

I put the whole inside of the coconut (meat & water) into my Vitamixer, blend it up, and Yum. ;)

[sport]

Can we stop referring to it as MEAT. Is there any other word. I find that off-putting.

[vgloveforlife]

Question: where do I buy a young coconut?

Thanks!

[Chickadee]

How about endosperm tissue? :D (it's the only alternative term I've found so far).
"The "meat" of the seed is endosperm tissue" From http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph10.htm Actually, it's also referred to as "flesh", but I didn't think you'd like that any better. :p

[Chickadee]

I buy mine at Ranch Market (a local Hispanic market), but I've seen them at Whole Foods, all my local hfs stores, and even at Vons. Asian markets usually will have them. And if you have a favorite market you shop at you could ask the produce manager to order them.

Here's a link that shows what the coconut looks like and how to open it. http://www.treeoflife.nu/cafecoconut.html

[Bobbie]

I can't believe people were throwing it away!! I live in the UK where you can't buy young coconuts, and I'd give anything for one to make noodles with!!!
Please don't throw away - send it to me!

[Ama]

I can't believe people were throwing it away!! I live in the UK where you can't buy young coconuts, and I'd give anything for one to make noodles with!!!
Please don't throw away - send it to me!

Gosh... I'm thinking the same thing. The only place I've been able to find young coconuts... they've both been bad (soapy). I would LOVE LOVE LOVE a good fresh young coconut. How yummy

[SeaGrass7]

I must admit that in the past I was guilty of throwing it away but I have since come completely full circle. I would never do that....

The reason I did that was because I did not have an effective, easy way to open them up. Now that that problem is solved, I will never again waste this valuable meat.

My 2 year old LOVES the meat... when he wants some he says "meat" over and over again. It is a bit off putting, but I continue to encourage him to say coconut.... We could perhaps switch our own perceptions around that word! Eventually, I would like to think that there will be more people on this planet that are conscious about eating animals! :)

My favorite thing currently is to make chocolate pudding with the meat. I add agave, cocao powder, and a dash a of sea salt. It is best chilled.
IT IS GOOOOD.

[moonstone523]

Sport,

It is called coconut meat. Really must we invent a new word?