RAW Coconut Chia Pudding and Smoky Coconut Bacon

In my ongoing attempts at a raw lifestyle coconut has seemed to emerge as my go-to staple for culinary experimentation.

It just has so many texture options as an ingredient and I am never disappointed in any food tasting wholly or partly coconutty! It seems to give bulk without too much grainiess or heaviness and it is cheap. It takes on any flavour you throw at it and works in sweet and savoury dishes.

You can use it in its desicated, shredded, flaked, flour, fresh young flesh forms for nearly any recipe. Or pull out the fresh or powered coconut water. Endless options.

But for now, here is two things to try: one sweet and one savoury.


COCONUT CHIA PUDDING

BLEND

• Flesh and water of 1 YOUNG COCONUT
• Seeds of 1/2 VANILLA BEAN
• 2 tbsp AGAVE SYRUP or prefered sweetener

STIR to combine

• 3 tbsp CHIA SEEDS

Allow to sit for a while to plump up the seeds (magic!) or refrigerated overnight. 

You will be left with an insanely delicious goo like a gelatinous tapioca. Perfect mix of coconut and vanilla.  Keep in mind that if you dont like the texture of chia pudding this is extra slippery because of the young coconut. Eat it on its own or use like yoghurt to dress up a sweet desert. 

For a variation, using ground chia seeds or chia meal would probably result in an instant coconut yoghurt that doesn't need to be cultured. Win!



SMOKY COCONUT BACON

I got the idea for this by thinking about how much I wanted a savoury coconut sambal and that maybe it would be even better crispy.

There are plenty of recipes out there describing how to make a great bacon substitute using marinated fresh coconut and dehydrating it into strips. This is the quicker and more affordable version using pre-dried coconut. It sucks up the flavours like a sponge and stores indefinitely.


COMBINE into a dressing

• 1 tspn GARLIC POWDER (or 2 cloves fresh crushed)
• 2 tspn ONION POWDER  (or 1 small finely, finely minced - it needs to dehydrate!)
• 2 tspn SMOKED PAPRIKA
• 1 tspn CHIPOTLE POWDER
• 2 tbsp APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

STIR into

• 2 cups shredded or flaked DRIED COCONUT

Dehydrate at 45C for 2 hours to dry out. Store in an airtight container indefinitely and use to garnish salad, soups, or anything that needs a good savoury kick!

To vary you can add a little salt or change the spices to your liking. It is the onion and garlic that make it intensely savoury, but the smoked paprika and chipotle make it bacon-like. You could probably get a similar effect using liquid smoke. 

I'm sure you could do a great similar thing with garlic, onion, paprika, rosemary, and thyme for something a little like roast chicken.