Coconut Milk Everyday

[heidih]

I did a simple pork dish with Salsa Ranchera https://www.salsas.com/herdez/products/salsas/salsa-ranchera-medium/ , coconut milk, and extra garlic and  ginger today. Excellent and dead easy. My sister was surprised as she thinks of coconut milk with SE Asian foods. My cooking upbringing included Central and South America. Yes coco milk from the brown hairy guys, grating squeezing before canned or frozen US availability.  

 

Do any of you use it as a staple in dishes influenced by various cuisines or as a staple in general.? If I have an open can  I'll use it in cornbread for example. I love the flavor though i understand some find it too strong or different. Our prior old topic did lean Asian. I was wondering in general across cultures, cuisines and personal playfullness

[heidih]

PS: not referring to the "coconut milk" alongside the "almond milk" etc in the non dairy creamer case

[pastrygirl]

that sounds delicious, is that your own recipe or a classic dish?

[heidih]

22 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

that sounds delicious, is that your own recipe or a classic dish?

Are you referring to the salsa pork? That is me playing. Fresh ginger hit a nice other note.  I've done it with chickpeas along with the pork last week and liked it better -  more textural and taste contrast (just canned). Most of my Panamanian influenced dishes are with fish or rice and split peas which is my comfort dish.. 

[Maison Rustique]

One of my favorite instant meals is a can of coconut milk and a can of pumpkin, spiced as you wish (any ethnicity will do) and heated for a delightful soup.

[shain]

I love coconut milk, but I do mostly use it for Asian dishes, less often to South/Middle American dishes, but I'm still not sufficiently familiar with it.

I should experiment more.

 

I do use it in non-Asian sweet dishes on occasion. There are some awesome middle eastern coconut sweets.

 

I did make coconut hummus once (instead of tahini). It was good as far as I remember.

[heidih]

2 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

One of my favorite instant meals is a can of coconut milk and a can of pumpkin, spiced as you wish (any ethnicity will do) and heated for a delightful soup.

Forgot that one. So many spicing/seasoning possibilities. Oddly I put the new can of coconut milk on top of the large pumpkin can in pantry the other day. Duh!

[chromedome]

18 hours ago, heidih said:

Forgot that one. So many spicing/seasoning possibilities. Oddly I put the new can of coconut milk on top of the large pumpkin can in pantry the other day. Duh!

It's a sign!

[Dante]

It actually works rather well in potato-leek soup.

[shain]

12 hours ago, Dante said:

It actually works rather well in potato-leek soup.

 

Right! Mostly due to kosher requirements I have been served many dishes where coconut is used to substitute cream (or milk and butter).

I can recall a good mushroom risotto (barely felt the coconut), a lasagna (coconut bechamel is weird), tomato soup (not bad), sweet potato soup and corn soup (both are quite common with coconut milk). And yes, Vichyssoise with coconut is nice, though I prefer the original.