coconut rice, vegetables in a lemon grass broth,  sautéed banana with lime over coconut ice cream

Coconut Rice

2 cups jasmine rice
3 cups water
1 tsp salt
½ cup dried coconut
1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger

Rinse the rice twice in water and then drain.

Put the rice in a heavy bottomed pan, add the water, salt ginger and coconut, cover and bring to the boil over high heat.
As soon as the rice comes to the boil, lower the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid.

After 20 minutes, remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Red curry chicken

1 tsp oil
2 Tablespoons red curry paste
4 small chicken breast cut into thin strips across the grain

Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the curry paste. Cook over medium high heat until the paste starts to darken, stirring constantly. Once it has darkened and is quite fragrant, add the chicken and sauté just until the chicken has starting to brown. Then add the following, reduce the heat to medium low and cook just until the chicken has cooked all the way through, approximately 3 more minutes.

1 cup coconut milk
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
6 kaffir lime leaves
1 tablespoon raw sugar

Add:

Juice of 1 lime
½ cup basil leaves or a combination of basil, coriander and mint
Remove from the heat, pick out the lime leaves and discard. Serve immediately.

Seasonal Vegetables in a lemon grass broth

1 cup chicken or veggie stock
1 stock lemon grass, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 chili

Place the above in a pot over medium heat and bring to the simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, Strain and either use right away or cool for later use.

4 cups chopped seasonal veggies
1 tsp lime juice
½ tsp brown sugar
1 tsp fish sauce

Bring the broth to a boil and add the vegetables. Put the harder veggies in first (i.e. carrots) and the softer veggies in last (i.e. leafy greens). Simmer until the veggies are tender crisp. Stir in C just before serving. Serve immediately.

Sautéed Banana and Lime over coconut ice cream

1½ cup coconut shredded

Spread the coconut evenly over a sheet tray and place in a preheated 400°F oven. Toast the coconut for 2 minutes or just until it is golden brown and smells fragrant. Do not walk away from the coconut or it will burn. Cool the coconut.

2 litre vanilla bean ice cream, softened slightly

Fold 1 cup of the fully cooled coconut into the softened ice cream. Place the ice cream back in the freezer to harden for at least 2 hours before serving.

 2 Tablespoon butter
4 Tablespoons brown sugar
Zest of 2 limes
4 ripe bananas cut into 2 cm slices on a diagonal
Juice of 1 lim
½ cup reserved coconut from the toasting step

Melt the butter, brown sugar and lime zest together in a sauté pan over medium high heat just until the mixture bubbles and the sugar is completely melted, approximately 2 minutes.

Immediately stir in the sliced bananas and cook just until the syrup coats the bananas and they are softened slightly, approximately 2 minutes.

Cool the mixture slightly and then ladle over scoops of ice cream. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut and serve immediately.

To get this meal to the table easily:

• several days in advance:
  • Toast your coconut and assemble your ice cream.
• Earlier in the day of your dinner:
  • Wash your rice and set aside
  • Measure the water and have your coconut and ginger together in a separate bowl
  • Prep your chicken and refrigerate until required
  • Prep the coconut mixture for the chicken and set aside
  • Make the broth for the veggies and refrigerate until later
  • Prep your veggies
  • Have the 2 lime juice mixtures assembled and set aside
  • Assemble your butter and brown sugar mixture and set aside
  • Prep your bananas and toss well with the lime juice
• Just before dinner, start your rice, then 10 minutes after your rice starts to boil, start your chicken and veggie dish
• After dinner quickly sauté your dessert and enjoy.

Cathie Hamilton
Certified Culinary Scientist
E-mail Cathie Hamilton

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