Ah, the warmer months are upon us and what we eat reflects this. I get all tropical-like and enjoy the fruits that come with a change in climate plus my dishes begin to bring a sense of cooling to them.
We don’t consume a lot of dairy in our house so making icecream using coconut is a treat we enjoy. By using young green coconut flesh or older thicker flesh (a bit harder to get out) and freezing it for a couple of hours prior to processing makes it the perfect ingredient!
Coconut oil has been demonized in the past because it contains saturated fat. It’s one of the richest sources of saturated fat known to man, with almost 90% of the fatty acids in it being saturated. However, new data is showing that saturated fats are harmless. (1)
In some parts of the world, coconut is a dietary staple that people have thrived on for many generations. The best example of such a population is the Tokelauans, which live in the South Pacific. They eat over 60% of their calories from coconuts and are the biggest consumers of saturated fat in the world. These people are in amazing health, with no evidence of heart disease.
In regards to sportspeople, the medium-chain triglycerides in coconut oil have been shown to increase 24-hour energy expenditure by as much as 5%, potentially leading to significant weight loss over the long term. (2).
So, the jury may still be out on the health benefits of coconut but everything in moderation is the key…
Coconut and Pistachio Ice Cream With Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
flesh from 1 mature or young green coconut, frozen
2 x frozen bananas, skin removed
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
1 tsp vanilla
Sauce
1/4 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup water
Method
1// Place your coconut flesh and bananas in your food processor or thermomix and process until paste-like.
2// Add the vanilla and nuts and give it another whirl on high speed until finely chopped and mixed through.
3// The make the sauce bring the water to the boil and then add the dates until they soften and make a paste. Empty into your food processor and blend until smooth. If this tends to thicken up, add a little more water until you reach the consistency you’re after.
4// Place scoops of ice cream on a plate and pour over the caramel sauce…
