Very good morning to all the members of this wonderful community full of colors, exquisite dishes and flavors. As in previous opportunities I have shared some recipes to support all people who for some reason can not consume products containing gluten, refined sugar or lactose, these elements that abound in most foods and beverages that we buy or cook.
For people suffering from this type of allergies it is a real challenge to sit at the table to eat because of their high sensitivity and intolerance to the above mentioned elements. For example, gluten is a protein that is part of wheat and certain cereals, it is present in almost everything that is produced industrially, starting with breads, cookies, various baked desserts and beverages (beer for example).
Refined sugar is the main sweetener in the world, it is a determining factor in the increase of cases of diabetes and overweight in the world (especially among children); it is highly addictive, which is why it is so difficult for many people to stop consuming it. Fortunately, today we can count on natural or chemical substitutes low in calories to sweeten our lives.
As for lactose, it is a type of sugar found in the milk of some animals (like cows for example). Our bodies need to produce an enzyme called lactase to digest lactose, something that 75% of mankind is unable to do.
This lactose intolerance occurs when the small intestine does not produce enough of the lactase enzyme, so avoiding the consumption of milk-based products is necessary for people suffering from this type of allergy. Unfortunately, milk is an ingredient that is practically part of all the desserts we see on supermarket shelves or restaurant menus, so the alternatives to eat without problems are usually few.
I should also point out that some physical and mental health conditions can be overcome by removing these three ingredients from our bodies. In the case of children with autism, it is vital to completely eliminate these elements from their diets to significantly improve their mental and physical health.
Considering the above, today I want to share with you a very simple but powerful recipe, for people who do not have many kitchen appliances or the budget to execute it, it is the "coconut milk", a tropical fruit that hides behind its hard shell a white and soft pulp, abundant in natural fats, low in fructose and suitable for the whole family. It is an ideal substitute for cow's milk and adds an incredible flavor to our meals and desserts.
Without further ado: let's get to work!
Ingredients (for one liter of coconut milk):
One coconut (brown hard-shelled, green does not contain the amount of pulp needed for this recipe). If you live in a country where you can buy the fruit pulp already processed then fresh coconut is not necessary.
One liter of water.
Note: A sterilized cotton cloth is required among the utensils needed to extract the milk from the coconut.
Preparation:
If you are lucky enough to buy the coconut pulp already processed the first three steps are not necessary for you, you save time but you miss the action🙂 . Otherwise let's start at the beginning.
Step 1: Remove the water inside the coconut before breaking it.
Usually coconuts contain a delicious and refreshing liquid inside, do not discard it. If you observe well this fruit has three circles on its tip, with a pointed tool open one or two holes in the mentioned circles and remove the liquid.
Important note: some people integrate the liquid to the final recipe, I just drank it, it's just so rich and it was so hot😁.
**Step 2: Break the coconut into two pieces.
It's simple, with a hammer or something blunt we break the coconut shell, so that two pieces are more or less the same size.
**Step 3: burn the coconuts.
The pulp of the dried or brown coconut is usually very difficult to separate from the husk. A trick I learned from my grandmother is to burn the husk (not the pulp) over direct heat, so the embers will help loosen the pulp.
**Step 4: boil the water.
In a saucepan place the other part of the water and bring it to a boil. Once it reaches the boiling point, remove it from the fire.
**Step 5: process the coconut.
Once the white pulp is separated from its shell, cut it into small pieces, place it in a blender with half a liter of boiled water and blend it carefully so as not to damage the appliance. It is not necessary for it to be as fine as flour, just as if we had grated it, it is enough. If you do not have a blender with a kitchen grater, this step can be done.
**Step 6: Squeeze.
We will obtain a white liquid mixture with sediment from the coconut, so in a cotton cloth we pass this milk as a filter. It is necessary to warn that we must wait until the liquid reduces its temperature, so that we can manipulate the milk with our very clean hands. The liquid is squeezed with force to obtain our milk.
It is important to comment that the remains of the coconut are not wasted, we put it to dry and we make a rich flour to make cookies, breads or any other dessert (soon I will teach you how to make this type of gluten-free flour).
I hope you can make this recipe with the same pleasure with which I share it. Thanks to everyone in the community for supporting my recipes. See you again with another recipe suitable for the whole family.
All images presented in this publication are my authorship and property. The camera of my Xiaomi 9A 13mp cell phone was used.
