Bananas with Coconut Cream & Ginger
There are plenty of non-dairy creamers out there: hazelnut, French vanilla, Irish creme, extra-rich…the list goes on and on. (Literally. Take a look at the ingredients sometime.) All of those flavors do, however, have something in common — they’re usually accompanied by hydrogenated oil and high-fructose corn syrup, two of the worst substances you can eat.
Here’s a better idea: instead of a manufactured non-dairy cream, why not use a natural one? Left on its own, whole coconut milk naturally separates into a thick, creamy layer and a more-watery one. You can either stir the two back together or scoop some cream off the top to use in soups, smoothies, puddings, drinks (hot chocolate with coconut, anyone?), ice creams, curries, mashed into potatoes, served atop desserts, etc. You just can’t go wrong with coconut. (Unsweetened natural coconut, by the way, does not taste anything like the horrifically sweet flakes I remember as a kid. Natural coconut is smooth and rich and blends with anything I’ve tried blending it with.) And you can have your cream and your milk, too — after you’ve finished stealing some cream, stir whatever remains back into the milk. You’ll still have beautifully thick milk.
For this dessert — okay, I’ll admit that it was actually my breakfast — I topped a sliced banana with coconut cream and a sprinkling of ginger. It tasted exotic and tropical and was ready in 30 seconds. Since then, I’ve used more of that can of coconut milk in a pea-curry soup, in smoothies, and as a toppping for pumpkin-cranberry muffins. Later today, I’ll probably make chai-coconut tea. The possibilities are endless…
Enjoy!
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Tags: breakfast, coconut, coconut milk, dessert, non-dairy creamer
