When You're Done with Your Fresh Coconut Juice Don't...

Fresh coconut season is upon us!

But after you take that last sip of coconut juice, don't just chuck away the nutshell.There's great healthy stuff in there! And we can name 3 great uses for the meat! Here's the first one...

Getting to the Coconut Meat

1. Crack that coconut.

Find the line that wraps around the coconut. This is the break line. Take the spine of your knife (not the sharp edge), position it perpendicular to the break line of the coconut. Hold the coconut in one hand and the knife in your dominant hand and tap it strongly a few times until the coconut starts to crack. Once cracked, it's easy to pry apart with your knife and/or fingers.You should get two halves or something close to it.

2. Scoop out the meat using a spoon.

Turn the spoon around to face you (this is counterintuitive, but trust us). Insert the spoon between the shell and the meat and begin to dislodge the meat. You will surprise yourself that you can take the whole coconut meat out in one piece!

3. If you're too faint of heart to do the above, your Filipino, Indonesian or Thai helper will likely know how!

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NOW FOR THE...

Coconut Noodles 
(called Buko Pansit in the Philippines)

• 1 fresh coconut, flesh cut into thin strips like udon noodles
• 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red and yellow bell peppers
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 inch, minced ginger
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil as needed (a touch of sesame oil even better)
• 2-3 tablespoons cup Lemon, Lime juice or calamansi juice to taste
• 2 tablespoons Soy sauce, as desired
• Handful coriander, chopped for garnish
• Toasted peanuts, chopped for garnish (optional)
• 1 fresh red chill, deseeded and chopped (optional)

This is less of a recipe as it is a method. The star of this show is the coconut noodles so adjust  your co-stars as you desire. The ingredients listed here serve as a starting point for you to experiment at will to suit your veggie taste.

1. Start be sautéing the aromatics: ginger, onions and garlic in enough oil. This will help flavor the oil.
2. Once the aromas have been released, toss the rest of the ingredients into the pan and sauté until the cabbage has sweated and softened. This should take no more than 3-5 minutes.
3. Season with lemon juice and a touch of soy sauce. You can add some sugar but why? You want a little tart balancing the saltiness but you do want to taste those veggies. So don't overload the flavorings.
4. Finally, plate a mound of your coconut noodles unto serving plates. Garnish with herbs and nuts as you wish. Serve with lemon wedges and extra chili on the side.

Now, can you imagine the many other ways you can use coconut meat as noodles? Fresh fruit salad? With coriander pesto?

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And if you'd like more recipe ideas head over to www.superhelper.org. We've got a great summer course ahead for every homemaker. Employers are welcome too!