Every once in a while I stumble across something so simple and delightful that I just don't have much to say about it other than: you have to try this! This recipe for Spiced Organic Coconut Chips falls easily into that category. As perhaps one of the tastiest and easiest-to-prepare snack foods I've ever had the joy of savoring, these charming bite-sized treats include just 3 ingredients and take less than 3 minutes to make. They are gluten-free, hypo-allergenic, nutrient-dense slivers of tropical heaven- only instead of eating them while lounging lazily on the beach, I find myself nibbling at these coconut chips at my desk, adding them generously to steaming entrees or grabbing a brimming handful to crunch on the go. I hope that you enjoy them as well.
Coconut Meat: The King of Foods
Coconut chips and flakes are made from the dehydrated white meat of mature coconuts. Traditional lore has it that eating the fruit of the coconut tree is the secret to robust health and a long life. Modern scientific analysis has verified these instinctual observations, revealing that coconut meat has a synergistic nutrient profile that is unparalleled by other superfoods. Serving dualistically as a highly functional food with medicinal capacity, coconut meat has been implicated in improving digestion, enhancing nutrient bioavailability, protecting against cancer and heart disease, aiding with weight loss, and improving immunity by actively killing disease-causing microorganisms and parasites. Because dried coconut is 64% fat by composition, it reflects many of the health benefits of coconut oil with the added advantage of quality indigestible fiber. Coconut flour, made by grinding the dehydrated meat, is a healthy alternative to wheat and other flours. Learning to cook with coconut flour is simple and well worth a try.
The conventional dried coconut you find in grocery stores is harshly extracted, sterilized in chlorinated water and cooked in conveyor ovens at temperatures between 170-180°, before being bathed in sweeteners and preservatives. The resulting product is devoid of nutrients, riddled with chemicals and barely resembles the natural coconut! Make sure the coconut chips or flakes you choose are low-temperature dehydrated with no added preservatives or sugar, like the Radiant Life Coconut Flakes and Chips. These products have been carefully prepared from the pure white meat of wild coconuts grown in the beautiful tropical islands of the Philippines. Our coconuts are freshly harvested, husked and shelled, and the remaining meat washed in pure, filtered water. The raw coconut meat is then shredded and dehydrated at a very low temperature of 98° to preserve the full integrity of nutrients. This meticulous process gives Radiant Life's Chips and Flakes their clear color and delicate texture, while preserving vital nutrients. Free of additives, dyes, sweeteners and preservatives, with real products like this you are able to taste the natural splendor of unadulterated coconut in all its richness!
Spiced Organic Coconut Chips
1) Combine 1/2 tsp. of unprocessed salt (celtic or himalayan) with 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon in a small dish and put aside.
2) Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cups of Radiant Life Organic Coconut Chips and spread evenly in the pan in a single layer. Stir frequently.
3) Remove pan from heat as soon as the flakes have reached an appealing level of brownness, as pictured above (2-3 minutes, tops).
4) Sprinkle with cinnamon & salt mixture tossing to coat evenly.
5) To preserve crunch, allow chips to cool in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
6) Store at room temperature in an airtight container. Do not refrigerate.
These are great served as a stand alone snack or sprinkled atop other fruit and veggie dishes, i.e., green beans, berries, etc.!
Take the Challenge!
Radiant Life Unsweetened Organic Coconut Chips can be combined with different spices for a Tex-Mex, Asian, Onion or Garlicky flavor. Turmeric and himalayan salt taste awesome and really combine well with the fat in the coconut, as turmeric's magical properties are liberated in oil. Don't be afraid to experiment and let us know your favorite spice combination!
Can't get enough Coconut? Check out our other coconut products, recipes and DIYs
Great minds think alike! Please see this and other great recipes in Melissa Joulwan's cookbook Well Fed: Paleo Recipes For People Who Love To Eat, and on her web site The Clothes Make The Girl.
Find this post on Real Food Forager's Fat Tuesday, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways Beyond the Peel's Keep It Real Thursday and Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday.