…and eat it all up!

Ever since last week, when my doctor told me I needed to go temporarily off of dairy, I have felt like Eeyore with a big cloud over my head. Dairy is half my diet, after all: cheese, sour cream, yogurt, pudding, bisque, cream sauce, mashed potatoes, and butter…lots and lots of butter. *Sigh*

Since then, coconut has been my friend. Well, we were already friends, but now we’re really close.

Last night, my darling daughter, Melissa, prepared a wonderful dish for us, and for company, that was beyond blog-worthy. It was delicious, and pretty easy to prepare. In addition to that, it’s gluten free, dairy free, and almost every other allergy I can think of-free. Unless you’re allergic to lime or coconut.

On the menu:

• Lime in the Coconut  Beef (I couldn’t help think how cool this would be served “in” a coconut shell!)
• Creamy Coconut Mashed Potatoes
• The Salad of Many Colors

So, here you go:

Lime-in-the-Coconut Beef

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
• 3 pounds stew meat
• 1 pound sliced carrots
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 5 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• 2 (14-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk
• 2-inch strip lime zest
• 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• chopped cilantro
• arrowroot

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, saute onion in 1 tablespoon of the oil until it begins to slightly brown. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Transfer the mixture to a large plate.

Return the Dutch oven to the burner. Increase heat to high and add another 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil to the pot. When the oil is hot, add a quarter of the beef and cook until well browned on all sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the plate. Brown the remaining beef in 3 more batches, adding oil as needed.

Return the onion mixture and browned beef to the pot. Stir in the coconut milk, lime zest, lime juice, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, bay leaves and carrots. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover, then place in the oven for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, or until the beef is tender. Alternatively, the stew can be simmered over low heat on the burner. Thicken with arrowroot (if you don’t have arrowroot, cornstarch may be used).

Remove bay leaves. Season stew with salt. Serve over coconut mashed potatoes, sprinkled with chopped cilantro.

Serves 8.

Creamy Coconut Mashed Potatoes

• 16 Russet potatoes
• 2 cans coconut milk (with cream)
• 4 teaspoons onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• garlic powder (to taste

Bake the potatoes for 60 minutes at a high temperature, until tender. Remove the skins and mash in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, pour in the coconut milk and seasonings, continuing to blend until the mixture is creamy. Serve hot!

Salad of Many Colors Recipe HERE

Order good quality coconut oil here…

• Caribbean Coconut Chicken
• Creamy Pumpkin Coconut Soup
• Mexican Green Tomato Garlic Soup
• Hawaiian Haystacks with Coconut Gravy
• Papa’s Cajun Oyster Dressing

Categories: Recipe: Side dish, Recipes: Gluten Free, Recipes: Main Dish, Recipes: Meats, Recipes: Salad
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