CarolCooks2…Week 8…in my Kitchen…made from scratch…Vegan Non Dairy Cream and Cream Slices.

 

 

 

Hello and welcome to my kitchen…my hot and steamy kitchen I will add at the moment… It’s bread-making day today…

Today I am showing you how easy it is to make a dairy-free cream...the vegan tag and dairy-free tag is a bonus as we are neither it is just something I make…  for starters cream is very expensive here and coconut cream is not…

Coconuts are two a penny they are so plentiful…Coconut water or milk can be purchased fresh you can watch it being made while you wait and the cartons are 100% just milk or cream no additives and the man of the house who loves his cream does not know the difference…

Now here the thing all the coconut milk I get here is 100% not so apparently when purchased in many stores in the UK  unless you buy from an Asian store…The max % if you buy from big stores is about 60% and some of them are the same brand I buy here which are 100%…

When my son told me this I was appalled but as he said it is cheaper for manufacturers to add guar gum and the like … for example coconut extract (56 per cent), water, stabiliser (E466), emulsifier (E435), antioxidant (citric acid). E466 is another name for carboxymethyl cellulose. E435 is another name for polysorbate 60. 

Mine here 100% Coconut Milk…

Box cover coconut milk

Kitchen Tip:  Try to find a brand that only contains coconut milk 100% if you can’t and use one of the other brands be careful not to let the liquid boil as it will separate. 

I am trying to cut down on added sugars and fat, and I have seen many recipes for making a non-dairy cream with coconut cream that I thought it was time I tried it as this is the home of coconuts…haha…

Coconut milk is in the fridge as are the stainless steel pot and whisk blades…Once cold we are ready to go…Wow..that was easy it whipped up in about 2 minutes if that… I added nothing and it was very nice even hubby who loves fresh cream and lots of it had to admit it tasted good…I think it is easier here as our coconut milk is 100% no additives at all…I will be making this in future and it is so much healthier.

STRAWBERRIES AND COCONUT CREAM

A non-dairy cream that would go with any dessert. I am impressed and I think any vegan/vegetarian or even me who is neither will all be in agreeance at how good this cream is…A lovely non-dairy cream.

Perfect for cream Slices…

fresh cream Jam Puff pastry

Before I go I would just like to ask…Just out of interest I would love to know how many of you make all/some or occasionally make food from scratch…I was doing some research on cooking from scratch and certain foods that were mentioned amazed me…foods in my kitchen we just routinely make/cook…

Take potatoes for example...who buys Ready-made mash or even worse those flakes of potato(or) is it… that you reconstitute? Frozen Chips?Frozen Roast Potatoes, Potato Salad,? Ready peeled potatoes? 

I know potatoes have to be peeled…hubby’s job in this house…but it takes less than 5 mins…to cook mashed potatoes… takes 15-20 minutes…

You can cook any amount enough for one or for four people…the taste… there can be no comparison but additives and chemicals or fillers have no place in food as far as I am concerned…

Your thoughts on what you make and what you buy and why?…

Thank you for reading and please let me have your thoughts and what you cook from scratch…

Thank you for joining me in my kitchen today…my dearest wish is that more people would count chemicals instead of calories and cost…Carol xx

 

51 thoughts on “CarolCooks2…Week 8…in my Kitchen…made from scratch…Vegan Non Dairy Cream and Cream Slices.”

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  4. acflory

    Rats! Just checked my tin of coconut cream in the pantry and it’s 76% coconut extract, water and thickener [Guar gum]. 😦 I’m going to have to check all the available brands.
    Assuming I can find a good coconut cream, what do I do? You mentioned something about chilling? Is that necessary?
    As for your question, we are a 95% from-scratch family. I buy sachets of concentrated tomato paste, tins of coconut milk, salada biscuits [dry], yoghurt and the green curry paste. Oh and bread. Like you, we like to know what’s going into our stomachs. Can’t imagine not peeling my own potatoes.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Oh, No! thats terrible it must be most imported coconut milk then..bad news..Try the Asian shops all mine have 100% clearly marked on the boxes…Yes chilleverything and then it whips really quickly…Well done I am impressed with your cooking from scratch, Meeks x

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      As do we as you know Dolly..it is a great substitute for any milk and I don’t notice an overly coconut taste either Have a great weekend, Dolly and stay safe…xx

      Liked by 1 person

  7. petespringerauthor

    I’m impressed that you have found a way to do an end-run around the not-so-healthy stuff. The fact that it tastes good is a bonus.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Thank you, Pete…It really is easy to make a few tweaks and go from unhealthy to healthy and most of the time at a lesser cost and I am all for that…Have a great weekend…and I must tell you Our Lily has just got her exam results 100% on all subjects she always hovers around the 95% and was so driven to get number 1 as she puts it…we are so happy for her…Bless her our little star x

      Liked by 1 person

      1. petespringerauthor

        Great news about Lily! You’ve got a smart one on your hands. The challenge there is trying to find things that keep her engaged as she gets older.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. CarolCooks2 Post author

        Thank you, Pete…we really don’t push her she just has this inbuilt thirst of just wanting to push boundaries… her latest is jumping over poles on her skateboard and she just keeps doing it and putting the bar higher ..no fear that child but she just focuses on whatever it is she thinks she should be able to do and goes for it we can’t stop her…Always asking questions which is good…and she goes to a small Thai village school …I do hope we can keep her engaged as she gets older…x

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Erica/Erika

    An interesting post, Carol. I have not cooked with coconut milk, yet I see it in many recipes. A great point about making sure it is 100% and possibly buying from Asian stores. I look forward to whipping some up and trying it. I am a huge fan of baked oven fries although I try not to make them too often.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      I do hope you like it as much as we do, Erika… I always keep one of the small boxes in my chiller so I can always just whip some up… the beauty is you can make it as you need it as coconut milk has a long shelf life even when it has been opened…Now and again is ok, Erika, with fries I would imagine they would be difficult to hand cut that thin…luckily mine like thicker chips…Have a lovely weekend and stay safe 🙂 x

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Erica/Erika

        We are a thicker chip and leave the peel on family. I found an amazing recipe recently where I let the cut up raw potatoes sit in a colander. I sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of sugar throughout the potatoes and let this sit for approx 30 minutes. I then place the potatoes on a clean kitchen towel and dry them off. I add olive oil and minimal spices and they turn out excellent. (I think 425 degrees, turning once) You likely know about this recipe.🙂Take care. xx

        Liked by 1 person

  10. BERNADETTE

    I usually cook everything from scratch. I make my own stock and in the summer I can tomatoes for the winter as well as make jams. The only frozen vegetable I use is frozen spinach because it lends itself so well to mixing with ricotta for all types of Italian recipes.

    Liked by 3 people

  11. Darlene

    I don’t like frozen vegetable s and we get such nice and inexpensive fresh vegetables here. I would never buy packaged mashed potatoes! I saw frozen Yorkshire puddings the other day in an English shop. Why?? When they are so easy to make. I try to make as much from scratch as I can. I feel so much better when I do. Your recipes are always so good.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      You are like me, Darlene it does make you feel so much better and like you have we also have so many lovely fresh veggies I don’t need to buy frozen…I also don’t get the buying of mash homemade mash has slightly fewer carbs than ready-made unless I am missing something…and it’s easy to portion control if you need to…Have a great weekend Darlene and stay safe 🙂 x

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

    We don’t have much cream these days.. not until I start running marathons again (joke) we eat grass fed butter and use olive oil for fats.. but I am a fan of coconut and this sounds delicious.. I tend to leave the skins on and mash to get the goodness having washed first of course.. and I like homemade chips with the skin on too… never turn down a cream slice…thanks Carol.. hugs

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      You and me both, Sally I completed my one and only for cancer research and now its a sedate walk got to look after my joints…the cream is delicious and easy to make and has a longer life than fresh cream(if) it lasts that long…as for potatoes we tend to leave the skin on as much as possible and it makes for more taste we think…Have a great weekend, Sally and stay safe we have had one case here so lockdown again for two weeks for everything except food shops..

      Liked by 1 person

  14. johnrieber

    Terrific as always, and why is it that so many things that start out healthy get much less so due to the manufacturing process…additives, chemicals and the like…pure green.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      It’s all down to shelf life, cost/profit and the fact people want out of season foods and convienience…such a shame we have to do our own checking all the time…which is why I like you cook from scratch Have a lovely weekend, John 🙂 x

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen

    I have made coconut cream and I love it! It also seems to be more stable than dairy. I cook almost everything from scratch. I do keep a box of dehydrated organic potatoes that I use occasionally to coat fish for a shallow fry, one of my husband’s favorite dishes, but I find the taste as mashed potatoes really awful! I like to know what is in my food, and control things like salt, and avoid all preservatives. I do keep frozen vegetables (just veggies, no added sauces etc.) on hand, especially during the pandemic when I was limiting my trips to the market for fresh. Happy cooking Carol!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      That’s interesting about the dehydrated potatoes, Dorothy…Frozen veggies are good as a standby unless its brussel sprouts which I absolutely dislike frozen. The pandemic has made us have a rethink and now it seems to be starting up again here…further lockdowns…Take care x

      Liked by 1 person

  16. paulpaddington

    We cook together and unless absolutely necessary its always fresh food. During the pandemic we have kept a few reserves of frozen in our small freezer compartment but that’s all. Fresh always tastes so much better and you can see how much salt, pepper, herbs and spices that are being added. That being said we do have a weakness for a Swedish vegan ice cream which I think is soya based. Oops, we’ve slipped a bit 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Nobody’s perfect Paul…I slip up at times depending on circumstances.. But do as much as I can thats all we can do.. I cook more from scratch as much I can’t get here which means I have to.. Plus I have always cooked from scratch its a habit now with me

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Liz Gauffreau

    My husband is doing all the cooking so that I can have time to write, so cooking from scratch is no more. When I did the cooking, I cooked from scratch. Does the coconut cream taste strongly of coconut? Do you have to be careful what you pair it with?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      I don’t find it is, Liz but it could be that I am used to the taste as I use coconut juice, oil and milk all the time…And if hubby is helping you out while writing that is good …mine would do just the same but he would choose the easy way and wouldn’t make from scratch and that’s ok …we can’t be perfect all the time can we? 🙂

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  21. beetleypete

    Coconut cream works well, though my personal favourite is Cornish Clotted cream. Mind you, I only have that once or twice a year, on warm scones with jam.
    I do sometimes buy prepared mash from Tesco. There are different varieties, and they do sell a fresh one that is completely additive free. Julie has to have that lower carb one because of her Diabetes, but she also makes her own mash for topping shepherd’s pies.
    Best wishes, Pete.

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