One of the things that I tell people when they ask about my low-carb eating plan (I try not to say “diet” anymore, because it’s a lifestyle change that I intend to keep) is that I enjoy finding alternatives for my favorite flavors. I don’t crave sweets (pastries, to be specific … I’ve never been much of a hard candy eater) like I used to, but during the holiday season, there are certain foods that have become a tradition in my family.

 

I’ve already shared with you about my crustless buttermilk pie attempts and my eggnog. There are two other desserts that are standard favorites in my family: German chocolate cake and coconut meringue pie.

 

Thanks to Dana Carpender’s awesome low-carb cookbook, I discovered recipes that I think will be the perfect solution to my tastebuds’ holiday cravings! The first one, German chocolate pie, was a big success (I didn’t even use the whipped topping, and it was amazing!). I’m going to work on the coconut crème pie (perhaps I’ll make my own meringue with Splenda & egg whites) later this week.

 

Both recipes call for freshly grated coconut, not the sticky-sweet bagged stuff that you buy at the grocery store. Well, I remember watching a guy with a small machete (or was it a cleaver? I don’t recall) in Thailand make short order of a coconut, turning it into a self-contained coconut milk beverage with a few whacks of his weapon. How hard could it be, right?

 

*Note to self: STOP saying, “How hard could it be?”!

 

First, we nailed some air holes through the eyes of the coconut (after washing the nail to sterilize it, I should add), then used the nail to gouge out a hole on the other side to drain the coconut milk. It had about a cup’s worth, which made a great liquid base for my breakfast smoothie the next morning!

 

We tried hacking it open with a cleaver, but that didn’t work, and I was afraid one of us was going to lose a finger. So, my husb took the coconut to the driveway and slammed it onto the concrete. He brought the two pieces back to me, and I pried them open by hand from that point. I tried using a vegetable peeler to grate the coconut flesh out, but that proved too difficult, so I just used a paring knife and cut it out. In retrospect, I should have put the chunks into the food processor to break them up a bit more, but I was too excited about making the pie. My next attempt won’t be quite as chunky. :p

 

Now that I know how to a) drain, b) bust open and c) peel a coconut, the next one should go a little easier. Or, I may check and see if the grocery store sells freshly grated, unsweetened coconut and take the easy way out. 😉

 

I don’t know how many years that Thai gentleman had to practice in order to chop those coconuts like he did, but suffice it to say that I won’t be doing that anytime soon!