Tropical Starfruit Smoothie

Here's a morning smoothie that will really get you going. My kids love starfruit, they eat them all the time in the winter for a snack. It's much easier finding starfruit here in Florida but I've seen these little beauties in stores all across the country so when they show up in your neck of the woods you just have to try this recipe out. You are going to love this smoothie!

Serves 2

4 Starfruit, seeds removed
2 bananas
Juice from 2 oranges
1/2 cup coconut milk

Whiz in blender. Delicious. 

Roasted Golden Beets with Orange-Thyme Vinaigrette and Goat Cheese

My kids absolutely love beets because of this recipe. It's very simple but the flavors will explode in your mouth!  You are going to love this dish, try not to eat the whole bowl yourself!  As always enjoy, I'll talk to you soon with another yummy delight.

2 bunches organic beets
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Juice and rind from 1 organic orange
Juice and zest from 1 organic lemon
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 small log goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Cut tops off beets leaving at least 1 inch of stems. (The tops are great sautéed with some garlic.) Place in a pan. Sprinkle a bit of olive oil on top and rub on beets. Put a little bit of water in the pan (a few Tbsp-this will kind-of steam the beets) and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about an hour or until you can stick a fork in easily (time will depend on the size of the beets).  Allow to cool completely then remove the skins by cutting the top off and peeling away the skin (a messy job:). Cut into quarters and place in a bowl. 

In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients (except goat cheese) and pour over beets. 

They're ready, but allow to marinate in the fridge for a bit if possible. When ready to serve, break up goat cheese and put on top of the beets. Yummy yummy!!

Coconut Cream Pie

This is a deliciously coconut pie without being sickly sweet. It's perfect.

For the pie crust
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup milk

For the sweetened coconut
2 cups shredded, unsweetened, dried coconut
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 350. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sifted flour and salt. Pour in the oil and milk, and using a fork, stir to combine. When the dough comes together, roll it out between two sheets of waxed paper, peel off the top sheet, and invert the crust over and into a deep-dish pie plate. Press the crust in and all the way up the sides, and trim off the excess. Fill with pie weights or line with foil topped with dried beans, and bake until golden and set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely.
While the pie crust is cooking and cooling, make the sweetened coconut: In a medium mixing bowl, toss together the shredded coconut and the powdered sugar until well combined. In a separate small bowl, stir together the oil and water until well combined and then pour over the sugared coconut. Stir gently to coat the coconut completely. Let sit for about 10 minutes, stirring and fluffing occasionally. The original amount will expand slightly in size. Refrigerate the sweetened coconut until you need it.

For the pastry cream and topping

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons flour
1 can full-fat coconut milk, divided
One batch sweetened coconut, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Toast 2/3 cups of your sweetened coconut in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Let cool completely while you make the pastry cream. Whisk together 1/2 cup of sugar, the eggs, egg yolk, and flour in a medium bowl and set aside (but near the stove). In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk and 1 1/2 cups of your sweetened coconut to a simmer. Gradually add this hot milk mixture to your egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return everything to the same saucepan; cook until pastry cream thickens and boils, stirring constantly, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in the vanilla extract. Transfer pastry cream to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent formation of skin. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours. When cold, transfer the filling to your prebaked, now-cool crust. Cover and chill while you make the topping.  Whip the cream, the remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in a medium bowl until peaks form. Spread whipped cream all over the top of pastry cream filling. Sprinkle evenly with cooled toasted coconut. Cover and refrigerate at least four hours, but preferably overnight.