Who doesn’t like a tropical, melt-in-your-mouth treat that is good for you? It is a pureed coconut butter, but since it is so delicious, they named it Coconut Manna. Available from Nutiva, Coconut Manna is made from pure, dried coconut flesh and can be enjoyed directly out of the jar, or used in smoothies, sauces, dressings, desserts and in baked goods.
Coconut Manna is quite versatile and be a replacement for milk, cream, yogurt, butter or vegetable oils. It’s delicious on top of, or mixed into, rice, oatmeal, cereals, and smoothies. Some folks love it spread on toast or crackers, while others use it as a body cream!
Because it is organic, and contains no trans-fats or cholesterol, is non-GMO, and more importantly — delicious — we have been experimenting with it in a variety of manners. We love it melted into our oatmeal; blended into a banana smoothie; spread on toasted English muffins; and mixed into our pancake batter. Just last night, we tried this tasty side dish, found on the Nutiva website.
Coconut Rice Pilaf with Cranberries
Prepare yourself for a visual and delicious treat: coconut rice seasoned with ginger, decorated with almonds, and sweetened with anti-oxidant rich dried and whole cranberries. Choose from a variety of organic long grain brown rices: jasmine, basmati rice, or Mekong Flower Rice, which cooks in 30 minutes.
- 1 tbsp Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
- 3 tbsp ginger (grated)
- 1 cup Brown Jasmine Rice (uncooked; can be substituted with Brown Mekong Flower Rice)
- 3 tbsp Almonds (Optional: presoak overnight, drain, and rinse)
- 1 pinch Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup Nutiva Organic Coconut Manna™
- 1/2 cup Cranberries (whole; fresh or frozen)
- 1/3 cup Dried Cranberries
- 3 cups Water
