Coconut is the cheap and cheerful ingredient that we use a lot in Filipino cooking, both sweet and savoury. Coconut milk is more used than dairy milk and is so versatile. It can be reduced, curdled to render the oil, baked into cakes and mixed into sauces.
Coconut jam is the very common spread used to fill breads. It is made with coconut milk and sugar and reduced to a very thick paste. It is sweet, really sweet. It is in fact a sweet remedy for mouth ulcers.
We all need a fresh spark on our usual menu from time to time. Sometimes a little change in the details is all it takes. Before you grab the jar of mayo yet again to slather on something, imagine how much more flavour a simple dressing like this would give to your food.
I know that we are all fastidious about stocking up for Christmas. It is better to have extra food than be caught unaware when unexpected guests pop around. The downside is that we end up with a lot of Christmas leftovers. I don't like wasting anything so I freeze whatever can be frozen.
