Spicy coconut brings the salty ocean beach to your kitchen. This reminds me of visiting the sands of Puerto Vallarta and the sellers peddling their wares on the beachside. One of our favorites was the young coconut cleaned out of the shell and put into a baggie. They would squeeze a lime and add large granulated salt and a couple shakes of salsa.  Coconuts we get in the Midwest States are not nearly as fresh and young, but we can still have a little bit of the beach, no matter what time of year.

You’ll have to shake the coconut to see how fresh it is since there really isn’t an easy way to see how old it is otherwise. When you shake it the more water sloshing around usually means that it’s younger.

Raise your hand if you were like me growing up, I had been told that coconut is high in bad fats and was an unhealthy treat and to limit what I ate of it.

On the other hand, my husband was told to eat and enjoy this wonderful fruit. He would frequently get coconut water, fresh from the oceanside and eat the young meat, salty and spicy.

The benefits of coconut are many. Its high in fiber, offers good fats, and is a great after workout beverage. Coconut has fat, yes. But the fat is a Medium Chain fatty acid that helps in digestion and will metabolize quickly. It doesn’t stick to your body but gets burned off right away. It also helps gently detoxify.

Limes in this recipe also aid in digestion, prevents kidney stones, and fights against cancer. It also is a mood booster. Ah, those wonderful citrus!

Salsa is also a great diet component, as capsaicin helps boost your body’s metabolism.

Crack open the coconut.

 

Cut the coconut into snack sized pieces.

You put the lime on the coconut and Squeeze lime juice on the pieces and add salt, and chile.