INCORPORATING COCONUT OIL IN

YOUR DIET AND OTHER USES

 

I originally began using coconut oil as a replacement for shortening in baked goods. Having learned that coconut oil is not simply a lesser evil (as a substitute for hydrogenated oils) but actually has many health benefits in its own right, I have begun using it for practically all of my cooking needs. I have assembled a brief list below of some of the ways I use coconut oil. At the bottom of this page I have added some suggestions which we have received from our customers. We appreciate their taking time to write and share their ideas.
  • as a substitute for margarine, shortening or vegetable oil:
     
    SUBSTITUTING COCONUT OIL FOR SHORTENING OR VEGETABLE OIL

    I have had success using coconut oil instead of vegetable oil or shortening by substituting as follows:

    To substitute for vegetable oil, use the amount of oil called for in the recipe, melt the coconut oil and

     be sure that the other ingredients (eggs, liquids, etc.) are at room temperature or at least warm enough so that they do not cool the coconut oil enough to make it solidify.

    To substitute for shortening, I use a combination 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil. (Actually the amount of coconut oil can be reduced by about 25%, so in a recipe calling for 1 cup of shortening I would use 1/2 cup butter and 3/8 cup of coconut oil. If you want to use all coconut oil 3/4 cup of coconut oil should work as a substitute for 1 cup of shortening.)

    As I have indicated above, I am a great proponent of measuring ingredients by weight rather than volume. Measurements which could be tedious if measured by volume become simple when measured by weight. You will also find that your results are more consistent.

  • for frying - both deep frying and pan frying
  • for popping corn - the mild coconut flavor and light texture of the oil is delicious on popcorn
  • for skin and hair care - a small amount massaged into the scalp at night conditions both the hair and scalp; I use the CoQ10 skin butter described in the recipe section as a face moisturizer and general skin conditioner.

Uses suggested by our customers:

This is something really simple to do. Since I cannot have a lot of fruit, as many cannot, what I do is get really cold full fat, plain yogurt and mix in some coconut milk or oil and blend furiously and drink this daily for a burst of energy, calcium, protein.

I will also do things like steam fish (like cod) and then put it on a plate and add a dollop of coconut oil on it and it nicely spills over the top of it like a cream. I also do things like put some coconut oil in the bottom of a pan, add a grain (brown rice, quinoa, oat groats) and toast before adding water; sometimes I even add extra coconut oil to my meal after it is on my plate and just top if off with coconut oil. I often cook carrots or other vegetables in coconut oil.

The other day I took a boxed brownie mix that called for oil. I used coconut oil and it turned out fabulous.

- Paulette

Salad Dressing Suggestion

Regarding using coconut oil in salad dressings, I use equal parts coconut oil and olive oil (or sometimes another oil such as sesame). I combine all ingredients in my mini prep (tiny food processor thingy) and
give it all a blitz. The result is very creamy and tends to stay mixed quite well (except on super hot Texas summer days).

The most recent combo I made was with 2 tbsp. raspberry vinegar 2 tbsp. raspberry jam and enough olive oil to float the coconut oil in a 1/3 cup measure (total oils = 1/3 cup). Served that with a smoked duck salad and
it was great. This combination of oils works just as well with a savory dressing such as with onion or herbs.

Thanks for a great product,

Iris McNeer
 

 

 

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