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I was raised in the generation which was told by the medical community that saturated fat is Eeevil (pinky on lip) and unredeemable in the diet. “Here, eat this man-made synthesized margerine. It doesn’t have that Eeevil Saturated Fat in it the way God’s own butter does!” Since I read about the nutritional benefits of coconut oil, I have been absolutely sold. Here’s a fat I can really learn to love, I thought. All that wonderful lauric acid and absolutely NO trans fats. I mean, really? Even the all-hailed EVOO has some trans fat! Coconut oil has shown resistance to rancidity, even after a year at room temperature, which makes its higher price even easier to spend, but isn’t hydrogenated. I spend a measurable percentage of my food budget on high quality, extra virgin, unrefined coconut oil and keep it refrigerated (just to be sure.) And I love it. The smoothness, the flavor, how easily it melts, the aroma, I really enjoy cooking with coconut oil! Oh, and while I’m measuring, I take what’s left on scoop or spoon and rub it into my hands. Ahh. I even make a lip balm from it—but that’s another post.
I use coconut oil for all my cooking that involves low to medium high heat. I don’t use it for searing heat or unheated cooking. I prefer using EVOO for salad dressings and bread dips. I do love coconut oil on a warm, sourdough english muffin, though. Mmmm.
Probably my favorite use for coconut oil is my unusual mayonnaise recipe. Even refrigerated it stays smooth and not rock solid, and doesn’t have an overwhelmingly coconut flavor.
Cocomayo
2 large egg yolks (recently laid by pastured chickens you know personally)
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. sea salt
pinch of white pepper
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
In a large, glass bowl, whisk the egg yolks until lighter colored. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper and whisk some more. Separately mix oils together, then drizzle into egg yolks a tiny bit at a time, whisking like crazy. (A hand mixer with a whisk attachment might be a good idea for the low of energy.) Keep whisking until all the oil is incorporated. Pour into sterilized pint mason jar, label and refrigerate. Makes about 12 ounces.
Update: After seeing “Julie & Julia”, I tried making this with the tip given in the movie and it worked wonders. Place your bowl of eggs down into a larger bowl of warm water to whisk. The warmth from the water makes the egg yolks accept the oils most easily.
No, I’m not crabby, dinner is!
Teenaged boy missed the bus this morning and needed a ride in to school. I was back in plenty of time to make UFOs for breakfast. You know UFOs, but maybe not by that name. It’s a hole cut in a slice of bread, then the bread is fried with a raw egg in the hole. You might know them as Johnny Jacks, Egg in a Hole, or any number of other names. We call them Unidentified Frying Objects, or UFOs.
When I got back, I noticed the milk I had set out several days ago had turned to curds and whey! YAY! I’ve started to filter it through muslin. So, I’m adding some individual cheesecakes to the menu for later this week, and putting some veggies on the shopping list to begin lacto-fermenting.
I’ve really been looking forward to lacto-fermenting vegetables. I remember when I was very, very young there was always a jar of homemade pickles on the table at dinnertime. It was just put on the table as part of dinner, like salt and pepper, bread and butter and a glass of milk. I don’t know exactly why we got away from it, maybe Mom stopped making them when she had rheumatic fever, or when I had scarlet fever, or when she became disenchanted with homemaking in general. Each batch tasted slightly different depending on the season and the herbs on the windowsill. Perhaps that’s one thing that attracted me to NT to begin with: some distant food memory of fermented foods at the dinner table.
It was a wild afternoon. Many jobs that needed to get done didn’t get done, and many others demanded immediate attention when I thought they could wait. I didn’t get home until 6PM and we were all quite hungry. I had already stirred together and baked a pan of gingerbread for dessert, and I had a couple roasted red bell peppers hiding out in the fridge. I put some carrots on to cook in butter while I made crab cakes out of claw meat, cilantro, onion, egg, bread crumbs, dijon mustard, and just a pinch of cayenne. It was all pretty good, but the highlight was the Red Pepper Sauce. When I tasted it to adjust the seasonings, I thought to myself, “You can have all the other stuff, just give me this red pepper sauce and a spoon!”
Red Pepper Sauce
2 large red bell peppers
1 small clove garlic, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons coconut oil, melted, but not hot
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
Set the bell peppers right on the oven rack and broil until the skin turns dark. Turn and continue to cook until all sides are seared. Put the peppers in a paper bag and roll down the top. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes. Cut open the peppers and remove the stem, seeds and accumulated juice. The skin should slip off easily. Put peeled peppers in blender with garlic, coconut oil and balsamic vinegar. Blend on low speed until incorporated. Add two sun-dried tomatoes and the oil that clings to them and blend again until smooth. Adjust seasonings. Best served at room temperature. Makes a little more than one pint.
The Dark Side of Fat Loss
