Weekend Eats: Cooking with Coconut Oil

Nov 12th, 2010

I first bought coconut oil not to cook with but to use as a moisturizer. After resisting the urge to lick my arms repeatedly from the amazing aroma I decided to start cooking with it instead. Not a bad idea considering the enormous health benefits associated with this oil.

The ticker: Cooking with coconut oil is good for your heart. The oil contains 50 percent lauric acid, which is known to help control conditions like high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The saturated fat in coconut oil, unlike other vegetable oils, is not harmful and won’t increase your LDL levels.

The tummy: Cooking with coconut oil can benefit your digestive system because it contains saturated fats with anti-microbial properties, which help eliminate parasites, bacteria and other causes of indigestion. Because it is easy to digest, it can help prevent stomach-related problems like irritable bowel syndrome. Coconut oil is also healthy because it helps your body absorb nutrients, vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

The bummy: Great for weight loss. It removes unnecessary stress on the pancreas, which helps to burn more energy and reduce weight. Coconut oil also has short- and medium-chain fatty acids, which can help you keep weight off.

Because it’s so damn healthy for you I decided to highlight recipes that will satisfy your sweet tooth. Sort of the whole being good while being bad thing. Give one a try this weekend and report back.

Heavenly Baklava

2 cups hazelnuts
3 cups pecans
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/4 cups maple syrup or honey
1/4 cup orange juice
12 sheets filo dough
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup pistachios

Coconut oil is replaces the butter normally used and this baklava is sweetened with maple syrup rather than sugar.

Preheat oven to 325°. Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and put into the oven for about 10 minutes to roast them. Put the hazelnuts, 3 cups of the pecans, orange zest and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped—you want to do this until they are chopped up small, not like a powder. Transfer the nut mixture to a bowl. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop them by hand.)

Lightly oil a large baking tray or cookie sheet and cover with parchment paper. Lay 4 sheets of filo dough on the tray, brushing each one with coconut oil. Spread 1/3 of the nut mixture on top of the filo dough and drizzle with 1/3 cup syrup or honey top with another four sheets of dough, oiling each one. Top with 1/3 of the mixture and repeat, ending with dough on top. Brush the top liberally with oil, and slice into 2-inch squares or into triangles.

Bake for about 30 minutes.

Finely chop the 1/2 cup pistachios and whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup syrup and 1/4 cup orange juice. Drizzle the syrup and juice over the top of baklava and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios. Bake for a further 10 minutes.

The Easiest, Healthiest, Most Scrumptious Fudge Ever from

The Nourishing Gourmet

In a heat resistant, glass measuring cup (pyrex), place the coconut oil. Fill a small saucepan with a few inches of water, and place the glass measuring cup in it. Heat on the stove top until the coconut oil is mostly melted (the coconut oil should be room temperature, not hot. This will protect it’s raw benefits).

In a food processor using the regular blade, add the melted coconut oil and the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined.

Place enough plastic wrap or parchment paper in a loaf pan to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Scrape your fudge “dough” into the loaf pan, and fold the plastic wrap or parchment paper over the top of the fudge. Gently press down, to even out the thickness of the fudge (you want it to be about 1/2 inch thick, it will cover probably about 1/2 of the bottom of your loaf pan). Take out the fudge, carefully wrapped up, and place in the freezer or refrigerator until it has set up. In the freezer it only takes about 20- to 30 minutes.

Cut into small squares, and enjoy!

Classic Carrot

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs well. Add oil, honey, molasses, and yogurt. Blend in flour, salt, soda, spices, carrots, coconut, raisins and walnuts.

Place in an 8 inch square baking pan greased with virgin coconut oil. Cook in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 45 – 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting if desired – definitely desired in my house.

*Happy Friday*

Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment

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