OK! My bucket of VCO just landed in my office and now I need to know how those of you who cook with it use it. Do you pretty much use it in place of all other oils altogether? That's what I'm thinking of doing with the exception of butter and my little container of carefully collected bacon grease.

Esther

Hi

Some people use it as a supplement for its wonderful health benefits. Either straight or in a morning smoothie.

Myself, I mostly use it to fry/saute in. It makes for great fried chicken! You don’t even need any coating it’s so good.

I also sauté veggies, mushrooms, etc. in it and sometimes in combo with butter. The coconut oil doesn’t really have that much flavor itself so the butter adds a nice richness. (or with olive oil)

If you use it for dressing, you’ll probably want to eat it right away because if it gets refrigerated, it’ll set up and make your dressing too thick and gloppy.

Coconut oil has long been used for baking (that’s what most of the commerical manufacturers USED to use) but I don’t have much experience with it that way so I couldn’t tell you.

Susan (a.k.a. Kumus on the board here) has a recipe for making a delish chocolate candy with it.

Also, a few people on the board have been experimenting with it as deodorant and from what I can tell, it’s worked! LOL

Good luck with it and enjoy.


Member since 2001

http://www.ilovelowcarb.com

I used it as the butter sub in the chocolate cake recipe that Mikeyrat posted and it was great. Definitely gave it the coconut taste. I'm going to try it in my almond cookies next.

Joyce

I use it for most of my cooking needs, actually, and most people on the Yahoo coconut oil list use it for all their baking with great results. If you really want to, you can soften butter and coconut oil slightly, mix together and refrigerate as a spread, but I don't use enough butter generally to be worth the time.

I usually make enough salad dressing in a glass jar to last a few days. When it solidifies, I just zap it in the micro on low until the coconut oil begins to melt.

I don't seem to mind substituting coconut oil in most everything, but you'll want to experiement to find out what you prefer.

Oh, and put some in your bathroom! I put coconut oil into a plastic flip-top squeeze bottle, and throw into the tub to liquify during my bath.....then rub on the warm oil. Hmmmmm. Makes your skin feel WONDERFUL. (And my DH likes it, too ) I also keep a very small travel container with a wide mouth on my kitchen counter to moisturize my hands and cuticles after they've been wet or in chemicals. Try adding a drop of an essential oil to your bath or moisturizing cream--wonderful!!! We're worth it!



BC
172/108/108
Zone since 4/98

Uh oh, now Bren's cooking in the bath

I have mine in a little ziplock plastic container in the medicine cabinet. I put it on all sorts of owees and use it as a face cream at night.

I hadn't thought about using it in combo with butter. That is an excellent idea!

Bren, can you give us the link for that yahoo group again, please?

Blessings!
Sharron
Author of "Low Carb Cooking at Sharron's Place," and "Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine," available where ever books are sold.

www.thelowcarbcook.com

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart." Colossians 2:2

I love the coconut oil too! When I pan fry stuff in about an inch of oil, I use 2/3 coconut and 1/3 olive. Delightful flavor!

I also use it wherever softened or melted butter is called for.

AND it DOES make a good deodorant! I keep a small plastic container - one of those round disposable Ziplocs with a lid - in the bathroom. When I want to use it, I hit it for a moment or two with the hair dryer, as soon as enough of it on top has liquified I turn off the dryer and use the oil on my face and pits!

Goooooood stuff.......

Char

Don't squat with yer spurs on!

I'll have to try that butter trick too. Never thought of that!


Member since 2001

http://www.ilovelowcarb.com

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Uh oh, now Bren's cooking in the bath <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's too funny Sharron! Actually, I tend to cook myself in the tub quite a bit too.

Thanks for the great advice folks and the butter tip sounds like something I'd like to try. Just out of curiosity, I took a spoon and tried some VCO straight last night. I found the flavor to be very light and the interesting thing was its "mouth-feel." It just melts and leaves no greasy or oily feeling residue on the inside of my mouth like some other oils do. Very pleasant!

[This message was edited by Catlady on 12-05-03 at 09:53 AM.]

Sharron, I think the link is

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group...guid=157091388

But if that doesn't work, go into yahoo groups and do a search on coconut-info (that's the name of the group. There was what looked like a to-die-for coconut custard recipe posted a few weeks ago. I asked the author for permission to share it with credit, but I've not seen her post again.

Esther, have fun with this stuff... Yes, the coconut is very light. That's one reason it's so nice on the skin, too. No greasy residue.

Char, I think that's exactly what Dr. Mary Enig, who's an expert on lipid science, recommends for frying--a combo of olive and coconut oil. Both have healthy properties, and evidently the combination doesn't leave you with too much flavor of either one. Good idea about the dryer, too. Thanks.

Joyce, I think it'd be fantastic in almond cookies.

Oh Marcie, DO try it as a deodorant &lt;g&gt; You'll never go back to Secret!!



BC
172/108/108
Zone since 4/98