ArcaMax

Coconut Oil

My label reading experience started in the 1980’s. There was such a big uproar about palm oil being so bad for you that I began to read labels to make sure the things I was buying didn’t have palm oil or palm kernel oil in them. If they did, I would not buy them.

Now I know I was misguided.

I also know now how I got sucked into a marketing campaign that maligned coconut products like palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil. The politics surrounding food can be so misleading.

Turns out virgin tropical oils are good for you. They always have been. And if you believe as I now do that fat doesn’t make you fat, you can happily indulge in the wonders of coconut oil.

The campaign against coconut oil was begun by the soybean folks. The American Soybean Association to be specific. They were very good at their job. They wanted us all buying soybean oil instead of coconut oil. Who is us? US food manufacturers and consumers. As consumers we all got so worked up we started screaming at the food manufacturers that if they didn’t quit using palm oil in the manufacture of their products we were going to boycott them. It worked.

There’s a money side to the story too.

Coconut oil is more expensive than soybean oil. Soybean production is subsidized by the US government. Coconut oil has to be grown in tropical places so we were importing coconut oil and the income from that in plenty of cases was going to foreign countries. So the “Buy American” element got twisted in the controversy too. Food manufacturers are always after more profit so if using soybean oil made the product cheaper to make, then they’d use it.

Turns out those cultures where up to 60 percent of their diet comes from coconut oil fat and coconut fruit products are some of the healthiest in the world. The data has been around for decade after decade that the use of coconut oil is actually beneficial. We just got sucked into a load of misinformation.

Coconut oil can and is used in other countries for treatment of many diseases and conditions. Diabetes, heart disease, chronic fatigue, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Alzheimers, thyroid conditions and more. They all benefit from the incorporation of coconut oil into the diet. You can go to the internet right now and see entry after entry of the benefits of coconut oil. Check this out.

Coconut oil is even thought to help in weight loss. I’d agree more that it helps in weight maintenance. Your body burns coconut oil very efficiently. Coconut oil can help in thyroid function so that means it will help with your metabolic rate.

How do you use coconut oil? Answer: Just like any other cooking oil. We use it for making scrambled eggs. It’s our substitute for butter in that instance.

Coconut oil has a nutty taste. It’s also a very light taste. It’s not gooey-sweet like flaked coconut you find in the baking section. That coconut has been highly sweetened with a ton of sugar.

In the recipe I am providing, I roast butternut squash in coconut oil. It brings out the sweetness of the squash and gives it a lovely, caramelized element. I’m learning more everyday about how I can use coconut oil in my cooking.

Coconut oil looks like Crisco in the jar. The only thing they have in common is that while at room temperature they are both a solid white. Coconut oil when heated becomes a clear liquid; clearer than the other corn or vegetable oils you find on the grocery store shelves. I don’t recommend you cook with those other oils. You can substitute coconut oil instead. I also cook with a lot of olive oil.

Coconut oil is going to cost you more than those subsidized, cheap oils but it’s better for you. Much better. Look for it in many grocery stores on the bottom shelf. It doesn’t have the popularity of vegetable oil (at least not yet) so they don’t get good placement on the shelves. You have to look for it. Or ask your grocer to carry it if they don’t already.

When doing the research for this column I find that coconut oil is still a highly controversial subject. I do choose to side with the beneficial elements.

Butternut Squash Roasted in Coconut Oil

This recipe is SUPER simple and SUPER BIG YUM! I don’t crave potatoes anymore but I can develop a craving for this stuff!

Butternut squash does have some carbs. Nineteen grams in a cup. Compare that to mashed potatoes at 39 grams and you can easily see the better choice. And once you’ve been eating low carb for a while this stuff tastes like candy!

Coconut oil is amazing stuff. Order on line or buy it in a gourmet grocery. Some grocery stores carry it in the international section. It will look like shortening. It is nothing like Crisco but it is shelf stable, white and in a jar. When warmed, coconut oil melts and looks like clear oil. Coconut oil is very good for you and the taste lends just the right amount of sweetness without going overboard. You can use coconut oil in lots of recipes. When you want a hint of sweetness reach for coconut oil.

Servings: Serving size is one cup. Total servings will depend on the size of your squash.

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash. I try to look for the ones with the longest necks. The longer neck means you get plenty of squash flesh without having work around the seeds and fiberous part.
2 to 3 Tbl of coconut oil scooped out of the jar

Instructions:

Take out a cookie sheet and put on the coconut oil. Place it in your oven for just a minute to heat and melt it. Take out of the oven and it’s ready to put on the squash.

Peel your squash. I use a regular vegetable peeler. Cut off each end. Be careful. Cutting squash can be dangerous.

Cut the non-fiberous portions of the squash into half to one-inch cubes. Scatter them on the cookie sheet. Try to have the pan be big enough so they can all sit in it without too much crowding. Toss to coat with oil.

Sprinkle with grated sea salt.

Roast at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour. I turn mine at the 30 minute point. I also like mine to get browned on the edges. The longer they are in there the more caramelized they get and the sweeter they will be.

This is ONE dish that tempts me to nibble at it even before I put it on the plates. You can catch me popping a cube in my mouth while I’m stirring a sauce that goes with the entrée. It’s THAT good.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola