The Best Oil You've Never Used

Olive oil? Check.

Ever since Rachel Ray came to television, olive oil has been popping up in kitchens across the country like mushrooms in a cow pasture. And for good reason. Olive oil has a light taste that adds flavor to lots of dishes. Olive oil holds up to heat better than any other vegetable oil, so it is great to use for cooking and sautéing. Some cool people don't even say olive oil anymore, they just drop evoo and everyone knows what they are talking about.

So is olive oil the new miracle cooking oil? Not hardly. Don't get me wrong, it's great. I use it for all kinds of dishes. But if you need to broaden your cooking oil horizons, let me let you in on a little secret. Try coconut oil, it's devine.

Coconut oil is listed as a saturated fat, and as such has fallen out of favor with many dietary organizations. But guess what? Scientists are starting to understand that the fat profile of virgin coconut oil is actually good for you. The chief fat, laurie acid, is known to help raise your HDL (good) cholesterol levels, which for most people will help improve their blood panel readings.

Once you get passed the "unhealthy hype" associated with coconut oil, you can start to find many uses for it. Because of its high oxidation temperature (even higher than olive oil) coconut oil is great to use when cooking with high heat. And the hint of sweetness that the oil has will hit you with a flavor that is impossible to find in other oils. This combination opens up an unlimited list of possible uses.

My personal favorite way to use coconut oils is to make home fries with it. The potatoes end up with a crispy outside and the inside is cooked completely through. The sweetness of the oil makes it great to use for sautéing veggies as well. Onions, carrots, sweet peppers, and more all taste amazing after a sauté in coconut oil.

You can also use coconut oil in baked goods. Just substitute coconut oil in the recipe for the oil or butter listed, and you end up with a little added sweetness. A friend uses coconut oil to drizzle on toast or to add a little sweetness to her coffee. Literally, the possibilities are endless when it comes to how to use your coconut oil.

Coconut oil is available in stores, but you may have to search a little bit to find it. Personally, I buy all of my coconut oil from www.tropicaltraditions.com. You can find dozens of organic coconut products and recipes on this site, and the prices are completely reasonable.

Take a chance and try it, you just might be pleasantly surprised.