Coo-Coo For Coconut!

I absolutely love anything with coconut in it--fresh, shredded, creamed, milk, and now the OIL! Have you ever tried coconut oil? I've recently been reading up on the stuff and have found that it is actually really super good for you. You gotta get the organic extra virgin kind though. No need to make an extra stop to the health food store--I found some in the vitamin aisle at good 'ol Wal-Mart. The only downfall is that it's a little pricey. It supposedly aids in digestion and weight loss (speeds up metabolism); reduces the bad cholesterol; reduces the risk of diabetes with regular use; has anti-aging benefits; is known to stimulate the thyroid gland which is responsible for our immune system; people who use it have fewer instances of heart disease, cancer, and colon disorders; and it's packed full of the good saturated fats that our bodies need. I guess there's a coconut oil diet book or something but I haven't looked into that. It has a wonderful coconutty smell. It can be used as a substitute for any oil in a recipe. Just this morning I cooked our pancakes in a little dab of it and it added a tropical, healthy flavor to them. It has a higher smoking point so it's great for frying things. My pancakes cooked up in a jiffy. It can be used instead of olive oil for cooking chicken or meat, any kind of stir-fry, or salad dressings. It also solidifies somewhat once you open it so it can be used as a substitute for butter. It would be yummy on toast with some fresh homemade jam! It lasts a long time. You can keep it up to a year at room temperature. I did a little wandering online in search of some recipes and here are a few that I thought sounded delicious. The smoothie recipe doesn't use the oil but it uses coconut milk which I love (it's great to use anytime you're cooking rice). Can't wait to try them!

Tropical Smoothie
1 banana, frozen
1 c coconut milk, chilled
1 c orange juice, chilled

-You can substitute 1/2 c fresh pineapple for a different taste.

Crispy Coconut Chicken Salad
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 c ground flax seed
1 egg, beaten
2 T extra-virgin coconut oil
4 c mixed greens tossed in a vinaigrette

-Cut chicken in strips. Mix coconut and flax seeds in a small bowl.
-Dip chicken in beaten egg and then roll in flax/coconut mixture.
-Saute chicken strips in coconut oil until crispy.
-Cool a little and serve over greens.

Coconut Oil Vinaigrette
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/2 c coconut oil
1/2 c olive oil
salt
fresh herbs, chopped
sugar or Splenda to taste (I added this! I need a little sweetness in my dressing!)

And of course, I need to put in my homemade Coconut Syrup!

1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
1 c water
capful of coconut extract

-Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat and add extract.
-You can use all white sugar if you want more of a coconutty look but we like the brown sugar too!