10 ways I cook with coconut oil

If you’re expecting to hear that coconut oil makes food taste like a creamy pina colada – you are in the wrong place. It does make food taste instantly nicer though, which is why I am writing a list on some ways I use coconut oil while i’m cooking.

You should know that coconut oil does not pour like normal cooking oil, it is a solid unless melted – but it melts really easily. You can use it on your skin, in your hair and as a lip balm – it is not just for cooking!  Coconut oil is a healthier option than olive and sunflower oil. Yeah, it’s a little pricier, but it lasts longer and is better for your body! If you’re unsure about using it, I would highly recommend it to you purely because it smells like a treat. 

 

 

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So – here are my 10 ways I use coconut oil while cooking. 

1. It makes prawns taste like little drops of heaven straight from the Caribbean. Or how I imagine prawns with coconut taste out there.

2. Perfect to spread on salmon fillets before you pop them in the oven. Gives it a sweeter taste and is better than just boring old lemon squeezed over fish.

3. Tastes amazing when blended into a smoothie with fruit, or in my protein shakes with almond milk!

4. Scrambled eggs meets Hawaiian paradise. No joke, it tastes unbelievable.

5. Pancakes fried in coconut oil, and with coconut oil in the batter – makes for an amazing guilt free treat if you use the right ingredients. I tend to make protein pancakes with eggs, whey protein and banana, then add a small spoon of coconut oil to give it sweeter taste.

6. Sweet potato chips coated in coconut oil before you pop them in the oven! Sweet potato chips taste great, but if you coat them in coconut oil, you’re probably going to finish every chip on your plate, even when you are so full you could cry.

7. Coconut oil is said to be amazing in any dessert – but i’ve only used it to make banana bread twice. HEAVEN. But, banana bread is my weakness and I don’t think I could slate it at all. (Who has time to bake these days).

8. Toasting seeds and nuts in coconut oil is also a great idea, I usually spread the seeds on rice crackers with peanut butter or some jam as a snack. So much more interesting than just eating a banana or a cereal bar.

9. Stir-frying veg and chicken! Use coconut oil to coat the pan, and you won’t regret it. It makes any stir-fry or curry taste more interesting.

10. Coconut and lentil soup! I live for soup. I eat it all the time, and I don’t know what I would do without my liquidizer. Adding some coconut oil can thin your soup down a bit, and give it a sweeter taste. Like a soup dessert (I would probably eat a dessert in the form of soup). Seriously recommend this one.

 

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That is all I am willing to write about coconut oil for now. To be honest, the word coconut is starting to sound weird in my head.

Thank you if you managed to read to the end of my coconut ramblings, I am seriously impressed.

Sarah Jaine

Protein filled Mondays.

Monday is a long day for me. I play netball for the University of Stirling  and start my week with a fitness and netball session at 7.30am. As hard as it is to unwrap myself from my little cocoon of bed sheets – I have to haul myself to the university to start my 12 hour long day of sport and classes! I love cooking and enjoy food more when I’ve made it for myself. Not bad eating for a student budget!

Most mornings I’ll eat plain porridge made with skimmed milk. I’ll chop up fruit on top with some cinnamon and a drop of honey. I usually eat about 6.30am on training days – so i’m in a zombie state trying to use a spoon to feed myself. I’ll always have either summer fruits or mint green tea (in my owl mug of course, to make me feel better about waking up at the crack of dawn). I’d rather eat scrambled egg whites or protein pancakes, but at at 6.30am, I think i’d set the house on fire using the stove. Porridge keeps me going for hours and gives me a surprising amount of energy for training!

This is everything I consumed during my day of uni – I’ve tried to fit plenty of protein in there and actually managed to eat almost everything! For my lunch I had a turkey salad with feta cheese and plenty of salad veg. As extra snacks I ate some sugar snap peas, asparagus, broccoli and veggie sticks to keep me full. One of my favourite lunches to eat at uni – and I didn’t have to spend extortionate money on heavy carb meals from the uni food places.

Turkey is really high in protein which you probably already know, i’m just rambling mindlessly. I marinaded my turkey fillets in nandos medium spice herbs with olive oil, then butterflied and grilled them in my George Foreman. I usually always grill my meat seen as a lot of the fat drips away. I mixed the turkey with feta cheese, my weakness, and some salad veg like tomatoes, peppers and so on. The spice on the turkey made it taste more interesting than just plain turkey, which is a good idea to use  for people who get bored of salads – livens it up a bit for you!

 

Because I train so many times a week, I take whey protein daily with low-fat  coconut milk to help me with muscle recovery. The shakes taste amazing (vanilla of course) and really help to stop my muscles struggling to train daily! Honestly in love with this stuff – don’t care  if people mock me for using protein powders, they seriously are a godsend!

 

I am very prone to snacking, so to stop myself buying chocolate bars or worse – I bring loads of choices with me to eat. Saves me money and stops my belly rumbling during class.

 

By the time I get home on Mondays, the last thing I want to do is cook. Last night, I made sweet potato mash , more turkey, a hard boiled egg and some steamed veg! I literally worship sweet potatoes – I buy them every week. Marinaded the turkey myself  again in quite a spicy mix to add some flavour  and a kick to my dinner!

 

Basically, I feel really good after eating clean,  there will be more posts as the days go on! Please go ahead and comment any ideas, tips, suggestions or even just moral support because I am very prone to caving and eating an entire bag of Doritos from time to time.

Much love,

Sarah.