Coconut Oil

Cooking With Fat

July 14, 2021

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Butter, Avocado Oil, Sesame Oil, and Walnut Oil are the fats that you should be cooking with. Try to avoid Canola, Soybean, Corn, Peanut, Sunflower, Safflower, Cottonseed, and Grapeseed Oil as they go through intense processing.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The benefits of this mainly monounsaturated, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, protects against heart disease and raises HDL cholesterol. It has a medium smoke point (the heat at which an oil starts to degrade), so it’s fine for sautéing, but not for cooking at very high temperatures. It excels in sauces and salad dressings.

Coconut Oil
While coconut oil is saturated, it’s a type that operates differently in your body than animal based saturated fats. It also may have special benefits. It boosts fat burning and contains medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which go straight to the liver to be used as a quick source of energy or turned into ketones.

Butter
Now that margarine has been banished to the neverland of trans fats, butter has made a slow and steady comeback. Butter can create magic in cooking and is completely keto friendly. But it has a low smoke point, so if you want to cook at higher heats, use ghee (clarified butter) instead. You can purchase ghee or make your own.

Avocado Oil
Whole avocados are keto gold and the oil pressed from the fruit is equally healthful. It’s also incredibly versatile, with just about the highest smoke point of any oil (520 degrees) meaning that you can cook at very high heat without having it break down or burn.

Sesame Oil
Sesame seeds have been pressed to extract their oils for thousands of years. They bring a distinctive flavor, particularly savory in Asian inspired dishes, along with hefty omega-3 values and compounds called phytosterols that reduce cholesterol uptake in the body.

Walnut Oil
Walnuts are stars of a keto diet, and so is the oil they provide, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamins like manganese, niacin, potassium, and zinc. It doesn’t cook well at high heat. Its rich, nutty flavor is better served as a star ingredient in sauces, salad dressings or toppings for grilled meats.

“Work With What You Got!”

©Tiny New York Kitchen © 2021 All Rights Reserved

Basic Ingredient Swaps

April 30, 2020

Have you ever found yourself making a recipe and realize that you don’t have an ingredient that it’s calling for? Here are a few ingredient alternatives that you might have on hand instead.

Mayonnaise
For 1 cup of mayonnaise use 1 cup sour cream or 1 cup plain yogurt with a pinch of salt.

Honey
For 1/4 cup of honey use 1/4 cup maple syrup or light corn syrup.

Buttermilk
For 1 cup of buttermilk use 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice mixed with enough milk or plant-based milk to reach 1 cup.

Butter
If butter is used for baking or in a solid form, solid coconut oil is a good 1 to 1 substitution. If it’s melted or for cooking use olive oil.

Oil
When it comes to oil for baking, applesauce is a great substitute. For 1 cup of oil, use 3/4 cup applesauce mixed with 1/4 cup melted butter. In cooking, any neutral refined oils like canola, olive, vegetable, corn, and peanut oils are interchangeable.

Breadcrumbs
For 1 cup of breadcrumbs use 1 cup of cracker crumbs, finely crushed potato chips, tortilla chips, or pretzels pulsed in your food processor.

Brown Sugar
For 1 cup of light brown sugar, use 1 cup white sugar plus 1 tablespoon molasses. For 1 cup of dark brown sugar, use 2 tablespoons molasses. The sugar and molasses should be mixed together thoroughly.

Baking Powder
For 1 teaspoon baking powder, stir or sift together 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar.

“Work With What You Got!”

©Tiny New York Kitchen © 2020 All Rights Reserved

Coconut Oil

September 1, 2015

5 Reasons To Love Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm. Because of its high saturated fat content, it is slow to oxidize and is resistant to spoiling.

1. Butter Replacement. Coconut oil can replace butter, which is great for vegans, who up until now have had few good choices when converting non-vegan recipes that contain butter.

2. Great For Athletes. Coconut oil is great for athletes because it converts to energy faster than many other fats, making it a smart addition to workout snacks.

3. Weight Loss. Coconut oil may help you slim down. A study undertaken a few years ago suggests that coconut oil may help you lose weight, when consumed in small quantities instead of other fats.
4. Sautéing. Coconut oil is great for sautéing. Use coconut oil occasionally instead of olive oil to add a subtle flavor that is delicious in tropical or Indian recipes.

5. Good Cholesterol. Coconut oil boosts good cholesterol. While coconut oil is full of saturated fat, about half is medium-chain fatty acids, which seem to help raise HDL (good) cholesterol. Coconut oil is still high in fat, however, so consume in moderation.

“Work With What You Got!”

© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen © 2015 All Rights Reserved

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