Step right up ladies and gents, the belle of the ball has arrived. This exotic beauty masquerades as oil, water, cream or meat. She varies from satisfyingly sweet to surprisingly salty and tantalizes the taste buds. Whether baking or cooking, coconut takes the superfood crown.
Beauty queens the world-over have fallen for this lipid, as coconut helps to keep cell membranes soft and supple giving a glow from the inside out. In oil form she’s full of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) absorbed directly by the liver for an instant energy boost. Moreover, coconut’s ability to calm a fiery colon and soothe a sensitive stomach make her ideal for anyone with irritable digestion.
Stable and true, this diva can handle the heat. As a good-for-you saturated fat, she doesn’t spoil and create nasty free-radicals at high temperatures like some of her oil competitors (that’s you – olive, flax and canola!). This makes her perfect for frying, sautéing or baking up a storm.
Coconut meat can be sprinkled atop morning oatmeal with nuts and seeds for a protein packed punch. Plus, her water can serve as a way to rebalance electrolytes after a sweaty yoga class and her oil can act as a soy-free dipping alternative for sushi.
Try this raw raspberry walnut cake featuring coconut on the main stage with a starring roll in every layer.
Raw Raspberry Walnut Cake
From Tamara Schweber – Health Starts With You
Ingredients
Makes 1 cake or 6 mini cakes
Crust
¾ cup walnuts
¼ cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut
Filling
2 cups of thawed frozen raspberries (fresh if available)
1 cup walnuts
½ cup raw honey
1 cup melted coconut oil
Seeds of one vanilla bean
Pinch of sea salt
Method
1. Grind crust ingredients in food processor and press into bottom of a 9 inch spring-form pan, building up the sides slightly. If you are using the muffin tray, line the cups with parchment paper or muffin paper liners.
2. Place all filling ingredients into your high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
3. Pour on top of crust and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours. Remove from the fridge 20 minutes before eating.
