I was without virgin coconut oil for almost 5 months. How I did it, I have no idea.
Over the past few years it has become my go-to oil – for cooking, baking, to spread on toast. I finished up my last jar before the move in December, thinking I’d get more when I settled into the place. It’s hard to believe it has taken this long. I’m so glad to have it back in the kitchen, and I’m also happy to be able to offer you some for your kitchen too.
Tropical Traditions remains my favorite brand and I’ve done a few giveaways of their products on the blog before. I use their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil in my cooking, and aside from the past 5 months, you can always find the 32 ounce jar in my cabinet. Actually, it is even nicer to have around now that we’ve moved to the Bay Area. With the temperatures being more stable and the climate more mild, it always seems to be at the perfect consistency.
I love that this oil comes in small batches, handmade from family producers. If you haven’t checked them out, they have a lot of great products. I’m also a huge fan of their Coconut Peanut Butter. I’ve used coconut oil in many recipes on the blog and I’ve
written about the science that convinces me to include it in my diet.
This time I decided to use it in something other than baked goods. In fact, I went a bit crazy with coconut. I love what we always called fried corn in my family, which was basically corn cut off the cob and skillet cooked in butter with onions and bell peppers. I took that idea and added some purple cabbage to make a slaw, and then doused it with some delicious coconut flavor.
Since coconut oil is solid at room temperature, I kept this salad warm. The crazy-with-the-coconut comes in with the dressing. I used coconut oil, coconut vinegar and coconut sugar.
This makes six servings, but I’m not going to lie. I’m pretty sure I ate three for dinner the night I made it. I absolutely love the flavors. I make a lot of recipes I enjoy, but many just don’t make the cut to be repeats in my kitchen. This one will be coming around again, and soon!
Warm Corn and Purple Cabbage Slaw with Coconut Dressing
1 tsp virgin coconut oil
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
3 ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob
½ medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small head purple cabbage, thinly sliced
3 tbsp coconut vinegar
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp coconut sugar
¾ tsp salt
Heat the teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high. Add the onion and cook for 30 seconds. Add the corn and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the moisture evaporates and corn just barely begins to brown.
Add the red pepper and cabbage and toss to heat the cabbage through. Cook about 30 seconds. You want the cabbage to wilt a bit, but not color the rest of the dish. Remove from the heat.
In a small dish, whisk together the coconut vinegar, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, coconut sugar and salt. Pour the dressing over the warm vegetables and toss to coat.
Serve warm. Makes about 6 servings.
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GIVEAWAY CLOSED
So I thought it was about time I give away some coconut oil to you again. And if you haven’t tried it, you are in for a treat! After 5 years of blogging, I’m not much for the bells and whistles of like me here or follow me there. I’m more interested in hearing from you. There are only two requirements to enter.
- Second, leave a comment here telling me your subscribed AND tell me in your comment what your most memorable experience is with coconut or coconut oil.
Was it during a trip abroad, or a favorite family recipe? I’ll start. My best memory with coconut is when we traveled to Ubud, Bali and enjoyed a walking tour of a local village. Our guide asked a farmer to climb an amazingly tall palm and cut us a coconut. They then showed us how to cut a spout from the skin and drink it from the coconut. Incredible experience.
I’ll only include valid answers with the required info in the random draw. Leave your comment by Wednesday, July 24th, 11:59 pm PST.
If you’d like to learn more about Tropical Traditions here are some helpful links so you can stay connected.
More from Tropical Traditions:
Tropical Traditions is America’s source for
coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website:
What is Virgin Coconut Oil?
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And the winner is:
Meagan of Meagan’s First Kitchen (and you can see what has been keeping her away from the kitchen the past few months at Because Forgetting is Easy). Congrats Megan! Send me your address and I will pass it along to the folks at Tropical Traditions. Your Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil will arrive soon!