Packed with powerful antioxidants, the rosy hued red palm fruit oil is something you should learn about and use in your cooking.
By Ambra Torelli
It’s no surprise that Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Coconut Oil are very healthy oils… But did you know that Raw Virgin Red Palm Fruit Oil is one of the most nutritious edible oils we can use?
Don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about the controversial palm kernel oil. While palmkernel oil derives from the seed or kernel, Red Palm Oil derives from the fruit of the palm tree and,in its unprocessed natural state, it has a rich dark red/orange color.
This vibrant tint is responsible for many of its health benefits: in fact the redderives from its high content of carotenes like beta-carotene and lycopene, the same powerful antioxidant contained in tomatoes and carrots!!
Red Palm Fruit Oil is densely packed with antioxidants and vitamin A and E; it contains mainly palmitic and oleic acids and it’s about 50% saturated. Palm kernel oil, instead, contains mainly lauric acid and is more than 89% saturated. Basically, palm kernel oil does not contain the same healthy antioxidants that can be found in the one extracted from the fruit; it contains more fat and it cannot be obtained organically, as the oil must be extracted from the pit with a gasoline-like hydrocarbon solvent.
If you decide to give Red Palm Oil a try, make sure you buy raw, virgin Red Palm Oil! In fact, when this oil is refined and processed, the red color disappears and its nutritional benefits and powerful antioxidants are destroyed.
Researchers found out that, although red palm fruit oil is high in saturated fat, it can actually protect us against heart disease and it has a positive effect on cardiovascular health.
Even though we know that saturated fats can contribute to build plaque through the cardiovascular system, studies show that palm oil can reverse this process and prevent blockages. In fact, the alpha tocotrienol, which is found in high amounts in red palm fruit oil, can help reduce the effects of stroke by 50% by protecting our brain’s nerve cells.
Also, as opposed to traditional fats and oils like margarine, or other vegetable oils that take a long time to break down for energy and are eventually stored as fat, red palm oil goes straight to the liver and ignites metabolism helping you to burn calories from fat much faster.
Besides all these health effects, Red Palm Oil is delicious and perfect for adding extra flavor to savory dishes, sautés and stews! I love it when it stirfrying, I love it as a base to prepare curry or other ethnic dishes, and I also love it to moisten and add flavor to flatbread dough!!
Like coconut oil, Red Palm Oil is an excellent cooking oil as its smoke point is 302° F and the fatty acids it contains are very stable and excellent for medium heat cooking temperatures.
In particular, Red Palm Oil is perfect to make a dairy free melted cheddar cheese!
And in this video I am going to show you how to make it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR31SmzIXuw
Dairy Free Cheddar Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Red Palm Oil
- 1 tsp Coconut Aminos
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 pinch Himalayan Salt
- ½ tsp Arrowroot Flour
- 2 tbsp Coconut Milk
Instructions
- Combine red palm oil and coconut aminos in a small saucepan over low to medium heat.
- Add in the garlic powder and salt.
- Sift in the arrowroot flour and keep stirred with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps.
- Lastly, add in the coconut milk and keep on stirring until it thickens and looks like melted cheddar cheese. Make sure to remove from the stove top as soon as it reaches this consistency (and before if starts boiling), otherwise the starch and the fat will separate compromising the consistency.
- Set your “melted cheddar cheese” aside and use it to top enchiladas, pasta dishes or pizza.
- Enjoy!!!
- Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: Gluten free, Sugar Free, Vegan
Now it’s on you! What are your thoughts on Red Palm Oil? Do you have special recipes or secrets to incorporate it into your dishes?
And if you would like to have some awesome recipes that are healthy and delicious at the same time, check out my Ebook “How To Indulge While Eating Clean” by clicking on the banner below:
Thank you so much for watching, commenting and sharing!
I will see you next week with!!
Ciao!!
Ambra
Good
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