Have you seen the bright, shiny jars of Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil lining the shelves at the Co-op and thought “what on earth do I do with that?” The answer is: pretty much anything! Coconut oil has been used as fuel for lamps and biodiesel cars, as a base ingredient for infant formula and some soaps, as a main ingredient for luxe cosmetics and deep-moisture hand and hair treatments, and, of course, for cooking.

The pristine, opaque, and saturated-white oil is one of the few existing fats that remain solid at room temperature. Heat the oil up, though, and it melts beautifully- imbuing a nutty, earthy, slightly sweet coconut flavor into anything that cooks in it. Try it in lieu of olive oil the next time you’re cooking gingery shrimp, spicy jerk chicken, or bitter greens. Coconut oil is also AMAZING for popping popcorn. You may recall big movie theaters coming under fire a few years ago for using bad-fat hydrogenated coconut oil to pop their popcorn- virgin oil has none of that bad stuff, but all of the delicious goodness. To pop your own, melt three tablespoons of coconut oil in a large heavy bottomed pot (one with a lid!) on medium-high heat, add 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, cover, and let the magic happen. More info on popping popcorn on your stovetop here (if you’ve never done it, try it!).

Since coconut oil is solid at room temperature, it also makes an ideal substitution for butter in baked goods: good news for vegans, those with dairy allergies, and people who just love a subtle coconut flavor.

Double Coconut Muffins

• 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup full fat Greek-style yogurt, at room temperature is best
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature is best
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, divided

Preheat oven to 375°F. Either grease 10 muffin cups with butter or coconut oil, or line them with papers/cupcake liners.

In a small saucepan, warm your coconut oil just until it melts. It should still be on the cool side.

In a medium bowl, whisk together your flours, baking powder and salt. Stir 1/2 cup shredded coconut.
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, coconut oil, yogurt and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients until just combined.
Divide batter among prepared muffin cups then sprinkle the top with remaining 1/4 cup coconut, about 1 to 2 teaspoons on each.

Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out batter-free, about 20 minutes. Transfer muffins to a rack and let cool.

Yield: 10-12 standard muffins

recipe and images from Smitten Kitchen.

more info on coconut oil from the NYT here.

Members shopping at the co-op last night might have noticed a beautiful bin of leafy greens labeled: Gomen, Brassica. For those not familar with gomen, the name generally refers to many kinds of dark, edible, leafy greens— collards, kale, slick mustards, and turnip greens— to name a few. Brassica is the latin name that identifies these particular soft, bright green leaves as Ethiopian Mustard, Abbyssinian Mustard, or yabesha gomen in Amharic.

Occasionally difficult to find stateside, these greens have the same delicate spice of typical mustard greens, but more of the smooth-leafed consistency of collards. The best of both worlds! We recommend trying them in this simple, traditional Ethiopian preparation- one that involves a stellar compound butter known as niter kebbeh.

Stewed Gomen with Niter Kebbeh

• 1½ pounds gomen
• ¼ cup niter kebbeh, ghee or olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 fresh hot peppers, seeded and minced (or to taste)
• 1 cup broth
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cardamom

Tear stems from gomen, and wash greens well. Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Add greens to water and boil briskly for 15 minutes. Drain, squeezing water from greens. When cool enough to handle, slice them thinly.

In a large skillet or stir fry pan, melt the niter kebbeh (you can also use oil). Add onion, garlic, ginger and hot peppers and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add greens, broth, salt, pepper and cardamom. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until most of water has evaporated from pan. Serves 4 as a side.

recipe from africanchop.