Ingredient Education: Cocoglycerides

BY CHELSEA SIMMONS

Have you ever looked at the back of your favorite makeup and wondered, "what is that ingredient and how does it affect my skin?" In our Ingredient Education series, we explore the skin benefits of some of our most interesting ingredients and how to include them in a well-rounded diet. Let's talk about Cocoglycerides!

CocoGlycerides: Healthy Skin Benefits

Recently, you may have heard us talking about Cocoglycerides and wanted to know more about them. Simply put, Cocoglycerides are a mixture of mono, di and triglycerides derived from coconut oil. We've all heard about the moisturizing benefits of coconut oil, and similarly, this emollient ingredient helps give your skin a soft, smooth appearance. When added to a beauty product, it also helps the formula glide on your skin; no pulling or tugging required! The smoothing effects of Cocoglycerides are found in two of our newest products: Smooth Affair for Eyes and Mystikol eyeliner.

Eating Healthy with Coconut Oil

You may not be able to cook with cocoglycerides, but you can with coconut oil. There are a variety of studies that tout the health benefits coconut oil, such as decreasing your risk of heart disease and assisting in weight loss; however, the medical community is still debating those findings. You can read more about these perks on Shape.com. Let's talk about something everyone can agree on: the cooking benefits! Coconut oil is able to withstand higher temperatures than other oils, so it's great for sautéing and frying. It also gives your food a subtly nutty taste and pairs well with more exotic spices and flavors! Here are two of our favorite ways to use coconut oil in traditional recipes to make them a little healthier.

Crispy Coconut Waffles Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1 large egg

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Then, whisk together the melted coconut oil, coconut milk and egg, in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until just combined. Let sit while you prepare your waffle iron.
2. Grease your waffle iron, if needed. Heat it according to the appliance instructions and cook waffles until they are golden brown and crispy.
3. Serve with your favorite fruit (may we suggest mangoes), cream and/or syrup.

Image and recipe courtesy of I Am A Food Blog.

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ to 2 lbs. green beans
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups parsnips, chopped
• 1½ cups mushrooms, chopped
• 1½ cups water
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast (optional, if you're on a strict paleo diet)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1½ teaspoon salt/span>
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. First, add half of the coconut oil to a wide bottomed saucepan over low heat and cook the onions for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until caramelized. If the onions look like they are drying out too much, add a splash of water to the pan.
2. While the onions are cooking, cook the chopped parsnips in a steamer for 10 minutes, until they are soft. Set them aside to cool.
3. Trim the ends of the green beans and cut them to 1½ to 2 inch pieces. Then, steam the chopped green beans for about 8 minutes, until they start to become tender, but still retain their crunch. Pour the green beans into a baking dish and set aside.
4. Once the onions have finished caramelizing, add the remaining coconut oil to the pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the mushrooms in the pan for a minute, then add the garlic. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Pour half of the garlic mushroom mixture into the pan with the green beans.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Put the steamed parsnips and the other half of the garlic mushroom mixture in a blender. Add the water, salt, nutritional yeast, and purée until completely smooth. Pepper to taste and stir in the crushed red pepper, if desired.
7. Pour the purée over the green beans and mushrooms in the pan and stir until they are well coated. Top with the caramelized onions and bake for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Image and recipe courtesy of Noshtastic.

What's Your Dish?

In the comments below, share your favorite recipe that uses coconut oil for a chance to have it featured in a future blog post.