So a few weeks ago I was at a friends house for a bbq and one of the guests was a nutritionist. He started talking about how olive oil was bad for you and coconut oil was a much better alternative. So we cooked everything that night in coconut oil. The grilled vegetables were brushed in coconut oil, the chicken had coconut oil...the house seriously smelled like heaven...kind of like walking into a macaroon factory. Ok sure I have never been to a macaroon factory, but it was what I envisioned a macaroon factory smelling like...that's fair, right? Anyway everything tasted great. So when I stumbled upon this recipe for Strawberry Tarts with Ginger Nut Crust and it called for coconut oil as the fat I decided to give it a try.



And I know you are going to ask me what I learned about olive oil being bad for you, but let me be honest I am probably one of olive oils biggest fans. So when he started talking bad about olive oil I took that time to wander off and get more wine. Sorry!

But lets talk about the positive attributes of coconut oil. For the longest time coconut oil had a bad rap as it is high in saturated fat. Remember those days when we all thought that all fat was bad or all saturated fat was bad, but further research has shown differently. The recent research has found that coconut oil actually has a great deal of health benefits. Coconut oil has a saturated fat called lauric acid which actually helps increase the good HDL cholesterol and lower cholesterol levels overall. It also can help the bodies immune system, especially as it relates to fighting off viruses, bacteria, fungus and yeast. There has also been a great deal of research with coconut oil and diabetic patients as it has been shown to help with insulin use in our bodies. Finally, it helps with thyroid function which can help to increase metabolism and increase digestion. All good things!


I do have to say it was pretty funny that I did all this research on coconut oil because of this brief bbq conversation and a recipe for strawberry tarts, only to find that this recipe called for a whopping 2 teaspoons!! Yup I am sure those 2 teaspoons will make my body function like a champ! Well at least now I have a whole bottle of it so I can continue to explore coconut oil uses in even more detail. I have also learned in my research that coconut oil is great for your skin and your hair so I can always just lather it all over my body and hair, lay down a tarp in the back yard and use it like a slip and side...never fear I always have a back-up plan.

Ok back to the tarts. So these are a great low calorie dessert option. They are only 190 calories each. And they are easy to make, which as you all know is definitely the way to my heart.


So in a food processor, combine 2 cups of nuts. The recipe says you can use pecans, walnuts or almonds. I used almonds which worked fine, but I probably will use toasted pecans next time, just to give it a little more of that nutty flavor. The almonds were a little subtle in my opinion. Process the nuts until they are coarsely ground. Add the agave nectar, coconut oil, flour, ginger and salt and process until combined.



Quick side story about agave nectar. I had a recipe a few weeks ago for a strawberry cocktail that I wanted to make that called for agave nectar. So I went to the grocery store to buy the ingredients and for some reason I just assumed agave nectar would be a juice, ya know like mango nectar or raspberry nectar...and amazingly I couldn't find any. So I bought the mango nectar and just assumed I had to substitute it. So I was talking to my best friend about it and she was like, did you look on the syrup aisle?  Um no! She was laughing so hard that she could outsmart my food knowledge. Win for her! So E this is your shout out! Nice job with the agave nectar! And sure enough I found it on the syrup aisle...the strawberry cocktail was nasty btw.


Back to the recipe. Take a muffin pan and oil it with some more coconut oil. Press the nut mixture into the pan, covering the bottom and the sides of the muffin cups. Chill for 1 hour. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes and chill.


Slice 1lb fresh strawberries. Combine with more agave nectar, vanilla bean and fresh lemon juice.

Once the tarts are cooled fill with the strawberry mixture. I drizzled some chocolate syrup over my tarts...well because that is just how I roll.


2 teaspoons coconut oil, melted, plus more for pan
2 cups pecans, walnuts, or almonds
5 tablespoons agave syrup (nectar), divided
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Special Equipment
A 12-cup muffin pan
Ingredient Info
Agave syrup and coconut oil are available at natural foods stores and some supermarkets.
Preparation
Lightly brush muffin cups with coconut oil. Set aside. Pulse nuts in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add 3 Tbsp. agave syrup, flour, ginger, salt, and 2 tsp. coconut oil. Process until coarse dough forms. Gather into a ball. Press 1 heaping Tbsp. dough firmly onto bottom and up sides of each muffin cup. Chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°. Bake crusts until firm and golden around edges, 8–10 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before removing. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool completely; store airtight at room temperature.
Place strawberries, lemon juice, and remaining 2 Tbsp. agave syrup in a medium bowl; scrape in vanilla seeds (save bean for another use). Stir well, crushing a few berries to release their juices.
Using a spatula or butter knife, remove tart shells from pan and fill with strawberry mixture. Serve immediately




These were great little summer desserts. They would be excellent with a nice light sparkling wine or pinot grigio or rose or even a riesling. The tarts were not too sweet and I loved the nut flavor and the sweet strawberries, very complimentary. I couldn't really taste the coconut oil, but you could smell it which was nice. And I also really liked the hint of spice that the ginger provided. Nice touch!

Have a great weekend my friends and cheers!