Ghost Peppers & Coconut Oil

This was supposed to be a standard review post for LouAna Coconut Oil. They sent me a jar to try, an offer this coconut oil fanatic couldn't refuse.

I typically use coconut oil for sauteeing veggies, so that's what I planned to use when I made a curry Friday night using this sauce.

See that little warning label. They weren't kidding. I bought this awhile back because Paul LOVES hot peppers. We grow ghost peppers at the house, as well as habaneros and other hot varieties. Paul's always convincing people to take his "pepper challenges," in which some poor soul dares to eat an entire raw ghostie or an even hotter Naga Viper. And though I'm not dumb enough to take that challenge, I do love cooking with hot, hot peppers. And I used to think warning labels on spicy foods were for pansies. But this sauce changed that attitude.

Anyway, I sauteed some potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and peas in the LouAna oil, threw in some Beyond Meat chicken, and poured the entire jar of ghost pepper curry sauce into the skillet. Oops. Big mistake. Paul came home from work, and since this was a hot pepper dish, he agreed to have a real sit-down dinner with me (we rarely ever eat together at home). I presented this — Ghost Pepper "Chicken" Curry Over Red Rice.

Paul took two bites and declared it too hot to eat. He was right. But dammit, I spent a lot of time chopping those veggies and cooking everything. And the Beyond Meat isn't cheap. I wasn't about to let my bowl go to waste. So I suffered through it. My mouth was on fire, but I ate every bite, only stopping to wipe my runny nose and chug water and coconut milk to ease the pain. Paul even made a video of my misery and posted it on his Facebook page. Ass.

Anyway, the curry had a great flavor, but it was too hot to enjoy. And the veggies sauteed in coconut oil were fantastic before I dumped the sauce in. I like using the refined coconut oil for stuff like this because it doesn't have a coconut taste at all. But you still get the great health benefits. Coconut oil can positively affect hormones for thyroid and blood-sugar control, and it can help increase digestion. It's also amazing on your skin! I sometimes use coconut oil instead of lotion or moisturizer. Oh, and it's the best oil for popping popcorn! That's what I always use.

As for that curry, well, you know me. I can't stand to waste food. So I poured the remaining chicken curry into a colander and rinsed away the ghost pepper sauce. Then I made a new sauce using the coconut oil and coconut milk thickened with flour and seasoned with curry powder, garlic powder, and shoyu. I poured the washed veggies into the new sauce and let it heat through. Saved! Coconut oil saves the day! The new curry still retains a tad bit of spice from the old sauce. I guess those ghost peppers marinated into the food. But I think the spice level is totally doable now.