Vegan Cooking With Oil

by Melody
(Hood River, Oregon)

I have been looking into safe heat temperatures for cooking oils, and one of the worst oils to use for cooking is extra virgin olive oil....high temperatures render it detrimental to your health. It's better for no heat, or low heat recipes. I see this being used in many recipes for stir fry etc, and I am wondering where the information on oil safety is. I have found that there are many other oils out there better for high heat cooking. Do you have any information on this?

Thank you so much, Melody

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Hi Melody - Great question. Here is what I recommend. The best oil to use for high-heat cooking is coconut oil because it has a high smoke point, which means the temperature can be pretty darn high and the oil remains stable. I use a tad bit of coconut oil when I make foods such as pancakes, french toast, or stir fries.

But the coconut flavor doesn't work with all foods, so then I switch to olive oil. If you add a bit of water to the pan with the oil BEFORE you turn the heat on, the oil will not get as hot and will be healthier to cook with.

Alternatively, use water or veggie broth. It is amazing how many times water or veggie broth will suffice, and oil is simply not needed. xo