For some reason, I've been a little intimidated to cook with essential oils. My family and I already take doTERRA's EOs internally on a regular basis, so that wasn't my concern. I just didn't want to screw up a dish (or ruin my wonderful essential oils in a bad attempt at cooking)!
I have a dear friend and team member who has made On Guard almonds, lavender shortbread with lemon icing, ginger shortbread, and several other delicious foods with essential oils. It all turns out great, and I doubt she had a recipe for any of the things she has tried. I'm a recipe girl, for the most part, and I was hesitant. I especially didn't like the idea of using my precious essential oils in baked or heated recipes that would destroy the medicinal qualities of my oils, although people swear the taste is well worth it. Then I decided all of my snacks for an upcoming Essential Oils 101 had to include essential oils. I'm really glad I did, as all my snacks were super yummy and my guests were impressed with yet another way to use essential oils.
I'm posting the four recipes I used as an idea of where to get started.
On Guard Popcorn
Ingredients:
1 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
5-6 drops On Guard Protective Blend
2-3 drops Cinnamon Bark essential oil
ground cinnamon to taste
salt to taste
Directions:
Air pop the popcorn and place in a large mixing bowl. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the maple syrup and essential oils. Pour maple syrup mixture over the popcorn and mix well. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and a touch of salt. Mix thoroughly and enjoy!
The recipe says it will serve 4 people. I would say that may be true if 4 large men were having it for dinner with no other food. This recipe makes A LOT. Another note: I made this in the morning before a busy day so it would be ready for my class that evening. Next time, I will make the popcorn in advance but wait to pour the sauce over it until just before serving. It was definitely better fresh than several hours later, although my boys and I did snack on it for a couple of days quite happily despite the slight staleness and sogginess.
Strawberry Lime Fruit Dip
Ingredients
I cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup diced strawberries
1 tsp sugar
2 drops doTERRA lime essential oil
Optional: Honey
Directions:
Dice strawberries and mix with the teaspoon of sugar to release the juices. Add strawberries and lime essential oil to the vanilla yogurt and stir. Add honey to sweeten if necessary. Enjoy with your favorite fruits!
Italian Bread Dip
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
1-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar to taste
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (optional)
1-3 drops dōTERRA Oregano essential oil (start with a toothpick and progress toward drops for desired flavor)
Directions:
1. Gently mix together all ingredients in a bowl large enough to dip into.
2. Dip favorite Italian style bread into bowl and enjoy.
Alternate Recipe without Italian seasoning:
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar to taste
1 drop doTERRA Basil Essential Oil
1 drop doTERRA Thyme Essential Oil
1 drop doTERRA Rosemary Essential Oil
1 drop dōTERRA Oregano essential oil
Parmesan-romano blend cheese
Peppermint Fudge
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups coconut oil
1 1/4 cups agave or honey
1 cup organic cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt or real salt
1/8 scraped out vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 drops doTERRA Peppermint Essential Oil
Liquefy coconut oil by setting jar or measuring cup in hot water. Place all ingredients in blender and mix well (it doesn't take much).
Pour into baking dish and spread evenly with spatula. Let set up at cool room temperature or in fridge. Cut into candy-sized pieces and enjoy. Store in refrigerator for up to 12 months.
For Truffles:
Roll your fudge squares into little balls and roll them in cocoa powder or crushed nuts for a deliciously lovely presentation.* Flavor substitutes: 1 drop cinnamon oil, 1-2 drops citrus bliss or 1 drop lavender oil (Change it up!)
The fudge set up best for me in the fridge for several hours. It develops a somewhat crusty layer of coconut oil on top, so I cut the fudge into small bars and carefully lifted them out with a small metal spatula. Then I flipped over each piece onto a plate, arranged them on a plate, and put the plate back into the fridge until I was ready to serve the fudge. I had the fudge sitting out all during my class, so it got pretty gooey by the time some guests were ready to have it after the class. I didn't get any complaints as it tastes amazing, but next time I will remember to put it in back in the fridge until after the class. The fudge is quite rich, so each guest only had one or two pieces. I was able to freeze the rest between pieces of wax paper, which will be super easy to pull out and serve the next time I have a class at my house.
The picture to the left shows what the fudge looked like when I pulled it out of the fridge, before flipping each piece over onto the plate. Please note that this process takes a bit of time and patience but is well worth it. I would like to try rolling each piece into truffles next time. Yum!
I ended up with a tasty selection of party food, if I do say so myself, and all my guests were intrigued. I had a lot of questions about cooking with oils, so I think I will have to keep learning and making more. Maybe one day I will even work up to offering a class on cooking with oils!
Please look up more recipes on your own, and have fun experimenting! I would love to know how your food creations work out (and please share your successful recipes!) I'm thinking salad dressing is next up for me ...