Make the switch to organic ingredients! Organic foods have been proven to be healthier and more nutritious than conventionally produced foods, but they also taste better and are typically more carefully prepared. No, we're not talking about eating sticks and twigs - organic food tastes delicious and doesn't need to resemble the "health food" of years past. (By all means, if you prefer sticks and twigs be our guest, but we prefer our favorite foods prepared organically!)

Many people ask "Can you fry using organic cooking oil, or bake pies and cakes with organic ingredients?" The answer is, of course, YES. For years people fried and baked and made every meal using natural, unprocessed ingredients. Only in recent history has it become common practice to use processed, chemically altered ingredients in daily life. Pure oils like virgin coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil make wonderful frying oils if used properly, and expeller pressed coconut oil is a very economical and easy to use oil for baking or frying. Scroll down and try our frying oil blend and see if you don't taste the difference.

At Blue Heron Organics & Natural Products, we believe that organic food choices are a right, not a privilege, and we do our best to bring you only the best quality products available, always at good prices. Try replacing a few of the products you already use with organic & natural products and taste the difference. With time, you'll also feel the difference! It may cost a little more at first, but isn't your health and peace of mind worth it?

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Super Speedy Refried Beans

Make delicious refried beans in about 20 minutes! Vary your recipe depending on bean type. For more restaurant-style refried beans, use pinto beans only. For iron-rich dark refried beans, use black bean, or use all three kinds, black, kidney, and pinto beans for delicious, nutritious refried beans. These can be made without the salt for a salt-free dish when made with Eden Organic beans.

1 tablespoon or so of any organic oil Organic Cooking Oil
3 cans of black, kidney, and/or pinto beans (any combination)
1 small onion, diced.
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Organic Oregano Leaf
1 tablespoon Organic Ground Cumin
2 teaspoons Frontier Sea Salt (optional)

Saute the onion in oil until it barely starts to brown. Drain liquid off the beans and put into the food processor. Add the onions and puree in the food processor until everything is mixed thoroughly and has a smooth consistency.

Cook in a skillet on medium heat, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes. The beans will turn a darker color brown when done.

Optional: For richer beans, add a small can of diced tomatoes or a whole fresh diced tomato.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Break up a couple of bars of our Rapunzel or Seeds of Change chocolate for a delicious variation of the traditional chocolate chip cookie.

1/2 cup Tropical Traditions Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (Chill in the refrigerator beforehand to solidify if the weather is warm.)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup Florida Crystals Organic Cane Sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon hot water
1 teaspoon Frontier Organic Vanilla Extract
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon Frontier Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 bars of Organic Dark Chocolate, broken into small chunks, or about 1 cup of regular chocolate chips. (Hint: You can cut the chocolate bars up with a knife to get the pieces smaller.)

Preheat the oven to 375 F. We use baking stones for our cookies, and for these you should leave them in the oven while it is preheating so they are hot when you put the cookies on them.

Cream the coconut oil and the two sugars together in a large bowl. Using 2 separate bowls, in one mix the dry ingredients together, and mix the egg, vanilla, and hot water in the other. Add the egg mixture to the sugar and oil mixture and mix together well.

Using the bowl that had the egg mixture in it, add the chocolate chunks and a tablespoon or so of flour, and mix thoroughly until the chocolate is completely covered in flour. This is an important step, as the chocolate will slide out of the cookie dough unless it has been coated in flour. (This is because of the coconut oil. If you're using regular chocolate chips, you must coat them with flour as well.) The remaining egg in the bowl helps the flour to stick to the chocolate, as well.

Add the bowl of dry ingredients to the sugar/oil/egg mixture and stir. Then add the chocolate and stir some more. When it begins to become difficult, turn the cookie dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it together with your hands. The heat from your hands will aid in combining the ingredients together, as does the kneading motion. Drop by the tablespoonfuls onto a hot baking stone or a room temperature cookie sheet at about a cookie's width apart and bake for about 10 minutes. They will flatten out and become slightly browned when done. Cool on a cooling rack and enjoy! This recipe makes about 3 dozen chunky, delicious cookies.

Coconut Oil Biscuits

Use regular white flour for fluffier biscuits, or whole wheat flour for dense, hearty biscuits that go well with anything from sweet toppings to gravy. This is a good recipe for colder months - if the weather is warm, chill the oil in the refrigerator until it solidifies.

2 cups flour (white, whole wheat, or 1 cup of each)
1/2 teaspoon Frontier Sea Salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon Florida Crystals Organic Cane Sugar
1/2 cup Tropical Traditions Organic Virgin Coconut Oil or Tropical Traditions Organic Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup organic whole milk (generally less milk is needed with white flour and more with whole wheat)

After preheating the oven to 425 degrees, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the coconut oil, and using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the oil into the dry mixture until it looks like coarse sand. There will be lumps of coconut oil in this mixture that can either be broken up with your fingers later or left alone to melt into the biscuit as it bakes. Add the milk and stir with a fork until it is absorbed into the mixture. Turn this onto a lightly floured surface and work with your hands until it is more uniform and you can knead it several times. The heat from your hands will warm the coconut oil, and the flour mixture will become less dry and stick together better as you work with it. This is also a good time to break up larger chunks of coconut oil with your fingers if you wish.

Bear in mind, however, that biscuits are lighter and fluffier if the dough is not worked a lot. A traditional biscuit recipe calls for kneading it quite a bit after turning it onto the floured surface, but I recommend working the dough together with your hands and then kneading it about 3 or 4 times. After this, roll the dough out to about 1 to 2 cm thickness and cut rounds with the mouth of a small glass that has been dipped in flour. Place each biscuit touching each other on a cookie sheet or baking stone and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Place on a cooling rack immediately after removing from the oven. This recipe makes about 12 to 14 biscuits.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Thick, rich, all-natural version of an all-time favorite. Use for chocolate milk, over ice cream, or to make homemade milk shakes.

1/2 cup Rapunzel Organic Cocoa Powder
1 cup Florida Crystals Organic Cane Sugar
1 teaspoon Frontier Organic Vanilla Extract
Dash Frontier Sea Salt
1 cup water

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously. (I like to use a whisk to break up the lumps of cocoa powder more easily.) Slowly bring the mixture to a boil and continue stirring, making sure to adjust the heat so the mixture doesn't boil over. Allow to boil for about a minute and a half, or until mixture is smooth and begins to thicken. Pour syrup into clean, warm canning jar and seal. When moderately cool add vanilla and mix thoroughly, place jar in refrigerator, and use as needed. I have not decided yet how long it will keep for, as we usually use it up in a week at most, so after a week's time I would advise making a new batch.

Orange Coconut Smoothie

2 tablespoons per person Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate
8 ounces per person Orange Juice

Gently melt coconut cream in a sauce pan (or use a double boiler). Pour coconut cream and orange juice into food processor or blender and pulse until frothy. Enjoy! This is a wonderful treat for summer or anytime.

Heavenly Chocolate Frosting

This delectable chocolate frosting has a hint of coconut to it. Creamy and rich, it is the perfect compliment to your baked creation.

1 cup Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate
1 full bar (3-3.5 oz.) Organic Dark Chocolate
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup organic whole milk

In a double boiler on low heat, melt the coconut cream concentrate, stirring continuously. Turn the double boiler up to medium heat and break the organic Swiss chocolate into squares, adding to the coconut cream and stirring constantly. When mixture is thoroughly blended, remove from heat and pour into mixing bowl, adding powdered sugar a little at a time. Then add milk and beat with blender at a lower speed for a couple of minutes or mix by hand until blended and creamy. Set aside until your cake cools and then ice. If refrigerated first, allow to warm to room temperature before frosting cake.

Fettuccine Frederico

1/4 cup Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Tropical Traditions Organic Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil melted
1 teaspoon Mama Garlic Seasoning
2-3 handfuls fresh organic spinach leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 pound fettuccine noodles

Put all ingredients except cheese and noodles in food processor and puree. Pour mixture over HOT freshly-cooked fettuccine noodles, add cheese, and toss until well coated. Serve immediately.

Perfect Pie Crust

Single Recipe
1-1/3 cups white flour
1/2 teaspoon Frontier Sea Salt
1/2 cup Tropical Traditions Organic Virgin Coconut Oil or Tropical Traditions Organic Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil
3 tablespoons ice water

Double Recipe
2 cups white flour
1 teaspoon Frontier Sea Salt
3/4 cup Tropical Traditions Organic Virgin Coconut Oil or Tropical Traditions Organic Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil
1/4 cup ice water

Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening until of a corn meal like consistency. Add ice water and mix with a fork, until just barely moistened. Do not overwork, as this toughens the dough. Roll out between two squares of wax paper until fairly round and near edge of wax paper. Remove paper from one side. Lay carefully into pie pan and remove the other paper.

For a pre-baked crust, bake at 475 degrees for 10 minutes. Otherwise add filling and bake per recipe instructions.

Sunday Morning Muffins

This is a hearty, dense muffin that can have berries or other goodies added as desired (chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, etc.) This is one of our Sunday morning favorites, either with berries in it or a good organic jam atop it! Savory and easy to whip up. Makes 12 large muffins.

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Frontier Sea Salt

2 tablespoons Florida Crystals Organic Cane Sugar
1 tablespoon Simply Organic Cinnamon
1 egg, beaten slightly
1 cup organic whole milk
1/4 cup melted Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate or Tropical Traditions Organic Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil
1 teaspoon Frontier Organic Fair Trade Vanilla Extract

VARIATIONS:
Plain: Use white flour and no cinnamon for a plain muffin that can be dressed as you please.

Blueberry/Raspberry/Currant, etc. Muffins: Set aside 1/4 cup of the flour and coat 1 cup of the berries with it. Use a generous 1/2 cup of sugar instead of 2 tablespoons in the recipe. Mix the berry/flour mixture in last.

Chocolate Chip, Nut, or Raisin Muffins: Use the regular recipe and add 1/2 to 1 cup of goodies to the batter.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Stir together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon) and in a separate bowl combine the egg, milk, vanilla, and melted oil.* Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir together until the batter is damp. Batter should be slightly lumpy, not smooth. Spoon into Natural Muffin Papers in muffin pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

* Expeller-pressed coconut oil allows the muffins to pop out of Natural Muffin Papers or a pan easier. Coconut cream adds smoother texture to the muffins.

Note: If you make the mistake of browning the coconut cream when melting it, do not despair! It still makes a fine muffin. I relate this from experience, having once burnt the coconut cream as I was melting it. Rather than scrap it, I decided to see if it made a difference in the muffin, and surprisingly it did not.

Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate
3/4 cup Florida Crystals Organic Cane Sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Frontier Organic Fair Trade Vanilla Extract
3 tablespoons water
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon Frontier Sea Salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Simply Organic Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
3 cups uncooked oatmeal (not instant)
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup of finely chopped walnuts (can omit or substitute)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Warm the coconut cream slightly above room temperature and combine the coconut and sugars together as you would with traditional vegetable shortening. Add the eggs, vanilla, and water and beat until smooth with a hand mixer.* Mix the two types of flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg (optional) together in a separate bowl and then add to the first mixture, beating with a hand mixer until completely blended together. Add in the oatmeal, raisins, and nuts (or substitution, such as 1/2 cup flaked coconut), stirring all ingredients together until blended thoroughly. Place rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on a baking stone or cookie sheet. Shape and flatten slightly with clean hands and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies have flattened out more and have turned a deeper brown.

* A hand mixer is not necessary as this can by done with a spoon just as well. Be advised, though, that spoon mixing will leave small chunks of the coconut cream in the cookies, which is quite tasty, too!

Delightful Frying Oil

The best tasting & healthiest oil we have found for frying any food is a 50/50 mix of Tropical Traditions Organic Virgin Coconut Oil and Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
This oil imparts a light clean flavor to any fried foods (especially french fries!)

Simply melt coconut oil in a pan and add olive oil once coconut oil gets warm, then fry food as you normally would. We do recommend an extra deep frying pan as coconut oil tends to foam up when you are frying in it. The olive oil tempers this some, but as always be careful when frying. This oil can be saved and reused many times. DO NOT reuse oil used for meats, fish or chicken, however, due to possible bacterial contamination.

Basic Rue for Sauces

2 tablespoons Tropical Traditions Organic Virgin Coconut Oil or Tropical Traditions Organic Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil
3 tablespoons white flour
Pinch of Frontier Sea Salt
1 cup organic whole milk
Melt coconut oil in a sauce pan. Over low heat, slowly add flour while stirring constantly (a wire whisk works best) until all of the flour is added.

For a white sauce, start adding milk slowly right away, stirring constantly.

For a brown sauce or gravy, continue stirring with whisk until flour starts to turn golden brown. When flour reaches desired color, begin adding milk slowly, stirring constantly.

You can add:
-Cubed cheese to white sauce to make a cheese sauce, stirring constantly until cheese is melted.
-Chicken, turkey, or beef broth, or pan drippings, to make a gravy. Add broth all at once and stir constantly over low heat until mixture thickens.
-Browned sausage for a nice sausage gravy to serve over biscuits. (See biscuit recipe above.)
-Add chopped dried beef to white sauce to make a great chipped beef. Serve over toast or biscuits.

Super Simple Pizza Crust

2 cups organic milk (slightly warmed)
1/3 cup yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons Frontier Sea Salt
2 tablespoons Florida Crystals Organic Cane Sugar
Approximately 4 cups white flour (Optional: Replace 1 cup with whole wheat flour.)
2-3 tablespoons Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Dissolve salt, sugar & yeast in milk. Add flour until a good smooth dough ball is formed. Knead lightly. Split dough into 2 or 3 smaller balls. (Note: dough can be frozen in plastic bags for later use at this point.) Coat each ball of dough in olive oil and roll out using a rolling pin. Place dough on pizza stone or metal baking sheet. Top with sauce, toppings and cheese.

Bake in 400 degree oven until cheese around edge begins to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Makes 2 large or 3 medium pizzas.

More to come - Check back often!

The recipes found here were developed by us, after years of trial and error. We hope you find them useful in switching to healthier ingredients. Use them or link to them as you wish. If you would like to reproduce them, please contact us first.

All recipes copyright Blue Heron Organics & Natural Products 2008.