This recipe comes from Lisa Sheldon’s awesome cookbook, “Olive Oil Baking: Healthy Recipes that Increase Good Cholesterol and Reduce Saturated Fats.” To view or purchase the book, click
here.
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No doubt you’ve heard about all the great fruits and veggies that are high in antioxidants - blueberries, broccoli, sweet cherries, spinach, artichokes…the list could continue for pages. BUT…did you know that Extra Virgin Olive Oil also holds a strong position under the umbrella of antioxidant-rich foods? That’s right - EVOO (to steal a term from the Rachel Ray dictionary) is chock-full of those healthy molecules that reveal themselves as vitamins, minerals and polyphenols. What’s so great about anti-o’s? Well hold on, I’ve got to get a little bit scientific on ya - Anti-o’s prevent the oxidation (loss of electrons) of other molecules, a process which can set off harmful chain reactions to release cell-damaging free radicals. The bottom line - use Extra Virgin Olive Olil frequently to get your share of antioxidants!
Tags: antioxidant, benefit, cooking, health, olive oil
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A single tablespoon of butter - one regular serving - contains 12g of fat, 8g of which are saturated fats. If you are wowed by that fact hold on to your hat - in addition to butter’s fat content, your one tablespoon of butter contains 33mg of artery-clogging cholesterol. To put that into perspective, clinical studies have shown that consuming between 20 and 40g of extra virgin olive oil each day can actually help to lower your cholesterol. With people becoming more and more health conscious these days, recipes that substitute olive oil for butter are popping up all over the place - even for baking! (If you do use it for baking, though, you may want to use Extra Light olive oil, so you don’t get olive oil’s distinct taste in your pastries.) Click here for a handy measurement table to substitute olive oil for butter.
Tags: cooking, eating, food, health, olive oil
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This recipe is possibly the world’s easiest to prepare, and you’re more than likely to have its ingredients on hand at home! Make sure you have plenty of high-quality extra virgin olive oil for this dish - its flavor makes a HUGE difference!
To start, you will need:
1 Basket Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
3 Large Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Medium Shallot, chopped
6-7 Large Basil Leaves, roughly chopped
1 1/2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese, cubed
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper, to taste
Begin with a medium-sized bowl. Wash tomatoes and cut in half. (If cherry or grape tomatoes are unavailable, any variety will do - just cut them into 1 inch cubes.) Combine tomatoes, chopped garlic, chopped shallot, chopped basil leaves and cubed mozzarella cheese in bowl. Add extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar; toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with toothpicks, crusty bread or crackers.
The best part about this recipe is that it can be changed to accommodate your needs. The above combination is ideal as an appetizer, but to serve it as a salad or side dish choose a larger variety of tomato and slice them instead of dicing. Do the same with the mozzarella and shallots.
For a delicious topping for pasta or crostini use the original recipe, but leave out the vinegar, mozzarella and basil and bake in a 400º oven until the tomatoes are tender. Remove from the oven and add the basil and 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese.
Cheers!
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California has the Spanish missionaries to thank for its thriving olive oil industry. In the late 18th century, olive trees were planted at every mission the Spanish established - 21 in total - from San Diego’s Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá to Sonoma’s Mission San Francisco Solano. Cali’s world-renown weather is comparable to the Mediterranean climate where the olive tree originated, so the ideal conditions encouraged growth and quality. The maturation of the trees led to the harvesting and pressing of the olives for olive oil and, nearly three centuries later, California continues to enjoy a very healthy olive oil industry. Read the rest of this entry »
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Though no two premium extra virgin olive oils taste exactly the same, there is a certain flavor profile that presents itself in practically all high-grade samples. First of all, you should immediately be able to detect the oil’s level of quality through the scent it emits - superior olive oil will smell overwhelmingly of the actual olive fruit. Next, when tasting the oil you should feel and taste its bitterness in the middle-back part of your tongue. If you breathe in a good amount of air while you are taking the oil into your mouth, it’s bitterness will be easier to detect. Lastly, when you are swallowing the oil, your throat should tingle with a tinge of pungent pepperiness - some oils have more pepper than others, some may even cause one to cough a bit, but these characteristics are a testament to fresh olives having been picked and pressed at their peak. The longer you let your oil sit, the less of its flavor profile it will retain. Unlike balsamic vinegar, olive oil is not meant to be aged and will not get better with time. Read the rest of this entry »
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This olive and caper tapenade is simple to make and absolutely delicious! Serve it with crackers or crostini for an appetizer, use it to top a sea bass or halibut filet or toss it with some pasta for a quick and flavorful meal.
According to the International Olive Oil Council, there are seven designations for olive oil quality: refined, lampante, olive-pomace oil, olive oil, pure olive oil, virgin olive oil and - the best, highest quality - extra virgin olive oil.