Olive Oil and Much More shares shopping tips, useful facts, and recipes designed to help you enjoy and understand extra virgin olive oil. From choosing quality oils to trying new dishes, this page offers practical information for everyday cooking and healthy living.
You will find here some useful information and hints on how to shop for olive oil, and I hope you find the recipes included that you will be willing to try and enjoy.
The best is extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and seems to be on everyone’s shopping list. Some health experts, including organizations such as Harvard Medical and the Mayo Clinic, have praised extra virgin olive oil as part of a healthy diet. EVOO is the cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet. Known for enhancing longevity, and has become the rage among the Paleo, keto and Atkins diets. This is because of its taste, zero-carbs and makes almost any meal have more flavor and be satisfying.
What To Look For When Shopping
When shopping, look for Extra Virgin. This is the only grade that will retain its natural phenols (antioxidants), and that is because it is cold pressed, which means no high heat, harsh chemicals are used to extract it. Because it is minimally processed, it retains more of its natural nutrients and antioxidants. All of the other grades have been chemically refined, which destroys the phenols.
Supermarket Olive Oils
These are olive oils that you should purchase with care. Many of these oils are past prime, adulterated, or in some cases, counterfeit. The reason being they are not fresh! Olives are a fruit, and in order to get the best taste it has to be fresh, just like orange juice. This oil can’t be like wine, the older the better. It can only keep its glorious flavor and nutritional value for about six months from the time it was harvested. Because of this, it is hard to find in a supermarket.
Most are shipped to the United States on cargo ships, then sit in warehouses and on shelves when at their destination. So as a result and they are basically within “best used by date” but past their peak freshness, flavor, and nutritional value. If you wish to get it fresh, buying it online where it can be shipped from where it was made would be a much better choice. The four most important words are “the fresher, the better”. Once you have received a bottle from an award-winning farm online, you may notice a difference compared to typical supermarket options.
Now, did you know that there are “fake” oils? Well, just like everything else, there are knockoffs in this field too. Because the US is the largest consumer market, everyone wants in on the action. Some lower-quality oils may contain unwanted additives or contaminants.
You can find superb, award-winning olive oils online, but you have to do your homework. These will ship the oil directly to your door. You can find societies that have joined together to make sure that the best, freshest oil is available. Here you can find recipes and much more.
I have tried their olive oil and I must say there is a difference.
Recipes:
This is one that people who love lamb will enjoy. It originated from Chile, where lamb is sometimes cooked over a wood fire, which helps with the smoky flavor. This recipe serves 8.
What you will need for ingredients are:
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 strip lemon zest (about 2 inches by 1/2 inch) cut into several pieces
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea) or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 16 lamb rib chops about 3/4 inch thick
Instructions:
In a blender or the small bowl of a small food processor, combine the garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, EVOO, salt, and pepper. Blend until the mixture is fairly smooth. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Then put the lamb chops in a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over them. Massaging the bag so all the chops are well coated. Place them in the refrigerator. For 1-2 hours.
Set up the grill for direct grilling, preheat to medium-high.
This recipe is from ” Annetta “Annie” Paterson of Australia.
Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Ingredients (serves 8)
- 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
- 1 cup finely ground hazelnut meal/flour
- 4 large eggs, separated
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper on the bottom with a rectangular strip around the inside of the pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cocoa powder and hot water; whisk until smooth. Melt the chocolate chips in a small bowl over a simmering double boiler, stirring constantly. Add to the cocoa-hot water mixture along with the olive oil, brown sugar, and hazelnut meal.
Stir until thoroughly combined and set aside. Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and the yolks in a smaller bowl. Beat the egg whites with the whisk attachment of a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Stir the egg yolks one at a time into the chocolate mixture, stirring well after each addition. Add half of the whipped egg whites to the chocolate mixture and gently fold them in with a rubber spatula until well combined. Repeat with the remaining egg whites. Scrape the mixture into the pan.
Bake for 60 minutes. A toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake should come out mostly clean – some moist chocolate may remain on the tester when removed, as the cake should be fudgy, like a brownie. Leave the cake in the pan until it has cooled completely. Remove the cake, peeling off the parchment. Slice into wedges.
As you can see by these recipes, there are many ways in which we can use this oil. There are many ways in which we can have a healthier body, immune system, and much more. If you would like to explore more ideas on healthy living, feel free to learn more through the resources available.
These are just two of the many recipes that I have, and will change them from time to time. So please feel free to come back and visit.
If you have questions or would like more information about anything you see here, please feel free to contact us. We’re always happy to connect.