The Benefits of Cooking with Olive Oil
February 28, 2011
Oil is used for everyday cooking, be it fried chicken or a simple bunch of fries. There are different kinds of oil such as vegetable oil, olive oil, canola oil and the like, each with their own characteristics. There are a lot of reasons why cooking with olive oil is better compared to using the usual vegetable oil or canola oil, although the reason why a lot of people are drawn away by the idea is that it’s a bit more expensive than the latter two. But when it comes down to it, there are a lot of benefits when you’re cooking with olive oil.
The Quality of the Oil
As opposed to the cheaper oils used in cooking, cooking with olive oil means that you’ll be using oil that is rich in texture. Olive oil also has a stronger flavor to it so cooking with olive oil also means that you’ll get cuisines that have richer flavors to them since the olive oil’s nutrients and its flavors are not decomposed too quickly. Another thing is that because of the distinct flavor of the olive oil, you’ll be able to drizzle it on your cuisine and turn it into something more special.
The Healthier Oil
Cooking with olive oil means that you’ll be cooking using less ‘bad’ unsaturated fats since olive oil is composed primarily of monounsaturated fats. This means that you’ll be less likely to get into trouble in regards to your health. Not only will you get nice results in your cooking, but you’ll also get healthier delights as you eat.
When and What Olive Oil to Use
Of course, there are also different grades of olive oils and the better the quality it has, the more expensive it gets. The best grade of olive oil is of course, the extra virgin olive oil. This is a pretty expensive oil to use and it’s not exactly common to use it on frying. With its exquisite flavor, it’s more suitable for salads, dressings, or you could sprinkle it over sandwiches or breads. When you are looking for a particular olive oil to use for frying or sautéing, you could go for the virgin olive oil, which is not as expensive although the flavor isn’t as enhanced as the extra virgin one. If you are looking for the olive oil that is perfect for high heat, then the lower grade olive oil also known as the light olive oil would fit the bill. The light olive oil, although has less flavor to it, has a higher smoke point compared to the two, which makes it great for deep frying.
Cooking with olive oil will definitely improve not only the quality of the flavor of your food, but it also gives you a healthier meal. If you’ve never tried cooking with olive oil yet, you definitely should try it out and you’ll notice a huge difference. Some people even consider cooking with olive oil on a daily basis and if you could afford it, it would be all for the best.
Spice Up Your Food with Infused Olive Oil
February 21, 2011
There are tons of ways to turn a simple dish to a special one using the right ingredients. Using infused olive oil on cuisines is definitely a nice and easy way to spice things up a notch. Olive oil does have a distinct taste to it; however, you can further enhance the flavor by infusing the oil with herbs and spices. The ingredient basically adds flavor to your salads, meats, breads, and vegetables and using it isn’t at all that difficult.
Using Infused Olive Oil
There are different types of infused olive oils. One of the easiest infused olive oils to use is one infused with garlic. Garlic infused olive oil can be used as frying oil if ever you’re aiming for a dish that has a subtle garlic flavor to it. You can stir fry vegetables using the infused olive oil thus giving the vegetables an easily recognizable garlic flavor to them. Of course, aside from garlic infused olive oil, you can also use others on different cuisines as well. For example, you can use chili infused olive oil together with tomato sauce on your pasta to give them that unique Italian flavor. Also, instead of using regular vegetable oil on your cake, you can use lemon infused olive oil to give it a tangy flavor. Lemon infused olive oil also does wonders to broccoli florets. There are numerous ways of using infused olive oils and all you need is a touch of creativity.
Making Your Own Infused Olive Oil
You can use a number of ingredients to infuse to olive oil to give it an even enhanced taste and aroma to it. First off, you’ll need to decide on what key ingredient you’ll be going for. You can use different herbs and spices such as garlic, dill, basil, chives, mint, and so on. You can even use a combination of them if you want to make your own mix. Once you’ve decided on one or two, wash the herbs and you’ll need to let them dry since water supports bacterial growth. Once dried, you’ll want to release the herb’s aroma and flavor by slightly tearing certain portions of them. You will then stuff them in a dark colored bottle. Now you’ll need to heat the olive oil a bit over a low flame, but remember not to overdo it. Once the oil is warm, pour it in the bottle with the herb and wait for it to cool off and once done, seal it with a cork and store the bottle in a cool, dark place for about a week or so. After a week has passed, you can now strain the herbs out and the olive oil is now infused with the herb’s flavor and aroma. Remember to store the bottle away from direct sunlight. Now you know how to make your own infused olive oil.
Infusing olive oils with flavors isn’t as difficult as it seems, and with some creativity, you’ll be able to make your own flavors. There are tons of ways to use infused olive oils and if you’re really fond of experimenting to improve your dishes, well, infused olive oil will be a very basic component to your kitchen.
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A Simple Lemon Olive Oil Recipe
February 14, 2011
A lot of people nowadays start to use olive oil when cooking their food. There are many reasons why people now prefer to use olive oil than the usual vegetable one. Whether they’re doing it for the health benefits or personal preference, you can’t really deny the fact that olive oil tastes so much better than the commonly used oils. Another reason would be the fact that you could add a bit of flavor into the oil and turn it into something new and interesting and one in particular is lemon olive oil.
How to Make Lemon Olive Oil
If you’re looking for really simple way to give the distinct taste of olive oil a tangy makeover, you can easily turn it into lemon olive oil. First, you’ll need to pick a good lemon and scrub it in order to make sure it’s clean. Then you’ll need to let it dry and once dry, you’ll need to cut away the small silvers of the rind. Also, make sure not to include the white part of the lemon skin since it will make your lemon olive oil recipe taste bitter. Next, you’ll want to heat the olive oil. You might want to use either virgin or extra virgin olive oil for this and you’ll need around 1 cup of it. Do not over heat the oil since it has a low smoke point; just get it warm over a few minutes. Once the oil is warm, you can then put the peels on the oil. You’ll want to leave it on a low to medium heat for about 10 minutes or so. Wait for it to cool off for a bit and once it has cooled down, put it in a bottle seal it with either a cork or a rubber lid. And now you can store your lemon olive oil in your refrigerator.
Simple Meals to Special Ones
With the lemon olive oil you just made, you can turn simple dishes to special ones. You can use it on a cake if ever you’re aiming for a tangy flavor from it. You can use it for a lemony chicken if you prefer. Or you could even use it for a special oven roasted asparagus. You can easily turn you favorite meals to a lemony cuisine if you sprinkle the lemon olive oil on them. You can add lemon olive oil to just about anything and you’ll surely have fun trying new things out. Also, with the unique flavor of olive oil added with a touch of lemon, you’ll surely love how things turn out in your kitchen.
Olive oil does have a certain taste to it that’s really easily recognizable since it has a strong flavor to it. If ever you want something more out of olive oil, you could do so by adding flavor to it. Once you’ve made your own lemon olive oil, you’ll realize that it’s the perfect way to add a lemony flavor to your cooking.
Image Credit: dreamstime.com
