Olive Oil

peachexploration · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 61 Location: Florida

Extra Virgin Olive Oil has many benefits that are supported by extensive studies. A Mediterranean diet low in saturated fats such as butter, lard, and animal fats, but rich in monounsatureated fats such as EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL in addition to grains, fruits and vegetables, helps keep the artery-clogging LDL (Bad cholesterol) LOW, while maintaining healthful levels of HDL (Good cholesterol). In addition, many medical researchers and nutritionists agree that olive oil may protect against cancer and heart disease.

I also love the fact that is has a high smoking point for cooking. Butter tends to burn easily. Flavor enfused are spectacular. Check out these suggestions:

Chili Pepper Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, red chilli peppers, bay leaves
Suggested Uses: Perfect for adding a little spice to any dish.

Mixed Spice Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, bay leaves, cloves, whole black pepper, juniper buds, cinnamon, lemon rind.
Suggested Uses: Use this oil to flavor sauces or to pour over grilled meats and cheese.

Rosemary & Chili Pepper Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, red chilli peppers, rosemary
Suggested Uses: Great with meat, fish or vegetable stews .

Oregano, Garlic & Chili Pepper Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, garlic, oregano, red chilli peppers.
Suggested Uses: Spice up your salad, drizzle over pizza, focaccia, meat, etc....

L?Ammogghiu Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley, red chilli peppers.
Suggested Uses: To flavor pasta, meat, fish or simply for a dipping oil with bread.

Rosemary Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, rosemary
Use with meat or fish, potatoes or vegetable stews and bean soups.

Pepolio Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, whole and ground black pepper
Suggested Uses: With red meat, over goat cheese or to add a peppery flavor to any dish.

Basil Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, basil.
Suggested Uses: Great with hot or cold veggetables, in dressing, over fresh Mozarella cheese, etc....

Jonathan · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 104 Location: San Diego

Great suggestion Peach, and you're right, the health benefits of using olive oil are quite well documented at this point.

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

Those spiced oils sound great, Peach! There are only 2 kinds of oils I use; sesame oil & extra virgin olive oil. The latter is great for just about anything, and the sesame oil I use extensively in my Korean dishes along with "kotchu-jan", hot pepper paste.

salsachinita · Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2004 3:19 pm Post subject:

Being lactose intolerant means olive oil based cuisines agree with me :wink: (so are lard-based one, strange enough :shock: ).

But do you know that Extra Virgin Olive Oil is not suited to cope with high heat, therefore not great for frying etc.....? It's flavour & nutrition can be lost, so it's a waste to fry with it (use a normal grade olive oil instead).

I love the good stuff for dipping bread into, or as salad dressing.

We use seseame oil very sparingly, because it's very strong & tends to take over (and gets bitter when exposed to high heat).

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

Same here for the olive oils- virgin for sauteeing(I don't make any "fried" foods at home, not even tempura!) and extra virgin for focaccia dipping and drizzling on vegetables. I sautee garlic in 2 TBS of sesame oil then add my various meats, vegetables & kimchee to create an easy & delicious meal. The Korean chefs always recommend drizzling a bit of sesame oil on top before the dish is served. (The same is done for "bibimbap", mixed Korean rice) The sesame aroma is sooooo nice and it tastes great! There have been many studies on the news in Japan lately about the energy-boosting effects of "sesamin" (the active ingredient in sesame seeds). This is good news to me as I eat a lot of sesame seeds and use the oil on a regular basis!

starrleicht · Joined: 07 Jul 2004 Posts: 11 Location: USA

I love cooking with olive oil, but found in baking it can give things a funny taste. For example, I have this really nummy strawberry muffin recipe. Instead of vegetable oil, I tried using olive oil and they tasted funny - almost rancid! Anyone know why? I don't do that any more of course, but have always wondered just why that is. tx!

Jonathan · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 104 Location: San Diego

As far as I understand it it is because o.o. has such a low boiling point so, at the higher baking temepratures that many other oils work fine, o.o. starts to chemically break down.

Can anyone back me up on this?

peachexploration · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 61 Location: Florida

starrleicht wrote: I love cooking with olive oil, but found in baking it can give things a funny taste. For example, I have this really nummy strawberry muffin recipe. Instead of vegetable oil, I tried using olive oil and they tasted funny - almost rancid! Anyone know why? I don't do that any more of course, but have always wondered just why that is. tx!

Starrleicht, it depends on what you're baking. If you're using it for pizza doughs, foccacia, etc. then extra virgin or virgin olive would be fine. For sweet breads it is best to use the "light" olive oil because it has virtually no taste like the other vegetable oils such sunflower and canola. If you use extra virgin, etc. your gonna get that rancid taste. Also, when baking, you will use less olive oil than you would butter or margarine. For instance:
If you use----Use
Margarine----Light Olive Oil
1 tsp----------3/4 tsp
1 Tbsp--------2 1/4 tsp
2 Tbsp--------1 1/2 Tbsp
3 Tbsp--------2 Tbsp + 3/4 tsp
1/4 C---------3 Tbsp
1/3 C---------1/4 C
1/2 C---------1/4 C + 2 Tbsp
2/3 C---------1/2 C
3/4 C---------1/2 C + 1 Tbsp
1 C------------3/4 C
Here's a strawberry muffin recipe you may like using olive oil:
Adapted from Pillsbury, Healthy Baking

18 servings

2 c unbleached flour 3/4 c fat-free milk
1/2 c granulated sugar 3 tbsps olive oil
1 tbsp baking powder 1 whole egg
1/4 tsp salt 10 ozs frozen strawberries, undrained

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare eighteen 1 3/4" muffin cups with cooking spray and flour; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, half cup sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, oil, and egg. Mix until moistened. Fold in strawberries. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each prepared cup. Bake for 12 minutes, or until edges are very light brown. :D

peachexploration · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 61 Location: Florida

Jonathan wrote: As far as I understand it it is because o.o. has such a low boiling point so, at the higher baking temepratures that many other oils work fine, o.o. starts to chemically break down.

Can anyone back me up on this?

Jonathan, I would say this makes sense although I don't know for sure but Extra Virgin Olive Oil in breads such as pizza dough and foccacia does particularly well. Using butter instead of oil for these breads would not be pretty. They will burn very easy at the high temperatures. You can use the "light" olive oils in sweet breads but less of it and it's probably because more would take longer to heat to appropiate temperature. *shrug* I love olive oil but never use it for baking sweet breads or cakes. At least, not yet. :wink:

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

I use only olive oil in focaccia & pizza dough. I use shortening for pie crusts and the same for my nut breads. Muffins I make with salad oil.

dancin_feet · Joined: 21 Jul 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Brisbane, Australia

:!: A timely story as here in Australia a scare has flared up about the links between vegetable oils (including canola) and macular degeneration of the eye, basically blindness. Studies are continuing and conclusive proof has not been given as yet, but early studies are showing a possible link.

Butter and olive oil seem to be OK to have, so keep on eating that olive oil people. Avoid vegetable oils as much as you can. Including margarine spreads.

salsachinita · Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:59 am Post subject:

peachexploration wrote:
Margarine----Light Olive Oil
1 tsp----------3/4 tsp
1 Tbsp--------2 1/4 tsp
2 Tbsp--------1 1/2 Tbsp
3 Tbsp--------2 Tbsp + 3/4 tsp
1/4 C---------3 Tbsp
1/3 C---------1/4 C
1/2 C---------1/4 C + 2 Tbsp
2/3 C---------1/2 C
3/4 C---------1/2 C + 1 Tbsp
1 C------------3/4 C

:D Thanks, PeachE!!!!!!

I shall go & add this under my lactose intolerance friendly adaptation tips!