MY NUMBER ONE CHOICE OF OIL
May 12, 2021I’m not going to keep you guessing for long because if you’ve cooked any of my recipes before I’m sure you know that Extra Virgin Olive Oil is definitely my number one choice of oil…and yes that includes to cook with (even though you may have heard it’s not safe to do so, but we’ll bust that myth later).
With it being harvest season for olive oil at the moment, I thought it was a great opportunity to teach you more about the wonderful benefits of extra virgin olive oil and it just so happens to align perfectly with some video’s I filmed in partnership with Olive Wellness Institute and Nutrition Australia which you can view here and here.
Extra virgin olive oil, or EVOO, is a staple in my pantry – and I use this staple frequently, like literally I put it almost everything I cook! Not only do I love the great flavour EVOO brings to food but it has some fantastic health benefits as well.
Health benefits
Firstly, EVOO is a key element in the Mediterranean Diet which has been proven to reduce overall risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, overall cancer incidence, neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes. The science supporting the benefits of the Mediterranean diet is so significant that it is now considered the nutritional gold standard to support health and wellness. So already, how could you not love EVOO when you know this?!
From a nutritional profile what is so great about EVOO is not only it’s fat profile (it’s a fantastic source of mono-unsaturated fatty acid) but also the bioactive compounds it contains which have antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Quality of the oil
Now, one thing that must be remembered is that all olive oils are not equal, and that extra virgin olive oil is different to virgin olive oil, and olive oil. They are refined and processed oils whereas EVOO is cold pressed, keeping it high in natural antioxidants and leaving it trans-fat (the bad fat) free.
Make sure when you are looking to buy EVOO you are looking for cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil which has been harvested and bottled within the last 12-24 months and once you have opened a bottle try to use it up within 4-6 weeks to ensure you have the best flavour profile and you can get the most out of the health benefits!
Cooking with EVOO
You’ll be happy to know that EVOO is in fact very stable when heated thanks to the natural antioxidants present so it is completely safe to cook with EVOO for all kinds of cooking including deep frying, pan frying, sautéing, oven baking etc.
Not only is it safe to cook with but when you do use EVOO for cooking you can actually increase the nutritional value of the food you are cooking. For example some of the antioxidants from the oil will transfer into the cooked food and because oil is a source of fat, it can increase the absorption of fat soluble vitamins by the body. How cool hey?!
How much is recommended?
Research shows that consuming between 25 and 50mL of Extra Virgin Olive Oil per day is associated with health benefits, especially for heart health (e.g. cholesterol and blood pressure health). In your every day cooking this will be 2-3 tablespoons per day.
Personally I use it whenever I’m sauteing, grilling or roasting as well as drizzling it over both cooked and raw foods such as salads. I often use it in baking too and have even been known to add it to my porridge or smoothie! And for all you insta foodies out there - a drizzle of EVOO will make any meal much more insta worthy ;)
EVOO recipes
For many ideas and inspiration be sure to head to my recipe page where you will struggle to find a recipe that doesn’t use EVOO! For some of my favourites see below
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Jalapeno Chicken Burgers - click here for the recipe
