Why and How to Cook with Olive Oil?

There is no doubt that olive oil has health benefits with its good fats and other essential nutrients. Still, there are common myths followed by using olive oil for cooking. People say olive oil forms health hazards when cooked on high flame. At the same time, many types of research have been conducted to find that cooking with olive oil remains stable on high flame and performs well.

Perks of Using Olive Oil in Your Food

Switching to olive oil can be very beneficial in preparing healthy meals. Let’s check why that is so;

1- High Flame Resistance

Extra-virgin and virgin olive oils resist high temperatures and stand outstandingly well. Still, it is noted that olive oils on high flame lose their flavor. So, it is better to use it for low-flame required dishes, salads, cocktails, or uncooked veggies.

2- Enhance Spice Flavors

It can be remarkable to assort the spices we add to uncooked dishes. It enhances the flavor of spices where the taste of spices and their flavor remain preserved. So, you can have an excellent fat meal with natural spice flavors.

3- Balances Acidic Properties

Another good reason to use olive oil in cooking is that it balances the high acidic level in food. For instance, when we use tomatoes, vinegar, lemon juice, orange juice, etc., we can add some olive oil to beat high-acid meals.

Some Ways to Use Olive Oil in Your Meal

Here are the details of each method!

1- Meat Marination

Olive oil is lightweight and has deep penetration abilities. So, add a few drops of olive oil when applying spices or sauces on Fish, Chicken, or Red meat. 

Meat marinated with olive oil consumes less oil in baking, deep fry, or pan fry. And taste remains authentic.

2- Salad Dressing

Olive oil is perfect for uncooked vegetables, so you can drizzle it over salads for dressing. It will balance the acids and mixes the spices well.

3- Quick Pasta

For a quick pasta recipe, boil pasta and drain it. Let it cool down, and mix some drops of olive oil. Brush your pan with olive oil, add vegetables and cook on low flame. Add spices, and your pasta is ready to serve.

4- Instant Appetizer

To make a quick appetizer recipe, toasted french bread or baguette under the broiler. Drizzle olive oil over the slice and apply roasted garlic paste to it.

5- Mashed Potatoes

We all love mashed potatoes; the good part is that the butter can be replaced with olive oil. Roast garlic cloves with olive oil drops. And, for the ultimate baked potatoes, mix cooked potatoes, olive oil, and roasted garlic paste and add seasoning to the taste.

6- Garlic Beans Dip

To have a unique flavored bean dip, mix cooked or boiled beans with 1-2 cloves of garlic. While mixing, add olive oil to the food processor and season it to enhance the flavors.

7- Thick sauces

You can add olive oil to the watery ingredients of the sauce. So while mixing or whisking, you will get a soft textured, evenly thin sauce. Also, it will balance the acidic nature of the sauce.

Conclusion

Remember to use good quality olive oil every time. It can be a mildly-flavored, virgin, or extra-virgin olive oil that you can purchase from a good resource like Verde Valley Olive oil.