The natural process used to extract extra virgin olive oil makes it retain all the antioxidants and nutrients of the fruit. Those include over 30 powerful antioxidants that fight against free radicals that could otherwise result in cell damage. The oil is made of 73% monounsaturated fats, a dietary fat linked with preventing cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and heart diseases.
The Mediterranean population has used extra virgin olive oil for centuries, a habit that is attributed to prolonged life expectancy among the natives. Olive oil is used to give your dishes a pleasing taste while at the same time, allowing you to benefit from its health-boasting properties.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Recipes
In most cases, extra virgin olive oil is used with uncooked foods for harmonizing spices in a dish or adding flavor. However, you can use Chilean extra virgin olive oil with cooked meals like in the following two recipes.
1. Goats’ Cheese Risotto with Beetroot
The recipe is easy to make as it requires less than 30 minutes of preparation time and takes 10-30 minutes to cook.
Ingredients
- 500g cooked beetroot
- 300g risotto rice
- 1-liter vegetable or chicken stock
- Two finely chopped garlic cloves
- One finely chopped onion
- One large sprig thyme small bunch of freshly chopped dill and parsley
- 30g butter
- Two tablespoons olive oil
- Freshly squeezed lemon (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 100ml dry white wine
Dressing
- 150g crumble creamy goat cheese
- 50g Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese
- Deep-fat frying vegetable oil
- A handful of trimmed, washed, and thoroughly dried kales
Preparation
- Using a food processor, blend the beetroot with stock until smooth. Pour it in a saucepan and bring it to simmer. Chop the remaining beetroot and place it in a strainer.
- Place a saucepan on the fire and add oil and half the butter, and bring it to heat. Then add your onion and let it fry until it’s soft. Next, add your garlic and let it cook for 2-3minutes. Add the risotto rice and thyme and stir until they’re coated with butter and oil.
- Increase the heat and add your white wine. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes before reducing the heat to medium. Next, add a ladleful of beetroot and season using ground pepper and salt. Stir the mixture until the beetroot puree is fully absorbed. Keep adding the beetroot stock and stirring until it’s all used up.
- Mix and beat the remaining butter with chopped beetroot and stir using any herbs you may be using. Check your seasoning and add the lemon juice. Take out the thyme sprig.
- For the dressing, pour deep-frying vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan and bring the oil to boil. Carefully add the kales, a few leaves at a time, and let them fry until crispy. Remove from oil and drain the oil using kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt.
Your risotto is ready to serve with crumbled goats’ cheese.
2. Squash Soup
This easy to prepare pumpkin soup is suitable for a vegetarian family dinner and gives you all the benefits of extra virgin olive oil. It takes less than 30 minutes of preparation time and cooks for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Ingredients
- One medium deseeded and roughly chopped squash
- One medium-sized and roughly chopped floury potato
- One chopped onion
- Two peeled and chopped carrots
- Two cloves garlic
- One bay leaf
- 25g unsalted butter
- Two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1-liter vegetable stock/ alternatively, you can use chicken stock
- 100ml double cream
- Three tablespoons of pumpkin seeds
- Freshly ground pepper and salt
Preparation
- Mix the onions, bay leaf, garlic, butter, and half extra virgin oil in a large saucepan and place it on medium heat. Cook for about 10minutes or until the vegetables become soft but not colored.
- Add your chopped potatoes and squash, stir and let it cook for 2-3minutes. Next, add your stock, season, and leave it to boil. Minimize the heat to a gentle simmer and then cover the pot. Let it cook for about 40 minutes to let the squash soften under the point of a fork.
- Pick the bay leaf, blend it, and make a thick soup.
- Add cream and add seasoning as required.
- Fry the pumpkin seeds using the remaining olive oil until they start to pop.
Your soup is ready to serve with pumpkin seeds and a swirl of cream.
Bottom Line
There you have it, two dishes you can fry using extra virgin olive oil. And the good news is that you’ll enjoy the full benefits of the oil the same way you would if used on uncooked foods. Don’t forget to check out our blog for more tantalizing and healthy recipes.
