Monday, January 22, 2007

Cooking essentials- extra virgin olive oil


My FAVORITE ingredient in the kitchen, one that I cannot live without and definitely the most used is extra virgin olive oil. Not only does it taste wonderfully delicious, but nutritionists and doctors alike are recommending this oil because we all need a small amount of healthy fats in our diet each day.

I think the best informtion on olive oil can be found at www.whfoods.org. Here's a smidge of what they have to say about this very healthy oil.
Anyone coming from the Mediterranean region of the world would tell you about the health benefits, as well as the wonderful flavor, of a good dose of olive oil on salads, pasta, fish and almost anything else. Fortunately, it is available throughout the year to satisfy taste buds and promote good health.

Olive oil is made from the crushing and then subsequent pressing of olives. The fact that olives are rich in oil is reflected in the botanical name of the olive tree-Olea europaea-as oleas means oil in Latin. Extra virgin olive oil is derived from the first pressing of the olives and has the most delicate flavor and most antioxidant benefits. read more...

7 comments:

Paula said...

I use OO all the time. I use flax seed oil, too.

Angelena said...

We use olive oil all the time, and not just in cooking! It is a wonderful skin moisturizer! I keep some in our bathroom cabinet to use instead of bath oil and lotion when I get out of the bath. A little goes a long ways. It makes your skin incredibly soft and it is all natural too!

Angelena said...

I forgot to leave my blog address:

MrsA
http://countrylifejourney.typepad.com/

theups said...

Mrs. C- I haven't used flax seed oil before. I use flax seeds in a lot of bread. I think I need to try the oil!!

MrsA- GREAT ideas for using olive oil for moisturizer!! I could definitely use the extra moisture right now! It's cold here and my legs and arms get so dry that they hurt! Thank you for the wonderful idea!!

His,
Mrs. U

Lean Not said...

Mrs. U., Rachael Ray would be proud of you. :)

I like to toss plain oatmeal (raw whole oats right out of the box) with a little sugar and cinnamon, then toss that with a little olive oil. It makes a healthful, granola-like snack. I really enjoy it!

I have heard of putting olive oil in your hair as a conditioner. I have never used olive oil, but I do occasionally use baby oil in my hair. I coat all my hair with it and then tie it up (usually in a plastic bag) and leave it like that for a little while before I wash it out. It sure feels soft after that!

Susan P. said...

I just love using olive oil when I stir fry my veggies and especially when I fry things with breading like zuchinni. As Rachel Ray would say, "YUMMO!" I also remember my Grammy using it on her hair!

Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree more. I use EVOO almost exclusively. In fact, I have the exact bottle with pour spout which is pictured in your post. I normally purchase the large jug of EVOO at Costco.

Nice blog :)

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