A
brief overview
Olive oil must be kept away from excess heat, air, humidity and, very important, from light.
The use of olive oil represents quality cooking all over the world.
Olive oil is widely known and used in European, North and South American, Asian and African cuisines.
Olive oil is also a reverenced oil that has got a place of importance in the various religious practices of Christians, Muslims and Jews.
Olive oil
can be used raw in salads or bread.
Olive
oil is good for frying and food preparation too.
Olive oil can be spread on ready food to add on flavour.
Either
raw, in food preparation or for frying, olive oil!
From
the stove to oven and table, use extra virgin olive oil.
From
our family to your family.
Olive oil, the tastiest medium for frying
Frying is beneficial to the organism, contrary to what previously thought. Without over-heating olive oil does not undergo changes in their compounds, keeping its nutritional value. This is mainly due to the antioxidants and high levels of oleic acid.
Olive oil forms a crust on the food surface when frying impeding the penetration of oil and improving its flavour. Food fried in olive oil has lower fat content than food fried in other oils.
Generally, olive oil can be used for four or five times without loosing their properties of flavour and digestibility.
Olive oil smoking point, 210ºC, is higher than the ideal temperature for frying food, around the 180ºC.
Corn oil and butter, which have lower smoking points, break down at the ideal frying temperature yielding toxic products.
Keeping these directions for cooking you have all the health advantages of olive oil guaranteed.
After the food is ready you can also pour a good portion of olive oil on top, adding on aspect, nutritional value and flavour.
- FRIED SQUID -
Clean and cut a squid in rings. Add salt. Place in wheat flour. Fry with olive oil. Sprinkle oregano for serving.
- FLAVOURED OLIVE OIL -
Herb flavouring
olive oil can be fun.
You can use oregano, thyme, rosemary, salvia, cinnamon sticks, cloves,
curry powder, black pepper, nutmeg, mint, paprika, coriander, cayenne,
anise, cardamom, cumin, ginger, mustard.
Use your imagination to create beautifully decorated bottles that you can use in your everyday home cooking or making it a precious handmade present.
You should
leave herbs infused in olive oil for 2-3 weeks before using.
The infusion can be kept for a long time.
You can use one herb or many herbs.
You can add peppers.
You can add garlic and also salt and vinegar. Doing so you may end up
getting a ready-to-go salad dressing.
But attention, before adding garlic, lemon peel, fresh peppers, fresh
herbs and spices, you should dehydrate them.
You may first soak them in concentrated commercial vinegar (stronger
than the supermarket vinegars) and salt and leave them for 1-2 days
in the refrigerator.
Alternatively you may dry herbs in a food dehydrator or under the sun.
- GARLIC BREAD -
Slice bread and pour olive oil. Add crushed garlic and oregano. Place in oven at 180°C for 10min.
An excellent accompanying dish for pasta and meat.
- GREEK SALAD -
Wash and cut tomatoes, onions, green peppers. Toss with olive oil or your favourite flavoured olive oil. Add olives and place a slice of feta cheese in the middle of the bowl. Pour some more olive oil on top of the cheese slice. Sprinkle with oregano.