Olive oil is an amazing food product, not only for it's pure, smooth, and unique flavour, but also because it can be used in most recipes. Any dish that requires a serving of oil or fat can use Olive Oil in place of butter, margarine, or any kind of cooking oil. However, those dishes where olive oil is used only as a substitute ingredient can't technically be called “olive oil” recipes because the oil doesn't play a central role in influencing the palate.
In other words, if you make cookies and use olive oil as a pan greaser, you still only made cookies. You can't call them “olive oil” cookies unless you dump olive oil into the batter and make it the predominant flavour. With that said, here five recipes that will introduce you to the full goodness of olive oil:
1. Tomato-Cheese Bruschetta
If you haven't had tomato-cheese Bruschetta, one could argue that you're culinarily deprived. You start with some French or Italian bread slices, then brush both sides of every slice with a generous amount of olive oil. You'll really taste the oil in this recipe, so it's best to go with a premium brand like GringoCool extra virgin olive oil rather than a standard store brand – you'll taste the difference. Once the bread slices are covered in oil, bake them for about 5 minutes or until brown on both sides, then cover in a mixture of olive oil, parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, onion, tomatoes, garlic, basil, pepper, and salt.
2. Basil & Olive Oil Pesto
This is easily one of the most delicious sauces you can make with olive oil. To make it, simply blend 1 cup of basil leaves with ¼ cup pine nuts, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 garlic clove, and a pinch of salt, then slowly stir in about ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil until the mixture becomes a paste.
3. Olive Oil Cakes
Adding olive oil to cake batter is a simple yet sure-fire way to make a cake more moist. The most common olive oil cake recipes involve using a citrus fruit like orange or lemon along with pecans or walnuts, but you can get creative and add olive oil to almost any cake mix with good results.
4. Aioli
Most people can agree that Aioli is one of the world's finest condiments. You can eat it with everything from bread to lobster and it tastes great. Bon Appetit has a recipe for the creamiest Aioli that you might want to check out.
5. Grated Parmesan and Olive Oil Spaghetti
This simplified spin on traditional Italian spaghetti replaces tomato sauce with extra virgin olive oil and a mixture of herbs. It's a straightforward recipe that combines spaghetti noodles, olive oil, basil, oregano, black pepper, salt, and grated parmesan cheese to create a cheesy and oily delicacy.
Olive Oil Should Be a Staple in Every Household
In addition to being a key ingredient in the tasty recipes above, olive oil also provides a number of health benefits because it contains antioxidants and monounsaturated fats that have anti-inflammatory properties.
