The world of olive oil is a wonderful one, and you’ll appreciate that bottle in your pantry all the more when you learn about its rich history, its production process and its healthy and medicinal attributes. Some have referred to olive oil as “liquid gold.” Chefs around the world consider olive oil an indispensable staple that is used on a daily basis for not only cooking, but flavoring nearly any kind of food.
With a little creativity and some imagination, the possibilities using olive oil, without a doubt, are endless. At this point, you know that olive oil makes an excellent substitute for the many items you have in your pantry.
Labels can be confusing, so selecting olive oil can be challenging even for the professional. With so many labels (extra-virgin, organic, light, first-pressed, unfiltered, filtered, etc), it can be nearly impossible to tell which oils really are what they claim to be. Also, don’t choose on color, as the color of an olive oil has no bearing on its quality.
Good olive oil is expensive. It isn’t cheap to produce a high-quality, extra-virgin olive oil. Therefore, as a consumer you should be wary if a 500-ml bottle claims to be of extra-virgin status that is offered for $12 or less. Bottles below that price are almost certain to be chemically extracted, and may not even be made from olives. That’s a scary thought!
Since olive oil is perishable, and that light speeds up the process of aging, you may want to store your olive oil in an appropriate container or in a closed pantry. Because of its perishable nature, olive oil has a greater chance of being rancid when produced more than 1 to 1-1/2 yrs ago. Additionally, pay attention to where the oil is from and where the label claims the olives are from. Bottles of oil from a single estate have a higher likelihood of being made from olives where they say they are from – specific example – Olio Bello d’Olivo.
Featuring this quarter some of Gail’s Salads
½ c Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine Vinegar
1 c Olio Bello d'Olivo’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Juice of Fresh Lemon
1 tsp Honey
1 tsp Maple Syrup (good quality)
Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
Mix all ingredients in a quart jar for ease of blending. Once blended, pour over favorite salad fixings.
Optional ingredients to add: 1 small minced garlic; or 1 small minced shallot; or Assorted fresh chopped herbs – parsley, chervil, thyme.
1 Bag Baby Greens
1 Bag Spinach Leaves
1 Bag Pizza’s Salad Fixin’s – (cherry or cranberry with roasted walnuts or pecans)
2 Granny Smith Apples – chopped
3/4 c Fresh Goat Cheese – crumbled
1/3 c Raspberry Vinegar
½ c Olio Bello d'Olivo’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
Mix the greens and spinach together, add salad fixin’s, apples and goat cheese – add the sea salt and pepper. Pour a little raspberry vinegar on top first following with the olive oil last. Mix well and enjoy!
½ Head Romaine Lettuce
½ Head Red Leaf Lettuce
¼ to ½ lb Salami (good quality) cut julienne style (thin strips)
¼ lb Monterey Jack Cheese – cut in small cubes
½ c Parmesan Cheese – pre-shredded
½ Red Onion – thinly sliced
8 oz Jar Sweet Banana Wax Peppers OR Pepperoncini – sliced into rings – keep seeds
7 oz Jar Roasted Red Sweet Bell Peppers – sliced
1 c Kalamata Olives – pitted
2 c Grape Tomatoes – sliced in half
Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper Oil & Vinegar Dressing
Optional Addition 1 c Small Fresh Mozzarella Cheese – Bocconcini
Mix all ingredients in a large salad bowl; add your salt, pepper and favorite oil and vinegar salad dressing. IF there is any salad left over, it’ll be delicious the next day too. Just freshen it up by adding more lettuce.
3 oz Pkg Orange “Jell-O”
1/3 c Sugar
1 c Boiling Water
11 oz Can Mandarin Oranges – drained
8 oz Can Crushed Pineapple w/juice
1 c Sour Cream
Mix Jell-O and sugar together, add boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Add sour cream until somewhat dissolved in the Jell-O mixture. Then add the drained oranges and crushed pineapple w/juice. Prepare a small rectangle Pyrex dish with a vegetable spray such as “Pam” – then pour Jell-O mixture in the dish and refrigerate until set. This is a refreshing salad dessert.
3 tablespoons – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon – Balsamic
1 teaspoon – Fresh Lemon Juice
½ teaspoon - Salt
½ teaspoon – Fresh Ground Pepper
Wisk ingredients together in a bowl, and then serve over salad.
1 lb. – Mushrooms
½ cup – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup – Red Wine Vinegar
1 – Garlic Clove – Crushed
½ teaspoon – Dried Oregano Leaves
½ teaspoon – Dried Thyme Leaves
¼ teaspoon – Fresh Ground Pepper
¼ teaspoon – Paprika
½ teaspoon – Salt
1 – Small Onion Thinly Sliced
Wipe Mushrooms (using paper towels). Steam or cook mushrooms 1 to 2 minutes in boiling water. Drain & cover with cold water – drain again. In a large bowl combine above ingredients, then stir in the onions and mushrooms. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours. Enjoy!
2 lbs – Sweet or Spicy Italian Sausage, Sliced
2 lbs – Chicken Breasts, Boneless/Skinless, Sliced
2 cups – Red Potatoes, Diced
1 cup – Onion, Sliced
¼ cup – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cup – Green Bell Pepper, Sliced
1 teaspoon – Oregano
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Rinse a large skillet. While the pan is still wet, put over medium heat and add the sausage. (The moisture left in the pan will bring out the sausage’s natural oils). Turn down the heat to low and sauté until the sausage is browned. Remove the sausage and set aside in a bowl. Sauté the chicken pieces in the oils from the sausage in the skillet, turn heat to low, cover and continue to sauté the chicken pieces until tender. Transfer the chicken to the bowl of sautéed sausage. (NOTE: keep in a warm oven until ready to return to skillet). In the same skillet, heat up the olive oil and add the potatoes, peppers and onions. Brown the vegetables over low heat. Add the oregano, and when the vegetables become tender, season them with salt and pepper. Add the sausage and chicken to the skillet sauté until all the flavors are mixed together and the sausage, chicken and vegetables are heated through completely. For additional spiciness, stir in ½ t of hot red pepper flakes. This dish is delicious heated up and made into a sandwich the following day! Enjoy!
Since I’m a great advocate and lover of salads for our health and body, I have many more that I’ve put together over the years, like most of you I’m sure. I do have one of my Daddy’s favorites with mandarin oranges and a real killer pasta type that I could have every day myself that I would more than happy to share, just email me at contact@belloolio.com and request and I’ll send it on to ya!
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