California | Organic | Extra Virgin | Gourmet | Olive Oil | Healthy
"Wisdom demands a new orientation of science and
technology towards the organic, the gentle, the non-violent, the elegant and
beautiful." E.F.Schumacher, author of Small is
Beautiful
A recent study from
the Food Sciences at the University of Barcelona found that the
polyphenols from extra virgin olive oil can cross the placenta barrier
and enter the blood plasma of the fetus. They also found these
polyphenols in breast milk, which can have potential benefits for the
infant’s health. These
studies are preliminary, done on mice in a laboratory. However, they
point to the wide-ranging benefits of consuming extra virgin olive oil,
and will certainly be the subject of further research.
From Albert Bevia:
What really flavors this paella is the saffron, sweet smoked paprika
and the fish broth. Important to use these ingredients to make this
paella, as it´s what gives this dish that authentic Spanish touch.
TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe:
I used a paella pan, but you can
also use a standard frying pan. Though the cooking times will vary.
Because of the design of a Paella pan, the rice cooks much faster. So
expect to cook the rice for 1 to 2 minutes longer than stated below if
using a frying pan.
Heat a paella pan with a medium heat and add in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Meanwhile, add the scallops over some paper towels, pat them dry and season with sea salt & black pepper
Add the scallops
into the hot paella pan, all in a single layer, sear for 1 minute per
side, then remove the scallops and set aside
Add in 1 small
onion finely diced into the paella pan and mix continuously, after 2
minutes add in 6 cloves garlic roughly minced, mix for 30 seconds, then
add in 2 tomatoes finely grated, 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika and a
pinch of sea salt, mix together and simmer
After 3 minutes
and the grated tomato has thickened up, add in 3 cups fish broth, pinch
in 1/4 tsp saffron threads and turn up the heat to a high heat
Once the broth
comes to a boil, add in the 1 cup of round rice, give it one final mix
so everything is evenly distributed, after this step don´t mix the rice
again
After 8 to 9
minutes and most of the broth has been absorbed by the rice, but there
is still some broth left, lower to a low-medium heat, add in the
scallops back into the pan (cut in half), the shrimp (seasoned with salt
& pepper) and 1/3 cup frozen peas, making sure as you add the
ingredients you evenly spread them out, continue to simmer until all the
broth has been absorbed, about 5 minutes
Once all the
broth has been absorbed, hit it to a medium-high heat and go for 1 to 2
minutes, this is to achieve the soccarat, which is the layer of
caramelized burnt rice underneath, then remove the pan from the heat
Add in the jarred
roasted red bell peppers (cut into strips) over the rice, then cover
the pan with a dishcloth and let it sit for a couple of minutes, then
uncover and serve, enjoy!
Deep Frying with Olive Oil Imparts Healthy Compounds
We often get the question: “Can you cook with extra virgin olive oil?
Some sources on the internet say NO?” The smoking point of a true extra virgin olive oil is 410 degrees, so it works
very well for cooking. While some healthy compounds are lost during cooking,
olive oil is still a much healthier alternative for cooking than other oils.
A recent study in Food
Chemistry showed that healthy elements found in virgin olive oil are imparted
to food when deep frying. The compounds transferred were some of the
polyphenols and tocopherols (Vitamin E) found in higher quality olive oil. They
also acknowledged that some of the healthy compounds are destroyed during the
cooking process, but that the end result has much healthier phenols than when
deep frying with oils that lack these healthy substances, like refined
vegetable and seed oils. This test was conducted under typical household environments
and not industrial ones.
Virgin olive
oils are obtained from the fruit of the olive tree with no chemical alteration
or heat treatment, and differ from extra virgin olive oils due to their higher
free acidity levels. The Essential Guide to Extra Virgin Olive Oil provides a clear and complete understanding
of how an EVOO is made, and why it is the healthiest cooking oil of all. As you may know, Apollo Olive Oil is
certified EVOO, and our website provides the free fatty acid, polyphenol, and tocopherol
analyses of each of our oils.
From Albert Bevia:
To make this recipe I used dried butter beans. But you can take the
short-cut and use canned butter beans. However, for this recipe, I
prefer to use the dried ones. As it takes this simple recipe to the
next-level in goodness.
TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe:
After soaking the beans overnight, it took me about 1 1/2 hours to
perfectly boil the beans to a beautiful creamy texture. Make sure to
check the package instructions on the butter beans you are using, as it
may take more or less time to cook them through.
Add 1 cup butter
beans into a sieve, rinse under cold water, making sure to remove any
debris or broken beans, add the beans into a lage bowl and fill with 4
cups (1 liter) cold water, let them sit overnight or between 8 to 12
hours
Drain the beans back into the sieve, rinse under cold water and set aside
Finely chop 1 onion, 1 carrot (peeled), 1 green bell pepper and roughly chop 4 cloves garlic
Heat a stock pot with a medium heat and add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
After 2 minutes
add in the chopped vegetables, mix with the olive oil, after 3 minutes
and the onion is translucent, add in the butter beans and a generous 1/2
tsp dried thyme, mix together, then add in 5 cups (1200 ml) cold water
and 1 bay leaf, turn up the heat to a high heat and bring to a boil,
then place a lid on the pan and lower to a low-medium heat
Once the beans
are fully cooked through and have a creamy interior, about 1 1/2 hours
(check package instructions on your beans), season with sea salt &
black pepper, gently mix together, then remove from the heat
Transfer into shallow bowls and sprinkle with finely chopped fresh parsley, enjoy!
TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe:
Once again this is a one-pan pasta dish. Meaning the pasta gets cooked
in the same pan as the rest of the ingredients. It took me a total of 13
minutes to cook the pasta al dente (I used thick penne). If the pasta
you´re using cooks faster, just add in a bit less broth into the pan.
Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Meanwhile, thinly
slice 2 shallots, roughly chop 6 cloves of garlic and pat dry 16 raw
jumbo shrimp (peeled & deveined) with paper towels, then season with
sea salt & black pepper just on one side
After heating the
olive oil for a couple of minutes, add in the shrimp, all in a single
layer, cook for 60 seconds per side, then remove from the pan and set
aside covered with foil paper
Using the same
pan with the same heat, add in the sliced shallots and chopped garlic,
mix with the olive oil, after 2 minutes add in 1 tsp dried thyme and
season with sea salt and a generous portion of black pepper, mix
together, then add in 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth, turn up the heat to a
high heat
Once the broth
comes to a boil, add in 2 1/4 cups penne pasta, mix together and cook
for 8 to 9 minutes, then place a lid on the pan and lower to a
low-medium heat, simmer until the pasta is cooked al dente, about 2 to 4
minutes
Once the pasta is
cooked al dente, remove the lid and add the reserved shrimp into the
pan, place the lid again and turn off the heat, let it sit for 1 minute,
at this point there will still be some broth left in the pan, which
should have slightly thickened thanks to the starch in the pasta, this
will ensure the pasta dish does not go dry and gives a beautiful little
sauce at the bottom of the pan
After 1 minute
and the shrimp are heated through, remove the lid, finely grate in the
zest of 1/2 a lemon (making sure to avoid the white pith) and sprinkle
with a generous portion of finely chopped fresh parsley, serve at once,
enjoy!
A new study from
the United Arab Emirates (UAE) followed a group of 503 students from the
University of Sharjah for 5 months, and had them fill out standard
questionnaires about diet and sleep patterns. They found that 2/3 of those that
reported good sleep patterns also adhered to the Mediterranean diet. More
research needs to be done because there are many factors that affect sleep
patterns, but they did feel the Med Diet improved the chances of better sleep.
Poor sleep is partly
caused by increased inflammation brought on by cytokines. The Med Diet, including
its large intake of extra virgin olive oil, is largely anti-inflammatory – which
is why it is believed to improve sleep. The Med DIet is also rich in fruits and
vegetables containing melatonin, the hormone that is known to improve sleep
quality. In addition, they found that those with the sleep pattern of waking
early and going to bed early had better sleep quality. This happily agrees with
Benjamin Franklin’s aphorism, ‘Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy,
wealthy, and wise.”
TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe:
What makes this dish stand out, is the technique on how the mushrooms
are cooked. Once they´re sliced, you add them into a very hot pan with
some olive oil and mix them around every 1 minute. The secret is to not
mix the mushrooms continuously. This way the water content in the
mushrooms evaporates from the pan and they get a crusty sear.
One the pasta is cooked, using tongs, I add it directly from the stock
pot into the pan with the sauce. It´s a good idea to save the salty
water the pasta was cooked in. This way if your creamy sauce is too
thick, just add in a little pasta water to thin it out.
Fill a stock pot with cold water, a little over half ways, season with sea salt and heat with a high heat
At the same time, heat a large nonstick fry pan with a medium-high heat
Meanwhile, cut 12 button mushrooms (washed & patted dry) into 1/4 inch (.635 cm) thick slices
After heating the
fry pan for 4 to 5 minutes, add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and
the sliced mushrooms, mix them around so they´re all coated in the olive
oil, then place them in a single layer, just as best as you can, mix
them around every 1 minute, making sure to place them in a single layer
after mixing, after 5 minutes and the mushrooms have crusty sear on
them, lower the heat to a medium heat, remove the mushrooms from the pan
and set aside, season with sea salt & black pepper
Using the same
pan with the same heat (medium heat), add in 1 tbsp extra virgin olive
oil, 2 shallots thinly sliced and 6 cloves garlic roughly chopped, mix
continuously, after 1 minute add in 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, mix
continuously for 2 minutes, then add 1 1/2 cups milk (I used 2% fat
milk), once again, mix continuously and go for 5 to 6 minutes or until
the sauce has thickened up, then lower the heat to a low heat, season
with sea salt & black pepper, mix together, add the mushrooms back
into the pan, mix together and simmer on a low heat
Once the water
comes to a boil in the stock pot, add in the pasta, cook until just al
dente (7 minutes in my case), once the pasta is cooked al dente,
transfer it into the pan with the simmering sauce, make sure to use
tongs and shake off any of the excess water as you add it into the
sauce, turn off the heat, mix together until well mixed
Transfer into
shallow bowls, sprinkle each one with 2 tbsp of finely grated Manchego
cheese and finely chopped fresh parsley, serve at once, enjoy!
From Albert Brevia: The reason why I consider this the greatest pasta dish from Italy is the
sicilian pesto. Known as Pesto Alla Trapanese. It´s made with just
almonds, garlic, tomatoes, basil, and olive oil, but it truly has the
most incredible textures & flavors.
For the pesto, I used tomatoes off the vine. But you can also use plum
tomatoes or even cherry tomatoes. For the pasta I used rigatoni, but you
can use any pasta you like. Though I do recommend using thicker cut
pastas, such as penne or fusilli, as the sauce clings on better.
I added some Spanish Manchego cheese that was aged for 6 months into the
pesto. But you can also add in Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
for more of an Italian touch.
Rigatoni with Sicilian Pesto (Pesto Alla Trapanese)
1
lbs
fresh tomatoes, such as off the vine, plum or cherry tomatoes
1/2 kilogram
1
cup
fresh basil leaves
20 grams
1/4
cup
extra virgin olive oil
60 ml
1/2
cup
grated Manchego cheese
45 grams
pinch
sea salt
dash
black pepper
Instructions
Fill a stock pot half ways with cold water, season generously with sea salt & heat with a high heat
Meanwhile, heat a
small fry pan with a medium heat and add in 1/2 cup raw blanched
almonds, mix continuously, after 4 minutes and the almonds are lightly
toasted, remove them from the heat and transfer into a bowl so they can
slightly cool off
After a couple
minutes add the almonds into a food processor, along with 3 cloves of
garlic, run on a low speed for 15 to 20 seconds or until the almonds and
garlic are finely chopped, then add in 1 lbs tomatoes (cut into
quarters), 1 cup basil leaves and season generously with sea salt &
black pepper, run the food processor on a low speed until everything is
well blended, then slowly add in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil while
still running the processor, then run for another 1 to 2 minutes, then
add in 1/2 cup grated cheese and run for another 30 seconds, set aside
Once the water
comes to a boil on the stock pot, add in 2 cups rigatoni, cook until al
dente, reserve a little of the pasta water if you want to thin out your
pesto sauce, then drain the pasta into a colander, add the pasta back
into the stock pot (heat turned off), pour the pesto sauce over the
rigatoni and mix together
Transfer into shallow bowls and garnish with basil leaves, serve at once, enjoy!
To learn more about these oils and to purchase visit
www.apollooliveoil.com.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Can Help Reduce Osteoporosis
The PREDIMED trial
in Spain found consumption of extra virgin olive oil reduces the
occurrence of osteoprosis by 51%. This is largely due to the polyphenol
oleuropein. Osteoporosis is largely a disease caused by inflammation.
Oleuropein
works in three ways to reduce osteoporosis. 1) It works to inhibit
enzymes that trigger inflammatory molecules (cytokines). 2) It works to
reduce oxidative stress. 3) It stimulates bone forming osteoblasts
rather than those that break down bone (osteoclasts). In this study only
extra virgin olive oils with high polyphenol counts were found to
protect against osteoporotic fractures.
From Albert Brevia: This is the perfect dish for a busy weeknight dinner. Yet it´s bold
enough for an elegant weekend lunch next to a bottle of Spanish wine.
Either way you dice it, this promises to be one of the best tasting pasta dishes ever.
To
cook the pasta, I used vegetable broth,
but you can always use water. I just prefer to use broth, as it adds
more depth of flavors to the overall dish. I also added a dash of sweet
smoked Spanish paprika, to give it a smoky touch that is not
over-powering.
Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
After 2 minutes,
add in 2 shallots thinly sliced and 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped, mix
with the olive oil, after 2 minutes and the shallots & garlic are
lightly sauteed, add in 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika and quickly mix
together, then add in a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes and season with
sea salt & black pepper, mix together and raise to a high heat
After simmering
the tomatoes for about 3 minutes, add in 2 cups vegetable broth, mix
together and bring to a boil, then add in 2 cups uncooked penne pasta,
mix together and cook for about 9 minutes, then place a lid on the pan
and lower to a low-medium heat, after 3 to 4 minutes and the majority of
the broth has been absorbed by the pasta, turn off the heat and remove
the lid
Meanwhile, drain 2 cans of tuna in olive oil into a sieve with a bowl underneath, mix the tuna around to remove any excess oil
After leaving the
pasta to slightly cool off, add in the drained tuna, 1/2 cup Greek
yogurt at room temperature, 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley and season
with black pepper, mix together until well mixed
Top off with finely chopped parsley and serve at once, enjoy!
