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
Researchers have embarked on a fascinating investigation into the impact
of space travel on extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Weight loss has been a
persistent challenge faced by astronauts during their space exploration
endeavors. One contributing factor to this issue is the unappetizing
nature of the food provided, resulting in reduced consumption. However, a
recent breakthrough study has shed light on the potential solution of
incorporating EVOO into their diet, significantly enhancing the taste of
the food and subsequently improving their eating habits. Although
astronauts have previously utilized EVOO, this rigorous study marks the
first comprehensive analysis of its feasibility in space. Remarkably,
three samples were recently dispatched to space, and upon the return of
one sample, it was observed that its structure remained largely
unchanged. This exciting development suggests that the application of
EVOO holds tremendous promise in bolstering the astronauts’ diet. It
begs the question: is there anything it cannot accomplish?
This recipe hails from the beautiful region of La Rioja. Which is
famously known for their elegant wines and stunning architecture. This
dish is tipically served as a second course for la comida (lunch) or
even for dinner. Either way, serve it next to a crunchy baguette and a
bottle of Spanish Rioja for the ultimate meal. For this recipe I used a cod fillets I bought frozen and thawed out. But
you can also use fresh cod if you like, as well as any other type of
firm white fish. For the tomato sauce I finely grated fresh tomatoes,
but you can substitute for 1 can (14.5 oz/410 G) of tomato sauce or
passata.
TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe:
When you first fry the cod, you don´t want to fully cook it through.
Just give it a light golden crust on both sides. As you will finish
cooking the cod later on in the recipe. This dish will hold for up to 4
days in the fridge in an air-tight container.
Thinly slice the
onion, thinly slice the cloves of garlic, cut the roasted red bell
peppers into thin strips, finely grate the tomatoes and pat dry the cod
fillets with paper towels, then season them with sea salt & black
pepper and coat them all around in the flour
Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the olive oil
Once the oil is
hot but not smoking, add in the cod fillets, cook for 2 minutes per side
or until lightly golden, then remove from the pan and set aside
Using the same
pan with the same heat add in the sliced onion and garlic, mix with the
olive oil, after 4 to 5 minutes add in the paprika, quickly mix
together, then add in the white wine and simmer for 3 minutes, then add
in the grated tomato, roasted red bell peppers and season with sea salt
& black pepper, mix together, then add in the bay leaves and simmer
After 10 minutes
and the grated tomato has slightly thickened, add the cod fillets back
into the pan, give them a gently flip so they are coated in the sauce,
place a lid on the pan and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cod
fillets are cooked through
Transfer into serving dishes and garnish with fresh parsley, enjoy!
The Sierra and Mistral both won a gold medal at the The New York International Olive Oil Competition in April 2023. You can view all the results at www.bestoliveoils.com. Our recent improving of our decanter technology is paying dividends in our pursuit of producing superior oils.
To make the tuna meatballs I used canned tuna in olive oil. But you can
always use canned tuna in water. Either way, make sure to drain any
excess liquid from the tuna. This will help in shaping the meatballs so
they hold their shape and not fall apart.
TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe:
You can make the tuna meatballs ahead of time and add into the fridge.
They will hold for up to 5 days. When making tuna meatballs, if you see
your mixture is too wet to shape the meatballs, just add in more
breadcrumbs.
Drain the cans of
tuna into a fine sieve with a bowl underneath, flake the tuna, then add
into a large bowl, crack in the eggs, add in the breadcrumbs, finely
grate the clove of garlic and add in 2 tbsp chopped onion, then season
with sea salt & black pepper and mix together until well mixed, once
well mixed, push down on the mixture to make a paste-like texture, if
your mixture is too wet, add in more breadcrumbs, then shape into
meatballs, each one a little smaller than a golf ball
TO MAKE THE PASTA
Fill a stock pot a little over half ways with cold water, season generously with sea salt and heat with a high heat
At the same time, heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the extra virgin olive oil
Once the oil is
hot, add in the tuna meatballs, cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly
golden fried all around, then remove from the fry pan and set aside
Using the same
pan with the same heat, add in 1 small onion finely chopped and 4 cloves
garlic roughly chopped, mix together, after 3 to 4 minutes and the
onion is translucent, add in the paprika and thyme, quickly mix
together, then add in the canned tomato sauce, canned diced tomatoes,
chopped parsley and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix
together until well mixed, then add in the tuna meatballs, gently mix
together so each meatball is coated in the sauce, then lower to a
low-medium heat and simmer
Once the water
comes to a boil in the stock pot, add in the spaghetti, cook until al
dente (check package instructions), then transfer the spaghetti directly
from the stock pot into the pan with the sauce, shaking off any excess
water
Turn off the heat in the sauce and gently mix together until well mixed
Transfer into shallow bowls and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, enjoy!
The Sierra and Mistral both won a gold medal at the The Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition in March 2023. The Mistral went above and beyond by also winning Best of Class and Best of Show! You can view all the results at https://fairplex.com/competitions/olive-oil-competition/.
TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe:
What really flavors this dish is the saffron and fish broth. Make sure to use a high-quality fish broth,
as it really takes this soup to the next-level. The one I used is from
Spain, and is as good as it gets from store-bought fish broth.
For the rice, I used Spanish round rice.
But you can use any type of rice you like. Either way, you want to add
in the seafood into the stock pot about 3 minutes before the rice is
fully cooked. In my case I add the seafood after cooking the rice for 15
minutes, as it takes 18 minutes to cook. So make sure to check the
package instructions in the rice you are using.
Spanish Fish and Rice Soup | Sopa de Pescado y Arroz
Ingredients
3
tbsp
extra virgin olive oil
45 ml
1
onion
4
cloves
garlic
1
red bell pepper
1
carrot
2
slices
baguette
1 inch / 2.50 cm thick each
5
cups
fish broth
1200 ml
1/2
cup
Spanish round rice
100 grams
2
sprigs
fresh thyme
1/4
tsp
saffron threads
.17 grams
1
lbs
cod fillets
.50 kg
15
raw jumbo shrimp
peeled & deveined
handful
fresh parsley
pinch
sea salt
dash
black pepper
Instructions
Roughly dice the onion, cut the red bell pepper into bite-sized pieces and thinly slice the carrot (peeled)
Heat a stock pot with a medium heat and add in the olive oil
After a couple
minutes add in the slices of baguette and the cloves of garlic (peeled),
fry the ingredients between 2 to 3 minutes or until golden fried all
around, then remove from the stock pot and set aside
Using the same
pan with the same heat, add in the chopped vegetables, mix with the
olive oil, after 4 to 5 minutes and they´re lightly sauteed, season with
sea salt & black pepper, mix together, then add in the broth and
sprigs of thyme, raise to a high heat, once it comes to a boil, add in
the rice, mix together, then place a lid on the pan and lower to a
low-medium heat
Meanwhile, add
the fried bread and garlic into a food processor, along with the
saffron, 2 tbsp fresh parsley (8 grams) and a pinch of sea salt, pulse
until you get a paste-like texture, set aside
Pat the cod
fillets and shrimp dry with paper towels, season both with sea salt
& black pepper, then cut the cod fillets into bite-sized pieces and
each shrimp in half
After simmering
the rice for 15 minutes, remove the lid, add in the bread & garlic
mixture, mix together, then add in the pieces of cod, place the lid over
the pan, after 2 minutes add in the shrimp and cover, simmer for 2 to 3
more minutes or until all the seafood is cooked through
Transfer into shallow bowls and sprinkle with finely chopped fresh parsley, serve at once, enjoy!
TIPS & TRICKS to make this recipe: Once you add the broth into the paella, give it one final mix so
everything is evenly distributed. After this, you don´t want to mix the
rice again. Otherwise, it distrups the way it cooks. Make sure to follow
the directions below to achieve the socarrat. Which is the famous layer
of caramelized burnt rice underneath. Without socarrat, it is not a
paella.
Spanish Paella from Restaurante La Murciana in Valencia Spain
Add in 2 3/4 cups vegetable broth into a sauce pan, pinch in 1/4 tsp saffron threads and heat with a medium-high heat
Heat a paella pan
with a medium-high heat and add in a generous 1/4 cup extra virgin
olive oil, after 1 minute add in a handful of thinly sliced red cabbage
and mix with the olive oil, after 2 minutes and the cabbage is lightly
sauteed, remove from the pan and set aside
Using the same
pan with the same heat, add in 1/2 red bell pepper roughly chopped, 8
green beans cut into 1-inch (2.50 cm) pieces, 1/4 zucchini roughly
chopped and 1 artichoke that has been cleaned & cut into quarters,
mix the vegetables with the olive oil, after 4 minutes and the
vegetables are lightly sauteed, add in 4 cloves garlic finely minced,
mix for another 30 seconds, then add in a generous 1/2 tsp sweet smoked
paprika and quickly mix, then add in 1/2 cup finely grated tomato and
simmer for 1 minute, then add in 1 cup round rice, 1/2 cup cooked lima
beans and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix until well mixed,
then slowly pour in the hot saffron infused vegetable broth, give it
one final mix so everything is evenly distributed, do not mix again
after this step
After simmering
between 8 to 9 minutes and most of the broth has been absorbed by the
rice, but there is still some broth left, lower the fire to a low-medium
heat, simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes or until the broth has been
fully absorbed, then hit it back to a medium-high heat and go between 90
seconds to 2 minutes to achieve the socarrat, then remove the pan from
the heat, add the reserved sauteed red cabbage over the paella and cover
the pan with a dishcloth
After 5 minutes remove the dishcloth from the pan, serve at once, enjoy!
US News and World Report evaluated 24 different diets and the Mediterranean Diet came
in first, hands down for the sixth straight year. It won in several
categories including the best family-friendly diet. One main reason is
that it’s fairly diverse. The foundation is whole foods composed of
fresh fruits and vegetables. It allows carbs, which are part of many
traditional diets and provide that feeling of ‘comfort’ that makes
eating enjoyable. More importantly, this also makes it more possible to
follow consistently, which results in better success. Scientific
research over decades has linked it with reduced ailments, such as heart
disease, obesity, inflammation, and diabetes. Extra virgin olive oil is
the main healthy fat used in the diet that adds great flavor to all
foods.
TIPS & TRICKS to make this recipe: The rock star of this dish is the black olive tapenade. Folks, don´t buy
the premade stuff, it is so easy to make at home, it´s like literally
done within minutes. Plus when you make it at home you get to add fresh
ingredients and no preservatives. The only thing you do need is a food processor.
Watch the video below on How to Make Spanish Montaditos with Black
Olive Tapenade and Anchovies or check out the recipe card below, which
you can print. Salud!
Spanish Montaditos with Black Olive Tapenade and Anchovies
-1/4 cup Apollo Sierra Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-1 baguette
-1 tin Spanish anchovies
-1 tomato
-fresh parsley
Instructions
Add 1 cup of pitted
black Spanish olives to a sieve, shake off any excess liquid and add the
olives to a food processor, add 2 tablespoons of capers to the sieve,
shake off any excess liquid and add to the food processor, cut 2 cloves
of garlic in half and add to the food processor, season everything with
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon
of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, squeeze in 1 teaspoon of
fresh lemon juice and add a 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, pulse
everything for about 1 minute, then take off the lid and using a spatula
scrape down the sides and pulse for another minute, set aside
Cut a baguette into
slices that are 1-inch thick, add the slices of bread to a baking tray
and into a preheated oven bake+broil 210 C – 410 F for 2 minutes, then
flip each bread and toast for an additional 2 minutes and remove from
the oven, meanwhile cut a tomato in half and thinly slice it
To assemble each
montadito evenly spread the black olive tapenade onto 10 pieces of
bread, top each one off with a slice of tomato, lightly season the
tomato with freshly cracked black pepper, add 2 Spanish anchovies on top
of each tomato and garnish with fresh parsley, enjoy!
From Albert: This recipe dates back a couple hundred years and comes from ¨La Cocina
Pobre¨, the poor kitchen. As peasants would create rice dishes just like
this one, that where affordable, healthy and filled your body with so
much goodness.
TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe:
For this recipe I used long grain rice. But you can also use short
grain, basmati or even arborio rice. Just make sure to check the package
instruction so your rice to liquid ratios are correct. Watch Albert prepare this recipe:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeMJcuxlZ04
Spanish Poor Man´s Rice | Arroz a lo Pobre
Ingredients
2
tbsp
extra virgin olive oil
35 ml
1
small
onion
4
cloves
garlic
1
red bell pepper
1
green bell pepper
1
carrot
2
tomatoes
15.5
oz
can chickpeas
440 grams
1
tsp
sweet smoked Spanish paprika
2.30 grams
1/2
tsp
dried thyme
.5 grams
2
cups
vegetable broth
480 ml
1
cup
long grain rice
190 grams
1
sprig
fresh rosemary
2
hard boiled eggs
handful
fresh parsley
pinch
sea salt
dash
black pepper
Instructions
Add the broth into a sauce pan, along with the sprig of rosemary, heat with a medium heat
At the same time, heat a large fry pan with a medium heat
Meanwhile, finely
chop the onion, roughly chop the garlic, finely chop the red &
green bell peppers, finely chop the carrot (peeled) and finely grate the
tomatoes
Add in the olive
oil into the hot pan, along with all the chopped vegetables (except for
the grated tomatoes), mix the vegetables around so they´re coated in the
olive oil, saute for 4 to 5 minutes, then add in the paprika and thyme,
quickly mix together, then add in the grated tomato and simmer
Meanwhile, rinse the rice and drain the chickpeas and rinse as well
After 3 to 4
minutes and the grated tomato has slightly thickened, add in the rice,
chickpeas and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together
until well mixed
Remove the sprig
of rosemary from the hot broth and pour the broth into the fry pan, give
it one final mix, then place a lid over the pan and lower to a
low-medium heat
After about 15
minutes and there is no broth left, remove from the heat, using a fork
fluff the rice, then transfer into serving dishes, garnish with sliced
hard boiled eggs and fresh parsley, enjoy!
