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Baking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

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Baking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Replacing butter with extra virgin olive oil in your baking can bring a new depth and complexity to your favorite recipes. In general you use 25% less olive oil than butter with the substitution. The reason is that butter contains 25% milk solids and so to get the same fat content in your recipe you use 25% less olive oil. In most cases you would want to use a delicate olive oil for baking like our Mistral. Olive oil in baking increases moistness and adds a surprise savoriness that softens and complements the sweetness of desserts.

20 Minute Cherry Tomato & Garlic Pasta

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From Albert Bevia:
This is the perfect pasta dish for a busy weeknight dinner, when you don´t have a lot of time, yet it´s bold enough for a relaxed weekend lunch, next to a bottle of Spanish wine. Either way, this is what simple and delicious home cooking is all about.

TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: What gives this pasta dish that incredible depth of flavors is the white wine. If wine is not your thing, you can use broth with a hint of lemon juice. I also used an entire head of garlic. If that is too much garlic for you, you can just use a couple of cloves.

20 Minute Cherry Tomato & Garlic Pasta

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUmDmal-m1A

Ingredients

  • 8 oz spaghetti 225 grams
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 head garlic
  • 20 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tsp dried oregano 1 gram
  • 1/2 cup white wine 120 ml
  • 10 basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup grated Manchego cheese 30 grams
  • pinch sea salt
  • dash black pepper

Instructions

  1. Fill a stock pot half ways with cold water, season generously with sea salt and heat with a high heat
  2. Meanwhile, remove the skins from the cloves of garlic and roughly chop the garlic, wash the cherry tomatoes and cut each one in half lengthwise and roughly chop 10 fresh basil leaves
  3. Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  4. After a couple minutes add in the chopped garlic, mix continuously, after 1 minute and the garlic is fragrant, add in the cherry tomatoes, continue to mix together, after 3 minutes and the cherry tomatoes are lightly sauteed, add in 1 tsp dried oregano and season with sea salt & black pepper, gently mix together, then add in 1/2 cup white wine and the chopped basil, simmer on a medium heat
  5. Once the water comes to a boil in the stock pot, add in the spaghetti, cook until al dente (check package instructions)
  6. Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain it into a colander, turn off the heat in the pan with the cherry tomatoes, add the pasta into the pan and gently mix together until well mixed
  7. Transfer into shallow bowls, sprinkle with grated Manchego cheese and some fresh basil leaves, serve at once, enjoy!

EVOO Linked with Lower Risk of Premature Death

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EVOO Linked with Lower Risk of Premature Death

A recent study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found a higher consumption of olive oil may lower risk of premature death . From the article:

    “The researchers used health data collected between 1990 and 2018 for 60,582 women     participating in the Nurses’ Health Study and 31,801 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up     Study. All participants were free of cardiovascular disease or cancer at the beginning of the study     and completed dietary questionnaires every four years. During the study period, 36,856 people     died.

    Participants were asked how often they used olive oil in salad dressings, added to food or bread,     or in baking or frying. According to the findings, people in the highest category of olive oil     consumption (more than seven grams per day) had 19% lower risk of total and cardiovascular     disease mortality, 17% lower risk of cancer mortality, 29% lower risk of neurodegenerative     mortality, and 18% lower risk of respiratory mortality, compared with those who never or rarely     consumed olive oil.”

Apollo Olive Oil is one of the few olive oils available that is certified to be 100% real extra virgin olive oil. 

Spinach Salad with Spiced Chickpeas

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From Albert Bevia:
The beauty of this salad is that you can serve it at room temperature, or even add it into the fridge and served chilled. Either way, with one taste it promises to be one of the best-tasting salads ever.

TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: I pan roasted the canned chickpeas for about 4 minutes. This brings out an incredible nutty flavor in the chickpeas and gives them a great texture. It also allows the spices to get aromatic, which is what gives this salad that beautiful depth of flavors.

Spinach Salad with Spiced Chickpeas

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dQsErPMZM0&feature=emb_imp_woyt

Ingredients

FOR THE SALAD

  • 2 1/2 cups canned chickpeas 400 grams (drained)
  • 2 cups fresh spinach 100 grams
  • 2 shallots
  • 10 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 2.30 grams
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1.25 grams
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 15 ml
  • pinch sea salt
  • dash black pepper

FOR THE SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 30 ml
  • 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar 8 ml
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley 4 grams
  • pinch sea salt
  • dash black pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat a large nonstick fry pan with a medium heat
  2. Drain the canned chickpeas into a sieve, rinse under cold water and shake off any excess water, then add into the hot pan, make sure they´re all in a single layer, just as best as you can, mix every minute or so, after 4 minutes add in 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika, 1/2 tsp ground cumin and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool off
  3. Meanwhile, make the sherry vinaigrette, add in 2 tbsp extra virgin oive oil into a small bowl, along with 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar, finely grate in 1 clove garlic, add 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley and season with a kiss of sea salt & black pepper, whisk together and set aside
  4. Grab 2 cups fresh spinach (wash & pat dry if not using bagged), roughly chop the spinach and add into a large bowl
  5. Thinly slice 2 shallots and cut 10 cherry tomatoes in half, add both into the bowl with the spinach, lightly season everything with sea salt & black pepper, then add in the cooled off spiced chickpeas and mix everything together until well mixed
  6. Transfer the salad into a large serving dish and drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, serve at room temperature or add into the fridge and serve chilled, enjoy!

EVOO Imparts Healthy Compounds to Breast Milk

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EVOO Imparts Healthy Compounds to Breast Milk

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.

Spectacular Seafood Paella with Minimal Effort

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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.

Spectacular Seafood Paella with Minimal Effort

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://youtu.be/6q_Vs6A2Gmw

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 60 ml
  • 8 scallops
  • 1 small onion
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 2.30 grams
  • 3 cups fish broth 710 ml
  • 1/4 tsp saffron threads .17 grams
  • 1 cup round rice 200 grams
  • 15 raw jumbo shrimp peeled & deveined
  • 1/3 cup frozen peas 45
  • 2 jarred roasted red bell peppers
  • pinch sea salt
  • dash black pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat a paella pan with a medium heat and add in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  2. Meanwhile, add the scallops over some paper towels, pat them dry and season with sea salt & black pepper
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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

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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. 

Creamy Spanish Butter Beans | Alubias Garrafón Recipe

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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.

Creamy Spanish Butter Beans | Alubias Garrafón Recipe

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=949cFuHwIpI&t=12s

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 30 grams
  • 1 cup dried butter beans 180 grams
  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme .50 grams
  • 1 bay leaf
  • handful finely chopped parsley
  • pinch sea salt
  • dash black pepper

Instructions

  1. 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
  2. Drain the beans back into the sieve, rinse under cold water and set aside
  3. Finely chop 1 onion, 1 carrot (peeled), 1 green bell pepper and roughly chop 4 cloves garlic
  4. Heat a stock pot with a medium heat and add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. Transfer into shallow bowls and sprinkle with finely chopped fresh parsley, enjoy!

One-Pan Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

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From Albert Bevia:

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.

To see Albert making this recipe go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6jQQtJrlIo&t=392s

One-Pan Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 45 ml
  • 16 raw jumbo shrimp peeled & deveined
  • 2 shallots
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp dried thyme .90 grams
  • 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth 830 ml
  • 2 1/4 cups penne pasta 8 oz / 225 grams
  • 1 lemon
  • handful finely chopped fresh parsley
  • pinch sea salt
  • dash black pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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!

Med Diet Linked With Better Sleep

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Med Diet Linked With Better Sleep

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.”