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
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!
Research shows olive oil can reduce harmful blood clots
Researchers at Tornoto’s Keenan Research Center
found that olive oil can help reduce the formation of harmful blood
clots in mice. It does this by promoting Apolipoprotein A-IV which is an
important component of HDL, the good cholesterol. This component
prevents blood platelets from sticking together unnecessarily. This
particular protein is low in people with a risk of cardiovascular
disease and high in those with less risk.
Some
clotting to prevent bleeding but not so much as to create a blood clot. Good levels of
Apolipoprotein help reach this ideal level and olive oil supports its formation.
From Albert Brevia: To give the mashed potatoes that incredible creamy texture, I used Greek
yogurt instead of milk. Not only does it make this dish healthier, but
it also adds an incredible tangy flavor that works wonders with the
garlic.
TIPS & TRICKS to make this recipe:
Boil the potatoes until they are just cooked through, do not over cook
them. When mashing the potatoes, do not over mash, otherwise you will
get gluey mashed potatoes. Make sure to add in the Greek yogurt at room
temperature so it doesn´t curdle. As you mix, taste and season to get
perfectly flavored mashed potatoes. If your making this dish ahead of
time, make sure to reserve some of the water the potatoes where cooked
in. Add some of the water as your reheating the mashed potatoes to give
them back that creamy texture.
1/2
cup
Greek yogurt at room temperature
145 grams
pinch
sea salt
dash
black pepper
Instructions
Peel 4 medium
sized potatoes, then cut each one into 8 evenly sized pieces, I like to
cut them in half and then cut each half into quarters, add the cut
potatoes into a colander and rinse under cold water, then add them into a
stock pot, making sure they´re all in a flat layer, fill with cold
water to about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) above the potatoes, season generously
with sea salt and heat with a high heat
Meanwhile, heat a small fry pan with a medium heat and add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
While the oil is heating, separate the cloves from a head of garlic and remove the skins from the cloves
Add the peeled
cloves of garlic into the hot olive oil, mix continuously so the cloves
of garlic evenly sautée, after 3 minutes and the cloves of garlic are
lightly browned, do not over cook, remove the pan from the heat, add the
cloves of garlic into a mortar and reserve the olive oil, add in 2 tbsp
finely chopped chives into the motar and a pinch of sea salt, using a
pestle pound down on the ingredients until you form a paste, set aside
About 23 to 25
minutes after turning on the heat on the potatoes, they should be
perfectly cooked, just pierce them with a toothpick, if it easily goes
in, they are ready, do not over cook, drain the potatoes into a colander
and let them rest for a couple minutes, then add them into a large
bowl, add the reserved garlic mixture and using a potato masher, gently
mash the potatoes until you end up with a smooth texture with no lumps,
do not over mash the potatoes, otherwise they will get gluey
Then add in 1/2
cup Greek yogurt at room temperature, season everything with sea salt
and a generous portion of freshly cracked black pepper, using a large
spoon mix everything together until well combined, remember to be gentle
and do not over mix, taste as you mix to ensure seasonings are correct
Transfer the
mashed potatoes into a large shallow bowl, using a spoon pour the
reserved garlic infused olive oil over the mashed potatoes, sprinkle
with finely chopped chives, enjoy!
TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe:
It takes about 40 minutes for the potatoes to be perfectly cooked in the
oven. In order to get the eggs done at the same time as the potatoes.
Start cutting your veggies and then cooking the scramble at the half way
point of cooking the potatoes. Which was about 20 minutes in my case.
You can also roast your potatoes ahead of time and just re-heat when
cooking the eggs.
Cut 3 potatoes
into small 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) pieces, add them into a bowl, drizzle in 1
tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt &
black pepper, toss together, then add into a baking tray lined with
parchment paper, making sure they´re all in a single layer, add into a
preheated oven, bake + broil option (bottom + top heat) 210 C – 410 F
Meanwhile, finely
dice 1/2 onion, roughly chop 4 cloves garlic and finely chop 1/2 green
& 1/2 red bell pepper, then crack in 6 eggs into a bowl, season with
sea salt & black pepper and whisk together
Heat a large nonstick fry pan with a medium heat and add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
After 2 minutes
add in the diced onion, chopped bell peppers and chopped garlic, mix
with the olive oil, after 6 minutes and the vegetables are lightly
sauteed, season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together, then add
in the whisked eggs, cook for about 3 minutes mixing occasionally, once
the eggs are cooked through remove from the heat
After 40 minutes
the potatoes should be perfectly cooked, remove from the oven, transfer
into a serving dish, add the egg mixture over the potatoes, finely shred
in 1/4 cup manchego cheese, sprinkle with sweet smoked paprika and top
off with finely chopped chives, enjoy!
The
Fatty Liver Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by one of
our long-term customers, Wayne Eskridge. It can be found at https://www.fattyliverfoundation.org.
From the website, its mission is: “To improve the diagnosis, treatment,
& support of Americans with fatty liver, NAFLD or NASH through
awareness, education, screening and patient advocacy.”
One of the many beneficial pages from the site is the Noninvasive Tests page.
Here we learn about the FibroScan. This is essentially a specialized
ultra sound that can measure liver stiffness and liver fat. This test
has been available in Europe since 2003 and was approved by the FDA in
2013. Many doctors and hospitals can offer the FibroScan test for
patients who are concerned about liver disease. Early detection and
natural preventative lifestyle changes are the most effective deterrents
of liver disease.
TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe:
As stated before, I used Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream to give
this pasta that beautiful creamy texture. The secret? Make sure to add
in the yogurt at room temperature. Otherwise, it will easily curdle.
Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Meanwhile, pat dry 14 raw jumbo shrimp (peeled & deveined) with paper towels and season with sea salt & black pepper
After heating the
olive oil for 3 minutes, add in the shrimp, all in a single layer, cook
for 1 minute per side, then remove from the pan and set aside covered
with foil paper
Using the same
pan with the same heat, add in 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced and 2
shallots thinly sliced, mix with the olive oil, after 3 minutes add in 2
1/2 cups vegetable broth, season with sea salt & black pepper and
turn up the heat to a high heat
Once the broth
comes to a boil, add in 8 oz uncooked linguine, mix every 2 to 3 minutes
to ensure the pasta does not stick together and it all evenly cooks,
after 6 minutes and most of the broth has been absorbed by the pasta,
but there is still some broth left, place a lid on the pan and lower the
heat to a low-medium heat, after 3 minutes turn off the heat and remove
the lid, add the shrimp back into the pan to heat through and let it
rest for a couple of minutes
After 3 minutes,
add in 1/2 cup greek yogurt at room temperature, 2 tbsp finely chopped
parsley and black pepper, mix together until well combined, then
sprinkle with hot smoked paprika and serve at once, enjoy!
It’s no wonder that Gianni (miller and
owner of Apollo Olive Oil) has an inherent appreciation for olive trees and their
produce – oil of course, as well as dried and cured olives. His family roots are in Tuscany, which is second
only to Puglia in Italian olive production.
The difference is mainly that olive groves in Puglia were first planted
by the Romans, and ‘only’ reached Tuscany in the 15th and 16th
centuries. According to some estimates the Puglia region has 50 – 60 million
ancient olive trees scattered throughout the region that were originally
planted by the Romans before the common era. Some think these groves represent
“the oldest extant arboreal agrarian landscape in the world.” It is no wonder
that creating some of the world’s highest quality olive oil comes so naturally
to Gianni. Here is a link to
a wonderful short article with a beautiful video honoring these trees.
TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe:
What makes this creamy pasta dish healthier than other creamy pastas, is
that I used Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream. The secret? Make sure
to add in the yogurt at room temperature. Otherwise, it will easily
curdle.
I used penne pasta, but you can use other pasta noodles. However, if
they are thinner, you might need to add in less liquid and cut the
cooking time. The penne pasta I used took 12-13 minutes to cook al
dente, as stated on the package instructions of the pasta. So all the
timings in the recipe below are made for penne pasta.
Heat a large fry
pan with a medium heat and add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, after 2
minutes add in 3 cups broccoli florets, mix with the olive oil and then
place all the florets in a single layer, cook for 2 minutes per side
without mixing, then remove the broccoli from the pan, set aside and
season with sea salt & black pepper
Using the same
pan with the same heat, add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive olive, along
with 1/2 onion finely diced, 1 red bell pepper roughly chopped and 5
cloves garlic roughly chopped , mix with the olive oil, after 4 minutes
and the vegetables are lightly sauteed, season with sea salt & black
pepper, mix together, then add in 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth and turn
up the heat to a high heat
Once the broth comes to a boil, add in 2 cups penne paste and mix together, mix the the pasta every 2 to 3 minutes
After 9 minutes
and most of the broth has been absorbed by the pasta, but there is still
some broth left, add the broccoli back into the pan, place a lid on the
pan and lower the heat to a low-medium heat
After 3 to 4
minutes, turn off the heat and remove the lid, let the pasta cool off
for a couple minutes, then add in 1/2 cup Greek yogurt at room
temperature into the pasta, season with black pepper and mix together
until well mixed
Finely grate some Manchego cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, enjoy!
Extra virgin olive oil contains oleocanthal as one of its main
polyphenols – the one that can cause a burning sensation in the back of the
throat. Researchers from the University of Monroe-Louisiana conducted a study that
found oleocanthal had a modulating effect on an important part of the immune
system, called C3AR1. Unfortunately, if C3AR1 becomes overactive, it causes
inflammation in the brain that can lead to Alzheimer’s. Oleocanthal helps
reduce this over activity and maintain the normal activity of C3AR1. This is just
another reason to consume real extra virgin olive oil.
