Extra Virgin Olive Oil

[Belledan1]

I bought some to help with blocked ear before I could get to drs. Got tons left. Any recipes would be appreciated. Know can make a salad dressing or drizzle over roasted veg. Was reading it's good for weight loss too and general health. Sounds a bit mad but I never really bought it before. Thanks.

Total waste to use it for actual cooking, extra virgin is not needed for that.

Like you said, it's best for salad dressings (vinaigrette!!!), finishing pasta dishes, tomato/ mozarella/ basil salad, just general drizzling on delicious stuff!

A friend in Greece with his own olive grove makes his own. They all drink a shot of it every morning and seem to live to at least 90/ 100. I couldn't stomach that though!

In Spain I've seen people eat bread with olive oil and tomatoes for breakfast. The olive oil is used to dip.

@Curiousmouse

In Spain I've seen people eat bread with olive oil and tomatoes for breakfast. The olive oil is used to dip.

One of my most favourite breakfasts, must scrape the toast with raw garlic then a grind or two of salt before drizzle with olive oil and adding the sweet, fresh, sieved tomatoes. Yumlicious.!

I use it when I make hummus. 3tbs tahini, 2 each of lemon juice and EV olive oil, drained tin of chickpeas, blitz in food processor adding more lemon juice and/or olive oil to get the desired consistency. Salt to taste. (There should be garlic in it too but I hate the taste of it on my breath afterwards).

Ahh thank you all. All sound lovely. I did read about drinking small amount straight each day is good for you.

Be warned if you try drinking a bit straight - good EV can give a bit of a burning sensation on the back of the throat.

Just bear in mind it doesn’t keep all that well once opened - I know most people say not to use it for cooking but I don’t know why… I’m half Italian and all my relatives use it for cooking (except deep frying). I’d rather use it for cooking than keep it in the cupboard for 6 months! But if you don’t want to do that, drizzle it on pasta, pizza, salad, fresh mozzarella/a caprese salad, antipasto type dishes, on hummus, have it with bread. I do love the Spanish pan tomate breakfast dish.

Use it for roasting chicken, making frittatas, as you said, it’s yummy for roasting veg. Salads, drizzled over feta with herbs and bit of chilli, marinading chicken shawarma, on pasta with Parmesan.

I also use it to make liasions for soups and stews: heat it till it is lightly smoking, add flour (and sometimes smoked sweet paprika or other) to make a thin paste and add to the soup/stew.

Also can be used for baking cakes.

@Curiousmouse

In Spain I've seen people eat bread with olive oil and tomatoes for breakfast. The olive oil is used to dip.

Yes totally delicious. Or mixed with balsamic vinegar.

@Fleur405

Just bear in mind it doesn’t keep all that well once opened - I know most people say not to use it for cooking but I don’t know why… I’m half Italian and all my relatives use it for cooking (except deep frying). I’d rather use it for cooking than keep it in the cupboard for 6 months! But if you don’t want to do that, drizzle it on pasta, pizza, salad, fresh mozzarella/a caprese salad, antipasto type dishes, on hummus, have it with bread. I do love the Spanish pan tomate breakfast dish.

I think just because (if you buy the good stuff!) it's expensive here so it is a bit of a waste in general cooking as you often don't really taste the flavour. I guess it depends what you're cooking though and the strength of the other flavours in the dish. I used cheaper olive oil for most cooking.

But we get through a lot so don't have the issue about it sitting around for months, I get your point about that. I'd rather use it in cooking at its best than waste it, for sure.

One of the easiest dishes I know when feeling lazy is spaghetti stirred into extra virgin olive oil with grated parmesan on top, with lots of salt and pepper. Delicious. Sometimes I'll add other stuff like fried garlic or fresh basil, or deseeded cherry tomatoes soaked in balsamic vinegar, but just the pasta/ cheese/ oil is delicious.

@Fleur405 also lots of traditional Italian cooking is few ingredients and clean flavours isn't it? So I can imagine in many cooked dishes you can still taste the difference of the extra virgin oil. Yum. Whereas when making other things it would get a bit lost.

Oooh also it's great for orzo pasta salad.

The whole family drizzle good olive oil on a lot of our meals. Especially good on pasta, Italian style roast potatoes, steak, roast fish, tomatoes, with bread and balsamic, on pizzas. Hugh F-W recommends it on toast with honey and it is delicious!

Especially salad dressings too, or dressings for side dishes of veg. On risotto.

DS drinks it like it’s going into fashion. Pours it into a saucer, splash of balsamic and some nice bread.

Yes delicious with bread and balsamic! I disagree it's a waste to cook with it though, depends if you're actually going to enjoy having it raw. I cook with it, have it on top of things and ensure I have 2 tbsp per day raw (usually on a salad for me but my husband does just dose it!). Most other cooking oils are really quite bad for you. Coconut is ok but only lends itself to certain dishes.

Thank you everyone for further suggestions x

@ringoutthebells

Yes delicious with bread and balsamic! I disagree it's a waste to cook with it though, depends if you're actually going to enjoy having it raw. I cook with it, have it on top of things and ensure I have 2 tbsp per day raw (usually on a salad for me but my husband does just dose it!). Most other cooking oils are really quite bad for you. Coconut is ok but only lends itself to certain dishes.

I only meant a waste to cook with expensive extra virgin olive oil, not cheaper olive oil.