Friday, November 2, 2012

Olive Oil – The Foundation of Healthy Cooking



cavewoman with word baloon
Olive oil is the foundation of many vegan meals.  If you’ve never tried cooking with olive oil, you’re in for a treat.  Not only is olive oil good for you, it comes in a wide variety of grades and flavors you can use to enhance the flavors in the food you are cooking.
Consuming olive oil is linked with several health benefits.  Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat, which is linked to a reduction in the risk of heart disease.  It also contains essential antioxidants known to reduce the risk of cancer.
If you aren’t much of a foodie, you may not think olive oil is very exciting.  But if you love food like I do, splurge on some quality EVOO (as Rachel Ray would say).  You may also find artisan olive oil boutiques that let you sample the different varieties right there in the shop.  Whole Foods also has a small olive oil sampling station and a good selection of quality olive oil.
Olive oil is a must-have for any cook trying to make healthy meals.  Olive oil enhances the flavor of whatever food it is used with.
The other day, I ran out of extra virgin olive oil and had to use vegetable oil to sauté some mushrooms and onions.  I could not overlook the degradation of taste quality of using standard vegetable oil.  If you’ve been cooking with standard vegetable oil or Crisco, donate it to someone you don’t like very much because these oils don’t do your food justice and can actually leave an icky aftertaste.

No comments:

Post a Comment