February is heart health month! This is a great time to look at the wonderful benefits olive oil has to keep your heart functioning properly. So many people are aware that olive oil is healthy, but many do not know why. Here is a short synopsis of what olive oil has in it and how those components benefit your heart health!
Olive oil is full of polyphenols. Polyphenols are components found in olive oil and some other foods like tea. Polyphenols contain anti-oxidants, vitamins A, C and E, anti-inflammatory agents and cancer fighting agents because they fight oxidation, or free radical change, in the body. These components are most prevalent in fresh olive oil, which is The Spicy Olive’s specialty. All of our olive oils are fresh, the crush date is listed for you to see as well as the polyphenol levels of our single varietal olive oils.
The components found in olive oil impact your heart health in three ways. First, it can help lower your “bad” cholesterol levels (LDL). Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats lower LDL levels and protect against atherosclerosis (plaque build up in the arteries). Secondly, olive oil can help lower your blood pressure. Several studies have shown olive oil intake reduced the incidence of hypertension in adults. The link was found to be associated with polyphenol rich olive oils. Lastly, the antioxidants, polyphenols and oleic acid contained in olive oil protect blood lipids from oxidative stress which slows hardening of the arteries. Enjoy your olive oil, knowing it is doing wonderful things to your body!
Olive Oil and Heart Health
February is heart health month! This is a great time to look at the wonderful benefits olive oil has to keep your heart functioning properly. So many people are aware that olive oil is healthy, but many do not know why. Here is a short synopsis of what olive oil has in it and how those components benefit your heart health!
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Pecorino Pear and Arugula Salad
1 1/2 tbsp. The Spicy Olive Sherry Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 c. The Spicy Olive Hojiblanca Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small french shallot, finely chopped
4 c. arugula leaves
1 small fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 ripe but firm pear, cored and sliced thin
1 c. parsley, chopped coarse
1 c. shaved Pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese
Combine the vinegar and a pinch of salt in a bowl and whisk until salt has dissolved. Add the oil slowly to thicken the dressing, whisking constantly. Stir in the shallot.
Combine arugula, fennel, pear and parsley in a salad bowl and toss. Add dressing and toss again. Top with the shaved cheese and serve.
We chose our mild Hojiblanca Extra Virgin Olive Oil to balance out the bite in our Sherry Balsamic Vinegar. If you would like to add more flavor to the dressing, perhaps try one of our more robust single-varietal EVOOs.
Warm Potato Salad
2 lbs. floury potatoes (scrubbed, halved or quartered)
1/4 c. The Spicy Olive Milanese Gremolata Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 c. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 head celery, inner stalks only, chopped
Bring a pot to boil with water just covering the potatoes. Add salt, then cook over moderate heat for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are just tender.
Drain and cool; peel and cut into bite-sized pieces.
While the potatoes are still warm, toss them in a bowl with oil, parsley and celery. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Asparagi Gratinati
2 bunches asparagus
1/4 lb. provolone cheese, sliced thin
3 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Any of The Spicy Olive’s single varietal EVOOs
Preheat the broiler and bring a pot of salted water to boil. Once boiling, cook the asparagus for about 5 minutes, until they’ve just become bright green and are crisp-tender.
Drain and put in a baking dish. Arrange with the provolone over the stalks, below the heads. Scatter with parmesan and liberally drizzle with EVOO. Season with fresh ground black pepper.
Broil the dish until the cheese starts to melt.
Here, we’ve recommended any of our single varietal EVOOs…use your favorite! Many of our flavored EVOOs could be used as well: Garlic, Wild Mushroom & Sage, Cilantro & Roasted Onion… wonderful possibilities!
Garlic Chicory
1 large bunch chicory
3 tbsp. The Spicy Olive Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp chili flakes
Bring 12-16 cups of water to boil in a large pot. Add the greens with a thorough pinch of salt and boil for 4 minutes. Drain and squeeze to remove any excess water. Chop coarsely. The result should be 4 cups.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over moderate heat. Add the garlic and chili and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicory and sauté for 3-4 minutes more.
To really bring out the fragrance and flavor, we have recommended our Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. However, if you’d like to spice this up, our Harissa or Chipotle EVOOs should do the trick!
Potato Pie
2 1/2 lbs. starchy potatoes
3 tbsp. The Spicy Olive Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 c. milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 lb. smoked mozzarella cheese, cubed
1/4 lb. salami, chopped
3 tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
1 c. fluffy breadcrumbs
Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and cool so that they can be handled. Peel and mash. Stir in The Spicy Olive Garlic EVOO and parmesan, then add the milk, eggs, smoked mozzarella, salami and parsley. Stir well and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Grease a gratin dish with butter or more Garlic EVOO. Spoon half of the mixture into the dish. Cover with mozzarella slices and top with the rest of the potato mixture. Stir additional Garlic EVOO into the breadcrumbs and mix well before sprinkling over the potato pie.
Bake for about 40 minutes until the top is golden and crunchy and the filling is hot and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Gratin Potatoes with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers
4 large ripe tomatoes (peeled, halved and seeded)
2 lbs. waxy potatoes
2 tbsp. The Spicy Olive Cilantro & Roasted Onion Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 red onions, sliced thin
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 c The Spicy Olive Kalamata Olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 small lemon, sliced super thin
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
Chop one of the tomatoes and slice the rest. Drop the potatoes into a large pot of boiling, salted water and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Combine 1.5 tbsp. of The Spicy Olive Cilantro & Roasted Onion Extra Virgin Olive Oil with the onions and thyme in a frying pan. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté over moderately high heat until the onions start to gain color. Arrange these ingredients in an oiled gratin dish. Then toss in the tomato, olives, garlic, half of the lemon and extra sprigs of thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Finish with a drizzle of EVOO.
Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender.
Ramekin Baked Eggs
The Spicy Olive Tuscan Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 c. plain breadcrumbs
1 3/4 c tomato sauce
6 large eggs
1/2 c. grated fontina cheese
Ciabatta bread, sliced and toasted
Preheat the oven to 375F. Brush the inside of 6 ramekin baking dishes with The Spicy Olive Tuscan Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Set the ramekin baking dishes on a baking sheet. Spoon the tomato sauce into each ramekin. Break 1 egg into each ramekin, scatter with cheese and bake for about 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the egg white has just set.
At the same time, brush the ciabatta bread with additional Tuscan Herb EVOO and toast in the oven alongside the ramekin eggs. Serve together as soon as they come out of the oven.
Frittata al forno
3 tablespoons The Spicy Olive Harissa Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
1.5 tbsp. chopped flat parsley
small handful basil leaves, coarsely torn
1/4 lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
1 large roma tomato, sliced thin
Preheat the broiler. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over moderately low heat. Combine the eggs, parmesan, parsley and basil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the pan and cook 5 minutes or until the bottom has set.
Remove the pan from the heat and divide the mozzarella over the dish. Top with tomato slices and place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and starting to melt.
The Spicy Olives recommend their Harissa Extra Virgin Olive Oil to give this recipe a little kick of spice. If you’d rather enhance the herbal flavors, we also offer a Basil or Tuscan Herb EVOO. To be entirely neutral and let the dish stand alone, try our Butter EVOO.