For Nick Polizzi, one aroma that takes him back to his childhood, is the mouthwatering smell of fresh garlic sizzling in olive oil.
His love for cooking (and using food to heal) grew from his Italian roots. His grandparents started teaching him kitchen basics when he was 10 years old! That’s how important they believed food was.
And the one key ingredient in nearly everything they made was olive oil. Not only does fresh olive oil add incredible flavor, but it also has tremendous health benefits -- and you can bet that our ancestors knew it.
Nick's grandparents both lived into their mid-nineties, and they always looked far younger than their years. If you asked them what their secret was, they’d tell you plenty of garlic, leafy greens and, you guessed it, olive oil.
Simple olive oil is one of the world’s oldest natural medicines!
Below, he's going to share three recipes, plus seven ways to extract the most health benefits from this ancient superfood.
A Delicious Healing Food From The Ancient World [RECIPES!]
By Nick Polizzi
The medicinal power of olive oil isn’t just an old wives’ tale. Olive oil is quite literally liquid gold -- thanks to the wealth of health benefits it’s absolutely packed with. New studies are even showing that olive oil may contribute to more lustrous skin and a healthy glow!
But to get the biggest benefit from this ancient superfood, there are some insider secrets that you’ll want to keep in mind...
Below you will find 7 tips for incorporating olive oil into your cooking activities to get the greatest health benefits. I also share 3 recipe ideas using raw olive oil (the best way to consume it for a major health punch) -- including one of my favorite olive oil recipes passed down from my grandparents!
7 Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Olive Oil:
1. Extra virgin is the highest quality - Created from 100% cold-pressed olives, with no processed oils added to it. It also tends to be higher in antioxidants and the good fats. Get your hands on extra virgin if you can!
2. Check the harvest date - Olive oil is best when consumed within the first 2 years of being bottled. Most bottles will tell you the harvest date, so make sure your batch was born within the last 2 years.
3. Use it uncooked - I love cooking with olive oil over an open flame, but it’s even better when you add it to cold or recently plated foods (for example, add it to your hot veggies after they’ve been cooked). Uncooked olive oil retains more of its health benefits and it has twice as much flavor!
4. Watch the temperature - To reap the greatest health benefits from olive oil, drizzle it raw over your dishes, or use it in low-heat dishes. At 350 degrees and above, those beneficial compounds begin to degrade.
5. Store your oil carefully - The enemies of olive oil are light and heat. Olive oil needs to be stored in a cool dark place to preserve its integrity. The ideal spot? The back of your pantry, or a cupboard in the kitchen. Not your windowsill! Also avoid storing olive oil in the fridge -- the molecules will crystallize, changing its texture.
6. Try before you buy - Olive oil can change from batch-to-batch, and many places offer you a chance to taste it before you buy. When you’re trying olive oil, a lot can be determined by how the oil smells before you even taste it. Can you detect nutty, grassy, sweet, oily, or ‘green’ tones? All those are qualities you might like, or might not. Look for shops and food markets in your area that offer tastings, so you can sample, and determine which tones you prefer in your oil.
7. Have two olive oils on hand: Keep a less expensive olive oil for cooking. For example, I have a cheaper ‘house’ oil I use for frying, and then another bottle for salads and finishing uncooked dishes, which is always top-quality.
3 Creative, Delicious Recipes For You:
1. Garlic & Olive Oil Butter
My favorite way to enjoy garlic and reap the benefits of its medicinal components is via my family’s famous garlic spread, which also includes garlic (another healing powerhouse all on its own). When you mix these two, let them sit, and the garlic marinate … well, the results are mouth-wateringly delicious. And it is super-easy to make.
Ingredients:
3 Bulbs of Garlic
1 Cup of Olive Oil
1 Glass Jar, with a lid (10 to 12 oz is ideal!)
Preparation:
- Break each garlic bulb into their separate cloves and carefully peel off the skin
- Place garlic into a small food processor, until fully minced. (You can also use a kitchen knife and mince by hand.)
- Transfer minced garlic into your empty jar (again, 10 to 12 oz works great)
- Pour olive oil over top of the garlic. We fill the olive oil all the way up to the top.
- Fasten the lid on top of the jar. Turn the jar over a few times to fully combine the olive oil and garlic.
- Enjoy!
*Make sure to refrigerate after each use.
2. Dipping Olive Oil
When it comes to food, sometimes simple food preparations are the most striking -- and this recipe most definitely attests to that! The rich, lush flavour of the oil, the tart acidity of the balsamic -- all in all, it’s the perfect accompaniment to focaccia or sourdough (we make these breads gluten free in our house, but that’s a story for another day!).
Ingredients:
One half cup of olive oil
One quarter cup of balsamic vinegar, OR one quarter cup of balsamic glaze
A generous grind of pink Himalayan rock salt
Preparation:
- In a small pottery or glass bowl, combine all ingredients and stir.
- Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes so the flavors can marry.
- Serve with cut up organic fresh bread for dipping.
- Enjoy!
*Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a month.
3. The Best Ever Traditional Italian Dressing
Mamma mia! Every classic green salad needs its perfectly matched dressing counterpart--and this simple, but incredibly flavorful dressing goes great with leafy greens, roast vegetables--you name it. This recipe is a simple combination of oil, vinegar, garlic and seasonings... it's just so easy, using a very easy "shake" method that results in a perfectly emulsified vinaigrette. The tiny dash of Dijon keeps the oil and vinegar blended together for restaurant-quality results.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups high-quality extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon raw honey
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely minced
Preparation:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a glass jar with a screw-on lid or another container with a tight-fitting lid.
- Tighten the lid and shake vigorously for 1 minute.
- Serve immediately, or if you can, refrigerate overnight before using so the flavors can blend and intensify. Enjoy!
*Store for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator and shake before serving.
Here’s to good health -- and great olive oil!