The Olive Oil Hunter, Author at Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil

Olive Oil Hunter #221

Posted on July 4, 2025June 25, 2025 by The Olive Oil Hunter

Berry Trifle Recipe, Spotlight on Stawberries, A Smart Way to Satisfy Food Cravings, and Are You Running on Empty?

This lavish crowd-pleaser can be made in advance and is perfect for any July 4th celebration. Even better, enjoying a few spoonfuls could be the answer to satisfying a craving for sweets—rather than derailing healthy eating plans, smartly indulging can keep you on track, according to a new study from the University of Illinois. I’m also sharing new findings on how to best fuel before exercise—turns out that women may not be getting all the nutrients they need to exercise effectively.

A Very Berry 4th of July Trifle

A Very Berry 4th of July Trifle
With all the components premade, this layered dessert of cake, custard, berries, and cream can be assembled in minutes…and up to 6 hours in advance. A footed trifle bowl is elegant, but any clear glass serving bowl that lets the layers show will create a festive presentation.
Ingredients

For the custard:
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of sea salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 whole eggs
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the assembly:
- 1 quart or more mixed berries, preferably blueberries and strawberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 cups whipping cream
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 olive oil chiffon cake recipe, 1 pound cake, or 1 package ladyfingers
Directions

Step 1

Make the custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt, then whisk in the yolks followed by the whole eggs. Continue whisking until the mixture turns light yellow; set aside.

Step 2

Place the milk in a saucepan and scald—you should see a light skin start to form, but don’t let it come to a boil. Vigorously whisk 1/4 cup milk into the egg mixture, then slowly whisk in the rest. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes (lower the heat as needed to prevent scorching). It should become quite thick.

Step 3

Remove from the heat. Whisk in the olive oil and vanilla and transfer to a glass bowl. Let it cool to room temperature, then press a round of parchment paper over the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, 4 hours up to overnight.

Step 4

Rinse and hull the strawberries. Set aside 6 of the best ones for a garnish and halve or slice the rest. Rinse the blueberries and pat dry; reserve a few for the garnish and add the rest to a large bowl with the cut strawberries. Toss with the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; wait 20 or more minutes before assembly or refrigerate until needed, up to a day in advance.

Step 5

Whip the cream and the confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form; place in fridge for up to 6 hours if not using right away.

Step 6

Assemble the trifle: If using cake, cut into 1-inch cubes. Spread a dollop of custard across the bottom of your serving bowl; add a layer of ladyfingers or cake cubes. Top with half the remaining custard and half the berries. Repeat with another layer of ladyfingers or cake and the rest of the custard and the berries. Top with the whipped cream and decorate with the remaining berries. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 6 hours before serving.
Yields 10 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Strawberry Storage

High in fiber, vitamin C, and other antioxidants, strawberries also deliver potassium, folate, and magnesium. But they also have a tendency to get moldy when moisture gets trapped between the berries, especially in typical clamshell plastic containers. A simple storage trick is to unpack them as soon as you get home and transfer them, unwashed, to a paper towel-lined glass container—line them up upside down, leaving a bit of room between them, and store in the fridge, uncovered, suggest the experts at the Utah State University Extension. Wash them just before hulling (a curved grapefruit knife works great) and blot dry with fresh paper towels.

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Sugaring Berries

Ripe berries are delicious just as they are, but when you’re cutting them to use in recipes like trifle, tossing them in a small amount of sugar both helps release their juices, creating a natural syrup, and enhances their sweetness. Simply toss the fruit with the sugar in a bowl—1 tablespoon per cup of fruit—and wait between 20 and 60 minutes before using.

For Your Best Health

A Smart Way to Satisfy Food Cravings

Are you in a constant battle with food cravings? Scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign may have a solution. Their study, published in the journal Physiology and Behavior, found that eating dessert may be the optimal strategy for losing weight, keeping it off, and keeping cravings at bay: Incorporate craved foods into a balanced meal plan.

Researcher Nouf W. Alfouzan, PhD, and nutrition professor Manabu T. Nakamura, PhD, found that dieters’ food cravings decreased while they were losing weight and remained minimal as long as they did not regain weight. Said Dr. Nakamura, “Cravings are a big problem for many people. If they have a lot of cravings, it is very difficult to lose weight. Even when they are able to control their cravings and lose weight, if the cravings come back, they regain the weight.

“We recruited obese patients ages 18 to 75 who had comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes and could benefit from losing weight,” he added. The participants were part of a larger project conducted with physicians at Carle Clinic in Urbana that aimed to broaden the outreach of an in-person weight-loss program called the Individualized Dietary Improvement Program by converting it to an online format called EMPOWER.

Although many dieters reported in prior research that their cravings decreased while they were losing weight, it was unclear whether these changes persisted when they reached their weight-loss goal or quit dieting while trying to maintain their weight. Dr. Alfouzan wanted to investigate that, along with whether reduced cravings correlated with greater weight loss.

The dietary program used in the study educated dieters about key nutrients, helping them make informed decisions about their food selections until sustainable dietary changes were achieved, Dr. Nakamura detailed. Dieters used a data visualization tool that plots foods’ protein, fiber, and calories so they could enhance nutrition while minimizing the calories they consumed. “If you are eating and snacking randomly, it’s very hard to control,” he said. “Some dietary programs exclude certain foods. Our plan used an ‘inclusion strategy,’ in which people incorporated small portions of craved foods within a well-balanced meal.”

Every six months, participants completed a questionnaire about their cravings for specific foods, such as high-fat foods like hot dogs and fried chicken, fast-food fats like those in hamburgers and chips, sweets like cakes and cookies, and carbohydrates like biscuits and pancakes. The researchers also assessed the frequency and intensity of participants’ cravings with another survey. Using a scale ranging from 1 (never) to 6 (always), individuals rated themselves on statements such as “Whenever I have food cravings, I find myself making plans to eat” and “I have no willpower to resist my food cravings.” The intensity of each dieter’s cravings was calculated by adding their scores for a total of 15 statements. Dieters also weighed in daily after getting out of bed and before breakfast using a Wi-Fi scale that transmitted the data to the researchers so they could track the changes.

A total of 30 people began the weight-loss program, and the 24 who remained at the end of the first year had lost an average of 7.9 percent of their starting weight. Of these, 20 completed a yearlong maintenance program, but because a few regained some of what they had lost, their average weight loss was 6.7 percent, the researchers found. Participants who lost more than 5 percent by the end of the study experienced consistent reductions in the frequency and intensity of their cravings, while those who lost less than that did not.

The team also found that individuals’ craving for food in general and for specific types of foods such as sweets and carbohydrates diminished during the year of weight loss and stabilized during maintenance. Of the 24 participants who remained in the study at 12 months, more than half reported they used the inclusion strategy to manage cravings—some people used it as frequently as one to three times a day, while others used it once a week or more. Those who used the strategy lost significantly more weight compared with other participants and experienced significant reductions in their cravings for sweet and high-fat foods, the researchers found.

The study suggests that individuals’ reduced cravings correlated with decreased body fat rather than the negative energy balance of dieting, Dr. Nakamura said. “This basically debunks the hungry fat cell theory, a long-standing hypothesis that fat cells become starved for energy and trigger cravings, causing dieters to eat and ultimately regain what they lost. But that is not the case. As long as you stay at a healthy weight, your cravings will remain low.” Consistency is another key to managing cravings and weight, he said. “Fluctuations in eating patterns, meal times and amounts trigger cravings, too. You have to be consistent.”

Fitness Flash

Are You Running on Empty?

Proper nutrition is crucial for enhancing athletic performance, supporting recovery, and maintaining overall health. A study from the University of South Australia (UniSA) reveals that proper nutrition is also key to reducing the risk of injury, especially for women.

In a systematic review of nearly 6,000 adult distance runners, researchers examined the link between diet and exercise-related injury. They found that lower energy and fat intakes were strongly associated with a higher risk of injury in female runners and that a low-fiber diet increased the likelihood of bone stress injuries in both female and male runners.

Specifically, injured female runners consumed 450 fewer calories and 20 grams less fat per day than their uninjured counterparts. Both injured female and male runners took in three grams less daily fiber compared to those who remained injury free. Interestingly, runners’ intakes of protein, carbohydrates, alcohol, and calcium did not influence injury risk.

Sports dietitian and UniSA researcher Erin Colebatch said nutrition plays a crucial role in reducing injury risk. “Distance running is a popular activity for many people, helping them stay healthy and keep fit. Yet about 50 percent of adult runners sustain running-related injuries,” Colebatch said. “Nutrition is key to optimizing athletic performance, providing the energy, recovery support, and injury prevention needed to maintain both endurance and overall health. Many long-distance runners underestimate their energy needs. When they don’t fuel their bodies properly, they increase their injury risk. Recognizing the impact of diet on injury risk helps minimize it.”

UniSA Senior Researcher Dr. Alison Hill said that clinicians need to support female runners to achieve sufficient energy and fat intakes while guiding all runners to optimize their fiber consumption. “When runners don’t consume enough energy, their body’s needs go unmet, which over time can lead to issues like skeletal demineralization, loss of lean body mass, fatigue, and stress fractures,” Dr. Hill said. “While this research offers valuable insights for runners of all levels, additional studies are necessary to explore how these findings apply to a broader range of athletic abilities.”

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A Very Berry 4th of July Trifle

Posted on July 3, 2025June 25, 2025 by The Olive Oil Hunter

With all the components premade, this layered dessert of cake, custard, berries, and cream can be assembled in minutes…and up to 6 hours in advance. A footed trifle bowl is elegant, but any clear glass serving bowl that lets the layers show will create a festive presentation.

Ingredients

For the custard:

4 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup granulated sugar

Pinch of sea salt

4 egg yolks

4 whole eggs

3 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the assembly:

1 quart or more mixed berries, preferably blueberries and strawberries

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 olive oil chiffon cake recipe, 1 pound cake, or 1 package ladyfingers

Directions

Step 1

Make the custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt, then whisk in the yolks followed by the whole eggs. Continue whisking until the mixture turns light yellow; set aside.

Step 2

Place the milk in a saucepan and scald—you should see a light skin start to form, but don’t let it come to a boil. Vigorously whisk 1/4 cup milk into the egg mixture, then slowly whisk in the rest. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes (lower the heat as needed to prevent scorching). It should become quite thick.

Step 3

Remove from the heat. Whisk in the olive oil and vanilla and transfer to a glass bowl. Let it cool to room temperature, then press a round of parchment paper over the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, 4 hours up to overnight.

Step 4

Rinse and hull the strawberries. Set aside 6 of the best ones for a garnish and halve or slice the rest. Rinse the blueberries and pat dry; reserve a few for the garnish and add the rest to a large bowl with the cut strawberries. Toss with the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; wait 20 or more minutes before assembly or refrigerate until needed, up to a day in advance.

Step 5

Whip the cream and the confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form; place in fridge for up to 6 hours if not using right away.

Step 6

Assemble the trifle: If using cake, cut into 1-inch cubes. Spread a dollop of custard across the bottom of your serving bowl; add a layer of ladyfingers or cake cubes. Top with half the remaining custard and half the berries. Repeat with another layer of ladyfingers or cake and the rest of the custard and the berries. Top with the whipped cream and decorate with the remaining berries. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 6 hours before serving.

Yields 10 servings

Olive Oil Hunter #220

Posted on June 27, 2025June 18, 2025 by The Olive Oil Hunter

Soft Scrambled Eggs Recipe, Spotlight on Eggs, Vitamin D and Biological Aging, plus Exercise Boosts Brain Health—Even When Energy is Low

There are a few foods that can be satisfying at any meal—breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Whether piled high on toast, topped with a crumble of bacon, or served alongside hearty potatoes, scrambled eggs is one of those dishes. They’re not complicated to make…once your pan is properly prepped. Eggs are a nutrient powerhouse, but there have been lingering concerns about their saturated fat. A study from Australia offers some welcome new thinking. I’m also sharing a study on a very special benefit of vitamin D and a fresh perspective on exercise for brain health.

Soft Scrambled Eggs

Soft Scrambled Eggs
One of the simplest dishes can often be the most difficult to make. If your pan isn’t preheated properly or if it isn’t well prepped, scrambled eggs can brown rather than stay yellow, stick in spots, or take seemingly forever to set. Here’s my simple hack for eggy perfection.
Ingredients
- 4 extra-large eggs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- Fine sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Directions

Step 1

Heat your sauté or fry pan over moderately high heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, thoroughly whisk the eggs in a large bowl until no whites are visible.

Step 2

When the pan is ready (a drop of water will sizzle and evaporate), lower the heat to medium-high and add the olive oil, rotating the pan so that it covers the bottom surface. Pour the eggs into the pan and immediately start moving them around with a heat-resistant spatula so that they cook evenly. Constant movement will help prevent brown spots. Take the eggs off the heat just before they’re completely firm—they will keep cooking.

Step 3

Divide the eggs between two plates, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.
Serves 2

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

A Fresh Look at Eggs

Chances are you’ve read conflicting advice over the years about whether to eat eggs and how many per day or week to have. A new study from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, found that eggs have certain benefits for a specific part of the population.

Published in the journal Nutrients, the study found that for relatively healthy older adults, consuming eggs 1 to 6 times per week was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (death from any cause) and CVD mortality compared to those who rarely or never eat eggs.

The study involved 8,756 adults aged 70 years or older, who self-reported the frequency of their total egg intake as never/infrequently (1 to 2 times/month), weekly (1 to 6 times/week), or daily (daily/several times per day), as part of the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP) sub-study. ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) was a large primary prevention aspirin trial of more than 19,000 participants in Australia and the US, mostly 70 years and older, and continues today as a longitudinal study.

First author Holly Wild, a PhD candidate and lecturer from the Monash University School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said that, compared to older adults who never or infrequently ate eggs, those who ate eggs 1 to 6 times a week had a 15 percent lower risk of death from any cause and a 29 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related death. “Eggs are a nutrient-dense food, a rich source of protein, and a good source of essential nutrients, such as B vitamins, folate, unsaturated fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins (E, D, A, and K), choline, and numerous minerals and trace elements,” Wild said. “Eggs are also an accessible source of protein and nutrition in older adults, with research suggesting that they are the preferred source of protein for older adults who might be experiencing age-related physical and sensory decline.”

The work also explored the relationship between egg consumption and mortality across different levels of diet quality—low, moderate, and high. “The study found that older adults with a moderate- to high-diet quality reported a 33 percent and 44 percent lower risk of CVD-related death, suggesting that the addition of eggs to moderate- and high-quality diets may improve longevity,” the researchers wrote.

The current Australian Dietary Guidelines and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend that adults with normal cholesterol can eat up to seven eggs per week, while some European countries suggest limiting eggs to 3 to 4 per week. The AHA also supports up to 2 eggs per day for older adults with normal cholesterol.

“Previous research has observed a higher risk of mortality with egg consumption for those who have high cholesterol. For this reason, we also explored the association between egg consumption and mortality in people with and without dyslipidemia (clinically diagnosed high cholesterol),” Wild said. “We found a 27 percent lower risk of CVD-related death for participants with dyslipidemia who consumed eggs weekly, compared to their counterparts that consumed eggs rarely or never, suggesting that in this study cohort, the presence of dyslipidemia does not influence the risk associated with egg consumption. Our results suggest that eating up to six eggs a week may reduce the risk of death from all causes and cardiovascular-related diseases in older adults. These findings may be beneficial in the development of evidence-based dietary guidelines for older adults.”

Of course, everyone is unique. Before increasing how many eggs you eat, talk to your doctor to see what makes sense for your health profile.

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Eggs: Checking for Freshness

Want a quick hack to see whether the eggs in your fridge are still fresh? Try the float test. Fill a large bowl or even a wide glass with cold water and gently add an egg. If it sinks and rests on one side, it’s fresh. If it sinks but stands upright, use it right away. If it floats, toss it. An egg that floats has lost moisture through the shell and its contents have shrunk.

For Your Best Health

Vitamin D and Biological Aging

Results of a landmark study called the VITAL randomized controlled trial reveal that vitamin D supplementation helps maintain telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten during aging and are linked to the development of certain diseases. The report, published inThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is based on data from the VITAL Telomere sub-study co-led by researchers at Mass General Brigham and the Medical College of Georgia, and supports a promising role in slowing a pathway for biological aging.

VITAL looked at the effects of vitamin D3 (2,000 IU/day) and omega 3 fatty acid (1 g/day) supplementation on US women aged 55 years and older and men aged 50 years and older for five years. The sub-study included 1,054 participants, whose telomere length in white blood cells was assessed at baseline and at year 2 and year 4.

“VITAL is the first large-scale and long-term randomized trial to show that vitamin D supplements protect telomeres and preserve telomere length,” said co-author JoAnn Manson, MD, principal investigator of VITAL and chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “This is of particular interest because VITAL had also shown benefits of vitamin D in reducing inflammation and lowering risks of selected chronic diseases of aging, such as advanced cancer and autoimmune disease.”

Telomeres are made of repeating sequences of DNA, or base pairs, that prevent chromosome ends from degrading or fusing with other chromosomes. Telomere shortening is a natural part of aging and is associated with an increased risk of various age-related diseases.

A few short-term small-scale studies have suggested that vitamin D or omega 3 fatty acid supplementation may help support telomeres, but results have been inconsistent. This study showed that compared with taking a placebo, taking vitamin D3 supplements significantly reduced telomere shortening over four years, preventing the equivalent of nearly three years of aging compared with placebo. Omega 3 fatty acid supplementation had no significant effect on telomere length throughout follow-up.

“Our findings suggest that targeted vitamin D supplementation may be a promising strategy to counter a biological aging process, although further research is warranted,” said Haidong Zhu, PhD, first author of the report and a molecular geneticist at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University.

Fitness Flash

Exercise Boosts Brain Health—Even When Energy is Low

We know exercise is good for our body, but what about our brain? A new study from the University of Missouri suggests that exercise plays a crucial role in keeping our mind sharp, even when one of the brain’s key energy sources isn’t available. The study, led by researchers Taylor Kelty, PhD, and R. Scott Rector, PhD, offers fresh insight into brain health and suggests that exercise could play a bigger role in preventing cognitive decline than previously thought.

When the body runs low on its usual fuel—glucose—the liver makes ketones, an alternative energy source that helps power the brain. These molecules support cognitive memory, learning, and overall brain health. But what happens when the liver can’t produce enough of them? Can exercise help compensate for this ketone deficiency? Dr. Rector, the director of the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health building and a professor in the School of Medicine, and Dr. Kelty were determined to find out.

For the study, they looked at what happens when ketone production is limited in the liver. As expected, the result was a noticeable decline in brain function and memory. But then something remarkable happened: Exercise managed to help reverse some of the cognitive decline, even with the ketone production impaired.

“Going into the study, we thought that with fewer ketones and the cognitive impairments that causes, exercise may not be able to overcome that impairment,” said Dr. Kelty, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Rector’s lab. “But it seems like exercise is so powerful that there are other mechanisms going on in the brain that allow it to circumvent those impairments and still receive the benefits from exercise.”

“This study highlights how exercise benefits the body in a multitude of ways, even when we don’t fully understand all the molecular mechanisms involved,” Dr. Rector said. “Even when we remove a single pathway, exercise is doing so many other things that it can help mitigate those deficiencies.”

The findings are especially promising for people with liver conditions that prevent the body from making ketones. Dr. Kelty pointed out that the emerging field of liver-brain research is beginning to show that individuals with severe liver dysfunction have a higher risk of developing dementia. “If ketone production in the liver is disrupted, it could be a potential cause of cognitive decline, ultimately leading to conditions like dementia,” he said.

Ideally, this research helps raise awareness about the importance of ketone production to brain health and the impact exercise can have on staying mentally sharp. “There’s so much we’re still uncovering, and with all the state-of-the-art resources and interdisciplinary collaborations at Mizzou, it’s exciting to think about where this research might take us next,” Dr. Kelty said. “Exercise could be a key piece of the puzzle in preserving brain health as we age.”

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Smashed Potato Pie

Posted on June 23, 2025 by The Olive Oil Hunter

Whether you want to skip the gluten of a typical pie crust or are simply looking for a tasty alternative, using new potatoes is a delicious choice.

Ingredients

2 pounds new red or small Yukon Gold potatoes, rinsed and left whole
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sea salt, divided use
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
6 asparagus spears, sliced on the diagonal into 2” pieces
8 large eggs
8 ounces shredded white cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Optional garnish: your choice of fresh herbs

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add the potatoes and the tablespoon of salt. Boil until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes then drain.

Step 2

While the potatoes are boiling, heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the onion, bell pepper, asparagus, and 1 teaspoon salt. Sauté until the vegetables are tender then transfer them to a bowl.

Step 3

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Brush the skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, place them in the skillet. Starting in the center, use a metal measuring cup to flatten them against the bottom of the skillet. Then use the side of the measuring cup to press them halfway up the sides. Check the “crust” to be sure the entire bottom of the skillet is covered. Drizzle the potatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle on 1 teaspoon salt. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are crispy.

Step 4

While the crust is baking, whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Fold in the shredded cheese, vegetables, remaining teaspoon of salt, and black pepper.

Step 5

When the crust in done, transfer the skillet to a heat-resistant pad or trivet. Carefully pour in the egg mixture. Sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano evenly across the top and return the skillet to the oven. Continue baking until the eggs are set, about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on your oven. Let cool for 10 minutes before garnish with herbs, if desired, and cutting into wedges.

Yields 6 to 8 servings