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Orange and Rosewater Olive Oil Cake

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Rosewater adds a light yet irresistible perfume to this Moroccan-inspired citrus cake—a little goes a long way. For an equally delicious variation, use lemon juice and zest in place of the mandarin oranges. Note: The whole-wheat pastry flour adds some fiber to the cake.

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • ½ cup medium or bold extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon or more for the pan
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup Greek yogurt
  • Zest of 3 mandarin oranges or clementines
  • ½ cup fresh mandarin orange or clementine juice 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
  • 1 teaspoon rosewater
  • 1-½ cups pastry flour
  • ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 1-½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

For the icing:

  • 3 tablespoons mandarin orange or clementine juice
  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • ¼ cup or more shelled pistachios 

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Oil a Bundt pan with olive oil. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until no whites are visible, and then slowly whisk in the sugar, followed by the yogurt, the ½ cup olive oil, the juice and zest, the vanilla, and the rosewater.

Step 2

In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and fold into the egg-oil mixture with a spatula until combined.

Step 3

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40–45 minutes, depending on your oven. The cake’s done when a dinner knife inserted in its center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning the cake out onto a wire rack to cool it to room temperature.

Step 4

To make the icing, whisk the juice and sugar until incorporated, and drizzle it over the cooled cake. Carefully sprinkle on the pistachios and let the icing set for about 15 minutes before serving.

Yields 8–10 servings.

Chocolate Olive Oil Dipping Sauce & Customized Bark

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Olive oil infuses melted chocolate with a fresh, slightly herby taste that intensifies the rich flavor of dark chocolate. You can dip fruit and other treats in this sauce, create melt-in-your-mouth chocolate bark with it, or simply drizzle it over your favorite ice cream or Belgian waffles.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dark chocolate discs or pieces, preferably 72% cacao, such as Guittard’s Coucher du Soleil
  • 2 tablespoons mild extra virgin olive oil 

Directions

Step 1

Melt 6 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl placed over simmering (not boiling) water, stirring with a silicone whisk or spatula until fully melted.

Step 2

Carefully remove the bowl from the heat and place on a towel on your counter. A few pieces at a time, add in the rest of the chocolate. This tempers it, or brings it down in temperature, so that the finished treat is silky. (If you have an instant-read thermometer, the chocolate on the stove should reach 118 degrees and go down to 90 after you add in the rest.) Stir in the olive oil until blended.

Yields about 1 cup of melted chocolate.

To dip: Prep an assortment of sweet fruits, like whole berries, pineapple triangles, and banana slices; cake squares; and/or pretzels and potato chips. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper, and using a dinner fork, dip your chosen treats, one piece at a time, in the melted chocolate and then place on the waxed paper. Place the sheet in a cool spot for about two hours to allow the chocolate to harden, and then transfer your treats to a platter or tin. (Of course, you can also dip and eat right away, fondue style!)

Custom Chocolate Bark with Olive Oil

To create a custom chocolate bark: Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Pour all the tempered chocolate on the wax paper and use an offset spatula to smooth it out to a 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with your choice of toppings in a random pattern—a great combination is 2 tablespoons each golden raisins, pistachios, and crispy chocolate pearls like Valrhona’s Les Perles Craquantes. Let the chocolate harden in a cool spot for two or more hours or, for a firmer bark, in the fridge for 30 minutes, and then break into random-sized pieces and store in a cookie tin.

Olive Oil Lemon Curd

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Extra virgin olive oil gives classic lemon curd all the silkiness of butter without the saturated fat. It’s delicious spooned over Greek yogurt and topped with berries—serve it in a champagne glass for an indulgent yet good-for-you dessert. You can also use it to make a lemon tart—fill a baked and cooled 8″ tart shell with the chilled curd, and top with dollops of whipped cream.

Ingredients

  • 3 large or 5 small lemons
  • 2 large eggs, plus 1 yolk
  • 10 tablespoons sugar 
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla paste
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons mild extra virgin olive oil 

Directions

Step 1

Rinse the lemons, dry them thoroughly, and then zest them with a microplane grater. You should have a generous tablespoon of zest. Juice the lemons. You should have a generous cup of juice. Some pulp is fine to include, but remove any seeds.

Step 2

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, use a silicone whisk to blend the eggs thoroughly, and then whisk in one ingredient at a time in this order: sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, and salt—this will give you the silkiest results without needing to strain the mixture after cooking.

Step 3

Place the pan over medium heat and continue to whisk as you bring the mixture to a very low boil. Cook for two minutes (this activates the cornstarch), lowering the heat if necessary to prevent a rapid boil. The curd should be thick enough to coat the whisk.

Step 4

Off the heat, slowly whisk in the olive oil until it’s completely blended in. Pour the curd into a glass pitcher or jar and allow it to come to room temperature before covering and placing it in the fridge to thicken further.

Yields 1-¾ cups.

Mediterranean Diet May Confer Long-Range Health Benefits to Teenagers/Adolescents

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Based on the study by Giuseppina Augimeri, et al, published in Antioxidants (July 2021)

Teenagers who more closely adhered to the Mediterranean diet had lower levels of inflammatory markers in their blood serum, which may have a positive impact on preventing metabolic and chronic diseases later in life, the results of a new study show.

Researchers in Calabria also measured higher levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory activity in the serum of the adolescents who more closely followed the Mediterranean diet, compared to teenagers who were medium or poor adherers.

Study Design: The study used the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and teenagers (KIDMED) to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet among the 77 participants, public high school students ages 14 to 17 (36 girls and 41 boys).

Participants provided reports on their meals every 24 hours through scheduled daily telephone calls with nutritionists. A value of +1 was assigned to the intake of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, dairy products, fish, nuts, and olive oil. A value of −1 was assigned to skipping breakfast, eating fast food, and consuming baked goods or sweets. Data on the methods of food preparation, ingredients used in prepared dishes, and serving size were also collected.

Daily nutrition results were scored from 0 to 12, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet was classified in 3 groups: a daily average of >8 points (“optimal”); 4 to 7 (“medium”); and <3 points (“poor”). Blood samples were taken at the study’s outset and at the 6-month point.

Results: At 6 months, 43 percent of participants scored in the “optimal” category; 48 percent scored in the “medium” category; and 9 percent scored in the “poor” category.

Among the “optimal” group, there was clear evidence of higher levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory activity in blood serum, compared with the “medium” and “poor” adherers. And, although all 3 groups consumed a similar daily amount of calories, the “optimal” group had a significantly higher intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs, found in olive oil and nuts), total dietary fiber, and vitamins B2 and C, compared to “poor” adherers.

These results strongly reinforce the importance of a healthy diet for adolescents. The investigators intend to continue to study the effects on young people of consuming a Mediterranean diet—future areas of focus will include the polyphenol content of various foods.

Takeaway: Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet in adolescents is linked to higher levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory activity, which may help prevent metabolic and chronic diseases in adulthood.

Reference: Augimeri G, Galluccio A, Caparello G, et al. Potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of serum from healthy adolescents with optimal Mediterranean diet adherence: findings from DIMENU cross-sectional study. Antioxidants. 2021;10:1172. doi:10.3390/antiox10081172