Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
News Page 51

The Olive Oil Hunter News #4

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Extra Virgin Fresh Pressed Olive Oil-Roasted Vegetable Platter Recipe, Spotlight on Healthy Fats, Roasting Vegetables Right, Finishing Salt and Bone Loss

As a fan of the Olive Oil Hunter, you know how I love the freshest, healthiest ingredients (including extra virgin fresh pressed olive oil) and always want to know where they come from. That pretty much explains why on any given weekend, you’re sure to find me at my local greenmarket. Seasonal is my mindset—it means planning meals around what’s available rather than hunting around to find the exact ingredients to match a recipe. That’s why I also love another great source of locally grown bounty: community-supported agriculture, or CSAs, where you buy shares of a farm’s harvest in advance (find yours at localharvest.org). I get inspired every time I open a new box of produce. 

This issue’s recipe is the perfect example of my food philosophy. Here’s why…

  • The Olive Oil Hunter Newsletter Vol. 2 Olive Oil-Roasted Vegetable Platter

    This dish brings together a rainbow mix of both familiar and exotic veggies. You can definitely make it your own by choosing from what’s available locally. Whatever you include, slow roasting brings out the flavors in each ingredient, so you get different taste sensations with every bite. Using a very wide selection of vegetables also makes this a great main dish, but you can serve it along with a protein if you wish. And if there are any leftovers, I like to add just a splash of balsamic and enjoy them cold for lunch the next day.

    Ingredients

    • 4 parsnips, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1.5″ cubes
    • 6 large carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1.5″ cubes
    • 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1.5″ chunks 
    • 4 yellow or candy stripe beets, peeled and cut into small wedges  
    • 2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and sliced into wedges
    • 2 red onions, trimmed, peeled and sliced into wedges
    • 1 sweet onion, trimmed, peeled and sliced into wedges
    • 1/2 pound sunchokes, peeled and halved
    • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
    • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for serving
    • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 
    • Maldon sea salt flakes for finishing

    Directions

    Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 400°F. Combine the hard vegetables—parsnips, carrots, squash and beets—in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon thyme and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add salt and pepper, and stir gently to coat the vegetables evenly. 

    Step 2

    Repeat in a separate bowl with the softer vegetables—the fennel, onions and sunchokes. (See more about roasting mixed vegetables in the Healthy Kitchen Nugget below.) 

    Step 3

    Tip the hard vegetables into a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan large enough to hold them in one layer without touching; they need room to get a nice crisp on the edges. After 30 minutes, add the soft vegetables to a second baking sheet, place in the oven, and continue cooking for about another 30 minutes until all the veggies are tender in the center and caramelized. For even browning, use a spatula to occasionally turn all the veggies throughout the roasting. Transfer all the vegetables to one large serving bowl, drizzle with more olive oil if desired, and sprinkle with a few grains of the Maldon salt.

    Hint: If using traditional red beets, prepare and cook them separately to keep their bright color from transferring to other vegetables. Oil and season them in their own bowl and then roast them in a separate pan or at one end of a baking sheet.

    Yields 8 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Fresh Pressed Olive Oil

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Healthy Fats: Fresh Pressed Olive Oil & Nuts

Don’t get me wrong—butter has its place. But when it comes to healthy fat, extra virgin fresh pressed olive oil can’t be beat. Nearly every week brings a new study confirming the benefits of vegetable-based fats and EVOO in particular. And make no mistake about it, fat is an essential part of the diet; among other roles, it’s needed to use the fat-soluble vitamins A, E and K in the foods you eat. Ironically, the rise in obesity in our country can be traced to the low-fat craze back in the ’90s, when the fats in packaged foods were replaced with sugars. True, the fats used in those products weren’t great, but the sugars were even worse! We now know that the mono- and polyunsaturated fats that come from healthy sources, like olives, hazelnuts, walnuts and grapeseed, make for healthy oils—“healthy fat” isn’t a fad! There’s even research published in The New England Journal of Medicine showing that eating a Mediterranean diet with extra virgin fresh pressed olive oil and nuts can significantly lower blood pressure, blood sugar and total cholesterol.

Healthy Kitchen Tip: How to Properly Roast Vegetables

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Roasting Hard Versus Soft Veggies

Whenever you’re roasting different vegetables together, the right prep work will ensure that they all cook evenly, but make tweaks to the standard rule of thumb that states they should all be cut in the same size. That rule is true only when you’re making all one type, like root vegetables or cruciferous vegetables. When you’re roasting a mix, there are better methods. You could cut the soft ones into bigger pieces than the hard ones and roast them together. Or go for the simple option in the recipe above when you have to use two rimmed baking sheets anyway: Roast the hard veggies first, and then pop in the second sheet with the softer vegetables about 30 minutes later. Check for doneness every time you open the oven to turn them during the roasting—everyone’s oven is slightly different, and you’ll quickly learn what works best for you.

For Your Best Health: Finishing Salt

For Your Best Health

Using Finishing Salt

I love the slight crunch of a high-quality finishing salt with a noticeable texture, like Maldon. But what about the problem of too much salt in our diets? The fact is that nearly three-quarters of the salt we eat doesn’t come from the salt shaker—it’s in packaged and prepared foods, including fast food. The American Heart Association points to the top “salty six” categories to avoid: packaged breads and rolls, deli cold cuts and cured meats, pizza, canned soup, frozen breaded chicken nuggets, and burritos and tacos. So, seasoning at home isn’t the problem, and when you use coarser grains like Maldon, Himalayan sea salt from Pakistan, and Australia’s Murray River sea salt flakes, you’ll see and taste the salt more but actually use less. You’ll also get some natural minerals that are typically processed out of standard table salt (replaced instead with additives and anticaking agents). You also won’t have a problem sticking to the healthier daily max of 1,500 mg (about 2/3 teaspoon) of salt when you add just a pinch here and there.

Fitness Flash: Bone Loss in Men

Fitness Flash

Bone Loss in Men

You’ve likely heard of osteoporosis, when bones have thinned so much that you’re at a higher risk for fractures. But here’s a surprise: Bone loss doesn’t affect women only. It can happen to men, too. 

Bone loss is typically gradual, and a bone mineral density test can spot it at an early stage, when the condition is called osteopenia and there’s more time to slow it down. The test uses a special type of X-ray called DEXA that captures images of your bones’ mineral content, often at the hip and lower spine. It’s painless and takes just a few minutes. The results are given as a T-score: −1 and higher is normal, between −1.1 and −2.4 is osteopenia, and –2.5 and below is osteoporosis. 

Many health organizations suggest waiting until you’re 65 to get the test, but it should be done earlier if you have risk factors such as a history of smoking or of fracture, a thyroid condition, liver or kidney disease, a family history of osteoporosis, being tall and very thin, or taking medications that can hurt bone health like corticosteroids. Talk to your doctor about the right testing timetable for you. 

Most important of all is that you can take steps to strengthen or maintain your bones right now, no matter your age. Do 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercises, like walking or running, on most days of the week, and add twice-weekly strength training to your overall fitness program. Since both types of exercise also strengthen muscles, you’ll appreciate feeling stronger, too.

Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!

The Olive Oil Hunter News #3

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Pork Tenderloin With Pineapple Salsa Recipe, Spotlight on Chiles and Chile peppers, Breast Cancer and Diet

I could write a book just on chiles and chile peppers—the dozens of peppers from mild and sweet to hot and fiery. They have a storied history not only as a culinary ingredient but also as a medicinal one. Originating in Mexico, they’re now considered a global food and an essential in virtually every cuisine. They take center stage in this issue of The Olive Oil Hunter Newsletter. Enjoy!

I grew up in the great pork-producing state of North Carolina. So when I began to participate in youth culinary competitions, which were local events sponsored by our pork council, we’d often get pork tenderloin in our mystery baskets (yes, the same kind you see on Chopped!). I think of this pork cut as a great blank canvas, perfect for rubs and marinades. But because it’s so lean—as lean as skinless chicken breast—the challenge is not to overcook it. And you don’t have to: Advances in pork processing have eliminated the foodborne disease trichinosis, fear of which had been ingrained in people for generations. The USDA says it’s fine to cook pork to an internal temperature of 145° (no less, though!). If you don’t already have one, get an instant-read meat thermometer, and always test before you take the meat—any meat you’re cooking—away from the heat source. A tenderloin usually weighs just over a pound, so plan on one tenderloin for every two or three dinner servings.

  • The Olive Oil Hunter News 10.10.2020 Pork Tenderloin With Pineapple Salsa

    The acidity of the pineapple salsa works really well with the grilled pork. The salsa gets a flavor boost from aji amarillo, literally translated as “yellow pepper.” Amarillo is a fruity, medium-heat chile that’s popular in South America but rarely seen in US stores. You can buy it in paste form on Amazon—Inca’s Food is a great brand and also makes the terrific but much hotter aji panca.

    Ingredients

    For the salsa:

    • 1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into ¼” dice 
    • 1 cup diced yellow, red and/or orange bell pepper 
    • 2 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and thinly sliced
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 
    • 1 or 2 red or green jalapeños (depending on how much heat you want), stemmed, seeded and finely diced 
    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, with a fruity profile if possible
    • 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) rice wine vinegar 
    • 4 teaspoons aji amarillo paste
    • 1 to 2 teaspoons honey 

    For the Pork:

    • 2 pork tenderloins, each about 1-1/4 pounds
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Garlic salt 
    • Freshly ground black pepper

    Directions

    Step One

    Place all the salsa ingredients in a medium bowl and stir gently with a rubber spatula. Cover and refrigerate. The salsa can be made up to 4 hours ahead. Note: If fresh pineapple is unavailable, you can use frozen, no-sugar-added pineapple chunks, thawed and cut into dice.

    Step Two

    When you’re ready to cook, light your grill and set it up for direct grilling. Preheat to medium high. Brush and oil the grill grate.

    Step Three

    Prep each tenderloin by removing any silverskin, the strip of tough connective tissue that runs the length of the tenderloin. Use the tip of a fillet knife to lift up one end, which you can then hold on to as you move the blade under the rest of the strip to separate it from the meat; discard. Rub each tenderloin on all sides with olive oil. Season with the garlic salt and black pepper. 

    Step Four

    Arrange the tenderloins on the grill grate and grill for about 3 minutes per side (12 minutes total) until an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 145°F. (The pork will still be slightly pink.) Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into medallions and shingle on a platter. Serve the pineapple salsa on the side. 

    Note: As an alternative, you can sear the tenderloins in olive oil in an oven-safe skillet until they’re nicely browned, then transfer the skillet to a 350°F oven to finish for about 15 minutes.

    Yields 6 to 8 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Chile and Chile Peppers

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Chile Peppers

Chances are that when you think of chiles and chile peppers, you think of their heat, a direct reflection of their capsaicin content. While that’s certainly true of many varieties, from cayenne to Scotch bonnets, some have more sweetness, which adds depth to a dish without setting your mouth on fire. These are the ones I often choose because I have to protect my palate for the hundreds of olive oil tastings I do year-round. Fresh serranos, jalapeños, poblanos and banana peppers are my fresh go-to favorites.

I also love the smokiness of dried peppers. (A great resource is the spice purveyor Penzeys.com.) Here again, there are varieties that are milder than others. Most of the heat is in the ribs and the seeds—with dried peppers, it’s very easy to shake them out if you don’t want to incorporate them in your dish. According to the Scoville Heat Units Scale, the index used to gauge the pungency of peppers, ancho chiles are among the mildest, at 2,000 units. More of my favorites are the very rich and complex guajillo, the name for dried mirasol peppers; the deep-flavored cascabel, named for the rattle that the seeds make; and smoky chipotle peppers, which are dried jalapeños, all at 5,000 units or less. From there, the heat escalates pretty quickly with the cayenne-like chile de arbol, Indian Guntur sannam, Pakistani dundicut and Tien Tsin (also called Chinese red) pepper, all of which can reach 50,000 units. There are others that top a million! You can check the heat factor of hundreds of peppers at scovillescale.org.

Quick Kitchen Hack: If you grow your own fresh peppers or buy an abundance at a farmers market, they’re extremely easy to freeze, and they’ll last through to next summer. Rinse them if needed, dry thoroughly, and then place whole on a cookie sheet in the freezer. When they’re frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe, resealable plastic bag, label it, and place in the freezer.

Healthy Kitchen Tip: Preparing Chiles and Chile Peppers Safely

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Preparing Peppers Safely

If you’ve ever touched your eyes, lips or nostrils after seeding a pepper, you know that soap-and-water handwashing isn’t enough to get the stinging oils off your fingertips. When doing pepper prep, wearing gloves, preferably rubber gloves, is a must. Also, before you start, place a piece of wax or parchment paper on your cutting board to keep it from absorbing the capsaicin. Next, split the peppers in half lengthwise, cut out the stems, and use a small spoon or the tip of a knife to scrape out the seeds and the ribs onto the paper. When you’re done, slide the seeds, ribs and stems into your compost bin or just fold up everything in the paper and throw it away. While still wearing the gloves, use cool water (hot water can disperse the capsaicin in its steam) and dish soap to clean them and then let them air-dry.

For Your Best Health: Capsaicin found in chiles and chile peppers

For Your Best Health

Capsaicin

Chiles and chile peppers have been cultivated and enjoyed for thousands of years, but the benefits of their capsaicin go far beyond the kitchen. As an antioxidant and antibacterial compound, capsaicin may help stave off infections and improve digestion. Based on studies done at Purdue University, there’s some evidence that a sprinkle of red pepper like cayenne helps curb hunger and leads to a higher calorie burn rate. (I like to add it to my morning coffee…renowned  chocolatier Jacques Torres puts chipotle along with ancho chili powder in his “Wicked Hot Chocolate.”)

Capsaicin is considered an irritant and, despite this sounding counterintuitive, many people use it topically to manage pain from arthritis and similar conditions. That’s because it first excites and then lowers the intensity of pain signals. Skin creams and gels with capsaicin are as close as your local drugstore. Follow all package directions and wear disposable gloves to apply. Of course, talk to your doctor before trying it to make sure it’s safe for you. There’s also a high-dose skin patch available by prescription to treat serious nerve pain.

Fitness Flash: High Fiber Foods and Breast Cancer

Fitness Flash

High Fiber Foods and Breast Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an appropriate time to highlight foods that may help decrease breast cancer risk. Some research has found benefits from eating a diet high in vegetables, fruit and calcium-rich dairy and low in processed meats. These are great guidelines for heart and overall health, too. According to a study review published in Cancer, a journal of the American Cancer Society, there’s a positive connection between high-fiber foods and a lower risk of breast cancer. In addition to fruits and vegetables, all types of whole grains, legumes and many nuts and seeds are great fiber sources. Another cancer-fighting step is to replace saturated fats with plant-based fats such as avocado—a great swap for mayo when mashed—and, of course, olive oil.

Get More News & Recipes In Your Inbox!

The Olive Oil Hunter News #2

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Mediterranean Chicken Wing Recipe with Healthy Ingredients, Spotlight on Cumin and Garlic, Bone Health and Social Media

As fall gears up, I love to get in the kitchen and revisit recipes from around the world. Sharing them with you and highlighting super-healthy ingredients are very important to me because this message is so important: Delicious food can, and should be, healthy food…and healthy food can be delicious! Whether you follow the Mediterranean diet, have adopted a Keto or Paleo plan, or are vegetarian or vegan, once you have access to a repertoire of great recipes with fresh pressed olive oil, you can tailor them to your diet by swapping healthy ingredients as needed. Below you’ll find my favorite alternative chicken wing recipe.

Let’s get cooking with…

Piri-Piri Drumsticks with Blue Cheese Dip

You don’t have to be a football fanatic to love sports bar food like Buffalo hot wings, named for the city that lays claim to them. I like to indulge not only by recreating this favorite dish at home, but also by elevating it with an alternative chicken wing recipe with fresh pressed olive oil that switches from wings to drumsticks—more meat!—glazed with piri-piri, a Portuguese chile sauce available in larger supermarkets or online.

  • The Olive Oil Hunter Newsletter Vol. 1 Piri-Piri Drumsticks with Blue Cheese Dip

    Nando’s Peri-Peri Sauce is my go-to brand (both spellings are correct!). For the blue cheese dip, the ultimate is Cabrales, an artisanal blue from Asturias, Spain. And for even more flavor, I’m replacing celery sticks with fresh fennel. The only prep work—still fast and easy—is the marinade for the drumsticks. Since they need time to absorb all the spices, I like to do this early in the day.

    Ingredients

    For the drumsticks

    • 2 tablespoons pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika) 
    • 2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
    • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard 
    • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground fennel seed
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
    • 12 meaty chicken drumsticks
    • Extra virgin olive oil 
    • Large fennel bulb

    For the glaze

    • 3 tablespoons butter
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1/2 cup Nando’s Peri-Peri Sauce or your favorite hot sauce
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

    For the dip

    • 1/2 cup crumbled Cabrales or other artisanal blue cheese 
    • 3/4 cup sour cream
    • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or cream (optional) 
    • Extra virgin olive oil

    Directions

    Step One

    Combine the pimentón and other spices in a small bowl. Place the drumsticks in a large bowl (or a large resealable plastic bag) and coat them with olive oil. Add the spice mixture and use your hands to distribute it evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.

    Step Two

    To cook, preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then top with a wire rack. Oil the rack and arrange the drumsticks on it. Bake until cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes, turning once or twice with tongs. (Alternatively, you can grill the drumsticks.) 

    Step Three

    While the chicken is cooking, make the dip and the glaze. For the dip, mash the blue cheese in a bowl with a fork. Whisk in the sour cream, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce. If desired, thin with the milk or cream. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil.

    Step Four

    For the glaze, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the piri-piri sauce and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. When the drumsticks are cooked through, remove from the oven, brush on all sides with the glaze, and return to the oven for 5 minutes to set. 

    Step Five

    To plate, trim the fennel bulb, reserving the feathery fronds. Cut in half lengthwise, remove the core, and then slice each half into small wedges. Arrange them on a platter with the drumsticks, garnish with the fronds, and serve with the dip.

    Yields 4 appetizers or 2 hearty main dish servings. ​

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Cumin

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Earthy Cumin

Cumin, the seed of the Cuminum cyminum plant, is a relative of caraway, fennel and parsley and has been used in medicine and cooking for over 4,000 years. Originally found in Egypt, cumin was introduced to the Mediterranean region and Asia (notably India and China) before being brought to the Americas by the Portuguese and Spaniards. Its earthy flavor adds a unique richness to dishes, and it’s a mainstay in countless cuisines…from Indian curries and chutneys to Moroccan tagines to Mexican salsas and moles. Buy cumin in seed form. When a recipe calls for ground cumin, do it yourself in a spice grinder.

Healthy Kitchen Tip: Garlic and Allicin

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Garlic’s Key Enzyme: Allicin

Eating garlic every day is one of the tastiest ways to enhance your health. To maximize garlic’s benefits, whenever you chop or crush cloves, wait 15 minutes before adding to a recipe. That’s the time it takes for a key enzyme to trigger allicin, one of many compounds in garlic that help fight heart disease, inflammation and damage from oxidative stress. For the greatest benefits, eat garlic raw, as in salad dressings, or minimally cooked, like in a fast stir-fry.

For Your Best Health: Selenium

For Your Best Health

Selenium for Bone Health

When it comes to bone health, most of us think of calcium and vitamin D. But another needed nutrient is the trace mineral selenium. New research shows that a shortage could lead to problems including increased bone turnover, reduced bone mineral density and a higher risk for bone disease. Selenium is also important for reproductive health, proper thyroid hormone function, and combating oxidative damage and infections. All it takes is 55 micrograms a day. You can get about that much from 1.5 ounces of yellowfin tuna, 3 ounces of halibut, 4 ounces of shrimp or sardines, 7 ounces of light meat chicken or just one Brazil nut—a crazy-rich source!

Fitness Flash: Screen Time and Stress

Fitness Flash

Screen Time and Increased Stress

There’s no doubt that we’re all spending more and more time on social media and tapping into streaming services, sometimes as a way to cope with stress or as an antidote to physical distancing. But these are trends that started long before the pandemic. Problem is, excessive screen time can take a toll on emotional and physical health. It can actually increase stress thanks to bad news overload and lead to weight gain, sleep disorders and even addiction to social media or other outlets, like computer games or online gambling. 

According to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the takeaway is that media in general and social networks in particular can help you cope when they provide support and fact-based, positive information and when you steer clear of both sensationalized and false news. Also, put exercise in your playbook—it can work wonders on stress, anxiety and insomnia as well as give you a break from day-to-day problems.

Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!