Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Summer 2018 Page 4

“Finger Burner” Lamb Chops

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Sometimes called “lollipop” chops, you can serve these diminutive chops hot off the grill (or grill pan) while they are still piping hot—thus the name.

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch fresh rosemary
  • 16 lamb rib chops, bones frenched
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse sea salt and cracked or freshly ground black peppercorns
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons hot pepper flakes
  • 3 to 4 lemons, cut in half crosswise and seeded
  • Pickled cherry peppers, for serving (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Strip enough rosemary leaves off the bunch to obtain 3 tablespoons when finely chopped. Tie the remaining rosemary sprigs together at the stem end.

Step 2

Season the chops on both sides with the salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, and hot pepper flakes. Drizzle olive oil over the chops and pat the flavorings into the meat. Brush the lemon halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to high. Leave a third of the grill fire-free as a safety zone. Brush and oil the grill grate.

Step 4

Arrange the lamb chops on the grate in a neat row; place the lemons, cut side down, on the grate. Grill until the lamb chops and lemons are sizzling and browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the lemons to a platter. Turn the chops and continue grilling until cooked to taste. If flare-ups occur, move the chops to the safety zone.

Step 5

Transfer the chops to a platter or plates. Squeeze the lemon halves over them. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Garnish with cherry peppers, if desired.

Serves 6 as an appetizer; 4 as a main course Recipe adapted from Project Fire by Steven Raichlen (Workman 2018)

Rigatoni with Swordfish, Capers, and Olives

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

With over 2,500 miles of Pacific coastline, Chilean fish markets teem with pristinely fresh catches. Feel free to substitute salmon for swordfish if desired.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless swordfish steaks, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 3 tablespoons drained brined capers
  • 1/4 cup meaty green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
  • 4 teaspoons chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • 1 pound rigatoni or other tube-shaped pasta
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
  • Fresh lemon juice

Directions

Step 1

Season the fish with salt and pepper. In a very large skillet, warm 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook, without moving, until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. (Avoid overcrowding the pan.) Transfer the fish to a platter and set aside.

Step 2

In the same skillet, warm the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the capers and fry until they start to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the olives, garlic, fennel seeds, and hot red pepper flakes and cook until everything is toasty and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan. Remove from the heat.

Step 3

In a large pot of well-salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to the package instructions until 2 minutes shy of al dente; drain.

Step 4

Toss the pasta into the skillet with the caper mixture, along with the swordfish. Cook over medium heat until the pasta is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes, adding more water if the sauce seems dry. Stir in the parsley and mint and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Step 5

Divide the pasta among four individual serving plates or bowls and finish each with a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from Franny’s: Simple Seasonal Italian by Andrew Feinberg (Artisan 2013)

Mediterranean Diet Is Linked to Higher Muscle Mass, Bone Density after Menopause

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Reprinted from an article by the Endocrine Society, March 20, 2018.

The heart-healthy Mediterranean diet also appears to be good for an older woman’s bones and muscles, a new study of postmenopausal women in Brazil finds. The study results were presented Monday, March 26, at ENDO 2018, the Endocrine Society’s 100th annual meeting in Chicago.

The researchers reported finding higher bone mass and muscle mass in postmenopausal women who adhered to a Mediterranean diet than in those who did not. This way of eating involves a high intake of fruits and vegetables, grains, potatoes, olive oil and seeds; moderately high fish intake; low saturated fat, dairy, and red meat consumption; and regular but moderate drinking of red wine. The Mediterranean diet has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and certain other chronic diseases.

Few studies, however, are available about the Mediterranean diet and its effects on body composition after menopause, said the study’s lead investigator, Thais Rasia Silva, Ph.D., a postdoctoral student at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. This information is important, she said, because menopause, with its decline in estrogen, speeds a woman’s loss of bone mass, increasing her risk of the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis and broken bones. In addition, menopause and aging reduce muscle mass. Silva said declines in skeletal muscle mass and strength in older people are major contributors to increased illness, reduced quality of life and higher death rates.

Silva and her co-workers conducted their study in 103 healthy women from southern Brazil, who had an average age of 55 and who had gone through menopause 5.5 years earlier, on average. All women underwent bone scans to measure their bone mineral density, total body fat, and appendicular lean mass, which was used to estimate skeletal muscle mass. The subjects also completed a food questionnaire about what they ate in the past month.

A higher Mediterranean diet score (MDS), meaning better adherence to the Mediterranean diet, was significantly associated with higher bone mineral density measured at the lumbar spine and with greater muscle mass, Silva reported. This association, she said, was independent of whether the women used hormone therapy previously, their prior smoking behavior, or their current level of physical activity, as measured by wearing a pedometer for six days.

“We found that the Mediterranean diet could be a useful nonmedical strategy for the prevention of osteoporosis and fractures in postmenopausal women,” Silva said. Given the many health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, Silva added, “Postmenopausal women, especially those with low bone mass, should ask their doctor whether they might benefit from consuming this dietary pattern.”