Using Olive Oil to make Healthy yet tasty Recipes

by Luessi Dino I am a Writer

Well-known as an excellent source of healthy fats, the olive oil is a very versatile ingredient which when used in everyday recipes helps to elevate their flavor. In fact, while previously used to make salad dressings, sauté vegetables or chicken, today it is being used in many different innovative ways. From smoothies to chocolate spreads, loaf-meat to lobsters, new, exciting and healthy recipes using olive oil is being discovered almost on a daily basis.

Some of the unexpected ways in which olive oil can be incorporated in daily nutrition are:

Smoothies: They are a great way to begin a healthy morning. But the addition of a tablespoon of olive oil helps to enhance the flavor of any smoothie and make it even more appetizing and beneficial.
Chocolate Spread: While making chocolate spread, it is so easy to replace the butter content with olive oil. The flavor, texture and colour remains the same, yet the recipe as a whole becomes healthier and people can gorge on it without feeling guilty.
Croutons: They make an interesting addition to salads and soups. Bread cut into small squares can be tossed in a generous helping of olive oil to make them crisp. When seasoned with sea salt and some thyme and then baked, these home-made croutons are enough to outdo the taste of all store-bought croutons.
Meat-loaf: Olive oil can also be used to season, tenderize and lighten up meat loaf to make it moist, tender and incredibly tasty. The use of this healthy oil for cooking meat loaf helps to increase its nutritional value.
Lobster Accompaniment: Well cooked lobster ringlets can be made even tastier by dipping them in a garlic herb sauce made using olive oil. For this accompaniment, freshly minced garlic and tarragon is mixed with parsley and chives and seasoned with olive oil to come up with an innovative mouth watering recipe.
Bread Spread: Butter is so passé. Making use of olive it is possible to come up with innumerable spreads which can be used along with toasted bread to enhance its flavor. These spreads can also be stored in ceramic ramekins covered with plastic wraps and kept in the refrigerator both to keep it solidified and also to store it for some time.
Ice-cream Innovations: Vanilla ice-cream mixed with a good combination of diced fruits with a drizzle of olive oil makes for a heavenly dessert. In fact if one wants to get a bit more adventurous, the addition of sea-salt and lemon zest completely changes the flavor and makes for a dessert blast.
Corn Tortillas: These are readily available in the markets and can be coupled along with olive oil to make for an interesting tidbit to snack on. These corn tortillas need to be cut into wedges and then tossed in olive oil with paprika enhancing its flavor and adding a bit of spice to it. The coated tortillas then need to be baked to give them a golden crispy look and serve them with any sauce made using olive oil.
Baked Potatoes: This is a very popular and extremely tasty recipe which can be made healthier by substituting the butter with olive oil. The addition of some parsley or Oregon further enhances its flavor.

There are so many different ways of using olive oil in interesting combinations. All it takes is an innovative mind and a healthy zeal to come up with healthy yet tasty low calorie recipes.