I find a bottle of extra virgin olive oil on nearly every cafe and restaurant table I visit in Spain - which is what I expected from the world's largest producer! What I didn't expect was that just about everything I eat these days, except for ice cream, tastes better when I season it with EVOO. It's a perfect time of year to get excited about using more EVOO because the 2019 harvest of olives and production of oil is about to begin in Mediterranean countries like Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Turkey, and others. November, December, and January is the time to shake the olives down from … [Read more...] about 10 Ways to Season Your Food with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Simple Ingredients Make Great Flavors in Tomato and Basil Soup
If you think seriously about flavor, there are certain food pairs that work together in perfect harmony. For example, tomatoes and basil. There are many Mediterranean recipes that combine tomatoes with basil - and, almost always there's some extra virgin olive oil included, too. Here's an easy-to-make soup that works all year round, hot or cold. Out of fresh tomato season (fall, winter, spring,) use canned tomatoes for the best results and dried basil. In fresh tomato season (summer) get the best flavor by using both canned tomatoes and fresh ones, along with a big handful of fresh basil … [Read more...] about Simple Ingredients Make Great Flavors in Tomato and Basil Soup
A Tasty Little Marinade for Chicken, Steak, Seafood and Veggies
Since so many of us enjoy a dinner from the grill, here's an easy and tasty marinade recipe to love. I see two big advantages to having a go-to marinade recipe. The first is that marinating chicken or steak or fish or shrimp forces us to have a plan for dinner hours ahead of time - when marinating ideally begins. The second is that having a trusted recipe on hand erases the worry of how the final flavor will turn out -- it's always a big success. Here is a marinade that fits just about everything that's a protein food. For veggies, it works as a delicious brush-on-when-grilling … [Read more...] about A Tasty Little Marinade for Chicken, Steak, Seafood and Veggies
Plant Proteins and 3 Easy Mediterranean Meals
Plant proteins are all the buzz - and they are a perfect start to designing quick, easy, and affordable Mediterranean meals. As a registered dietitian, my job is to assist, encourage, and teach clients all about food and nutrition in a customized-individualized way. I ask questions to learn about a new client's current nutrition, meals, and snack habits, and I find out about their medical and lifestyle issues that can be impacted by nutrition in a positive way. One of the questions my clients ask most often these days is about plant proteins. When they ask, I explain how handy plant proteins … [Read more...] about Plant Proteins and 3 Easy Mediterranean Meals
Olive Oil or Butter: Which is Better Nutrition and 7 Ideas for Using It
Have you ever wondered if extra virgin olive oil or butter is a better choice nutritionally? If you have, here's the answer! There is a difference between these two common fats. In fact, you might expect differences because these two fats come from very different sources. Extra virgin olive oil comes from the fruit of a plant, the olive. And, butter comes from cream, a by-product of an animal. So, yes they are different nutritionally. A Comparison of the Saturated Fat in Extra Virgin Olive Oil versus Butter One important difference between plant (olive) and animal (butter) fats is … [Read more...] about Olive Oil or Butter: Which is Better Nutrition and 7 Ideas for Using It
Cinnamon Mandarinas with Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a Recipe from Spain
Here's a dessert recipe that will tickle your taste buds as it protects your body and brain from oxidative stress, inflammation, and aging. These sound like impossible claims, right? In fact, by combining the nutrition of a sweet, juicy, high fiber tangerine-mandarina (or orange) with the nutrition of delicious extra virgin olive oil, the health benefits are amazing. Vitamin C in the citrus fruit is a powerful antioxidant that can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation throughout the body. High quality, fresh extra virgin olive oil is a superhero of the Mediterranean-DASH Diet meal pattern … [Read more...] about Cinnamon Mandarinas with Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a Recipe from Spain