Tips for Cooking With Olive Oil

Olive oil, well known for its ability to reduce levels of cholesterol in blood plasma, has now become increasingly popular as a healthy alternative to the conventional cooking oils. It is thought to mitigate the risk of contracting serious heart ailments, like the Coronary Heart Disease (CHD).

Here are a few valuable tips to follow to cook healthy, delicious food using olive oil.

• Using this oil for marinating poultry, meat, and fish adds a distinct flavor to food.
• For baking, use olive oil instead of butter to lessen the fat content of the food.
• As virgin and extra-virgin grades of this oil are very expensive and also tend to lose their flavor when heated, you should use them only for the preparation of salads, vinaigrette, and dressings. You may also use them to improve flavor or to harmonize the spices in cooked food.
• Tomatoes, wine, vinegar, lime juice, and similar items have a very high content of acid in them. Using olive oil to cook these foods may not be a very good idea as it tends to neutralize acidity and destroy their acidic flavor. So, before using this oil in any recipe, make sure its taste goes well with the used ingredients.
• Delicious appetizers can be prepared using olive oil. Rub a few slices of boiled baguette with finely minced garlic and drizzle 2-3 drops of oil on them. Dips can be made by blending garlic cloves, oil, and white beans in food processor. Use herbs to enhance flavor.

Thus, olive oil is not only good for the health of your heart, but is also a very good taste enhancer, if used in the right recipes.

Kum Martin is an online leading expert in the culinary industry. He also offers top quality articles like:
Holiday Baking Recipes, Butterball Turkey Roasting