Cooking Healthy with European Olive Oil

This is a sponsored post. I have been a fan of olive oil for years. I use Olive Oil almost every day. Whether it's in my cooking or even my baking.

I've even made my famous Easy Chocolate Chip Banana bread with olive oil and it tastes pretty good. If you want to know how good using olive oil can be for you and your family, keep reading.

How to find the right olive oil for you and your family

Did you know that European olive oil has its own unique flavors? There are so many different types of Extra Virgin olive oils to choose from. You can find a mix of sweet or spicy, or even bitter and fruity extra-virgin olive oil's. Every Olive oil producer takes pride in blending as a part of the oil-making process so that you don't get just any old olive oil. Mixes and blends of olive oils bring out great flavors in your food that are often buttery, peppery, or even tropical to produce interesting flavors.

Olives harvested early in the season (August) are under-ripe and produce a green or more bitter and pungent olive oil. While are olives harvested at the end of the season (December) are overripe and taste buttery and mild. Spanish olive oils are golden yellow and have a fruity, nutty flavor. Italian olive oil is often dark green in color and has a herbal aroma and grassy flavor. Greek olive oil is green and strong and flavor and aroma. French olive oil is pale in color and mild tasting.

Why Choose European Olive Oil

Over thousands of years the Olive tree has been revered in Europe and the result is a centuries-old love that produces some of the finest extra-virgin olive oil that can be found in the world.











Ways I use olive oil extra Virgin olive oil

*Use olive oil instead of butter in your baking. I make a delicious chocolate chip banana bread and sometimes I swap out the butter for olive oil. Plus it's perfect for people who have dairy allergies and I often use it while making birthday cakes.

*Another way I use extra-virgin olive oil is in salad dressings. I add a bit of balsamic vinegar, herbs, and seasonings and make my own citrus dressing or balsamic vinaigrette. It's fresh and tastes so much better than store-bought salad dressing.

*Of course I use it to saute my vegetables and have done so for years. You can even fry in olive oil too. They can handle heat up to 400° without smoking and will add a delicious flavor to your meal.

*Use olive oil to dip your bread into. The flavorful oils make this a tasty way to enjoy your favorite baguette.

*In the picture above I chopped up a Roma tomato added minced garlic, along with dried basil and just a splash of balsamic vinaigrette to create a delicious dip for my bread. You can use this tomato mixture to also make bruschetta as well.

Do you like to cook with Extra Virgin Olive Oil?