nataliebrwn-blog

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How can we use Olive Oil?

5 years ago I thought that I could use Olive Oil while cooking Greek salad. Today I know much more, and I want to tell you about all ways of Olive Oil use.

1.   Cooking: searing, sautéing, frying, grilling, roasting, preparing soups and sauces.

2.   Baking. We can bake vegetables, meats and even desserts.

3.   No-cooking. We can use Olive oil as a pasta topping or salad dressing.

4.   Marinating. Olive Oil is used as an excellent base for marinades containing protein-dissolving enzymes that do. Experiment with different marinates.

Now you are more equipped with awesome cuisine ideas and I hope you have a huge fantasy for your divine dishes.

Sources:

https://living.thebump.com/olive-oil-tenderize-meat-9059.html

https://essentials.bertolli.com/types-of-olive-oil/

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Creamy Pesto Pasta Recipes

         Everyone knows that the pesto pasta takes an important place on a pasta-lovers tasty list. This kind of pasta is juicy, glossy and is bursting with fresh flavour. For sure the main ingredient of this delightful dish is a Pesto sauce. So, this time, I want to present to you some cool ideas of Pesto pasta. But let's start from the history of Pesto sauce.

         Pesto is a sauce originating in Genoa (Italy). It originated around the 16th century and traditionally consists of crushed garlic, basil and pine nuts blended with Parmesan cheese and olive oil.

         Here my 2 favourite recipes of making a mouth-watering Pesto sauce:

1.    Easy Vegan Pesto Pasta

INGREDIENTS

1 packed cup of basil

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 small cloves of garlic

3 tbsp Bertolli Olive Oil olive oil

the juice of 1 small lemon

1/2 cup sunflower seeds + a generous pinch of salt to a blender or food processor.

INSTRUCTIONS

·       Add 1 packed cup of basil, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 2 small cloves of garlic, 3 tbsp Bertolli Olive Oil, the juice of 1 small lemon, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds + a generous pinch of salt to a blender or food processor

·       Pulse together until you’ve reached your desired consistency

·       Blistered some cherry tomatoes by adding them to a pan with a splash of water

·       Covering with a lid

·       Let it cook for about 5 minutes before pushing them down to pop with a spoon

2.    CREAMY PESTO PASTA RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

· 1 cup of Basil Pesto

·  2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

·  1/4 cup heavy cream

·  salt and pepper to taste

·  1 pound favorite pasta, cooked

INSTRUCTIONS

1.    Heat olive oil over medium heat.

2.    Add pesto and mix into the oil. Be sure to stir often as the pesto warms.

3.    When the pesto is warmed and just a little bubbly, slowly stream in the heavy cream as you stir. (You can always add more cream it you'd like.)

4.    Add some pasta water to thin out the sauce, if needed.

5.    Turn down the heat and continue to stir to incorporate the cream and pesto. Salt and pepper to taste.

           Generally speaking, Pesto is incredible with pasta, but you can also add it to sandwiches, salads, or as a dip.

Enjoy!

Sources:

https://splendidrecipesandmore.com/2015/03/11/the-history-of-pesto-sauce/

https://www.oliviersandco.com/pesto-originated

https://essentials.bertolli.com/healthy-recipes/

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Children-Friendly cookies ideas

       Children usually need a lot of energy. To make them full of beans here you can find some good children-friendly recipes. They are very quick and simple to make.

Olive Oil Almond Cookies

https://essentials.bertolli.com/easy-desserts/

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 egg

3/4 cup coconut sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 3/4 cup almond flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate     or chocolate chips

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.    Whisk olive oil, egg, coconut sugar and vanilla together until smooth.

3.    Stir in the dry ingredients until everything is well combined, then fold in chocolate chips.

4.    Scoop dough out into about 1.5 tbsp sized balls (roll with your hands to make them smooth).

5.    Leave room between each cookie for them to spread while baking.

6.    Bake for 11-12 minutes.

7.    Allow to cool before serving or cookies will be fragile.

Oaty energy cookies

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2389639/oaty-energy-cookies

Ingredients:

·       50g ready-to-eat dried apricot

·       50g soft butter

·       50g light brown sugar

·       2 tbsp condensed milk (look for it in tubes)

·       50g rolled oats

·       85g self-raising flour

Directions

8. Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Using children’s scissors, cut the apricots into small pieces.

9. Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat well with a wooden spoon. Use very soft butter to make it easy for young wrists to beat the butter and sugar together. Add the condensed milk, beat well, then add the oats and apricots, and mix well again. Finally, add the flour and mix until it starts to disappear – you can use your hands to mix it, too.

10. Bring the dough together into one big ball, then break into 6 equal-sized lumps (this ensures the cookies bake at the same time). Roll each into a ball, then squash onto the baking parchment with the palm of your hand.

11. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden on the edges. Leave to cool on the tray. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

       Add these gorgeous cookies recipes to your private collection of good food ideas.

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Struggling with the sleep deprivation

The problem of sleep deprivation discussed so much. Modern haste becomes annoying for human and along with the avalanche of information it causes sleep disorders. In its turn, Bad sleep aggravates our quality of life, makes us feel groggy the next day and may even be linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. So what to do if the sleep quality is really poor? Here some methods which show their best in practice.

Most psychologists advise guided meditations - sleeping exercises and relaxing stories about visiting beautiful places (meadows) for some peaceful time in your life. No haste, just rest, as you drift off into tranquility. This way is the most available, there are a lot of podcasts on the Internet.

Some scientists asserted that we can use small doses of sleep aids. For example, one of the popular is Glycine. It influences the better sleep. It was an experiment and as a result:

·      Subjects fall asleep quicker

·      Enter deep sleep more quickly

·      Improved memory the next day

·      Less daytime sleepiness.

So, only you can decide which method to choose, personally, I use a meditation before the sleep, I always put my phone away and use a smart clock to wake up in a right moment. As well some exercises before the sleep help me to fall asleep quicker and have a deeper sleep during the night.

Sources:

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/5-signs-your-sleep-quality-poor-and-how-fix-it

https://www.meditainment.com/meditation-for-falling-asleep

https://www.functional-medicine.associates/glycine/

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How olive oil is made

Olive oil is known is one of the healthiest fats and products of daily consumption.  Although started as a salad dressing it now surpassed to all and every type of cooking. Nowadays, with olive oil we can cook, we can grill, we can fry and we can bake. But, how olive oi is made play an important role in what product we eventually consume. 

So, to start with, a huge part in olive oil production play different types of olives that olive oil manufactures use for their olive oil. In terms of location, they can vary from Spain, Portugal, Greece, Latam, etc.

Most commonly used olives are:

·        Hojiblanca from Spain

·        Cornicabra from Spain

·        Arbequina from Spain and Portugal

·        Cobrançosa from Portugal

·        Koroneiki from Greece

·        Athinolia from Greece

·        Coratina from Italy, Argentina and Peru

·        Frantoio from Italy and Argentina

·        Ogliarola from Italy

·        Kalamata from Greece

·        Castelvetrano from Italy

·        Gordal from Spain

Sources: https://essentials.bertolli.com/organic-olive-oil/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/guide-to-olive-varieties.html

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Why mouth washes never lead you to a Healthy Smile?

How many times you have used mouthwash to make efficient oral hygiene? This article may probably you disappoint, but mouthwash is not an efficient way to a healthy smile.

Everything is simple. Our body is smarter then we think. There are millions of bacteria live in it. But these bacteria allow our body to maintain its immune system. Positive bacteria can defend us from illnesses.

Talking about oral hygiene, we know some tools that we used to: brushing, flossing, mouth washes. But if the first two categories cope with rests of food that positively influenced hygiene as this food decomposes with the time. The last option – mouthwashes wipe out microbial diversity of our mouth decreasing our body resistance to microbes. In other words, we become more attractive to Gum disease.

So, we can’t forbid the use of mouthwashes, but reducing its use we will ameliorate our microbial diversity and become owners of healthy smiles.

Sources:

https://www.functional-medicine.associates/gum-disease-treatment/

https://www.dayafterindia.com/2017/11/24/using-mouthwash-regularly-may-trigger-diabetes-risk/

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Light dishes for any time of the day

 Have you ever noticed that food influences your mood as well as your state during the day? Heavy food causes bad digestion, unhealthy appetite and other problems. For this reason, here you can see my list of dishes that are perfect for any time of day.

The first one seems to be the best option for each person: adult / child. As it has a right balance of proteins and carbohydrates. By the way it’s easy to cook and looks so appetizing:

·      Fried Eggs over Polenta

https://essentials.bertolli.com/easy-meals-with-olive-oil/

Ingredients:

Polenta cooked according to     package directions

Four eggs

Bertolli Extra     Virgin Olive Oil

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese,     optional

Directions:

1.    Place a skillet over medium heat and pour in three Tbsp. Bertolli Olive Oil

2.    Once Bertolli Olive Oil is fully heated (it should seem like it’s “shimmering” in the pan), crack in eggs. Season with salt and pepper

3.    While eggs cook, transfer warm polenta to a serving bowl

4.    Cook eggs until whites are set and yolk is still soft. Place the eggs over the polenta, drizzling with some of the oil

5.    Sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano and serve immediately

The next one is not yield the previous recipe. It’s also simple to make and deliciously flavorful:

·      Pot Chicken and Saffron Rice

https://www.errenskitchen.com/chicken-and-saffron-rice/

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken or     vegetable stock

a good-sized pinch of saffron threads

2-3 tablespoons butter

1 medium     onion chopped

2 celery stalks finely     chopped

1 Cup leftover or     cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces

2 Cups long grain     rice

A handful of flat leaf     parsley chopped

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1.    Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan; add the saffron and leave to infuse.

2.    Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and sweat the onion and celery until softened but not colored.

3.    Add the rice stir until it's coated with the oil.

4.    Add the stock and bring to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste.

5.    Reduce the heat, stir and leave to cook covered for 15 - 20 minutes until the rice is Al dente and the liquid is absorbed.

6.    Fluff the rice.

7.    Stir in the chicken and parsley and allow it to warm through the heat of the rice.

8.    Serve hot.

The next recipe is for those who appreciate the view of the food they consume. Straightforward to make as well. This recipe drives all to the Middle East. But in order to make it more healthier I used to bake it instead of frying.

·      Falafel Recipe

https://www.recipetineats.com/falafel-recipe/

Ingredients:

·       Flour

·       Cumin

·       Coriander

·       Green onion

·       Baking powder

·       Garlic

·       Salt

·       Parsley

·       Dried chickpeas

·       Water

Directions:

1.    Soak dried chickpeas overnight Blitz with herbs, spices, garlic, flour and a touch of water

2.    Form balls, refrigerate to firm up

3.    Fry until deep golden brown and super crispy

4.    Devour as fast as humanly possible. Falafels are at their absolute peak straight out of the fryer!

So, healthy food is not only about fruits and vegetables, but about all other variety of tasty ingredients as well. Enjoy your meal and be healthy!

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Simple recipes to treat yourself in a hot day

Hot weather makes me exhausted and kills my appetite.  What I can eat is really light food that is low in calories and easy to prepare.  

First and my favorite is Grostini. I usually eat it before going at work. So, if you like tomatoes and want to taste something spicy, this recipe is definitely for you.

Roasted Tomato Crostini

https://essentials.bertolli.com/easy-healthy-recipes/

Ingredients:

2 pints     cherry tomatoes

7 whole     garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. red     pepper flakes

pepper to     taste

¼ cup plus 1     Tbsp. BertolliExtra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp. fresh     thyme leaves

1 medium     baguette, sliced

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 400°F.

2.     In a medium bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves, salt, red pepper flakes, pepper and olive oil.

3.     Pour on a sheet tray and roast tomatoes for 20 minutes, or until soft.

4.     While tomatoes roast, combine remaining olive oil and fresh thyme in a medium bowl.

5.     Once tomatoes are finished, toss with the olive oil thyme dressing. Spoon tomatoes over baguette slices; serve immediately.

The second one is for the avocado-lover. It’s also so easy to cook but more nutritional.

   Avocado Egg Toast

https://www.lightworkers.com/healthy-avocado-snacks/   (5)

Ingredients:

toasted     gluten-free bread

avocado

soft boiled     egg

salt/pepper

Directions:

1.     Simply spread mashed avocado onto toasted bread.

2.     Slice your soft boiled egg, laying it on top of the bread.

3.     Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

The next one is my own foodie heaven. It’s really interesting mix of ingredients and the taste is incredible. Nice idea for brunch.

Smoked Salmon Crostini

https://www.thespruceeats.com/smoked-salmon-crostini-4159600

Ingredients

1     french baguette

2 tablespoons     extra virgin olive oil

15     ounces ricotta cheese (fina style if possible)

2 tablespoons     chives (finely chopped)

2 tablespoons     parsley (finely chopped)

2     tablespoons dill (finely     chopped)

1/2 lemon     (juiced)

To taste:     salt and pepper

4 ounces of     smoked salmon (wild-caught)

Directions:

1.       Gather the ingredients.

2.        Preheat the oven to 400 F.

3.       Slice the french baguette on an angle into 1/4-inch slices. Place them on a baking sheet. They can lay close together, but don't have them overlap. 

4.       Use a pastry brush to brush the olive oil over each baguette slice. If you don't have a pastry brush you can also drizzle the olive oil over the slices. 

5.       Bake in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch them closely to make sure they don't burn. 

6.       Remove the baguette slices from the oven and allow them to cool on a cooling rack.  While they are cooling, whip together the ricotta cheese, chopped herbs, and lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you are planning on making these crostini ahead of time, then place the ricotta mixture into the refrigerator and place the cooled baguette slices in a plastic bag until you are ready to serve. 

7.       Slice or separate the smoked salmon into baguette slice sized portions. 

8.       Place a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture onto each baguette slice. Top with a slice of smoked salmon and garnish with a small sprig of dill. 

9.       Serve with extra lemon and enjoy immediately!  

So, enjoy your meal all the time!

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Tips on how to maintain a healthy life in a big city

If you are ambitious, smart and know what you want in life – it is likely you are located in one of those big metropolis in the world like New York, London, Dallas, Cape Town, Berlin, etc. This is where the word spins around, right? However, when in the beginning you are all excited and can’t get enough of a life in a big city, after a few years you start you see cons, especially when it comes to your health. Indeed, a contract busy-ness and stress can damage our health big times, and it is not always to easy and cheap to get it back. So, what are the main tips on how to maintain a healthy life style while living in a big city.

         Nutrition 

A healthy nutrition will be one of the main aspects in this. However, it may come much further than simply healthy food. Balanced nutrition may be quite individual depending on level of stress, habits and genes.    

       Quality Rest

If you are constantly on stress and have very little time for yourself – it a must do – to spend some time away from it. It may be different for each and every one of us depending on our personality and likes/dislikes

      Medical Consultant

It may seem as an outrageous idea at first, but it is hugely important to have an individual consult that regular health checks to assure that your health state is in norm.

  Sources:

https://www.medicaldaily.com/how-does-living-big-city-affect-your-health-425730

https://bestlifeonline.com/city-living-benefits/

https://www.functional-medicine.associates/functional-medicine-london/If you are 

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#oliveoilrancidiity #raciidolliveoil #qualityoliveoil

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How to save olive oil from rancidity

Olive oil is probably not one of the cheapest products out there. And once purchased, it is better to make sure that it stays fresh as long as it is possible. What are the tip to keep the olive oil fresh and make sure it doesn’t go rancid Tip 1 Keep it cool When extra virgin olive oil is exposed to warm temperatures, it begins to oxidize and will eventually turn rancid. Tip 2 Avoid bright light Light, air, and heat all contribute to the degradation of olive oil, she notes, particularly oxygen. The moment you open a bottle of olive oil (just like a bottle of wine), oxygen starts flooding it, and the degradation process begins. Tip 3 Check the Harvest Date Look at the harvest date on the bottle when you buy it. Get the newest bottle available because the shelf life of EVOO is about two years after harvest, even if you store it properly. Tip 4 Don’t buy in bulk Extra virgin olive oil may be one of the few items you don’t want to buy in large quantities — unless, of course, you consume it at a rapid pace. Sources: https://essentials.bertolli.com/olive-oil-4-tips-for-keeping-quality-olive-oil-fresh/ https://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/how-to-know-your-olive-oil-is-rancid-and-how-to-prevent-it

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Top Best dessert with olive oil

No matter an occasion, there must always be something sweet that is on my table. I am a coffee addict but not a normal one, but one of those that enjoy coffee with something sweet on a side, something to make the bitter taste of the coffee a bit sweeter. Yet still, probably not the healthiest way to eating, I try to mix it a bit with some healthy habits and ingredients like olive oil, honey instead of sugar, etc. Here are my top best desserts at the moment, all olive oil recipes, so if you don’t use olive oil for your cooking, I strongly suggest you to start doing so.

1)      Olive Oil Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:

¾ cup almond flour

¾ cup rolled oats

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ cup maple syrup

1 egg, beaten

1 Tbsp. almond butter

2 tsp. vanilla

¾ cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, oats, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, maple syrup, egg, almond butter and vanilla extract.

Pour half of the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Pour in the remaining liquid mixture and mix until no dry patches remain. Fold in raisins.

Scoop onto a baking sheet, leaving space between cookies. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for five minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

 2)      Ligurian Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons or tangerines

 Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 10-inch round cake pan.

Into a medium bowl, sift together the 1 3/4 cups of flour, baking powder and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk the melted butter with the olive oil and milk.

In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar and citrus zest until pale and thickened, about 3 minutes. Alternately beat in the dry and wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and the side pull away from the pan. Transfer the cake to a rack and let cool before serving.

3)      Chocolate Amaretti Cookies with Olive Oil

Ingredients:

2 cups (180g) almond flour or very finely ground almonds, sifted

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

3 tablespoon (15g) Dutch-process cocoa powder powder

pinch salt

2 large egg whites (about 60 grams)

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

confectioners’ sugar, as needed

I add 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into the mix although there is no olive oil the original recipe

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Stack two matching, heavyweight, light to medium colored cookie sheets one inside the other (stacking two cookie sheets together keeps the bottoms of the cookies from getting too brown). Line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, sugar, cocoa and salt until evenly incorporated.

In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites and lemon juice until they hold soft peaks.

Add beaten egg whites and almond extract to dry ingredients and stir until mixture forms a soft, sticky dough, kneading with your hands if necessary. No need to be gentle here, we’re not making macarons. ;)

Lightly dust your hands with powdered sugar. Use a small cookie scoop to portion dough into 1-inch balls. Roll into a smooth ball, then roll in powdered sugar. Arrange on parchment or silicon-lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch of space between cookies.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until tops are cracked and bottoms are just starting to darken (if you are NOT using doubled cookie sheets your cookies will brown much quicker, and will likely only need 25 minutes, so watch them closely). Remove from oven; let cool a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight bag or container for up to 5 days.

  Sources

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/ligurian-olive-oil-cake

https://essentials.bertolli.com/easy-healthy-recipes-olive-oil/

https://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2019/04/chocolate-amaretti-cookies.html