Making The Most Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Beyond A Tasty Salad Dressing
Updated 2nd March 2023
Extra virgin olive oil is known for its versatility and health properties when used as a cooking oil. But did you know that a quality extra virgin olive oil can have more wide ranging uses?
Contents:
- The Many Uses of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Olive Oil For The Skin
- Benefits Of Olive Oil For Hair
- Benefits Of Olive Oil In The Morning
- Don’t forget to leave some Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Cooking!
The Many Uses of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
As well as being the best thing you can do for your healthy salad dressing, extra virgin olive oil has a wide range of benefits from cooking to skin care. For example, extra virgin olive oil has healthy monounsaturated fats which can help promote cardiovascular health when used in cooking. It’s also been known to help improve blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol. Beyond cooking, extra virgin olive oil can be cleverly used topically for skin care or for giving your hair an extra boost! With many uses to offer, extra virgin olive oil is an excellent staple item to have in one’s home and pantry–with creative uses ranging far beyond just cooking.
Olive Oil For The Skin
Olive oil works as a natural moisturizer for the skin–its antioxidants helping fight free radicals and improve skin density. The extra nutrition that extra virgin olive oil can provide helps promote overall better complexion and healthier looking skin!
Body scrub: By mixing evoo with coarse salt and orange flower water, it acts as a nurturing body scrub, leaving your skin soft and treated with healthy minerals and vitamins to give your skin the treatment it deserves.
Face: If you suffer from dry skin, extra virgin olive oil penetrates deep into the skin providing needed moisture as well as a shield to protect your skin, keeping it smooth. The oil contains vitamins A and E which is great for protecting your skin from daily tribulations.
Sunburn: With summer in full force and everyone putting on their shorts and flip flops, sunburn is on the cards for many of us Brits. By applying olive oil to sun burn, it in fact speeds up the healing process through its polyphenol compounds which help repair damage to the skin.
Simply adding extra virgin olive oil to your bath can turn an ordinary bath into a moisturizing spa-like experience as its vitamins and fatty acids benefit skin health.
Benefits Of Olive Oil For Hair
Olive oil is an ancient, natural beauty secret recommended by many experts. From extra virgin olive oil to infused variations, this liquid gold packs a serious punch when it comes to hair care.
Rich in vitamins A, D and E and fatty acids, extra virgin olive oil contains powerful antioxidants that protect the scalp from free radicals and deep nourishes the hair cuticles, resulting in shinier and softer locks. In addition to sealing cuticles for smoothness, extra virgin olive oil also helps combat dandruff, split ends and frizzy locks. Thus, incorporating extra virgin olive oil into your weekly hair regimen can help make your hair look healthier than ever!
Hair Mask: If you are guilty of overusing heated hair products or have dry hair, by applying just a small amount of extra virgin olive oil leaves the scalp healthy, improves blood circulation in the head, reduces damage and also encourages hair follicles to grow.
If you are planning a light lunch with mozzarella, ricotta or another soft cheese, the addition of the best olive oil will perfectly compliment the creamy texture with its light peppery touch. Morocco Gold has the distinctive ‘pepperiness’ of a fine extra virgin olive oil with a clean, well-balanced finish that would work perfectly with cheese.
Benefits Of Olive Oil in the Morning
Wake up the Mediterranean way by frying your eggs in extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. The best olive oils, such as Morocco Gold, have a higher smoke point than butter so it’s a great choice for higher heat. It will also give your eggs an extra crunchy outer edge. Alternatively, if hard-boiled or poached eggs are more your thing, just drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on them before you tuck in.
Don’t Forget To Leave Some Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Cooking!
Extra virgin olive oil is an excellent and versatile ingredient for all your cooking needs. You can use extra virgin olive oil in a variety of unexpected and fun ways to add extra flavor to your meals. Try adding a splash of extra virgin olive oil on popcorn for a flavorful snack, or use extra virgin olive oil as the main dressing ingredient when making a rich and creamy strawberry vinaigrette. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over fish before baking to give the dish an extra crunchy and flavorful topping. Or if you are looking for something sweet, try using extra virgin olive oil in place of butter in your baked goods, such as brownies or banana bread for a delicious, yet healthier substitution. With extra virgin olive oil, the possibilities are endless!
By investing in the best olive oil you can afford you are treating your kitchen store cupboard to one of the finest and most versatile products around. But remember, as well as being the perfect base for a healthy dressing or appetite whetting dip, extra virgin olive oil can be used in ways that you may not even have thought before.
That’s why the team at Morocco Gold are here to talk you through some of the less expected ways to use your polyphenol rich extra virgin olive oil through the week. There’s something in here for everyone!
Pair The Best Soft Cheese With The Best Olive Oil
If you are planning a light lunch with mozzarella, ricotta or another soft cheese, the addition of the best olive oil will perfectly compliment the creamy texture with its light peppery touch. Morocco Gold has the distinctive ‘pepperiness’ of a fine extra virgin olive oil with a clean, well-balanced finish that would work perfectly with cheese.
An Olive Oil Marinade
One of the best ways to flex the muscles of your chosen extra virgin olive oil is to use it in your marinade. As the best olive oils can pull the fat-soluble flavours out of a range of ingredients including garlic and shallots, it’s a great way to transfer them to your meat or vegetables on a grill. There’s the added bonus of the flavour of your extra virgin olive oil in the mix too.
Forget the Croutons, Drizzle EVOO On Your Soup
Whether you use it to prepare the vegetables for your soup or drizzle it on top of the finished product, extra virgin olive oil is the perfect partner for your winter warming soups. Not only does it provide some extra texture and flavour to your soup but it is a healthier alternative to croutons fried in saturated fat as the best olive oils are high in healthy monounsaturated fats.
An Ice Cream Topping For All The Family
Ok, so we may have mentioned this one before at Morocco Gold but it’s just so much fun we couldn’t miss it out! We all love a scoop or two of ice cream for a treat but why not ensure it’s got some added health benefits with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to cut through the creamy texture and transport you to the Mediterranean.
