Put Extra Virgin Olive Oil Centre Stage With These Wellness Boosters
Winter Wellness. It’s something we all crave among the dark nights and seasonal bugs but packing your diet full of polyphenol packing extra virgin olive oil is one of the best routes to wellness in winter.
So, here are some winter recipes that will dial up the wellness factor this winter and keep cater to sweet and savoury tastes.
This winter tomato soup from loveandoliveoil never fails to warm you up from the inside.
Long-Roasted Eggplant with Garlic, Labne, and Tiny Chile Croutons
Ingredients
- 4-6 servings
- 3 medium or 2 large globe or Italian eggplants (about 2½ pounds), halved lengthwise
- ¾ cup Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 fresh red chile, very thinly sliced, or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups torn bread (crusty bread such as sourdough, country loaf, or miche), in ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup labne, full-fat Greek yogurt, or sour cream
- 1 preserved lemon, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more as desired
- 1 cup fresh mint or cilantro leaves, tender leaves and stems
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Using a small paring knife, make a few ½-inch slits into the cut side of each eggplant. (You can do this lengthwise, crosswise, or even diagonally. Knock yourself out with your decorative prowess!)
- Place the eggplant cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with ½ cup olive oil, distributing as evenly as possible. Season with salt and pepper and turn over so that the eggplant is cut side down.
- Place in the oven and roast, without moving or disturbing, until eggplant is completely tender, cooked through, and golden brown on the bottom (since the skin is already so dark, it can be hard to tell, but the skin will look shriveled and, when poked, the whole thing should feel tender, on the verge of collapse; you can also use a spatula to lift up the eggplant to check the underside for color), 40 to 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile and cook, shaking the skillet occasionally, until the garlic and chile are frizzled and fragrant (but not yet browned), 1 or 2 minutes. Add the bread and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bread is evenly toasted and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Combine the labne, preserved lemon, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a small bowl; season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if you like. Smear it onto the bottom of a large serving platter or in a shallow bowl.
- Once the eggplant is good and ready to go, use a fish spatula (or regular spatula) to lift up each eggplant half in one fell swoop, preserving its lovely golden underside. Place the eggplant, cut side up, on top of the seasoned labne. Scatter with the crispy croutons and herbs before serving.
- Do Ahead Eggplant can be roasted a few hours ahead, then kept loosely covered at room temperature (no need to reheat- it's excellent at room temperature). The labne can be seasoned a week ahead, covered tightly, and refrigerated. The croutons can be made 2 days ahead, kept covered tightly at room temperature.
Morning Oatmeal Cookies With Olive Oil
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (check here for guidance on substituting butter for olive oil)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons Blackstrap molasses
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 and a ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup quinoa flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoons dry ginger
- 1 and a ½ cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup quinoa flakes
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Make the batter: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter, lemon zest, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whip on medium speed until fully integrated, 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing on high speed. Add the molasses and vanilla. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides to make sure all of the ingredients are mixed together.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, quinoa flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, oats, quinoa flakes and sunflower seeds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to stir the dry ingredients into the butter. The dough will be slightly crumbly. Use a tablespoon to scoop cookies and roll into ball. The dough may be a bit dry. Arrange the cookies about 2 inches apart on baking sheets as they spread when they bake.
- Bake: Place the trays in the oven and bake 12-15 minutes, rotating the trays about halfway through for even browning.
