6 Ways to Use Olive Oil in Your Everyday Cooking

Olive oil, which is made from the fruit of olive trees, has been produced and enjoyed for thousands of years. To those that use olive oil regularly, that comes as no surprise. Its intense flavor and aroma is a wonderful enhancement to many foods. There are many simple ways that you can use olive oil in your everyday cooking.

1. Enhance a variety of vegetable dishes. 

A drizzle of olive oil with a dash of salt and pepper after steaming can help take frozen vegetables from bland to delicious. Brushing vegetables with olive oil before grilling or roasting can bring out their savory, caramelized flavors.

2. Fix a quick dip for bread.

At many Italian restaurants, fresh warm bread is served with an olive oil dipping sauce. Create this dish at home simply by pouring one or two tablespoons of olive oil in a small dish and adding a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

3. Substitute for butter in mashed potatoes.

For a slightly different taste, the next time you whip up some homemade mashed potatoes, replace that slab of butter with a drizzle of olive oil.You will be rewarded with delicious, creamy potatoes infused with the subtle flavor of olive oil.

4. Use in marinades.

A key ingredient in any delicious meat marinade olive oil. Olive oil contains natural emulsifiers that help hold in moisture while cooking as well as prevent meat from sticking on a grill.

5. Try in baked goods.

Baking with olive oil is a common practice in Mediterranean cooking. The vitamin E in olive oil makes baked goods moist and also helps maintain their freshness. Depending on the recipe, olive oil can be substituted for other oils or butter.

6. Make a quick salad dressing.

Need a salad dressing in a pinch? Toss your greens with a light drizzle of good olive oil combined with a few drops of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar. Olive oil is the base of many store-bought salad dressings and can easily be used to create your own dressing at home.

Try cooking with the gourmet olive oils in our Tuscany Collection , made in Italy using the finest quality ingredients.