Home
Blog
Does Olive Oil work in ANY meal?

Does Olive Oil work in ANY meal?

2021-07-22

Olive oil can be used in multiple ways, not only in savoury recipes. Check how to make the most of your olive oil!

“When should I use olive oil?”

With so many proven health benefits and a perfectly tasty palate, quality olive oil is an ingredient we would expect every serious foodie to have in their kitchens. But it’s questions like the above that make us wonder, how often does your olive oil come out to play?

Well, the team at La Española are advocates for the ‘daily swirl’ and love finding new ways to introduce olive oils into their meals - from breakfast to supper and everything between.

Let’s take a look through some of their suggestions, from dawn to dusk, one mouthwatering meal at a time...

Breakfast

How do you like your eggs in the morning? If you like to see your perfectly runny sunny-side-uppers dripping delectably over your avocado and toast, then you’re in good company! But why not go one step further and top it all off with a swirl of Extra Virgin Olive Oil? We promise that the result will look and taste so much better. You could even make it eggs-tra special by going Gourmet!

Or perhaps a full-plate fry up is on the menu? In that case, remember that La Española Light In Colour Olive Oil is your best friend for frying. We craft this lighter, more-delicate oil to perform better at higher temperatures, meaning that you can top up your olive oil intake without worrying about smoking points or overpowering the other flavours in your dish.

Breakfast...again!

Shout out to the late risers - the ones who always seem to miss breakfast the first time! Breakfast is famously recognised as the most important meal of the day, so you should really try to eat something to start on the right foot, even when you’re strapped for time. The solution? Blenders, juicers and smoothie makers!

For those who might not have the minutes to spare on a cooked breakfast, we’d recommend throwing all your selected ingredients into a blender and taking your shake with you on-the-go. The number of incredible breakfast smoothie recipes in existence is mindblowing when you start looking, but we love to experiment and make our own. And of course, adding an extra long pour of Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a must in our kitchens; as well as providing a beautiful health boost it gives your drink a super silky finish!

Top Tip: If you’re making it for the kids then blending is a great way to smuggle vegetables into their diet too...smooth moves!

Lunch

Okay, you’ve made it this far through the day, and in our books that means you’re entitled to treat yourself to something special for lunch. We could use this section to explain to you how our Pure Olive Oil works as the best oil for grilling, or how Extra Virgin is best for dressings...but we know you’re here for the food, right?

As inspiration then, let’s look at two lunchtime recipes that work perfectly with our olive oil, helping you get that extra dose of antioxidants, oleic acid and good fats into your diet:

Pan fried seabass with orange and olive salad

This light and luscious lunchtime recipe makes excellent use of our new Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray and is finished with two tablespoons of our Gourmet Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The dish is tangy and salty with unbelievable umami notes.
See the full recipe!

Summer vegetable and manchego tart

This fresh and fun summer tart is a vegetarian option that promises to please all. It’s tasty and moreish, but light enough that indulgence in an extra slice won’t ruin your dinner.
See the full recipe!

Dinner

If you know your blanching from your broiling then you’re probably quite comfortable in the kitchen, so finding ways to use olive oil in your dinners is going to be easy. But even the best cooks need the occasional reminder about the many ways olive oil can be used, mainly because olive oil is a super versatile ingredient.

A truly magnificent use of olive oil that we believe deserves more attention is marinating. Olive oil marinades are great ways to introduce olive oil onto your food before you even start cooking. A perfect example of this can be found in our recipe for griddled lemon and rosemary chicken.

Still using butter to smooth your mash? Try mashing your potatoes with something a little different next time; garlic, milk and La Española Olive Oil flavoured with White Truffle Oil. Mash until silky smooth and creamy, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Here’s a recipe that uses this method - try it and you’ll never look back to butter again!

Desserts

Hopefully all this talk of food has left you feeling hungry for more, because we’ve got three amazing citrus desserts to share that demonstrate perfectly how you can add olive oil to just about any meal with superb results. If you’ve read our blog on food pairing then you know how we feel about mixing savoury and sweet, and these three pairings of olive oil and orange are perfect examples of that relationship in full flourish:

Olive Oil & Orange Ice Cream

Olive oil ice cream may sound unusual, but the fruitiness of our La Española Extra Virgin Olive Oil lends itself well to delicious desserts! It’s also the secret to the silky smooth texture
of this zesty orange ice cream – you’ll savour every spoonful!
See the full recipe!

Blood Orange and Olive Oil Sorbet

Olive oil in a sorbet? Yes, yes, yes! This blood orange and olive oil sorbet will become one of your favourite recipes!
See the full recipe!

Olive Oil, Almond and Orange cake

Rich and citrusy with sweet, sticky caramelised oranges, this cake is a real crowd-pleaser. Using La Española Light in Colour Olive Oil as an alternative to butter keeps the cake deliciously moist yet light and fluffy; you’ll struggle to stop at one slice!
See the full recipe!