Smoky Scrambled Egg Skillet with Potatoes & Spinach

From Albert Bevia:
TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: Make sure to cut your potatoes into small pieces, that way they cook quickly. When you add the eggs into the pan, do not over mix them. That way you end up with big chunks of scrambed eggs. Use a GREAT Extra Virgin Olive Oil here, as it cooks and flavors the entire skillet.

To see Albert making this recipe go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdi2fUR2W64&t=1s

Smoky Scrambled Egg Skillet with Potatoes & Spinach

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 90 ml
  • 2 yukon gold potatoes
  • 1/2 onion
  • 2 cups spinach 120 grams
  • 6 cage-free organic eggs
  • 1/2 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 1.30 grams
  • 1/2 cup shredded manchego cheese 120 grams
  • handful freshly chopped chives
  • sea salt
  • black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cut 2 yukon gold potatoes into small pieces that are about 1/8 of an inch (.3175 cm) thick, finely dice 1/2 of an onion, grab 2 cups of tightly packed fresh spinach and roughly chop, crack 6 eggs into a large bowl, season with sea salt & black pepper and whisk until well combined
  2. Heat a large nonstick fry pan with a medium heat and add in a generous 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, after 2 minutes add in the diced onions and mix with the olive oil, 2 minutes later add in the pieces of potato and continue to mix, after 15 to 17 minutes and the potatoes are fully cooked through, start adding the spinach into the pan, add in batches to not overcrowd the pan, once all the spinach has been incorporated and it´s wilted, season with a generous 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika, sea salt and black pepper, mix until well mixed
  3. Add in the whisked eggs into the pan, making sure you evenly spread them around, do not mix for 20 to 30 seconds, and then only mix a couple of times, that way you end up with big chunks of scrambled eggs, after 2 minutes remove the pan from the heat
  4. Finely shred in about 1/2 cup Manchego cheese over the skillet and sprinkle with some freshly chopped chives, serve at once, enjoy!

Oleocanthal Health Benefits Recognized

America’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) has just acknowledged oleocanthal as potentially medicinal for a certain type of breast cancer (TNBC), and has awarded a grant for researchers at Oleolive to develop the phenolic compound as a functional food in the prevention of breast cancer.

Oleocanthal derives from extra virgin olive oil cultivated to have the highest possible phenolic content. With our specialized milling equipment and small, hands-on operation, the polyphenols of all of the Apollo Olive Oils range between 350 and 520 ppm, which is considered very high. On our website, you can find the level of polyphenols in the detailed description of each of our oils. Very few olive oil producers can proudly publish the polyphenol levels of their oils.

As noted in the Oleolive website white paper, the many recent studies about the various health benefits of the polyphenols in real Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) have led to a recommendation of consuming about 2 tablespoons of real extra virgin olive oil daily.

Authentic Spanish Gazpacho Recipe

From Albert Bevia:
TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: To make the authentic gazpacho, you want to use roma tomatoes. But you can use any tomatoes you can find. Just make sure they are as ripe as possible. I also used sherry vinegar here, but you can substitute for red wine vinegar. Make sure to let your gazpacho sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours. You want to serve it as cold as possible.

In the authentic gazpacho, onions are not added into the soup. However, you can garnish with some diced onions as I did, and as many places do in Andalucia. This adds a beautiful crunch to the soup.

To see Albert making this recipe go to: https://www.spainonafork.com/authentic-spanish-gazpacho-recipe/

Authentic Spanish Gazpacho Recipe

Ingredients

  • 10 roma tomatoes (1 kg / 2 lbs)
  • 1 small green bell pepper
  • 1 small cucumber
  • 1 large clove of garlic
  • 1 tsp sherry vinegar 5 ml
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 60 ml
  • 3/4 cup cold water 180 ml
  • pinch sea salt

EXTRAS

  • finely diced green bell peppers
  • finely diced onions
  • extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Begin by washing & patting dry the tomatoes, bell pepper and cucumber
  2. Cut each tomato into 8 evenly sized pieces and add into a blender
  3. Cut the green bell pepper into large chunks and add to the blender with the tomatoes
  4. Peel the cucumber, cut it into 1-inch thick pieces and add to the blender with the rest of the ingredients
  5. Also add in 1 large clove of garlic that´s been cut into 4 pieces
  6. Using a large wooden spoon, push down on all the ingredients and compact them together, this will make it easier on the blender to bring all the ingredients together
  7. Add in a generous teaspoon of sherry vinegar, a 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, a generous 3/4 cup of extra cold water and a generous pinch of fine sea salt
  8. Run the blender on a low speed for about 5 minutes
  9. Transfer the gazpacho into a glass pitcher, cover with saran wrap and add to the fridge for at least 2 hours
  10. To serve the gazpacho, make sure you mix it in the pitcher before you serve it, pour into bowls and garnish with diced green bell peppers, diced onions and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, enjoy!

High Polyphenol EVOO Reduces Blood Pressure

A recent Australian study found that consuming 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with a high polyphenol count reduced blood pressure in healthy adults. They took 50 adults and divided them in two groups. For three weeks one group had 4 tablespoons of high polyphenol olive oil and the second group consumed 4 tablespoons of low polyphenol olive oil. Then the two groups spent two weeks cleansing their systems and consuming no olive oil. Then the second group consumed the high polyphenol oil and the first group consumed the low polyphenol oil. They found that in both cases the group who consumed the high polyphenol oil had a consistently lower systolic blood pressure and the other group consuming the low polyphenol oil had no change. While more research needs to be done the conclusion is that consuming high polyphenol oil could be a good preventative measure for prolonged improved health.

Marinated Garlic Mushrooms | Champiñones a la Jerez Recipe

Marinated Garlic Mushrooms | Champiñones a la Jerez Recipe

From Albert Bevia:
TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: Instead of adding the garlic into the marinade, I cooked them for about 15 to 20 seconds with the mushrooms. This makes them aromatic and takes the dish to another level. Also make sure to cook your mushrooms on a medium heat not a medium-high heat. That way the flavor of the olive oil goes into each mushroom.

For those of you that follow Spain on a Fork, you know I´ve been making a ton of bread recipes during this lockdown. There is just something so rewarding about making homemade bread.

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVNuwq3dlzM&t=11s

Ingredients

  • 12 button mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp finely diced onion 6.50 grams
  • 1 roasted red bell pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 60 ml
  • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar 30 ml
  • 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley 3.80 grams
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme .45 grams
  • pinch sea salt
  • dash freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  1. Begin by making the marinade, add 2 tbsp finely chopped onions into a bowl, pat down 1 jarred roasted red bell pepper and roughly chop, add into the bowl with the onions, pour in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp sherry vinegar, 1 tbsp freshy chopped parsley and 1/2 tsp dried thyme, mix everything until well combined and set aside
  2. Wash and pat dry 12 button mushrooms, making sure to remove the stems as you clean them
  3. Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, after 3 minutes add in the mushrooms hole side up, after 2 1/2 to 3 minutes flip the mushrooms to cook the other side, after another 2 1/2 to 3 minutes add in 4 cloves garlic finely minced and mix everything together, after 15 to 20 seconds remove the pan from the heat and add the mushrooms and garlic into the bowl with the marinade, mix until well combined and cover with saran wrap, set aside at room temperature
  4. After letting the mushrooms sit in the marinade for at least 15 minutes, transfer the mushrooms into a serving dish using a slotted spoon, making sure to top them off with the vegetables in the bowl, serve at room temperature or cold, enjoy!

Smoke From Fire and Olive Oil

During this uncertain fire season here in California, we are often asked the question, “Will the smoke from the fires affect the olive oil?” Most of the studies regarding the effects of smoke have been done on wine grapes, and have found evidence that it can affect wines. However, olives and their processing are different from wine grapes and their processing. The skins of olives are much thicker and more waxy than grapes, so the inner pulp is well protected from damage. Furthermore, unlike wine grapes, olives are washed before crushing, which removes any residues on the skins. Finally, ashes don’t dissolve in oil, but can dissolve in the water of grape juice. The smoke related components of concern are naturally occurring and generally widespread. They can be found at very small concentrations in most foods, even when there have been no fire incidents. A study from Greece after major files in 2007 found no more evidence of smoke related compounds than during years with little to no fire incidents. The biggest reasons appear to be that olives have tough skins and are thoroughly washed before processing.

Nut-free pesto

The recipe for this month was gracoiusly donated by Tania T., one of our happy customers.

Nut-free pesto

To a blender or vita-mix, add:

1/2 c. Apollo olive oil (I love Miller’s Favorite Organic)
1 clove garlic, broken in half

Start blender and add:

8 oz.fresh washed and dried fresh basil leaves, a handful at a time (adding more oil as needed to make a smooth green basil paste)
1/2-3/4 t. salt (to taste)

Once the mixture has blended into a paste, add:

2-3 T cream cheese (I use Nature Valley Organic Cream Cheese)

Blend until creamy and fluffy.

If you want to go beyond the predictable use on our favorite pasta, try smothering a baked sweet potato or yam in pesto. There is something about the sweet of the potato with the pungent, garlicky, salty, basil taste.

EVOO Linked to Reduced Colon Cancer

A new study was published on the Nation Library of Medicine web site on June 7, 2020 linking the consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with a reduced risk of colon cancer. Mice were given a high fat diet of EVOO, safflower, and coconut oil. Both safflower and coconut oil were found to encourage flora that enhanced inflammation. EVOO, on the other hand, encouraged beneficial microbial growth and reduced the inflammation causing microbes. You can read the entire publication here.

Cheesy Garlic PULL-APART Bread

From Albert Bevia:
TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: I used the bake + broil option when I baked this bread. If your oven can´t do both functions at the same time, just bake it for the same time I baked mine, then add to the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. Or, if you have the bake option with fan, just use that setting with the same baking time. Maybe a 1 or 2 minute difference, since every oven heat´s differently.

Cheesy Garlic PULL-APART Bread

For those of you that follow Spain on a Fork, you know I´ve been making a ton of bread recipes during this lockdown. There is just something so rewarding about making homemade bread.

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_lk54M-Vmg&t=297s

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 7 oz block mild Manchego cheese
  • 4 cloves garlic

Instructions

  1. Cut 24 cubes that are 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch from a block of Manchego cheese, then shred a generous 2 cups, set aside
  2. Add 3 cups all-purpose flour into a large bowl, along with 3 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tbsp dried oregano, mix the dry ingredients together, then add in 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 cup water, mix all the ingredients together, once they start forming a dough get in there with your hands and continue to mix, once you end up with a compact dough, knead inside the bowl for 1 to 2 minutes, shape into a ball
  3. Sprinkle some all-purpose flour on a clean flat surface, add the ball of dough on top, cut it into 3 evenly sized pieces, shape each one into a ball, cut each ball of dough into 8 evenly sized pieces, to end up with 24 pieces of dough
  4. Grab a cube of the cheese and add into a piece of dough, seal the dough well over the cheese and shape into a ball, do this until you end up with 24 stuffed pieces of dough
  5. Line an 8-inch round baking pan with parchment paper, add the balls of dough, making sure they´re all tightly compacted together
  6. Add a generous tbsp of extra virgin olive oil into a bowl, shred in 4 cloves of garlic and add in 1/2 tbsp dried oregano, mix until well combined, pour the mixture over the pieces of dough and brush all over until it´s evenly divided

  7. Add the baking pan into a preheated oven, bake + broil option 210 C – 425 F, after 15 minutes open the oven and slide the pan out, sprinkle the shredded cheese all over the bread and add back into the oven, after 5 minutes remove from the oven, transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and serve at once, enjoy!

Why California EVOO?

The California Olive Oil Council is an independent organization that promotes extra virgin olive oil made in California. Their COOC Seal on the bottle certifies that the olive oil inside has been professionally tasted, is fresh, California-grown, and meets true extra virgin standards. The COOC has also recently developed a website, “Why California EVOO”  to inform the public of the real benefits of purchasing California olive oil. Only the five Mediterranean climate zones (shown below) can support olive production, and then only in agriculturally suitable areas.  That means that of the 3% of the world’s land area that has a Mediterranean climate, only about half can support olive orchards.  Fortunately, California has a huge area in which olive groves thrive, and that’s local to all of us in North America.

Most COOC certified olive farms are small and run by people dedicated to creating great artisan olive oil. By contrast, imported olive oil generally comes from large production facilities ruled by different considerations.

By the way, the COOC just added Apollo Olive Oil’s bio to their Meet the Makers section. Their main site, COOC.com also has  a lot of good information on many topics from health and nutrition, recipes and kitchen tips, to orchard FAQs.