Yearly Archives: 2025

Organic Olive Oil Excellence

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At the 2025 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, organic olive oils significantly dominated top award positions, with 249 awards out of 383 organic entries. That represents a rapid increase in both participation and high-level recognition for certified organic producers. 

Organic olive oils now constitute over one-third of all competition submissions, showing clear momentum toward organic production as the new standard for quality and sustainability.

In 2014, only 11 certified organic olive oils competed, and Apollo Olive Oil was honored to be one of them — earning two Gold Awards.

“Better than Chickpea Hummus” CREAMY Lentil Hummus

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From Albert Bevia:
This creamy lentil hummus is possibly the best hummus I have ever tasted. We’re talking layer upon layer of so many great flavors, easy to make, and all done using humble everyday ingredients. Serve it as a tapas appetizer next to some pita bread and marinated olives for the best moment in your day.

TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: What really flavors this hummus, besides the lentils, is the extra virgin olive oil and tahini paste. If you can’t find tahini paste in your area. You can substitute it for the same amount of creamy peanut butter.

“Better than Chickpea Hummus” CREAMY Lentil Hummus

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPpCu0W0ypk

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup dried green lentils 95 grams
  • 2 cups water 480 ml
  • 3 tbsp tahini paste 45 grams
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1.50 grams
  • 1/4 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika .65 grams
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 30 ml
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp water 30 ml
  • sea salt & black pepper
  • chopped cilantro and olive oil for garnish

Instructions

  1. Add the dried lentils into a fine sieve and rinse under water, then add the lentils into a saucepan, along with 2 cups water (480 ml), and heat with a high heat, once it comes to a boil, place a lid on the saucepan and lower to a low heat
  2. Once the lentils are just cooked through (check package instructions on the lentils you are using, my took about 15 to 20 minutes), remove the pan from the heat, drain the lentils in a colander and rinse under cold water, then shake off any excess water, reserve a spoonful of the lentils for garnish
  3. Transfer the lentils into a food processor, run the food processor for about 1 minute or until the lentils are well blended, making sure to scrape down on the sides at the half way point, then add in the tahini paste, garlic, cumin, paprika, olive oil, lemon juice, and season with salt & pepper, run the food procesoor for another 1 to 2 minutes or until all the ingredients are well blended
  4. Once the ingredients are well blended, with the motor still running, add in between 1 to 2 tbsp of water (15 to 30 ml) or until you get the desired creamy texture
  5. Transfer the hummus into a shallow bowl, using the back of a spoon create curves on the hummus, then garnish with the reserved lentils, a drizzle of olive oil, and some chopped cilantro, serve at room temperature or chilled, enjoy!

Olive Oil Fraud in Italy

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Italy intensified its efforts against food fraud in 2024 by focusing heavily on olive oil. The Italian Inspectorate for Quality and Fraud Prevention (ICQRF) conducted over 8,200 inspections targeting vegetable oils out of a total of 54,000 food inspections. These checks included samples of extra virgin olive oil, with 23% of them revealing irregularities—such as discrepancies between product labels and actual contents. The operation resulted in 72 criminal reports, 896 administrative penalties, 843 formal warnings, and the seizure of 455,000 kg of non-compliant olive oil, worth more than €4 million (oliveoiltimes.com).

This initiative leverages Italy’s national digital olive oil registry (RTO), real-time monitoring, and a specialized enforcement unit to track and prevent fraud. In 2023, actions included uncovering mismatches between physical inventories and digital records in Veneto, intercepting schemes in Umbria and Tuscany that repackaged seed or lampante oils as premium Italian extra virgin, and halting sales of mislabeled products—like €230,000 worth of non-Taggiasca oil sold as authentic in Liguria. The program even led to cross-border interventions, such as seizing nearly 92 tons of misbranded vegetable oil at Italy’s border with France. (oliveoiltimes.com)

If this much was caught how much gets through?

CREAMY Chickpea Cucumber Sandwich

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From Albert Bevia:
What gives this sandwich that creamy goodness is Greek yogurt. I used low fat, but you can also use full fat, nonfat, or even a plant-based one to easily veganize this sandwich. Either way, when you’re mixing the chickpea mixture, if you see it’s too dry, just add in some more yogurt.

TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: It’s important to lightly toast your sandwich bread. Otherwise, it will get mushy and break apart. You can make the creamy chickpea cucumber mixture ahead of time. It will hold for up to 3 to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.

CREAMY Chickpea Cucumber Sandwich

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6kiHurcmh4

Ingredients

  • 1 jar cooked chickpeas (same as canned) 25 oz / 700 grams
  • 1 container low fat plain greek yogurt 5.3 oz / 150 grams
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard 15 grams
  • 1 cup chopped cucumber 140 grams
  • 1/3 cup chopped red onion 50 grams
  • 1/4 cup chopped dill pickels 35 grams
  • 2 cloves garlic (finely grated)
  • 2 tbsp chopped chives 6 grams
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice 15 ml
  • sea salt & black pepper
  • 8 slices whole wheat sandwich bread

Instructions

  1. Drain the chickpeas into a colander and rinse them under water, then shake off any excess water, transfer the chickpeas into a large bowl, and using a potato masher or large fork, mash down on the chickpeas until they are semi-mashed, meaning it’s ok if you have little chunks of chickpeas in there
  2. Add the greek yogurt over the mashed chickpeas, along with the dijon mustard, chopped cucumber, chopped red onion, chopped dill pickles, grated garlic, and chopped chives, then add in the lemon juice, and season with salt and a generous portion of black pepper, mix together until well mixed, add in more yogurt as needed
  3. Lightly toast the slices of sandwich bread
  4. Add the creamy chickpea mixture over the slices of toast and top off with another slice of toast, enjoy!

EVOO Supports Weight Loss

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Excerpts from an Olive Oil Times article found at https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/features/study-confirms-olive-oils-role-in-weight-management/139862

A recent research review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming seven grams of olive oil daily was associated with reduced weight gain over time, while other fats were linked to weight gain, according to data from 121,119 participants in three studies over three decades.

Another study found that olive oil with a phenol content higher than 366 milligrams per kilogram led to better weight loss outcomes than refined olive oil (2.7 milligrams per kilogram). 

The socioeconomic context also plays a role. The research review’s authors noted that olive oil intake in higher socioeconomic classes may correlate with vegetable consumption, which could contribute to weight loss. 

CHEESY Pasta with Tomato Paprika Sauce

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From Albert Bevia:
To make this recipe, I used penne pasta. But you can use whatever type of thick-cut pasta you like. Such as rigatoni, macaroni, or even ziti. For the cheese, I used a combination of fresh mozzarella and grated Manchego cheese. You can use other types of cheese if you like or whatever you have on hand. But I tell you, the combination of these two cheeses gives an incredible pop of flavors to this pasta dish.

TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: This cheesy pasta will hold for up to 3 days in the fridge and freeze for up to 3 months. When reheating, just add in some liquid if the mixture is too dry.

CHEESY Pasta with Tomato Paprika Sauce

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAD8yy31UVk

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 45 ml
  • 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
  • 5 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
  • 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 2.50 grams
  • 1 tsp dried oregano 1 gram
  • 1 can tomato sauce (passata) 15 oz / 425 grams
  • 1 can diced tomatoes 15 oz / 425 grams
  • 2 cups vegetable broth 480 ml
  • 8 oz penne pasta 225 grams
  • 1 ball fresh mozzarella (cut into small bite-sized pieces) 4 oz / 115 grams
  • 1/4 cup grated Manchego cheese 30 grams
  • sea salt & black pepper
  • chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the olive oil
  2. After a couple of minutes, add the chopped onion and garlic into the hot fry pan, mix continuously, after 5 minutes and the onion is translucent, add in the paprika and oregano, quickly mix together, then add in the canned tomato sauce, canned diced tomatoes, and season with sea salt & black pepper, then turn it up to a high heat, give it a mix, and simmer
  3. After simmering the tomatoes for about 4 minutes and they’ve slightly thickened, add in the vegetable broth, give it a mix and bring to a boil, then add in the penne pasta, mix every 2 to 3 minutes, so the pasta doesn’t stick together and it all evenly cooks
  4. After cooking the pasta for 9 minutes *, which in my case was 3 minutes shy of the pasta being cooked al dente, add the chopped fresh mozzarella, making sure to evenly spread it around, then place a lid on the pan and lower to a low-medium heat, simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until the pasta is cooked al dente, then turn off the heat and remove the lid*take this step when the pasta you are using is 3 minutes shy of being cooked al dente, make sure to check package instructions on the pasta you are using
  5. Top off the pasta with the grated Manchego cheese and some chopped parsley, serve at once, enjoy!

Moroccan Saffron Shrimp

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Moroccan Saffron Shrimp

From Albert Bevia:

To make this recipe, I used raw Argentinian jumbo shrimp I bought frozen and thawed out and already peeled and deveined. However, you can use whatever type of shrimp you like. The most important thing is to make sure you pat them completely dry. This way they absorb all the flavors in the pan.

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: It took me about 4 minutes to fully cook the shrimp. Of course, every pan and stovetop heats differently. Just keep an eye on the shrimp; that way you don’t overcook them. Which will give them a rubbery texture.

To see Albert making this recipe go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4eGPTdQwtU

Ingredients

FOR THE RICE

  • 2 cups water 480 ml
  • 1 cup long grain rice 190 grams
  • sea salt

FOR THE SAFFRON SHRIMP

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 45 ml
  • 2 onions (finely chopped)
  • 5 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
  • 1/2 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 1.25 grams
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric 1.50 grams
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1 gram
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon .65 grams
  • 1/4 tsp saffron threads .17 grams
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro 8 grams
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth 120 ml
  • 1 lb raw shrimp (peeled & deveined) 450 grams
  • sea salt & black pepper
  • lemon juice
  • chopped cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  1. To make the rice, add the water into a saucepan, season generously with sea salt, and heat it with a high heat
  2. In the meantime, add the rice into a fine sieve and rinse under water until it starts running clear underneath, about 1 minute
  3. Once the water comes to a boil in the saucepan, add in the rice, give it a mix, then place a lid on the pan and lower to a low heat
  4. While the rice is cooking, make the saffron shrimp, heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the olive oil
  5. After a couple of minutes add in the chopped onion and garlic, mix continuously, after 6 to 8 minutes and the onions are translucent, add in the paprika, ground turmeric, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, saffron, chopped cilantro, and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together, then add in the broth and turn it up to a high heat, mix together and then simmer
  6. In the meantime, add the shrimp over some paper towles, all in a single layer, pat completely dry, then season with sea salt & black pepper just on one side
  7. After simmering the broth for 5 minutes, add the shrimp into the pan, mix together, then place the shrimp in a single layer, just as best as you can, then place a lid on the pan and lower to a low-medium heat
  8. While the shrimp are cooking move back to the rice, after 15 to 18 minutes and the water has been absorbed and the rice is cooked through (check package instructions on the rice you are using), remove the lid and the pan from the heat, using a fork, gently fluff the rice, then transfer into serving dishes
  9. After simmering the shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes and they’re just cooked through, remove the lid and the pan from the heat
  10. Add some of the shrimp mixture over the rice, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the shrimp and sprinkle with chopped cilantro, enjoy!