Eight Really Cool Things to Do with Flavored Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Everyone has some good, old-fashioned Greek extra virgin olive oil in their cupboard (if you don’t, get some here)… But what about flavored EVOO?

Many companies have started creating unique flavors by adding fresh ingredients or infusing herbs or fruits to literally, create a new line of condiments.

But what does one do with garlic or oregano-favored olive oil, or even more sexy, chili-flavored?

The Pappas Post Market carries four flavors of world-famous Agro Creta flavored extra virgin olive oil from Crete– Hot Chili, Oregano, Lemon and Garlic.

Eight Ways to Use Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil

(1) Give your pound cake some tang

Add a tablespoon lemon flavored EVOO to your pound cake batter or any kind of white or vanilla-flavored cake you’re making. You’ll give your cake a wonderful kick.

(2) Spice Up Your Oven Roasted Potatoes

Spice up your roasted potatoes with any of the four flavors or play with the flavors– lemon and oregano would go well, as would garlic. Remember, if you are adding a citrus-infused olive oil, go lighter on the actual lemon juice.

(3) EVOO Flavored Mayonaise

Make your very own flavored Mayo– so much healthier than the goop you buy in the stores and no chemicals. Follow the simple recipe below. Replace the Garlic flavored olive oil with chili, oregano or lemon flavored. If you’re using lemon-flavored, use less lemon juice, otherwise your mayo will be too tart.

INGREDIENTS:

2 egg yolks room temperature
2/3 cup Garlic Flavored Agro Creta Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice room temperature
Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Using a hand-held blender with attached mixing cup, blend egg yolks until smooth. Start adding olive oil, (literally) one drop at a time, until the mixture starts to become thick. Once it thickens, you can drip in the olive oil faster. But the whole process should be slow. Be patient and you will get the smooth consistency of traditional mayonnaise. Once all of the oil is streamed in, add lemon juice and salt, to taste. Store refrigerated for up to 4 days.

(4) Dips, Dips, Dips!

Can you think of all the variations you can create for bread dips? Between the dozens of dried herbs you have in your spice rack, along with garlic, lemon, chili or oregano flavored extra virgin olive oil, you can create a wonderful display of bread dips to accompany your crusty fresh bread, or even your homemade toasted crostini.

(5) Candied Nuts with Chili Smoked Almonds

This is a candied nuts with a kick, as when you’ve completed the instructions, you drizzle a bit of chili flavored olive oil for that perfect contrast.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar
6 ounces pecan halves (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 ounces roasted skinned almonds, preferably Marcona (not in oil; about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Chili flavored extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces smoked almonds (about 1 cup)
Kosher salt

RECIPE PREPARATION

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a large wide pot over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until liquid simmers briskly, top is covered with bubbles, and sugar is just starting to crystallize, about 2 minutes.

Add pecans and skinned almonds; stir quickly to coat nuts evenly. Continue to stir until sugar is crystallized and very dry, about 2 minutes. Pour nuts onto prepared baking sheet; let cool slightly. Wash pot.

Break up any nuts that have clumped together. Place in a sieve; shake off excess sugar. Set a clean sheet of parchment on baking sheet. Return nuts to pot; cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar starts to melt. Reduce heat to low; stir frequently until sugar is melted and nuts are nicely glazed, about 25 minutes.

Remove pot from heat; stir in rosemary, butter, coriander, and cayenne. Transfer to prepared baking sheet; let cool slightly.

Transfer candied nuts to a large mixing bowl, breaking up clumps. Add smoked almonds. Toss well; season to taste with salt and drizzle lightly with chili flavored extra virgin olive oil.

(6) Drizzle Oil Over Cream Soups

Certain heavy, creamy soups can be a bit one-dimensional in flavor. A drizzle of flavored olive oil can add unexpected flavor and texture to thick soups. Try sprinkling some chili flavored olive oil over your butternut squash soup, or garlic flavored olive oil over a potato-based soup.

(7) Crostini for Days

The possibilities are really endless with the kinds of toppings you can add to create amazing crostini appetizers for your next party but the real taste and flavor comes UNDER what’s on top. Because before you can place the veggies and cheese on top of the crostini, you have a great opportunity to drizzle and toast your bread slices with some uniquely-flavored olive oils that will make the flavor explode. Garlic-flavored goes well with many cheeses and vegetables, as does oregano and chili.

(8) Fire Up Your Deviled Eggs

All deviled egg recipes call for some extra virgin olive oil to make the mixture creamy and smooth. Instead of using regular EVOO, try a favored oil, like chili or garlic-flavored, to fire up your deviled egg.

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