Making the Case for Olive Oil

What I am enjoying right now about this recipe is that when I listed the ingredients and centered the text it formed this cool heart shape which reminds me of how heart-healthy this little gem of a dish is. There isn’t a speck of bad fat in it.

Black Bean & Corn Salad

1 can  Black Beans (rinsed and drained)

1 can  yellow corn (rinsed and drained)

1/3 c  roasted red peppers (chopped)

¼ c  Bermuda onion (finely chopped)

1/3 c fresh cilantro (chopped)

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp lime juice

Salt

As long as we're discussing heart-related matters, please indulge me for just a moment or two on the topic of “olive oil.” It is not all the same! I’ve tried many and finally found one that is so smooth and delicious that it’s a staple in my kitchen. It is my premium product reserved for dressings, drizzling, and dipping – not suggested for heating (unless money is just of no concern.) I use Frantoia Extra Virgin Olive Oil. If you are not familiar with it prepare yourself for sticker-shock because it costs a cool $27. for a 33.8 ounce bottle. GASP! Now, stay with me here, frugal friends, before writing me off as an “olive oil snob” because I’ve conducted some research on this topic, strange woman that I am.  Look, I’m going to just copy and paste an Abstract for a paper I wrote entitled, Olive Oil: The Key to Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet.

EVOO comes from the first pressing, therefore; it  is the least processed with the greatest health benefits. There are cheaper EVOOs, and if taste matters, Frantoia is the one!

Abstract

Known to be heart-healthy, the Mediterranean diet incorporates a nutritious, whole foods eating plan that includes generous amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, whole grains, and the regular use of olive oil.  The Seven Countries Study examined rates of death from heart disease in people from around the world to find that deaths were strongly associated with diets high in saturated fats as opposed to total fats.  The research found that while both Finland and Crete consumed 40 percent of their calories from fat, Finland experienced the highest death rate from heart disease, and Crete experienced the lowest.  Upon this finding, scientists from around the world began to study types of fat and discovered that the key to the many health benefits of the Mediterranean diet is in the prominent use of olive oil.

How cool is that?

Now, which is cheaper, heart disease or my rockin' extra virgin olive olive?

Mixing It Up!

Rinse and drain beans and corn and put them in a mixing bowl. Add chopped roasted red peppers and chopped Bermuda onion. Wisk oil and lime juice together. Pour over vegetables. Add salt and chopped cilantro and stir. Chill. Serve cold.

Caution: Fresh cilantro makes this dish. If you do not grow your own then just go ahead and treat yourself to overpaying for it at the grocery store because you need it for this recipe.  

Grow it at home!

Summer Alternatives:

4 ears of fresh corn on the cob; grilled

½ large fresh red bell pepper; finely chopped

Let me leave you with the conclusions of my research on olive oil.

Conclusions

              To promote good health the mayo clinic recommends that when cooking with fats, olive oil is the best choice because it lowers risks of heart disease by reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and total cholesterol levels in the blood.  According to the Food and Drug Administration consuming about two tablespoons of olive oil daily may reduce the risks of heart disease.

              Extra Virgin olive oil is considered one of the best food oils available today.  Higher quality, organic oils may cost a bit more than lesser quality pressings but the significant increase in healthy benefits of lesser processed, cold-pressed extra virgin oil make it a wise investment.  “When used as a primary source of fat in whole foods, healthy eating plans such as the Mediterranean diet, the potential goodness of this oil prevails.” (MayoClinic)