I received free product for review purposes from Mom’s Meet. Compensation was provided for this post however all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own.
I start the Zooma Spring Cleaning Challenge this week. Since my knee injury, I’m not running (or biking…or anything…ugh) right now, so burning calories does not come easy. It is more crucial than ever to dial in my food intake.
I’m making sure to do all the “right” things:
- Hydrating properly
- Planning meals
- Prepping meals ahead
- Food journaling
- Eating mostly whole, unprocessed foods
Coincidentally I was challenged to make and share a recipe that features one of my all-time favorite ingredients. It’s something I cook with almost on the daily.
European Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This gorgeous golden liquid is definitely a pantry staple in our house. Whether I’m whipping up a quick stir-fry, roasting veggies or tossing up a salad, olive oil’s complex flavor and silky texture complements all of my culinary adventures. Maybe best of all, I love the health benefits associated with olive oil. It’s rich in healthy, monounsaturated fats and is loaded with powerful antioxidants. It has a high smoke point (400ºF) so it’s perfect for cooking and roasting.
I received Zucchi (premier Italian brand) Extra Virgin Olive Oil as part of the Flavor Your Life campaign, a program supported by the European Union, Unaprol and the Ministry of Agriculture designed to educate US consumers on the benefits of European Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Why Choose European Olive Oil?
- The color and flavor of extra virgin olive oil varies based on the region the olives were grown in as well as the time of year they were harvested. Olives harvested earlier in the season produce greener, more pungent oils. Olives harvested late in the season tend to have a mild, buttery flavor.
- Olive oil flavors can range from fruity to nutty and mild to strong. It is wise to keep a variety of olive oils on hand because each variety imparts it’s own unique characteristics on your food.
The Zucchi Italian Olive Oil I used in the recipe that follows has a sweet, fruity flavor I love. I might have sprinkled it with good Parmesan and mopped it up with a nice crusty baguette….for test purposes of course…and it passed with flying colors! It balanced out the flavors of the tomatoes, peppers and balsamic in my Roasted Red Pepper Dip beautifully as well. Definitely a winner. Alright, let’s get to the recipe shall we?
One of the things I prepped for the week was this Roasted Red Pepper Dip. Truly it’s so much more than a dip. While it’s wonderful with raw veggies or pita chips, it’s also very tasty as a salad topping, in wraps, the Caveman even loves it with steak. The ingredients are healthy and nutrient packed so what’s not to love?
Here’s how you make it.
| Roasted Red Pepper Dip | Print |
- 2 Red Bell Peppers, seeded and halved
- 1 Tomato, seeded and chopped
- ½C Almonds, sliced and toasted
- 1 Clove Garlic
- ½C Plain Greek style yogurt
- 2T Balsamic Vinegar (I used white balsamic to preserve the vibrant colors)
- 1T Sea Salt
- 2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Roast the red peppers, allow to cool, then remove skins. (or you can used jarred roasted peppers)
- Chop peppers into large chunks.
- Put peppers and tomato in a blender and puree.
- Add in the next 5 ingredients and continue to blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a serving bowl then drizzle the olive oil over the top and give it a mix.
- Keep refrigerated.
To roast peppers, rub peppers with olive oil and roast them at 400ºF until they’re charred. Remove from oven, cover them with plastic wrap and allow them to steam for 15 minutes. Then remove the skins.
To toast almonds. No worries if you don’t have pre-toasted almonds on hand. Simply put sliced raw almonds in a pan over medium heat and mix often until they’re slightly browned. Takes about 5 minutes.
After blending all ingredients together, drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the top and swirl it in. It adds a beautiful flavor, texture and gloss to the dish. Enjoy!
Have you tried European Extra Virgin Olive Oils from various regions? Do you have a favorite? What’s your favorite way to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
You’re certainly doing all the right things while you rehab your knee! How is everything going? From what I can see on Instagram, it looks like the healing process is going well!
What a yummy looking recipe. I know that my family would love it!
I do keep extra virgin olive oil in the panty, mostly to roast veggies with. Squash is my favorite. This seems like such a versatile dip. Here in the deep south, I grew up eating relish similar to this plopped on top of cooked greens (turnips, collards, etc.). I hope the rehab in going well on that knee! Thanks for linking.
That sounds delicious. I never would have guessed that almonds would be used! EVOO is a staple in our house.
OMG, I’m totally in love with red peppers, so this recipe sounds absolutely delish. I am not much of a cooking (or food in general) buff, so I had no idea there were such a difference in olive oils. I”m gonna give this a try!
I just finished a huge bottle of EVOO I bought at Sprouts. I go through a lot of olive oil, and regular olive oil tastes like veggie oil, so I’ve been swapping out the veggie oil too.
I use alot of Olive Oil but i never paid attention to what region it is from. This looks like a great recipe! I hope your knee is improving. It can be so hard to eat well while injured. I know for me all I want is comfort food!
Oh, your dip looks yummy! I love roasted red peppers–I assume that I could sub the pre-roasted ones if I’m too lazy to roast my own?
I hope your knee is feeling better. Can you swim?
What a great idea to add almonds into your dip! I love roasted red pepper I bet this is amazing. Thanks for linking up
I love roasted red peppers! Just the sight of them with that black roasted skin makes me happy! this looks like a great dip.
This dip looks delicious and would be perfect for Easter or a get together a leftovers would be great on toast or sandwiches !
YUM! I was just working on a roasted red pepper soup recipe this weekend, so I have some extra roasted peppers lying around from that. I am definitely going to make this with them! I love pretty much any kind of dip.
This dip looks amazing! And we do love our EVOO in our cooking though I never thought about the nuances in flavors!
I’ve never made a red roasted pepper duo before however, it wouod be a hit in our house. Going to have to try this!
EVOO is a staple in our house. Did you know I use to run a small artisan olive oil company? This dip recipe looks so good!
This sounds amazing! I had no idea olive oils had such a vast flavor profile. I’ll have to do my homework from now on when I’m shopping!
Oooohhh, this sounds so delicious!! I’m such a sucker for dips and this one sounds REALLY good!!
I always use olive oil when cooking! Your dip looks super tasty.
This dip sounds so tasty. And since there is a bunch of veggies in the dip you don’t have to feel guilty having pita chips instead of other veggies to dip in it.
YUM!
I adore dips and condiments so this is right up my alley. And good quality olive oil is divine!
Thanks for sharing! This will be yummy for spring!
I am a HUGE fan of roasted red pepper anything! This recipe is right up my ally!!
EVOO is a staple in our pantry as well, and this dip sounds perfect for a spring or summer gathering on the back deck. I’ll definitely have to keep this one in mind for once its warmer.