Kids Asked for More VEGETABLES!
I hate to feel like a food snob (because I’m not) but my husband actually caught me using the phrase “flavor profiles” the other day. It’s just that since we started eating healthier, I have more of an awareness of foods and ingredients.
And yes, flavor profiles.
Since we don’t make much from a box, we have a pantry stocked with tons of different, yet similar, products.
In addition to the normal array of herbs and spices, we have several varieties of vinegar: distilled white, apple cider, white wine, rice, balsamic, raspberry balsamic and fig balsamic. They all have different uses, different tastes and… wait for it… flavor profiles!
The same holds true for our stash of oils. You know, not all oils are the same. Some are better for frying while others are great as a base in salad dressings or marinades. The list of options is quite extensive: Examples include vegetable, corn, canola, grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, sesame, peanut, olive, extra virgin olive and the list goes on. All with different functions and… yes, flavor profiles. As you can see from the shelves at Walmart, the choices among olive oils alone is pretty huge. Only through this outreach campaign did I realize that it can be even further sub-categorized. STAR Olive Oil differentiates itself by not just making “olive oil” but making different varieties using different types of olives. Each of the three compliments a different type of food. Picual for beef/lamb, hojiblanca for poultry/fish and arbequina for vegetables. Since we eat very little beef these days (sshh… I live in Iowa and that could get me kicked out so don’t tell anyone), we grabbed the varieties for poultry/fish and vegetables.
Hubby does most of the cooking around here so I told him I wanted to make fish and cauliflower to try out these new oils and he whipped up a nice plateful of deliciousness. I’m a fan of cauliflower raw and always have been but when it comes to cooking it, I find the taste less than ideal. We usually steam it and sprinkle it with Mrs. Dash or some other herb/spice. This time, the method of cooking was saute.
Sauteed Parmesan and Garlic Cauliflower
(Serves 4)
1 Head Cauliflower
2 Tbsps STAR Arbequina Olive Oil
1-2 Tsps California Garlic Salt (The kind with parsley in it, season to taste)
2 Pinches Dried Basil
2 Tsps Parmesan Cheese
Chop and clean cauliflower. Heat Arbequina Olive Oil to pan. Add cauliflower and allow to cook for a few minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Add California garlic salt and basil. (If you don’t have California Garlic Salt, substitute regular garlic salt and a pinch of parsley.) Cook for additional 5 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Stir to prevent sticking while cooking for additional few minutes or until desired tenderness.
Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia
(Serves 4)
4 Tilapia Filets
2 tbsps STAR Hojiblanca Olive Oil
4 tsps Parmesan Cheese
Cookie’s Flavor Enhancer (or your seasoning of choice, use sparingly)
Season each filet with a pinch of Cookie’s seasoning and 1 tsp Parmesan cheese – dividing equally on both sides. Set aside. Warm Hojiblanca Olive Oil in a pan. Add Tilapia and cook for 1½ minutes on each side (depending on thickness of filet). Serve immediately.
Serve Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia, Sauteed Parmesan and Garlic Cauliflower, salad and fruit and you’ll have a healthy dinner! We’ve had this Tilapia before and it always goes over well, but this is our first try with this type of cauliflower. I’m pleased to say that the kids actually asked for more. We had prepared the entire head, but it certainly didn’t seem like enough. Personally, I could have eaten much more myself and am adding it to our regular vegetable lineup! Whether it was the new cooking technique or an olive oil specific to vegetables, I don’t know. But if buying a special bottle of olive oil gets my kids to ASK for more vegetables, I’ll certainly be sure to stock it in my pantry.
For more information on STAR Olive Oil, visit their website where you’ll find available products, nutritional information, recipes and coupons. You can also follow STAR Olive Oil on Twitter, like them on Facebook, or check out their boards on Pinterest. Don’t miss out on the STAR Olive Oil giveaway running on Facebook, too!
I am going to make this!! YAY – I love new veggie recipes! That was so funny " flavor profiles" but true when you have so many variations of Olive Oils to use for certain dishes!! -jenny at dapperhouse
YUMMY Recipe, Nicole! Thank you! #client
I am going to have to try out your parmesan dish! Yum!
Yummy, looks tasty!! I really like Olive Oil!
I love your tilapia recipe; talapia is one of our favorites around here. And, in my pantry, you will find Star Oil. I love them and actually feel like they improve the flavor of my food where others leave my feed just feeling greased and well, oily.
We love cooking vegetables in new ways. I’m going to have to try this because my kids love their vegs as long as I get creative every once in a while.
I just bought cauliflower at Trader Joe’s and the Sauteed Parmesan and Garlic Cauliflower looks like a perfect way to prepare it. I love ways to make veggies more appealing to my family.
I have a bottle of the vegetable one on the shelf in my pantry too – I really like using it with squash, the flavor profile really brings out the nuttiness of the fall vegetables 🙂 I’ll have to try your cauliflower recipe.
sounds like a great recipe, thank you for sharing.
Great recipes! That cauliflower one sounds amazing and I am seriously trying that… like tomorrow!!!
It’s funny how oil can make such a difference in food’s flavor. We have never tried Tilapia before but I have been hearing about it all the time.
That Olive oil sounds delicious! I’m going to have to try it when I run out of mine!
I’ll have to give this a try…not only for my kiddos but for me too (I am not a cauliflower fan).
Sofia – I like cauliflower but not a fan of it steamed. If you cook this, don’t cover it at all and it will be crispier and tastier. At least that’s my opinion… When it gets covered to speed cooking, I definitely think it has a different taste.
I almost always use olive oil, but I haven’t tried Star yet. I will now. I love it on all veggies!
I didn’t realize there were different flavorings in the oils besides just being basic olive or vegetable, etc oils. This is so cool! I would love to try out the vegetable variety.
Wow so tasty and a great way to eat that extra veg!
I’m totally going to make that cauliflower! Sounds so yummy!
Will have to give this olive oil a try and the cauliflower looks delish! I’d eat it up too!
i need to look for this, i’m all about trying new flavors in my cooking. i get bored, i’m sure the family does
Yum Yum Yum! I can’t wait to try the different oils. I have been using one oil and I think our food will taste better with specific oils by type
I use Extra Virgin olive oil for just about everything! Thanks for the new recipes to try.
I wish I could get my son to ask for more vegetables! I need to try this out!
I had no idea they made different olive oils for different foods. I will have to check it out. Your recipes sound amazing! Thanks!
We don’t eat seafood in our house, but I do use olive oil for most of the things I cook! I will be sure to look out for this brans.
This is actually my favorite brand of olive oil! My kids already like veggies, but I’d love to get them to ask for even more.
Wow, this is something I just got to try!
Yummy Saute Cauliflower how good does that sound I’m so trying that for lunch tomorrow. Plus Parmesan encrusted Tilapia is so good i just bought some more.
I love olive oil! I use it in all sorts of things! Is that oranges with your recipe?
I recently started searching for ways to cook my veggies. I will bookmark and try these recipes. Thanks for sharing!
Looks like a great recipe. Thanks for sharing!
This recipe looks delish!!! Before meeting my hubby I only cooked with vegetable oil. Since living with him we have a pantry filled with all sorts of different oils too!
This looks like a yummy recipe! I’ll try to make it soon. Just an fyi vegetable, corn, canola, grapeseed, sunflower and safflower oils are not really the healthiest options. I love the book nourishing traditions by sally (I can’t remember her last name off the top of myhhead), she explains different oils really well in it.
That recipe sounds amazing! I’d love to give it a try – it combines three of my faves so it will be a success, I’m sure. I was under the impression that canola oil is the healthiest – is this true?
This sounds awesome! I need more veggies in my life, and it sounds like I need to experiment on oils!
I learned so much from this post – thx!!! and now I will be on the lookout for Star arbequina!! olive oil!!
Looks delish!
Very nice!
These recipes look very tasty. Thanks for sharing!