Summer Recipes with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is a key feature of the Mediterranean diet. It is no wonder Mediterranean diets are so healthy – they use extra virgin olive oil as a key ingredient in baking, roasting and dressings. Adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over ingredients such as meat, fish and vegetables not only makes it tastier but also gives your meal the final nutritious touch.
To get started on a healthy Mediterranean diet, why not try these delicious recipes? Low in fat and full of nutrients, they can be enjoyed as a light dinner or for lunch.

Warm Salmon And Spinach Salad
This is a beautiful warm simple salad of pan fried salmon tossed with lightly wilted spinach and finished with toasted pine nuts.

Serves 4

 

 

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
350g/12oz salmon fillet
450g/1lb fresh spinach, washed
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a pan and fry the seasoned salmon fillet skin side down to begin. Watch carefully and when the fish has cooked up to almost halfway up the side edge, turn over and cook the other side for around 2 minutes, depending on thickness. This ensures you will have perfectly cooked, moist fish. Remove the fish from the pan and keep warm.
Add the remaining oil to another pan and add the spinach. Keep stirring it until it wilts (this will only take a minute or two), then season and add the toasted pine nuts. Place in a large shallow bowl. Peel the skin away from the salmon fillet if you wish and break the flesh into large chunks. Add to spinach and gently toss. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

 

Spiced Sauteed Prawns
This is a fragrant dish of large King Prawns sautéed in extra virgin olive oil with ginger, garlic, chilli and spring onion, finished with chopped coriander

Serves 4

 

 

12 large King Prawns
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2cm/1 in ginger, peeled and in thin matchsticks
1 chilli, seeded and chopped
2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
Extra virgin olive oil for deglazing pan
sea salt

Peel the prawns removing the head, shell and vein, but leaving the tails on. Thread them onto kebab sticks. Heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a pan and gently fry the garlic, ginger, chilli and spring onions to soften. Add the prawn kebabs and toss around to cook until they turn pink (just a couple of minutes). Transfer everything to a serving dish. Add extra virgin olive oil to the pan and stir to catch all the flavours left in the pan. Pour the oil over the prawns and finish sprinkled with a little sea salt.

 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crackers And Dips
Freshly baked olive oil crackers are fast and easy and can be served with Tomato Salsa, Guacamole and Smoked Salmon Delice. They are great, too, with cheese.

Serves 4

 

Crackers
100g/4oz plain flour
good pinch sea salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp cold water

Sift the flour into a bowl and crumble in the sea salt. Place the extra virgin olive oil and water into a small jug and whisk. Mix in the flour to make a dough. Remove from the bowl and knead lightly until smooth. Divide into 8 pieces and roll into balls. Roll out balls on a floured surface until they are very thin. Place on a baking sheet. Bake in a 200°C hot oven for around 3 minutes or until they begin to puff up. Turn over and cook for a couple of minutes more, keeping your eye on them. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. As an alternative: after rolling out the dough balls, cut each ball into eighths to make bite-sized cracker – and bake as before.

Tomato Salsa
6 and 2 yellow (or 8 red) small red tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil for dressing
squeeze lemon juice

Place tomatoes, red onion and garlic in a bowl. Season. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice

Guacamole
2 large ripe avocados
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
2 small tomatoes, finely chopped
juice of a lime
salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful fresh coriander, finely chopped

Mash avocados in a bowl. Add red onion, chilli and tomatoes. Stir in lime juice and season. Finish with finely chopped coriander.

Smoked Salmon Delice
225g/8oz smoked salmon, finely chopped
1 tbsp grated onion
juice of half a lemon
freshly ground white pepper
2-3 tbsp soured cream

Place smoked salmon in a bowl and add grated onion. Add lemon juice and season with white pepper. Stir in soured cream.

 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Chicken
This is utterly delicious – a definite plus for the repertoire. Chicken breasts are cooked in stock and white wine with green peppers and olives for a stunningly scrumptious olive sauce

Serves 4

 

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 part-boned chicken breasts
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 green peppers, seeded and in large chunks
300ml/1/2pt chicken stock
300ml/1/2pt dry white wine
1 tbsp chopped tarragon
16 green olives stuffed with anchovies
1 tbsp tarragon leaves, chopped
extra tarragon leaves for decoration

Place 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a heavy bottomed shallow pan. Add chicken breasts, skin-side down, and fry until browned. Turn over and brown other side. Remove from pan. Add the remaining extra virgin olive oil, and cook onion and green peppers to soften slightly. Return chicken to the pan and pour in the chicken stock and white wine. Bring to sauce to bubbling point, then turn down to simmer. Cover and cook for around 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Add chopped tarragon and olives. Bring back to bubbling. Sprinkle with extra tarragon leaves and serve.