It's time to flavor your life with some Italian 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil! I'm already a fan of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and I cook with it all the time. I've whipped up a simple chopped salad recipe so you can give it a try yourself, but I also thought I'd use this post to educate you about the benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and what it is.
Disclosure: I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to to sample, but all opinions are my own. Compensation was provided for my honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links. You can read more about affiliate links on my Disclosure/Privacy page.
About Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Do you know anything about Extra Virgin Olive Oil? I didn't either! The Flavor Your Life Campaign hopes to educate North Americans about authentic 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Europe. Here's a quick rundown about authentic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and what makes it special (all of which I learned from Flavor Your Life!).
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made by pressing olive oil without heat or chemicals, and it’s the first cold pressed olive oil
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a high smoking point of 400°F, so it's great for cooking and baking
- Expert tasters test for taste defects and fruitiness, bitterness and spiciness (FYI if it doesn’t have the signature fruity taste and balance, it won’t receive an Extra Virgin rating)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil is almost totally free of acidity—below 0.8%. If the percentage of oleic acid (fatty acid) is too high, that means it was produced improperly and could be rancid
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil is easy to keep and store. Store it somewhere dark and cool (around 57°F, if possible). Don't store it on the counter, near a stove, or in the refrigerator. Keep the lid on tight, and use within six months of opening.
I sampled Le Stagioni d’ Italia Extra Virgin Olive Oil thanks to Moms Meet and it was delicious and perfect for my recipe. Le Stagioni d'Italia has state-of-the-art production facilities in Northern Italy. They have a short, fully traceable supply chain so you know you're getting the best with your purchase. Le Stagioni d’ Italia Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made with olives harvested right in Italy. It's vegan, gluten free, and contains no additives or preservatives. One thing I loved about this Extra Virgin Olive Oil was that it was robust and not overly bitter. It added such nice flavor to my chicken and the salad recipe, too. Looking for this brand in a store near you? Stay tuned, it's coming soon!
You can learn more about Extra Virgin Olive Oil and find some amazing recipes at https://flavor-your-life.com/ or follow Flavor Your Life on Facebook and Twitter.
And now, on to the recipe! Be sure to Pin it for future use, too.
Simple Chopped Salad with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
This chopped salad is light and delicious. It's perfect for lunch, as a side dish, or topped on chicken or veal. It's our absolute favorite on breaded veal cutlets or chicken breasts. There's something about that combination of the cool salad on the warm, breaded meat. Yum, yum!! And shout out to my dad, The Jersey Grandpa, who originally created this salad (served over breaded veal) for my family and eventually taught me how to make it, too. Thanks, Poppy!
You Will Need
9oz bag romaine lettuce (you can use fresh romaine, I just find it so much easier to use the pre-cut and bagged version!)
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped or cut into small pieces
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I used Le Stagioni d’ Italia)
1 tsp minced onion flakes (you can substitute with fresh minced onions)
1/4 tsp minced garlic
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Directions
1. Be sure your salad is clean (wash, dried). Now, chop! I have an awesome Toss and Chop Salad Tool for chopping lettuce, but you can do it with kitchen scissors or even a knife. In my personal opinion, this salad tastes best if you chop it as fine as you can. Try not to leave any big chunks or pieces.
2. Add your tomatoes, minced onion and garlic. Toss.
3. Drizzle in Balsamic Vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Salt and pepper to taste. If you like more of any of those flavors, add more or less of what you want. Just know that too much oil or vinegar will make the salad a little heavy/soggy. Toss to combine.
4. Serve immediately. You can also use it to top warm chicken or veal cutlets. This salad does not keep well so it's recommended to eat it all in one sitting.
And just to note, I highly recommend using Extra Virgin Olive Oil to fry up breaded cutlets of veal or chicken. I used this Extra Virgin Olive Oil to fry our chicken cutlets for the chopped salad, and it added such an amazing flavor! Look how beautiful the cutlets turned out!
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