I haven't even begun to try all of these beauties yet, but I'll give you a little rundown about each:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Omega-3 DHA: Derived from a sustainable and vegetarian source of DHA, 2 servings provides 25% of the daily recommended value (200mg) of DHA Omega 3. This can be used any way you'd use EVOO, but with an added health boost. Woot!
Family Reserve Olive Oil with Fresh Rosemary: I'm really excited to try this one-I can think of so many ways to use rosemary infused olive oil (I'm thinking chicken....pizza....oh yeah.)
Usage Pairing Olive Oils: Like wine, these olive oils are particularly well suited for particular types of dishes. They have one for vegetables, one for poultry/fish, and one for beef/lamb-each specially complementing their dish.
Creamy Balsamic Glazes: We were given the raspberry and apple varieties, and Michael has been loving them on his salads!
Grapeseed Oil: This was briefly discussed on Wednesday-essentially it is the only oil I want to use in any kind of frying from now on (with a smoke point of 485 degrees, grapeseed oil has a lower risk of burning and splattering). It's an extremely versatile oil, with very minimal flavor or aroma-and can be substituted for canola or vegetable oil in most recipes. PLUS it's low saturated fat level means it doesn't solidify when refrigerated so it's great for salad dressings, sauces, and marinades (and you can use it in baking as well)! (Added bonus-it's actually a byproduct of grapes after wine production, so environmentally friendly!) And the health benefits--
- Carbohydrate and sodium free
- Cholesterol free
- No Trans Fat
- Low in saturated fats
- No added preservatives, flavorings or colorings
- High in oleic acid and essential fatty acids
- High in polyunsaturated fat, with about 72% linoleic acid (Omega 6) that has the greatest affect on increasing the level of HDL (good cholesterol) and reducing the level of LDL (bad cholesterol)
- High in naturally occurring antioxidants
- Contains vitamin E and A
Butter Flavored Olive Oil: And this one I mentioned on Monday. Butter flavored olive oil gives you the delicious flavor of butter with all the health benefits of olive oil-a small way to cut back on saturated fats, sodium, and cholesterol. I've tried olive oil in baked goods before and I couldn't get around the taste-I'm a butter girl, what can I say? So this is PERFECT for me-you can use the butter flavored olive oil in baked goods (duh), pasta, potatoes, popcorn, seafood, rice, corn, toast...etc etc. Just make sure to use this handy conversion chart:
Moral of the story-STAR has the coolest stuff (they have
more products that aren't even listed on this post!). And I am a lucky lady to get to have so much to use!
Disclaimer: I was provided with product from STAR Fine Foods to try, but I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product. My opinions, as always, are all my own.