When you're cooking for yourself and your family, it's easy to get into a boring routine. Even if you like experimenting in the kitchen, you may find yourself returning time and time again to the same old dishes, either because they're easy to make or because you don't have to worry that your kids will refuse to eat them. Sometimes, when you're bored with the same old menu, the answer isn't to throw out all of your family's favorite recipes, it's to tweak the old recipes a bit so that they remain familiar but with a new, flavorful twist. Flavor-infused extra virgin olive oil can make this easy to do. Take a look at a few ways you can bring some new flavor to your old menu.
Basil-Infused Olive Oil
Basil-infused olive oil can help you create a fresh new take on a number of Italian dishes. By itself, it can make a great pasta topping – just drizzle the warm olive oil over your pasta and toss it. This is a great choice when you're craving pasta but not the heaviness of cream sauce or the acidity of tomato sauce.
Basil-infused olive oil also tastes great drizzled on a pizza or mixed in with your favorite pesto sauce. Because the flavor of the oil pairs well with parmesan cheese, it's a great choice as a salad dressing for a Caprese salad that's topped with shaved parmesan.
Rosemary-Infused Olive Oil
Rosemary is a great choice when what you want is a subtle change in flavor. Rosemary has a peppery, sage-like flavor with a slight woody after taste that is noticeable without being overpowering. Roast sweet potatoes, zucchini, parsnips, or mixed vegetables with rosemary-infused olive oil to give them a flavor lift.
Rosemary-infused olive oil also works well on red meat, pork, and chicken, especially when you're grilling outdoors. It gives the meat some herby notes and blends well with the smoky flavor of grilled meat. Add rosemary olive oil to meat marinades or brush it on while cooking.
Fennel-Infused Olive Oil
Fennel-infused oil is the perfect choice when you want to give an old dish a distinctive and exciting new flavor. Fennel has a sweet, licorice-like taste that works well on a variety of different dishes. It pairs especially well with seafood. Use fennel-infused olive oil in place of regular olive oil when you bake fish in parchment paper, or use it instead of mayonnaise when making tuna salad.
You can also use fennel-infused olive oil to roast vegetables, especially beets, potatoes, onions, carrots, asparagus, and eggplant. Fennel also pairs well with cured meats and cheeses like gorgonzola, pecorino, and goat cheese, which means that fennel-infused olive oil is a great addition to a charcuterie board.
Flavor-infused olive oils are a great way to bring some pizzazz to your cooking. It can be fun to experiment with different flavors to find out which ones work best with your favorite recipes.