Real Food Basics

What to Do with Olives – Real Food Basics

Olives are high in antioxidants and healthy fat that’s really good for the body. If you ever try an olive oil that kind of burns your throat a bit, that’s a sign that it has a high amount of antioxidants in it, so that’s only a good thing! Olive oil is my go to for salads, creating a quick salad dressing with simply olive oil, apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar, and seasonings. The antioxidants in olives makes olive oil a bit more heat stable than most oils, but it’s still much better to use coconut oil or even avocado oil for higher heat cooking.

Olives are also one of my go to snacks. I just love authentic olives with the pit still in them. I almost feel like it relaxes me to sit and eat an olive at a time, spitting the pit out of course. My favorite olives are Greek Kalamata olives.

The first time I went to buy olives in California, I got a can of large black California olives. I was craving olives like crazy that day and those were the best looking ones I could find in the store so I decided to try them…well, I was SO disappointed because to me they just tasted like cheap watered down olive slices that you find on pizzas…not real olives! My brother in-law tried them and said they tasted like normal olives, so it’s all about what you’re used to of course! I guess I’ve become an olive snob after our family vacations in Greece growing up, haha 😉

So if you don’t like “normal” American olives, then try authentic Kalamata olives from Greece. They’re a bit more expensive, but SO worth it!!

Green vs black olives…

The color of an olive just shows you when it was picked. Green olives are picked before getting ripe, and black olives are picked while ripe. That’s why green olives are usually more dense and a bit more bitter than black ones. Green olives also stick to the pit more firmly compared to darker olives where the pit easily falls out when you bite into it. Raw olives are generally inedible, which is why olives are bought cured; brined, pickled, or soaked in oil or water.

What to make with olives:

Real Food Basics

What to Do with Eggplant – Real Food Basics

Eggplant, or aubergine as it’s called in most of the world, is one of few fruits that you should never eat raw (yes it’s actually a fruit, not a vegetable!). Because of it’s unique skin, eggplant is one produce that is not as important to buy organic.

Eggplant is often called “poor man’s meat” because when cooked well it has a little similar taste to meat. My favorite meat & eggplant combination is ground meat and cubed eggplant, fried together with chopped onion in coconut oil. Add some salt, pepper and a bit of cinnamon (sounds weird but it’s really good!). You can also add some cayenne pepper. Serve this dish together with cauliflower rice or add some cooked beans and eat it with a spoon. The most important thing i that you try eggplant with ground meat, because it’s really good!! 🙂

What to make with eggplant: