“How do you roast a turkey with olive oil? For all the attention we lavish on Thanksgiving turkeys, the truth is more work does not necessarily yield a better bird. ” ~ Melissa Clark – New York Times
Thanksgiving is the quintessential ‘food holiday’ in the United States. For those of us who are deeply rooted in our family’s food traditions, it might be unthinkable to try to branch out and try something new. However, doing something as simple as adding or substituting extra virgin olive oil into some of your favorite dishes can do a lot to improve the nutritional value of the food.
One example of a classic Thanksgiving dish that can easily be altered with the use of extra virgin olive oil is mashed potatoes. The potatoes are often blended with a pretty liberal amount of butter to create just the right creamy texture and flavor. However, butter is not only significantly less healthy than olive oil, but it also tends to disguise or overpower the natural flavors of other ingredients. Olive oil, on the other hand, complements and accentuates them.
Olive Oil & Herb Roasted Turkey
There is usually some sort of green at a Thanksgiving dinner, whether it’s green beans, a green bean casserole, Brussels sprouts or another vegetable. Rather than drenching them in butter, you could instead opt to drizzle olive oil over them, either while they’re cooking or as a topping.
The same is true for salads. You can create an extremely healthy vinaigrette by mixing a light vinegar and wine with olive oil. So instead of weighing down your salad with heavy, filling dressings like ranch or thousand island, try this healthier option instead.
Even the centerpiece of just about every Thanksgiving meal, the turkey, can benefit from some olive oil attention. Turkeys need to be basted every so often to maintain their tenderness while cooking. Instead of dipping your basting brush in butter, try instead a mixture of olive oil with salt, dried herbs, crushed garlic and black pepper. Your herbs could include thyme and dried sage, or a special poultry herb blend. This mixture is a healthier option than butter, and certainly more flavorful.
There are certainly ways you can make olive oil present at your Thanksgiving dinner without upsetting tradition. Place your order for our extra virgin oil today from My Olive Tree.
Our Mission
Our mission is to create a partnership between the Evangelical community and the nation of Israel; this partnership will produce employment, income, and revenue for humanitarian aid projects in Israel. We envision the planting of one-million olive trees over the next seven years. This relationship was prophesied in the Bible centuries ago, that the foreigners and strangers (those not of Jewish descent) would help rebuild the walls of Israel and cause the desert to bloom (Isa 35:1). Among other things, this reforestation is an environmental blessing for the entire region. May all who participate in this project be blessed body, soul and spirit; it is time for you to take root in Israel!