The gracious people at Star Fine Foods asked me if I wanted to review some of their delicious products, so they sent a very generous box of products to review.
If you asked me about 8 years ago to try olive oil, I would have said no. I think up until that point, I had only tried it once, and didn’t like it. It was only when my Mother was diagnosed with heart disease that I started looking into healthier ways to cook. She lived with me, so I figured I could slowly incorporate the healthier fats into the meals I was cooking. There was one issue, she had made it abundantly clear that she DID NOT LIKE olive oil, hee, hee, little did she know she would literally eat those words.
Long story short, she ended up loving the taste and I never cooked with any other oils since. I use olive oil in everything, so I was excited to try all of the different kinds that Star Fine Foods sent to me AND excited to try the Grapeseed Oil which I had never tried before;
I ended up using the Grapeseed oil to make popcorn on the stove. I hate the bag popcorn, so I always use the kernels and pop it like my Mom used to do on the stove. I would normally use Canola Oil, but since Grapeseed oil has a high smoke point, I decided to give it a try. I could definitely taste a difference, the popcorn just seemed to have a better flavor than normal, so I will definitely continue using the Grapeseed in the future PLUS Grapeseed Oil is super healthy;
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
Here are a few dishes I made using the Olive Oils:
Pasta Tomato Basil
- 1/2 cup of gluten free pasta (You can use any kind of pasta you prefer)
- 3 or 4 small grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 2 fresh basil leaves, sliced into strips
- Star Garlic Olive Oil to taste
- Pinch of Garlic Sea Salt
- Pepper to taste
Cook pasta per box/bag directions, drain and place in bowl, drizzle with a little Star Fine Foods Garlic Olive oil and stir. Add tomatoes and basil and salt and pepper to taste. Top with a little more oil if desired.
Roasted Herb Potatoes
- 3 large baking potatoes
- Italian Seasoning
- Garlic Sea Salt
- Pepper
- Star Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry potatoes and cut into wedges. Place into bowl and drizzle with Star Fine Foods Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Toss well till coated. Add Italian seasonings, garlic sea salt and pepper to taste. Place on cooking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
Star Fine Foods also sent me 3 different kinds of vinegar; Balsamic, Garlic Wine Vinegar and Red Raspberry Vinegar. I will most likely use the red raspberry on salads, since that is my go to dressing lately and the Garlic Wine Vinegar would be amazing on my oven fries or in a salad as well.
I like to use balsamic on a variety of things, like on my roasted veggies.
Garlic Roasted Brussels Spouts and Carrots
- 1 cup of Brussels sprouts
- 1 cup of baby carrots sliced in half
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Garlic Olive Oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Star Balsamic Vinegar
Preheat over to 425 degrees. Place Brussels sprouts and carrots in a bowl, add minced garlic, and Garlic Olive oil to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat evenly. Place on cooking sheet in an even layer and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Star Fine Foods also sent me 3 pouches of Olives, that I will most likely use for a family gathering, I cooked so much these past few days that I have run out of space!
I am super impressed with all of the products and am looking forward to using them in all of my recipes.
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I am also proud to be a co-sponsor of Star Fine Foods Giveaway on Facebook – ENTER TO WIN!
If you would like to learn more about Star Fine Foods, be sure to visit their website, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
Disclosure: I was provided with the above products by Star Fine Foods to facilitate this review. This is accordance with Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of. Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.