Organic Cold Pressed Oils

What oils do you use? It is a big question, for me the number one importance is that the oil is organic and secondly that it is cold pressed. Ever since I left home at the age of eighteen I have used good quality cold pressed olive oil. It was the only oil I used for decades. In recent years though becoming aware of heating points of oils things have changed. Basically, I still predominantly use olive oil but this is added usually at the end of cooking or if I can't resist I will add it to a pan on a low heat.

The photo depicts the oils I always have in my kitchen. The list of uses are below. I do sometimes get a cold pressed organic rice bran oil for frying, but as I try to get good local oils I keep the use of rice bran oil to a minimum.

Olive oil- use for salad dressings to splash on steamed vegetables and add to pasta sauces, pestos and dips.

Wood smoked olive oil- for a different flavoured salad dressing

Macadamia oil- I use this for frying as it has a high heating point. I also put this in cakes that call for oil.

Sunflower oil- this is another good oil for frying.

Coconut oil - is brilliant for frying. However I don't actually like the flavour of so I add it to raw desserts.

Hemp oil- I use this as a dressing for salads and steamed veg.

Sesame oil- (I do sometimes use roasted sesame oil as I love the flavour- a naughty treat for me) brilliant in soups of a South East Asian flavour in Miso soup, as a different type of salad dressing and in the Laksa soup recipe in my cook book. I sometimes fry with it as it too can stand being heated up.

Another oil that I don't use but which also has a good heating point is avocado oil. I will one day give it a go, if you can get good local organic avocado oil then give it a try.

Below are two lovely recipes one a dressing using hemp seed oil and another using sesame oil.

Hemp Seed Oil and Tahini Dressing

To serve with salad or steamed veg or with fried tofu or tempeh.

1/4 cup of tahini

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp hemp oil

juice of half a lime to one lime

sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Whisk all of the ingredients together and season with the salt and pepper.

Miso Soup with Sesame oil

1 tbsp Tasmanian wakame covered in boiling water and left to sit overnight.

1 carrot diced very small or grated

1 tsp finely grated ginger

2 to 4 tbsp of miso paste

2 tsp of sesame oil (normal or toasted)

season with salt and pepper or cayenne powder and add some gluten free tamari if you wish

In a saucepan place the wakame and the water it has been sitting in with the ginger. Keep on a low heat until heated through then take out 1/2 cup of the water and mix with the miso paste until it is all blended add to the saucepan of water and ginger and add the carrot. Keep on a gentle heat for up to 10 minutes. Avoid letting the soup boil. Serve with veggies and a protein of your choice.

Categories:Salads

Tags:cold pressed oil Olive oil Wood smoked olive Oil Macadamia Sunflower Coconut Hemp Sesame