Oils

One of the most frequent questions we get is how to use different oils and the differences between them. Are vegetable oils interchangeable? What's with the different grades of olive oil? Which oils are heart-healthy and which ones will send me to the hospital? These are all things we've wondered from time to time (okay, maybe not all of us...maybe there are some people who have bigger things on their minds than getting a giggle out of "extra virgin"), and we're here to answer them!

For what we're doing today, we're going to divide things up by vegetable oils, olive oils, and specialty oils.

Vegetable Oils

Canola oil: In terms of vegetable oils, this is your best and most versatile bet. It is a mild oil with little flavor, has a high smoke point (which makes it ideal for frying), and it has heart health benefits similar to olive oil. In terms of vegetable oil, I only buy canola oil.

Peanut oil: This is another versatile oil with a high smoke point. Thanks, Bethany, for reminding me about using it in stir-fry--its flavor and ability to handle high temperatures make it the perfect choice for stir-fries and other Asian cooking.

Okay Alternatives to Canola: Safflower and corn oil for deep frying, all-purpose cooking, and salad dressings. Sunflower for everything except deep frying.

Bad Alternatives to Canola: Palm oil, hydrogenated, and partially hydrogenated oils.

When Should I Use Vegetable Oil?

Use vegetable oil when a recipe calls for oil. Also, while olive oil can add great flavor to salad dressings, particularly strongly flavored ones, it can also congeal in the fridge which isn't great when you're in a hurry. Vegetable oil is a great option for most salad dressings.

Try it in the Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette...

Or maybe fry up some of your own homemade French Fries!

Olive Oils

Were you scared when you saw the sheer amount of olive oil in Sara's Chimichurri? Don't be! While olive oil is high in fat, there are a lot of great health benefits and it definitely has a place in a well-balanced diet. It's one of the few foods that contains "good" cholesterol, which helps control "bad" cholesterol. While all olive oil contains antioxidants, extra-virgin olive oil contains the highest levels of antioxidants, which are beneficial in fighting both long- and short-term diseases.

But what's with all the virgin talk? What does that mean?

Extra-Virgin: This is from the first pressing of the olives and hasn't been treated or chemically refined. Like I said, this contains the highest levels of antioxidants and has the purest flavor. Save the extra-virgin for when taste matters--chimichurri, salad dressings, drizzling onto sandwiches. It's the best all-around olive oil and a lot of people prefer to use it exclusively.

Virgin: From the second pressing. This is good for things like pastas or browning meat and onions for soups and sauces.

Pure: More processed and refined. This oil may have an offensively strong flavor or odor.

Light and Extra Light: People sometimes get the wrong idea thinking that "light" olive oil means it's lower in fat or calories. Think of "light" as "refined". Extra light olive oil is so refined that it hardly has any flavor or color. In terms of health benefits, the lighter you go the less you get. But if you'd like to use an olive oil but don't want the flavor, it may be a good option for you.

So with all you can do with olive oil, what shouldn't you use it for? Well, it's quite heavy and it has a low smoke point, so deep frying is a bad idea. Because of it's strong flavor, it shouldn't be used in cakes and cookies unless the recipe specifically calls for it. And, like I said, it will solidify in the refrigerator, but that doesn't mean you can't use it in salad dressing or marinades, it just means that you'll need to let it reach room temperature before serving it.

Try olive oil in Sara's Chimichurri

or the dressing for Sara's Steak and Mango salad.

Feeling the urge to roast some garlic


or some tomatoes?


Specialty Oil(s)

So we really haven't ventured too far into the realms of specialty oils, but I will say that most of them have to do with some kind of regional food, tend to be quite strongly flavored and should be used in moderation. This includes things like chili oil and sesame oil. Luckily, we have lots of recipes that use sesame oil, lest you think that we're being unfair in our practices toward specialty oils. Things like the Steak and Mango Salad I mentioned earlier and Sara's Thai Beef Skewers.

So...have you changed what oils you use based on their health benefits? Is the flavor of olive oil too strong for you? Tried any wild and crazy specialty oils? Have any ideas on how we could implement more of them?