- 1 ½ cups pitted Kalamata olives
- 2 tsp minced garlic or less
- 2 tablespoons capers or less
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Mince together 1st 3 ingredients in a food processor or emersion blender. I prefer it chunky and do not process this very much. Slowly add olive oil. If you prefer a thicker spread, omit or use less of the oil. When making a light appetizer, a thinner Olivada will spread like butter. A chunkier Olivada with less oil can be piled on like a bruschetta and even served as lunch with a salad. My neice Irina ate this for lunch through her childhood! Spread on French bread, hearty whole grain crusty bread or crackers.
Nutrition Notes: Olives are a great source of monounsaturated fats which are also found in nuts, olive and canola oils and avocados. Monounsaturated fats improve blood cholesterol levels, which can decrease your risk of heart disease, and they may help with keeping blood sugar levels in check (potentially helpful for appetite control and reducing the risk for diabetes). A few studies have looked at monounsaturated fats as being beneficial for specifically reducing belly fat, but firm findings are lacking. To take it a step further, replace saturated fats with whole plant food sources of fat instead of refined plant oils which are stripped of their fiber, vitamins, minerals & phytochemical compounds. Whole plant foods rich in mono and poly unsaturated fats are olives, avocado, nuts, & seeds from plants like sunflowers, olives, soybean & safflower.
The olives are high in salt, so balance this with less salty foods thru the day.
nina in the kitchen 