Olive oil has long been a staple in Mediterranean diets, used daily in everything from pasta sauces to desserts. With its fresh fruity aroma and distinct peppery aftertaste, B-well’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil can boost the flavour of any dish. Not only it is delicious, but it’s also 100% cold-pressed, retaining all those beneficial antioxidants found in olives, making it an excellent choice for your health. We love the B-well Extra Virgin Olive Oil so much, that we’re sharing our top 5 quick and easy olive oil recipes with you to inspire you to try it for yourself!

1. Garlic confit

Confit (pronounced kon-fee) is one of the oldest ways of preserving food we know of, and is now a highly-praised culinary technique if done perfectly. Basically, you heat your fresh ingredients in the oil over a very low temperature to preserve it. Luckily for us, garlic confit can be whipped up with just a few simple ingredients, really allowing the lovely flavour of B-well Extra Virgin Olive Oil to be the hero.

MAKES 1 jar // PREP TIME 10 min // COOK TIME 30 min

INGREDIENTS
1 cup garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 red chilli
1½ cups B-well Extra Virgin Olive Oil

METHOD
1. Add all the ingredients to a pot over the lowest heat on your stove.
2. Allow to cook gently for 30 minutes, until the garlic is soft, but not brown, making sure the oil doesn’t bubble.
3. Cool and then transfer to a sterilised jar. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 months.

2. Chermoula flatbread

Chermoula is a bright and flavour-packed North African condiment that can be used as a dip, a marinade or to add a pop of flavour to soups and stews. Recipes vary from region to region, but this simple mix of fresh ingredients will soon become a staple you’ll want to use on everything. If you have extra, we recommend using it to marinate steak, fish or chicken.

SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 15 min // COOK TIME 15 min

INGREDIENTS
For the chermoula
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
1 cup coriander
1 cup parsley
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp chilli flakes
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp lemon zest
¼ cup B-well Extra Virgin Olive Oil
To serve
4 store-bought flatbreads
¼ sliced red onion

METHOD
For the chermoula
1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse to form a paste, adding a little water if necessary. Season to taste.
To serve
1. Preheat oven to 180℃.
2. Spread 1 tablespoon of chermoula paste onto each flatbread and scatter over the red onion.
3. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until the flatbreads are golden brown.
4. Drizzle with some extra olive oil and serve immediately.

3. Pesto pasta

Pesto is a versatile Italian sauce that can be made in an instant thanks to food processors (or a pestle and mortar if you don’t have a food processor). We love the classic flavours of basil and garlic with B-well’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but feel free to experiment with other flavours as well, hello, red pepper pesto! But in the meantime, we’re sure our budget-friendly basil pesto will hit the spot.

SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 15 min // COOK TIME 10 min

Pesto is a versatile Italian sauce that can be made in an instant thanks to a food processor. We love the classic flavours of fresh basil, garlic and B-well Extra Virgin Olive Oil but feel free to experiment with other ingredients as well.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups basil, plus extra to serve
⅓ cup almonds
3 garlic cloves
½ cup hard cheese, plus extra to serve
½ cup B-well Extra Virgin Olive oil
500 g spaghetti, cooked

METHOD
1. Add all the ingredients, except the oil and spaghetti, to a food processor and pulse a few times.
2. Set the food processor to low, and slowly drizzle in the oil, until combined. Season to taste.
3. Toss the pesto through the spaghetti and top with extra cheese and basil.

Pro tip: Reserve some of the pasta cooking water and add it to the pesto if it’s too thick.

4. Ice cream sundaes with olive oil caramel

With so many toppings to choose from, home-made sundaes are always the most fun. If you’re keen to experiment (and you definitely should), B-well’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil will add a smooth, luxurious and full-bodied flavour to our easy-to-make caramel sauce.

SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 10 min // COOK TIME 15 min

INGREDIENTS
For the caramel
½ cup water
1¼ cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence
1 cup cream, at room temperature
¼ cup B-well Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the sundaes
1 L vanilla ice cream
½ packet tennis biscuits, crushed
½ cup chocolate chips

METHOD
For the caramel
1. Add the water, sugar and vanilla to a pot over low heat.
2. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to medium and summer until the caramel turns a rich amber colour. Remove from the heat.
3. Gradually add the cream, whisking continuously. Be careful as it might bubble up and splatter as the cream is added.
4. Fold in the olive oil.
For the sundaes
1. Dish the ice cream up into bowls and sprinkle over the tennis biscuits and chocolate chips.
2. Drizzle over the olive oil caramel and enjoy immediately.

5. Dark chocolate, orange & olive oil mug cake

When you have the urge to indulge in a delicious chocolatey spoonful of heaven, the perfect mug cake is the ultimate quick and easy way to go. Adding olive oil to cakes and other baked goods is just getting even more popular for its significant and unique flavour boost. Make sure you try it for yourself with this recipe.

MAKES 1 mug // PREP TIME 5 min // COOK TIME 3 min

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup flour
2½ tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp orange zest
¼ cup milk
3 tbsp B-well Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp dark chocolate chips

METHOD
1. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar and orange zest together in a large mug.
2. Add the milk and olive oil and whisk with a fork until completely combined.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Microwave for 2½-3 minutes, until cooked through.

B-well Canola Oil is a must-have in all kitchen pantry’s, therefore, B-well is giving you the opportunity to win a year supply of B-well Canola Oil. Together, they want to change lives for the better and help create meals that are safe and nutritious for the whole family. Visit bwellfoods@facebook.co.za for more information and make a healthier choice. #SwitchToCanola

Words & recipes: Jezza-Rae Larsen; Dylan Norton & Kate Turner
Photography: Courtesy images; Unsplash