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Friday Favorites, 10/28/16 0

-- United Way’s Second Zombie Run: If you are still recovering from this week’s episode of The Walking Dead, release your nervous energy on this 5K fun run. Dress as your favorite zombie or zombie hunter and get moving. Takes place 10/29/16 at Cedar Glades Park.

-- Arkansas AAA State Volleyball Championship Finals: Come downtown to the Convention Center and cheer on your favorite team on their quest to a state championship.

Crisp Mornings and Hot Coffee: The mornings are crisp and we’re starting to see a little Fall Color. Get up early this weekend and take a drive up Scenic 7 to admire the scenery. Add a little flavor to your morning coffee with some of our flavored dark balsamic vinegars. These flavors taste great with coffee: Mocha Almond Fudge, Pecan Praline, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Vanilla, and Bordeaux Cherry.​

If your plans bring you downtown, stop by the shop to sample our delicious oils and vinegars. Make it a great weekend!

  • Lisa Emmert

10 Ways to Use Maple Dark Balsamic Vinegar 12

As we dive deeper into Fall, it’s time to highlight some of our favorite Fall flavors. Our Maple Dark Balsamic Vinegar is a “must have” for all your Fall cooking and entertaining. It’s thick, rich, and has a smooth, subtle sweetness that compliments a variety of foods. In fact, here’s 10 ideas to get you started.

1.  Viniagrette: Combine with Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and one of our unflavored EVOOs for an outstanding vinaigrette dressing.
2.  Homemade Barbecue Sauce: Provides the perfect amount of smooth sweetness to balance the heat and spice in your homemade barbecue sauce recipes.
3.  Marinade: Add to Chipotle EVOO for an out-of-this-world marinade for any meat.
4.  Drizzle: The Maple Dark Balsamic Vinegar tastes incredible drizzled over Fall vegetables such as sweet potatoes, acorn squash, and butternut squash.
5.  Dessert: Pour over cheesecake, ice cream, or bread pudding.
6.  Breakfast: Instead of syrup, use it to dribble over pancakes, waffles, muffins, or scones.
7.  Glaze: This vinegar tastes great as a glaze for ham, bacon, pork chops, or salmon.
8.  Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Toss Brussels sprouts with Maple Dark Balsamic Vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic, then roast. This is a delicious Fall side dish.
9.  Snack: Make glazed pecans by tossing pecan halves with Maple Dark Balsamic Vinegar, brown sugar, and salt. Bake for 15 minutes at 325ºF.
10.  Appetizer: Drizzle over a soft cheese, such as goat cheese or cream cheese for a flavorful appetizer.

Maple Dark Balsamic Vinegar pairs well with the following olive oils: Cinnamon, Butter-Infused, Blood Orange, and Chipotle.

This is a seasonal flavor, so hurry on down to the shop to stock up while supplies last! See you soon!!
  • Lisa Emmert

Flavors of the Week, 10/24/16 0

Welcome to Monday! We’re bringing you some incredible pairings this week, that will be perfect for a variety of dishes. Make time this week to come downtown and try them out. You’ll be hooked just like we are.

Garlic Mushroom and Hickory: We’ve paired our best seller Garlic Mushroom EVOO with Hickory Dark Balsamic Vinegar. This combination will elevate anything you throw on the grill. Marinate steaks, pork chops, or chicken for a few hours before grilling.

Garlic Cilantro and Serrano Chile Honey: This combination will highlight all your Mexican dishes. Add some to salsa, guacamole, or pico de gallo. Drizzle over tacos or taco salads. Marinate meat for fajitas in this combination. Our Garlic Cilantro EVOO and Serrano Chile Honey Vinegar were meant for each other.

Meyer Lemon and Raspberry Ginger: This fresh and light pairing of Meyer Lemon EVOO and Raspberry Ginger Light Balsamic Vinegar will make you swoon. It’s perfect for Asian salads and stir-fries. Use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls and wontons.

Garlic Cilantro Honey Salmon
(adapted from Julia’s Album)

1 pound salmon
1 tablespoon Garlic Cilantro EVOO
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons Serrano Chile Honey Vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Pat dry salmon and brush 1 tablespoon EVOO. Make sure to cover all sides of the salmon. Season with salt and pepper.

Place salmon on a large piece of foil. Fold up sides and ends (1 to 2 inches high) tightly around the salmon. Place on a baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, and garlic. Spread this mixture over the salmon.

Leaving foil open, place salmon in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Carefully remove salmon from foil. Separate salmon from the skin that remains stuck to the foil. Transfer to a serving dish. Carefully top the salmon with the sauce remaining in the foil.

Friday Favorites 10/21/16 0

Welcome to another fabulous weekend in Hot Springs! Finally, it feels like Fall and it’s almost Halloween. That means bonfires, haunted houses, football, tailgating, hiking, and more. Whatever your plans for this weekend, we hope you have a great time. If your activities bring you downtown, stop in and sample some of our delicious oils and vinegars. Here is what we are loving this weekend:

Celebrate Fall in the Gardens at Garvan Woodland Gardens takes place Saturday from 9 am until noon. This family event features trick-or-treating, treasure hunting, a pumpkin patch and more. Dress in costume and bring the whole family.

Flights of oils and vinegars. Once again, you can choose your own flight of oils and/or vinegars. Choose 3 100-milliliter bottles for $30 or 2 200-milliliter bottles for $33. This is the perfect opportunity to get started on your holiday gift shopping.

Netflix and snacking. If your weekend plans include curling up to watch scary movies, you’ll need munchies! Our Butter-Infused EVOO, White Truffle EVOO, and Garlic Mushroom EVOO taste great drizzled over popcorn. Top it off with a little Italian Black Truffle Sea Salt.​

Make it a great weekend!!

Health Benefits of Olive Oil 0

Unless you’ve been hiding out in the Bat Cave or stranded on a deserted island, you’ve probably heard that olive oil is good for you. But do you know how olive oil consumption benefits your health?

Olive oil has been studied extensively by researchers around the world, and its health benefits stem from its type of fat and its antioxidant content. The type of fat in olive oil is mainly monounsaturated fat. This type of fat is good for your heart and your cholesterol levels.

Olive oil also contains two beneficial antioxidants. Oleocanthal is an anti-inflammatory substance that works like ibuprofen, and oleuropein protects LDL-cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) against breaking down.

Studies have shown that regular intake of olive oil can provide benefits in the following areas:

Heart Health: According to a recent review study published in Pharmacological Research, regular olive oil intake decreases risk of high blood pressure, stroke, high cholesterol, and inflammation. Another study published in Neurology also found that regular intake of olive oil may prevent stroke in older people.

Type 2 Diabetes: A Spanish research study showed that a diet rich in monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil) reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Breast Cancer: The antioxidant oleocanthal may protect against breast cancer, according to a Spanish study.

Depression: Regular intake of olive oil may help prevent development of depression in some individuals as reported in the medical journal PLOS ONE.

Alzheimer’s Disease: A study conducted in mice found that olive oil has the “potential to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease or related neurodegenerative dementias.” More studies are needed to confirm these findings.

So how can you add olive oil to your diet? Try some of the following ideas:​

— Saute or roast vegetables with olive oil
— Make your own mayonnaise using olive oil
— Add it to salad dressings, pasta, and marinades
— Use it as a dip for bread with herbs, sea salt, and spices
— Drizzle it over popcorn

Flavors of the Week 10/17/16 0

We're bringing you some adventurous pairings this week. These flavors lend themselves to grilling, tailgating, and fall baking and cooking. Dig in and enjoy!

Smokey Barbecue: This pairing features our Chipotle EVOO and Hickory Dark Balsamic Vinegar. This combination is perfect for anything you plan to grill this weekend, and it also makes a smoking vinaigrette.

Smokin’ Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette

1/3 cup Hickory Dark Balsamic Vinegar
1/3 cup honey
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup Chipotle EVOO

1. Add all ingredients, except Chipotle EVOO, in the bowl of a food processor. Process on low for 15 seconds.
2. Slowly add Chipotle EVOO on low speed.
3. Chill for at least one hour.

Note: Tastes great on salads; as a marinade; drizzled on guacamole, tacos, or pico; or in black bean salads.


Taste of Thai: Experience a bit of Thai flavors with this pairing of Persian Lime EVOO and Lemongrass Mint Light Balsamic Vinegar. As it gets cooler outside, warm things up with a delicious Thai chicken soup.

Lemongrass Mint Chicken Soup
(adapted from Table For Two Blog)

2 tablespoons Persian Lime EVOO
2 medium red or orange bell peppers, sliced into strips
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1/2 (14-ounce) can coconut cream
3 tablespoons Lemongrass Mint Light Balsamic Vinegar
3 tablespoons red curry paste
1 cup water
1 cup chicken stock
8 ounces rice noodles
1 large chicken breast, finely sliced
2 cups bok choy, chopped and loosely packed
salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large pot, heat Persian Lime EVOO over medium/high heat. Add peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Carefully add coconut milk, coconut cream, vinegar, curry paste, water, and stock Stir until well-combined. Bring to a boil.
3. Add rice noodles and cook until softened.
4. Lower heat, and bring to a simmer. Add chicken and bok choy. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and bok choy is wilted, about 5 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper.


Orange Dreamsicle: Tastes just like the Dreamsicles you ate as a kid, or maybe you still eat…no judging. We’ve paired Blood Orange EVOO and Vanilla Dark Balsamic Vinegar for an addictive flavor. You’ll love it on fresh salads, but it is also a great combination for an olive oil cake.

Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake
(adapted from The Merchant Baker)

3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Blood Orange EVOO
1/2 cup Mission EVOO (unflavored, California EVOO)
1 tablespoon Vanilla Dark Balsamic Vinegar
Confectioner’s sugar (for dusting)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with Baker’s Joy nonstick cooking spray. Wrap the bottom with heavy duty foil to prevent any leaking.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom, until well-combined. Set aside.
3. With an electric mixer, beat eggs on medium-high for about 1 minute. Continue beating and slowly add sugar and Vanilla Dark Balsamic Vinegar. Beat until light and pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
4. At a low speed, alternate adding flour mixture and both EVOOs to the egg mixture. After each addition, mix until mostly combined.
5. Slowly and carefully add orange juice.
6. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
7. Cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove ring and cool completely on rack.

Peaches and Herb: This combination is sweet and smooth, just like the music of that duo from the 1970s. We’ve paired Basil Lemongrass EVOO and Peach Light Balsamic Vinegar. It is perfect for chicken!

Peaches and Herb Chicken Breasts
(adapted from Heavenly Savings Blog)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup Basil Lemongrass EVOO
1 stalk lemongrass, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried red pepper
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Peach Light Balsamic Vinegar

1. Heat 2 tablespoons Basil Lemongrass EVOO in a large pan over medium heat. Add lemongrass and cook for about 10 minutes.
2. Add chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Add 2 tablespoons Basil Lemongrass EVOO to pan and heat. Add onion, garlic, and dried red pepper. Cook for 3 minutes. Decrease heat to low and return chicken to pan. Cook for ~10 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165F. Turn chicken, as needed, to prevent burning.
4. Remove from heat. Add fresh basil, soy sauce, and vinegar and stir. Serve immediately.

  • Lisa Emmert