
Sautéed foods, better with oil
Homemade sautéed food (sofrito) is one of the most popular culinary techniques of the Mediterranean Diet. Its secret lies in the use of good extra virgin olive oil, the healthiest of all vegetable fats. In fact, several researches reveal that, made with aove, it favors the absorption and release of the bioactive compounds of the traditional ingredients that compose it -garlic, tomato and onion-. Here’s how to make the best one at home.
This is one of the most popular culinary techniques of the Mediterranean Diet. We are talking about the sofrito, a composition based on the slow cooking in oil (if it is extra virgin olive oil, the better) of several vegetables and that serves as a base for any self-respecting recipe.
The essence of a good sofrito lies, of course, in the vegetable fat used for its preparation. We recommend the use of extra virgin olive oil, which is recognized for its innumerable benefits, especially since Spanish researchers have observed that when it is made with the juice of olives, sofrito enhances the health benefits of its vegetables.
This vegetable fat, the healthiest of all existing fats, is once again the epicenter of a Spanish research that shows that sofrito favors the absorption and release of the bioactive compounds of the traditional ingredients that compose it -garlic, tomato and onion-.
That said… do you know how to make the best sofrito? Read on and find out and you will come to the conclusion that? homemade sofrito is best with evoo!
How is the best homemade sofrito elaborated?
Surely you are very used to elaborate a good homemade sofrito to which no stew, rice, stew… can resist. To begin with, we will tell you that it is a technique according to which, the vegetables used are cooked over low heat and lose their water; while their nutrients, flavors and aromas are concentrated during the cooking.
The secret of this preparation of sautéed vegetables, which serves as a base for countless recipes, lies in the extra virgin olive oil. We recommend using Magnun Sess Premium, a single variety of Picual olives, precisely one of the varieties with the highest polyphenol content. This juice, which has an intense fruitiness and fresh notes of green grass and vegetables, will harmonize perfectly with the raw materials that make up the stir-fry, providing them with very characteristic nuances thanks to its recognized peppery notes.
On the other hand, the vegetables and greens we use to make a delicious sofrito also have a lot to say. To garlic, onion and tomato we can add other types of vegetables such as red or green bell pepper, zucchini… To your taste it will be much better!
In the traditional recipe, the first thing to do is to cut them into small portions and place only the garlic and onion in a pan with the very hot olive oil and a little salt. When they are poached, add the tomato and stir until all the vegetables are completely cooked.
It is important that the cooking is very slow so that the ingredients caramelize little by little and do not burn.
Now you really know how to make a great sofrito!
Sofrito with evoo improves cardiovascular health
The study referred to above is led by Professor Rosa María Lamuela and was conducted by a team of researchers from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences of the University of Barcelona (UB), the Biomedical Research Center Network on the Pathophysiology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn) and the Center for Biomedical Research Network on Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM).
The main result of the same revealed that “cooking vegetables with extra virgin olive oil favors bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids and polyphenols that are present in the vegetables that we find in the stir-fry, to move to olive oil, which allows the absorption and bioactivity of these compounds,” according to the director of the Institute for Research on Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA-UB), Lamuela added.
The scientists who have participated in this magnificent research reveal that this composition, which is deeply rooted in the national culture, contains 40 different phenolic compounds and a high amount of carotenoids, and its consumption is associated with an improvement in cardiovascular risk parameters and insulin sensitivity.
It should be recalled that the Predimed study studies the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet and, among its most classic sauces, is the homemade tomato sofrito, the main source of carotenoids associated with lipid regulation and inflammatory biomarkers. This study concludes that the onion and garlic present in this recipe also have beneficial effects against cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes and cancer, attributed to polyphenols.
The benefits of extra virgin olive oil were already known, but every day more and more studies confirm its countless qualities!