OLIVE TAPENADE

OLIVE TAPENADE

I love olives! They’re very high in vitamin E, monounsaturated fats as well as powerful antioxidants including polyphenols, which have proven anticancer, anti-diabetic and anti-aging effects. They are known to boost heart health, help regulate blood pressure levels, help fight infection and are a natural probiotic. The monounsaturated fatty acids found in olives, and more precisely the oleic acid have been studied and shown to lower inflammation and help fight heart disease.

If you’re looking to make a dip for an upcoming party or to have with your crudites when you go to work, here is a recipe you’ll want to try.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pitted olives
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons capers
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: 1 tsp anchovy paste or 2 anchovy filets

Directions: Place ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Add water or oil if necessary. Place in a bowl and serve with vegetables, crackers, etc. You can also use it as a topping on vegetables, for example on sweet potatoes. The sweetness of the potatoes combined with the tangy and bitter taste of the olives make it heavenly.