If you're looking to add flavor to your dinner tonight, make a bottle or two of infused olive oil, and massive tastebud happiness will be only a drizzle away. This week we showed you how to make compound butter, the more decadent cousin of infused olive oil. However, if you're looking to cut down on saturated fat or dairy, infused olive oil is the way to go. Not only is olive oil healthy on its own when used in moderation, but herbs, garlic, citrus and chilies all have healthy properties to bring to the table.
Here are six excellent infused olive oil recipes that you can get familiar with, and we promise you'll find yourself making them over and over. Make small batches of about half a cup at a time to prevent the oil spoiling before you use it up!
Garlic oil from Martha Stewart.
Rosemary oil from Food Preservation.
Herbes de provence oil from Food.
Chili oil from Giada de Laurentiis.
Basil oil from Epicurious.
Lemon oil from Splendid Table.
You can serve any of these oils on a plate with a warm baguette sliced for dipping, but they're also amazing in marinades for meat or fish, on pizza, in salad dressings, on pasta, on bread for sandwiches or in a pan for frying or sauteing.
Make sure to wash and thoroughly dry any ingredients going in the oil to prevent the growth of the botulism bacteria, says The Kitchn. Infused oil keeps for anywhere from three days to a month when refrigerated, depending on the ingredients, and if any of the ingredients show signs of growth or spoiling, throw it all away.
