#MomsMeet Olive Oil Review and recipe for Vegetable cakes with egg (dairy, gluten, sugar free, vegetarian)

I have been working with a great group called Moms Meet where you get the opportunity to try products in exchange for your honest opinion. In the past I have tested products in home with friends. Then I got the opportunity to test European Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) for a recipe for my blog. How could I pass that up?? The olive oil sample kit I received is from the Flavor Your Life campaign which is supported by the European Council, Unaprol, and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture. Their goal is to provide the latest news on European Extra Virgin Olive oil. They aim to educate US consumers to make the most informed decision when purchasing olive oil. You can learn more by clicking here. What is extra virgin olive oil and how does it differ from virgin olive oil? EVOO is the freshly pressed juice of olives. It is cold-pressed, meaning heat and chemicals are not used. The acidity of EVOO must be below 0.8% or virtually free of acidity. This is the percentage of oleic acid which is a fatty acid. Higher levels indicate either improper production or a rancid product. When cooking with EVOO, feel free to experiment different oils. Use more delicate oils for dressings or condiments, or paired with mild foods such as fish or veggies. Use stronger flavored oils with foods that can stand up to the stronger flavor, like steak or spicy soups. since EVOO has a high smoke point, it is suitable for cooking and can compliment any meal. You should always store your EVOO in a cool, dark pantry away from heat and light, which can cause decay. Be sure to never store next to your stove, and to use within 6 months of opening to ensure freshness. Why choose European EVOO? over thousands of years, the olive tree has been evolved into hundreds of different varieties. The result is an old bond between the people and the land. Europe offers a vast array of flavor profiles which is greatly impacted by the region it is grown and the climate, soil and time of harvest. Olives harvest at the end of the season tend to taste more mild and butter. Spanish oil is commonly golden yellow and fruity or nutty in flavor while Italian oil is dark green and has a more herbal aroma and grassy flavor. Greek oil pack a strong flavor and aroma and tends to be green in color. French oil is pale in color and has a more mild flavor. The sample kit I received had A packet of recipe cards, a sample bottle of EVOO, an olive oil dipping dish, and a flash drive with information about Farchioni, which is the olive oil company that provided my sample. The olive oil I received had a wonderfully mild flavor that paired well with the recipe I chose to make.

I had to use the olive oil in either a provided recipe or in one of my own. I of course made one of my own though you may be seeing some of the recipe from the provided cards.  I have been making these vegetable cakes for a couple months and they have become one of my staple lunches so I thought I would share.  It is one of those recipes where you can really use whatever you have on hand.  Just remember, if you are keeping track of nutrition, formulate the recipe with any substitutions you use. 

The day I decided to make these to photograph for this post, I used sweet potato, zucchini, yellow onion, and jalapeno.

You will need sweet potato, zucchini, onion, jalapeno, egg, garlic powder, pepper, EVOO, and flour.

FInely grate all veggies.  You will need 1 1/2C shredded veggies total.  Here I used 3/4C sweet potato, 1/2C zucchini and 1/4C onion, and then tossed about 1T grated jalapeno.

 It is important to remove as much excess liquid as possible.  This is done easily by putting your shredded veggies into a dish towel and twist and squeeze the liquid out.  As you can see, there was quite a lot of liquid from such a small amount of veggies!

Mix your shredded veggies with 2T gluten free flour, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Mix well and form into 3 equal size patties, making them about 1/4" thick.

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil on medium high heat.  Carefully place your veggie cakes in the hot skillet.  Cook for 5 minutes, then flip.

Cook other side for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. 

Remove to plate. While these are amazing all on their own as a side dish, I often top mine with an over easy egg for a quick bit of protein and to make it a complete meal for me.

Veggie Cakes w Fried Egg.

Recipe yield: 3 patties

Serving size: 1 patty

1 1/2C shredded veggies of choice. Be sure to include 1 starchy veggie to help as a binder.  I have used a combination of sweet potato, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, jalapeno.  Feel free to experiment to find the flavors you like best.

2T gluten free flour

1 large egg

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons EVOO

Shred desired veggies finely.  Squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible.  The easiest way to do this is place the veggies in a dish towel and ring them out.  place veggies back into bowl and add in flour and spices.  Mix well.  Form mixture into 3 equal sized patties about 1/4" thick.  Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a skillet.  Once the oil is hot, carefully place veggies patties in pan.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until a nice golden brown.  Flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes on the other side until golden brown.  Remove to plate.  If desired, top with a fried egg.

Nutrition Facts with fried egg

Serving size: 1 veggie cake

Calories 166

Fat: 9.8g

Carbs: 11.8

Sugars: 2.2g

Protein: 9.4g

 I received this product for free from Moms Meet (www.momsmeet.com), May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my honest opinion on my blog.  The opinions posts are my own.