Chef Brett McGregor is a big fan of Olivado oils.
After shooting to fame in 2010 by winning the first ever series of Masterchef New Zealand, he has become one of the country’s most beloved chefs.
Brett’s love of cooking began as a child, and it was through his parents’ travels that Brett discovered exotic flavours from around the world.
Studying anthropology encouraged Brett to travel more, discovering the flavours and joys of different foods around the world.
Luckily for us, Brett came home to Aotearoa and has since become an award-winning chef, bringing back with him some incredible recipes from far-flung countries.
Here are three of those recipes, a starter, main, and dessert, each made with our delicious cooking oils.
Mexican style grilled corn with avocado, chilli, and chipotle
What could be easier for a starter than some grilled corn?
This recipe adds a little Mexican twist by using avocado, chilli, and chipotle sauce. The result is a very tasty and quick bite that gets the juices flowing in readiness for the main course!
Ingredients
- 4 ears of fresh corn, husked
- 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
- 4 tbsp plain Greek yoghurt
- ½ avocado, mashed until smooth
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp mayo
- ½ tbsp. chipotle sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
- 2 tbsp dried olive crumbs (optional)
Method
Brush each ear of corn with olive oil, then in a small bowl, mix together the chilli powder and a pinch of salt and pepper before setting aside.
Combine the Greek yoghurt with the avocado and also set aside. Heat BBQ or grill on med/high and grill the corn for approximately 10 minutes until nicely browned.
When ready to serve, cover the corn with the Greek yoghurt/avocado mixture and sprinkle on the chilli powder mix, cheese, and coriander. Drizzle over the mayo and sprinkle with olive crumbs. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Brett McGregor’s Beef Bourguignon
Onto France now with this mouth-watering beef bourguignon dish.
A standard of French cuisine, notably in Parisian restaurants, the dish is considered a traditional recipe, usually served with boiled potatoes. This does take some time to cook, but the results are definitely worth it!
Ingredients
- 250g / 8.8oz pancetta, diced
- 2 tbsp Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 5kg / 3.3lbs lean stewing beef or beef cheek cut into cubes
- 3 tbsp flour
- Salt and pepper
- 1 onion, sliced
- 5 shallots, peeled and cut in half
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 5 sprigs of thyme tied
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bottle red wine (750ml / 25fl.oz)
- 2 cups beef stock
- 3 bay leaf
- 200g / 7oz baby brown mushrooms, sliced
- Parsley to garnish
Method
Start by preheating the oven to 160°C / 320°F.
Cut the pancetta into small bite-size cubes and beef into 5cm / 2in cubes and set aside. Heat a heavy frying pan or casserole pot and render the pancetta low and slow over medium heat. Remove browned pancetta and set aside. This should take at least 10 minutes.
Add beef cubes to rendered pancetta fat and brown on all sides. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Set aside.
Add Olive Oil to the pan and sauté the sliced onion until golden in colour then add the shallots and garlic. Cook for several minutes.
With a spoon, scrape up all the little bits on the bottom of the pan from the pancetta and beef. Next, add the browned pancetta and beef, sprinkle with flour and stir, cooking for several minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to mix in.
Pour the red wine and cook for 5 minutes to reduce a little then the beef stock mixing thoroughly. Place the bay leaves and tied thyme bundle in the pot and stir. Cover and place in the oven to bake for 2 hours.
After 2 hours check liquid and if more is needed to just cover meat then add beef stock. At this point add the mushrooms and onions to the pot and stir to mix in. Cover and continue to bake for 1 1/2 more hours.
When time is up, remove from oven and stir.
Serve with your choice of potato, rice or over pasta. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Peppermint Chocolate Dairy-free Mousse
And now to finish the meal off with a delicious, creamy dessert.
This peppermint flavoured, chocolate mousse is not only to die for but, unbelievably, it’s dairy-free!
All mousse recipes take at least a couple of hours to set, so make sure you plan ahead. This particular recipe takes 4 hours, so you might want to make it before starting the other courses!
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/3 cup Liquid Coconut oil
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp cup cacao powder
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla paste few drops of peppermint
- Garnish with seasonal fruit
Method
Using a good blender or Thermomix, blend the avocado with the Coconut oil until very smooth – the smoother the better. Then add in the remaining ingredients. Place into the fridge for at least 4 hours. Brett suggests serving in a small glass or piped as part of a dessert.
Only cook with the best – just like Brett!
Brett has been using our oils in his cooking for a while now, but it was during the filming of his TV show, A Taste of a Traveller, that he got to see first-hand how they are produced.
Our very own Pip Llewelyn joined Brett on his trip to Kenya and documented their adventure in her blog, which is an excellent read. It was this trip that convinced Brett to choose Olivado exclusively for his cooking oil.
“It always comes back to flavour and health benefits for me, and Olivado ticks all the right boxes,” he explains. “Olivado has the best range around at the moment and I am loving drizzling, frying, tossing and adding a little bit of deliciousness all the time.”
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