Summer time makes me want to make light, exotic food, served outside with a crisp white wine. I love a good homemade tapenade. I crave it kind of like pregnant women crave pickles. I love the tart salty flavor paired with a yummy pita bread or chip and a dry white wine. Did I mention, tapenade can be mixed up in minutes-such a fast and easy way to serve guests or make yourself a clean, yummy snack!
A while ago I did a post on the health benefits of olive oil on the skin. That article discussed using olive oil topically, but this time I want to talk about how beneficial olives can be when you eat them!
Benefits of Olives:
- Amazing source of Vitamin E
- Great source of fiber
- Lowers cholesterol
- Regulates blood pressure
- Contains loads of antioxidants
- Strengthens sex drive, fertility and the reproductive system
- High in minerals like potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus
- Contains oleic acid, which keeps skin soft and healthy
- Contains polyphenols, a natural chemical that reduces oxidative stress in the brain, which in turn helps with memory
As you can see, olives are packed with goodness for your body and especially your skin! I can’t stress enough how good skin comes from the inside. Cleaning up your eating will impact your life on every level!
Homemade Tapenade Recipe
- 1 cup black olives
- 1 cup green olives
- 1 clove garlic
- In a food processor, preferably a small one like THIS, add all ingredients and mix. Your tapenade can be a chunky consistency or creamy. It just depends on what you prefer.
- That’s it! It’s that easy!
**This recipe is very subjective. I LOVE green olives so I add the same amount of green and black olives to my recipe. It makes the tapenade more tart. If you like a more mild taste, you might want to add more black olives then green. Also, save a bit of olive juice, black or green, in case you need too add it to help your food processor along.**
I like to make tapenade at the beginning of the week and keep it in the fridge to eat with pita chips for lunch during the week. It’s one of those easy ways to plan your lunch so you don’t end up accidentally at the drive thru!
I hope you enjoy this yummy homemade tapenade recipe! Pair it with some hummus and you’ve got a nutritious and filling meal!
xx, Jenni
