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About a month ago I was contacted by Michigan based company, Zeeland Farm Services, Inc.  Specifically, their Zeeland Food Services, Inc. division to be a product reviewer for their Zoye Premium Vegetable Oil.  Naturally, I said yes and anxiously awaited my bottle to arrive on my doorstep and started dreaming about all the things I was going to create with this 100% soybean oil.  Can't you just seeing me waiting on the steps everyday for my package to arrive?  I did have work to get done so it didn't quite get to that point, but I did check the mailbox, the front door AND the back door compulsively until it arrived.  

Once I received the bottle my decision became clear, I am going to use it in everything and in a variety of different scenarios.  I really wanted to see how this oil would stand up to everyday cooking, baking and life.  

First, I used the Zoye Oil in baking some cookies instead of my usual safflower oil.  I used a recipe that I make often because that would be the true test to see if anyone could taste the difference.  

Verdict: PASSED!  Cookies baked the same, looked the same and tasted the same.  The taste, as you can imagine in a house of boys is the most important thing!   

As many of you know I have a small obsession...okay, you are right, it is a BIG obsession with balsamic vinegar and balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  So, my next test for the Zoye oil was substituting it for olive oil in my balsamic viniagrette dressing.  As luck would have it I was also doubling this dressing for a salad that I was bringing to a family dinner.  Being a brave soul, I forged ahead with the substitution and doubling.  

Verdict: PASSED!  The dressing mixed together well, tasted great an stored well.  In fact, due to the low saturated fat content the Zoye Oil had very little coagulation when I refrigerated the unused dressing.  This bonus is the reason I will turn to Zoye Oil again in the future to create my dressings simply because I don't have to bring it to room temperature before using it.  

I was on a roll now, and the Zoye Oil was in for more "tests", even ones I did not plan for in advance.  Yes, it was a product review pop quiz!   I was sauteing some vegetables in butter and realized I was going to be short.  So, I added some Zoye Oil to the pan just to see how it would mix with the butter and if my sauteing would still be the same.  I was a little nervous because when you mix two things together for the first time, especially when their are hungry boys just "dying" because they are "so hungry for dinner".  

Verdict: PASSED!  I was so surprised, and relieved I didn't have anyone pass out from hunger because dinner was not going as planned, because the butter and Zoye Oil mixed well.  The vegetables and shrimp turned out great and you couldn't really taste the difference!  

In my house, for the boys at least, pancakes are the gold standard.  If the pancakes aren't good then I might as well head back to bed and start over the next day!  This test was all about keeping the pancakes from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  

Verdict: PASSED!  I thought the oil held up well in the pan and the pancakes came out perfect!  I did have to add some more to the pan after about 8 pancakes.  But, this is really nothing out of the ordinary as I usually find myself adding my non-stick spray to the pan at about the same interval. 
 
So, if you are keeping track I have used the Zoye Oil in baking, a salad dressing, as an emergency substitution for sauteing and on the griddle.  Since it is summer I decided to literally turn up the heat, charcoal style!  I wondered how the Zoye Oil would handle the grill!  Again pulling out my brave and maybe a little crazy badge, I included the Zoye Oil in a recipe I was entering in a recipe contest plus on the grill for the first time.  I knew that if the Zoye Oil didn't pass the grilling test I could always make the recipe again at another time in order to enter.  But if the grill were to catch on fire and disaster struck**, dinner would not be happening as planning.  In order to throw myself a grilling life vest I decided to use a grilling basket and foil, just in case.  

Verdict: PASSED!  As you can imagine the Sunflower Seed Salmon with Cherries and Peaches, turned out beautifully and tasted delicious.  The oil performed well on the grill and there were no fires either**! 

                       **These jabs are not intended for the oil but at my occasional spotty skills controlling my charcoal grill. 

I think I could go on and on about how much I like this oil and the fact that I have not yet found a use that it is not suited for use.  But, I won't because I am hungry from writing all the ways I used Zoye Oil in the past month!  I want to thank Zeeland Faood Services, Inc for asking me to review their Zoye Oil on my blog, it truly was my pleasure!  I love being able to utilize quality products in my cooking adventures, especially when the come from Michigan!  


Healthy Eatings, 




Rachel








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