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Archive for February, 2010

Zucchini with Thyme

Friday, February 26th, 2010

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp Tres Osos extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 pound fresh zucchini, cut into 3-by-1/2-inch sticks
1 beef bouillon cube, crumbled (use vegetarian bouillon for vegetarian option)
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper

METHOD

1 In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter on medium heat. Add the onion and parsley and cook until soft, but not browned.

2 Add the zucchini sticks, crumbled bouillon cube, thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently stir to coat the zucchini. Cover and cook until tender, from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how tender the the raw zucchini is to begin with, and how small you have sliced the pieces. Check and stir every few minutes. Be careful not to overcook.

Serves 4.

Recipe by Simply Recipes.

Tags: butter, onion, parsley, thyme, Tres Osos, zuccini
Posted in Recipes, Side Dish, Vegetarian | No Comments »

Mexican Green Bean Salad

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Make sure to use the freshest green beans you can find. Good green beans should feel firm and should snap in half, not bend, when you try to bend them.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb fresh green beans, strings removed, ends snapped off, cut in half into about 1 1/2 inch length pieces
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp lime juice or white vinegar
1 Tbsp De Los Milagros Extra Virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you can get it)
3/4 cup packed, chopped cilantro
1/3 cup canned, pickled jalapeño chili peppers, sliced
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese (salty Mexican cheese that resembles feta)
1/2 avocado, sliced or cut into inch long pieces
1 medium tomato, cut into 8 wedges, or a cup of halved cherry tomatoes

METHOD

1 Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and simmer until just crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the beans and run cold water over them to cool them quickly. Drain completely.

2 Place beans in a large bowl. Gently mix in the the lime juice or vinegar, olive oil, 1/4 cup onion, sliced pickled jalapeños, sea salt, oregano and cilantro. Let sit for half an hour.

3 When ready to serve, gently mix in the chopped red onion and cotija cheese. Serve the avocado slices and tomato wedges on the side or mixed into the salad.

Serves 4.

Recipe by Simply Recipes.

Tags: avocado, cilantro, cotija cheese, green beans, jalepeno, Milagros, onion, oregano, tomato
Posted in Dressing, Recipes, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian | No Comments »

Roasted Parsnips

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Note that parsnips at the end of the season (February vs. November) can have a woodier center, which no amount of cooking can soften. If this is the case with your parsnips, you might want to cut some of the center part out and discard before cooking.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds of parsnips, peeled and cut into 2 1/2 inch batons
4 teaspoons of Pasolivo Tuscan Blend extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup of stock – turkey stock, low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth (for vegetarian option)*
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
4 teaspoons drained, bottled horseradish (how to make homemade horseradish)
1/2 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 Tbsp minced chives
1/2 small garlic clove, minced.

*If cooking gluten-free, use homemade stock or gluten-free packaged broth.

METHOD

1 Pre-heat oven to 400°F. In a large roasting pan, toss the parsnips with the olive oil, salt and pepper. (Use a roasting pan with sides no more than 2 inches high.) Add the broth, cover with aluminum foil and roast, stirring once or twice, until the parsnips are tender and the stock has evaporated or been absorbed, 20-45 minutes (depending on how tender the parsnips are to begin with). Check often to avoid their getting mushy – especially if they are to be reheated later.

2 Combine the softened butter with the horseradish, parsley, chives and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Toss the warm roasted parsnips with the horseradish-herb butter and serve.

3 The parsnips (with the oil, salt, pepper, and broth) can be pre-cooked in a covered container in the microwave for 5 minutes. Transfer to oven to finish cooking in a much shorter time. You may want to uncover them to help evaporate the liquid when in the oven.

Serves 4.

Recipe by Simply Recipes.

Tags: butter, chives, garlic, horseradish, parsips, parsley, Pasolivo
Posted in Recipes, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian | No Comments »

Turnip Gratin

Friday, February 26th, 2010

This recipe serves four, but it can easily be doubled. If you double it, use a 9×13 casserole dish.

INGREDIENTS

2 medium sized turnips (about 1/2 pound total), peeled, and sliced 1/8-1/4 inch thin
Berkeley Olive Grove 1913 Extra Virgin Olive oil
3-4 slices white bread (enough to make two single layers in the pan), crusts removed
A few slices of onion, very thinly sliced, enough to cover the pan in one layer
4 ounces Gruyere cheese
Salt and pepper

8×5 baking pan or casserole dish

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 325°F. Blanch the raw turnip slices in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from water and drain.

2 Coat the inside of the casserole dish with olive oil. Place a layer of bread on the bottom of the casserole dish. Layer on half of the turnip slices in a single layer, season with salt and pepper. Layer on all of the onions. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add another layer of bread, turnips, and cheese. Sprinkle again with salt and pepper.

3 Place casserole on top rack of oven. Cook for 25 minutes. For the last few minutes, if you want, and you are using a pan (metal or ceramic) that can safely handle broiling temperatures, broil for a couple minutes to brown the top.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

Recipe by Simply Recipes.

Tags: Berkeley Olive Grove, bread, gruyere, onion, turnips
Posted in Entree, Recipes, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian | No Comments »

White Beans and Cherry Tomato Salad Recipe

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

INGREDIENTS

1 15-ounce cans of white beans, such as Great Northern or canelli beans, drained and rinsed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup coarsely chopped parsley

Dressing ingredients
1/4 cup We Olive Kalamata extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 3-inch sprig of fresh rosemary
3 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped (omit for vegetarian option)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup of lemon juice

METHOD

1 Start by making the dressing. Put the garlic and rosemary in olive oil in a small saucepan. Heat on medium until the rosemary begins to sizzle. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 20 minutes, allowing the rosemary and garlic to infuse in the oil.

2 Remove rosemary sprig from the oil, discard. Remove the garlic from the oil, reserving the oil. Add the garlic, anchovies (omit for vegetarian option), Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a food processor. Pulse until smoth.

3 In a medium bowl, gently fold the garlic mixture in with the beans until they are well coated. Let sit for a few minutes for the beans to absorb. Gently mix in the reserved olive oil, tomatoes, and parsley.

Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe by Simply Recipes

Tags: anchovy, cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes, garlic, Kalamata Oil, lemon, rosemary
Posted in Dressing, HEART HEALTHY, Recipes, Salad | No Comments »

Rustic Onion Tart

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

INGREDIENTS

1 Pâte Brisée (tart dough) for one 10-inch tart (see method for making pâte brisée) or 1 packaged, flat pie crust (Trader Joe’s has one in their frozen section)
3 medium sized red onions
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
Salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup (not packed) roughly grated Gruyère Swiss cheese

METHOD

1 If you are making a crust from scratch, prepare the dough and let it chill in the refrigerator while you are cooking the onions.

2 Peel and slice the onions.

3 Heat olive oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan on medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onions and sprinkle a little salt over them. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, until the onions have softened and are translucent. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for an additional 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are well browned. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 10 minutes more, until onions are completely caramelized. Remove from heat.

4 Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand for 5 minutes before rolling it out. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10-inch diameter. Remove the crust dough to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

5 Place all but a couple tablespoons of the cheese in the center of the dough. Spread to within 1 1/2 inches from the edges. Add the caramelized onions, layering them on top of the cheese. Fold the edges of the crust dough over so that a small circle of onion is still showing in the centre of the tart. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the tart.

6 Place in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 10 minutes at 450°F. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

Recipe from Simply Recipes

Tags: balsamic vinegar, gruyere, Mission, onion
Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Entree, Recipes, Side Dish | No Comments »

Fried Green Tomatoes

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

INGREDIENTS

3 medium, firm green tomatoes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

METHOD

1 Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.

2 Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until brown. As you cook the rest of the tomatoes, add olive oil as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Tags: eggs, Frantoio, milk, tomato
Posted in Entree, Recipes, Side Dish | No Comments »

German Farmer’s Breakfast

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

INGREDIENTS

3 large potatoes, skinned and quartered lengthwise

3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups roughly chopped green and white onions (include the greens from the green onions)
2 cups roughly chopped bell peppers
Salt to taste
1-2 cups chopped ham
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 eggs, whisked

METHOD

1 Boil the potatoes in a saucepan of lightly salted water for 10-15 minutes until just cooked (test for doneness). Drain, rinse with cold water to cool. Cut into 1-inch squares. Set aside.

2 Heat 2 Tbsp bacon fat (or olive oil) in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers. Increase the heat to high. Brown the onions and bell peppers, stirring frequently, about 2-3 minutes.

3 Push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the potatoes and another Tbsp of bacon fat (or olive oil) to the pan. Brown the potatoes for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle on salt to taste as you cook. Add the ham to the potatoes and cook, stirring frequently until the ham is heated through, 1-2 minutes.

4 Mix all of the vegetables, potato and ham together and mix in the parsley. Add the eggs, stirring to distribute the eggs among the vegetables and ham. As soon as eggs begin to firm up, remove from heat.

Serve immediately. Great with ketchup on top.

Serves 4.

Recipe by Simply Recipes

Tags: Arbequina, bell pepper, eggs, ham, onion, potato
Posted in Breakfast, Recipes | No Comments »

Asparagus Frittata

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound asparagus, tough ends snapped off, spears cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

METHOD

1 Heat olive oil into a 10-inch oven-proof frying pan over medium high heat. Add onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add asparagus, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, until the asparagus are barely tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour in eggs and cook until almost set, but still runny on top, about 2 minutes. While cooking, pre-heat oven broiler.

2 Sprinkle cheese over eggs and put in oven to broil until cheese is melted and browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven with oven mitts and slide frittata onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges.

Serves 4.

Recipe from Simply Recipes

Tags: asparagus, eggs, gruyere, onion
Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Recipes, Vegetarian | No Comments »

Homemade Whole Grain and Olive Oil Baguette

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

2 cups whole grains *
2 tablespoons flax seed
2 cups warm water (90° F to 105° F)
1 1/2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups bread flour or unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons We Olive Organic Ascolano extra virgin olive oil
Flour to dust
Extra virgin We Olive Organic Ascolano extra virgin olive oil for finished dough

Place the whole grains and the flax seed in a blender and grind to a medium-fine consistency. (About 30 to 45 seconds.)

In a measuring cup, combine 2 cups warm water, the dry yeast and sugar. Let sit until the yeast begins to proof by becoming foamy, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl mix together the ground whole grains, the bread flour and the salt. Pour in the yeast mixture and the olive oil. Mix until it forms a coarse dough, and then scrape the mass out onto a lightly floured surface.

With your hands, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking (about 8 minutes). Shape the dough into a ball and lightly oil the outside of it. Place dough in a bowl, cover with a towel, and let it proof in a warm place for 45 minutes until the dough doubles in bulk.

Form the dough into two long baguettes, about 2 inches thick and place on a baking sheet. Make small cuts at a diagonal across the top and brush generously with olive oil. (You may also sprinkle the top with sesame seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds or coarse grain salt such as Celtic Grey.) Let rise again for about 20 minutes.

Bake at 400° F for 15 to 18 minutes or until the surface is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

*Grains to choose from include: wheat berries, spelt berries, oats, barley, kamut, millet, farro, buckwheat groats, quinoa and others!

Recipe by Lynne Vea

Tags: bread, Organic Ascolano
Posted in Baking, HEART HEALTHY, Recipes | No Comments »

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Archive for February, 2010

Zucchini with Thyme

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Mexican Green Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Roasted Parsnips

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Turnip Gratin

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

White Beans and Cherry Tomato Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Rustic Onion Tart

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Fried Green Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

German Farmer’s Breakfast

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Asparagus Frittata

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Homemade Whole Grain and Olive Oil Baguette