Scallops on the grill are a special treat when combined with the sweet taste of fresh mango. We paired our Harissa Olive Oil with Alfoos Mango balsamic to come up with a fresh new marinade that perfectly balances sweet and spicy. Forget about those recipes with a long list of herbs and spices; we’ve got it all infused in the Harissa olive oil Continue reading “Grilled Sea Scallops and Mango Kebabs”
Granita is a semi-frozen dessert that perfectly hits the spot during the hot summer months. Variations exist across the different regions of Italy but in Sicily, you’ll find this courser, more crystalline textured version. Not only is this a non-fat treat that the kids will enjoy too, but it’s also a good source of fresh fruit. Using balsamic vinegar in a granita gives it the perfect balance between tart and sweet resulting in something not overly sugary. We used juicy peaches since they are in season this time of year but experiment with strawberries, blueberries, apples or pineapples – we have the corresponding flavored balsamic vinegar with which to pair it. Go crazy and mix it up. Let us know what you create!
Rinse and cut peaches into smaller chunks for the blender.
Add all the peaches, the ½ cup of water, the ¼ cup of sugar and the 3 tablespoons of peach balsamic to a blender.
Pulse the peach mixture in a blender until the large chunks break down. Blend until smooth. Pour granita mixture into an 8” x 8” glass baking dish (or similar).
Place glass baking dish of granita on a level shelf in the freezer. Freeze for about 3-4 hours scraping the mixture with a fork every hour to form fine fluffy ice crystals. Scoop granita into serving glasses or bowls, garnish with mint and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Store remaining granita in the freezer in an airtight container. When ready to serve, let the granita soften a bit on the counter and scrape with a fork again until fluffy.
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For great tasting teriyaki beef, we wanted something more than throwing steaks on the grill and lathering overly sweet, factory-bottled teriyaki sauce during the last few minutes of grilling. Inspired by something we saw in Cooks Illustrated, we created a recipe for a quick marinade and a teriyaki glaze that worked perfectly to deliver tender pieces of beef with a rich teriyaki flavor. Marinating the steaks in a soy sauce-based marinade for only 30 minutes not only gave the beef a deeper flavor but the soy sauce acted as a brine for the meat rendering it juicy and tender. Our Honey Ginger balsamic offers the sweet and spicy flavor profile without the fuss of peeling and grating fresh ginger and the Blood Orange olive oil adds a fresh citrus note. Whether you use this recipe for a main course or an appetizer (slice the steak thinly and skewer before grilling), serve the meat with the teriyaki glaze and you’ll never go back to bottled teriyaki sauce.
Cut the flank steak with the grain into 3 or 4 long strips.
Cut the strips at a 45 degree angle into 4 to 5 small cutlets.
Combine all the marinade ingredients (soy sauce, mirin, blood orange olive oil, garlic, honey ginger balsamic, white parts of scallion, sliced) into a bowl and whisk.
Transfer steak and marinade to a zipper locking bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal. Store in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes (do not exceed 1 hour) turning every 15 minutes or so to marinate evenly.
While the meat is marinating, prepare your glaze. Combine all glaze ingredients into a cold sauce pan. Whisk together well to remove any dry pockets of cornstarch. Now is a good time to start your grill. Set the grill to high and cover.
Bring the glaze mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring once in a while, until sauce thickens to a syrup and reduces to about 1 cup (about 12-15 minutes). Set aside about 2/3 of the glaze for serving. Use the remaining 1/3 cup of glaze for grilling.
Once the meat is done marinating, pat the cutlets dry with paper towels. This step is important to achieve proper searing.
Clean and oil grill grates well. Grill steak on first side for about 3-4 minutes until well seared and darkened. Flip steak and grill the second side for another 3-4 minutes to achieve the same searing.
Brush the steaks with the teriyaki glaze. Flip and grill for 30 seconds to achieve a nice caramelized color. Brush the second side, flip and grill for another 30 seconds. Repeat glazing once or twice more to achieve desired color. Transfer steak cutlets to a plate and let meat rest for at least 5-10 minutes.
When ready to serve, cut steak into thin slices and garnish with scallion greens and sesame seeds. Generously spoon reserved teriyaki sauce on sliced steak. This main course goes well with white or brown rice and be sure to leave some reserved sauce on the table for your guests to indulge.
Have a comment? We’d love to hear from you. Have you tried this dish? Do you have a variation that you think others will enjoy? Leave us a comment below.
Tortellini with a French twist! This recipe is perfect for that last minute, light dish to take to your next summer party. We cut the prep time in half by using pre-cooked chicken – in fact, you can prepare all the salad ingredients and dressing within the time it takes to make your pasta. You should, however, let the finished salad sit in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes before serving to let the flavors blend. Leave out the chicken for a vegetarian option that’s just as tasty. You can experiment with different dressing combinations; check out our Suggested Pairings page to get some ideas.
Put a large pot of water on high heat for the tortellini.
While you’re waiting for the water to boil prepare the other ingredients; chop the cooked chicken, red bell peppers, parsley, red onion and black olives (if your olives aren’t sliced).
Prepare tortellini pasta according to package directions. Drain the tortellini and submerge in ice water to stop the pasta from cooking any further.
While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the dressing: 2 tablespoons mayo, 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and the 1/3 cup of Herbes de Provence Olive Oil.
Drain the pasta well and add to a large bowl with the rest of the prepared ingredients. Toss gently to combine without breaking the tortellini.
Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat well. Salt liberally to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Garnish with additional chopped parsley, if desired.
MAKES ABOUT 6 SERVINGS
Have a comment? We’d love to hear from you. Have you tried this dish? Do you have a variation that you think others will enjoy? Leave us a comment below.
Nothing tastes better than fruit in season. We wanted a colorful yet seasonally appropriate dessert to celebrate the Fourth of July. Our 10-year-old son reminded us that North Carolina’s state berries are the strawberry and blueberry. In 2001, the NC General Assembly named the strawberry as the official Red Berry of North Carolina, and named the blueberry as the official Blue Berry of the state. Continue reading “Berry Cheesecake Trifles with Lemon Graham Cracker Crumble”
Summer gatherings scream for make-ahead meals that can be served at room temperature and afford you more time with your guests. Here’s a tasty, healthy alternative to sandwiches or fried chicken that uses our Persian Lime infused olive oil and panko – crunchy Japanese bread crumbs. Continue reading “Panko-Crusted Salmon with Persian Lime Olive Oil”
Potlucks, cookouts, and impromptu gatherings – that’s what summer is all about. So you want to bring a fresh, homemade side dish because you’re tired of store-bought potato salad but you don’t have a lot of time. If you can boil water and zest a lemon, we’ve got you covered. Continue reading “Lemony Couscous with Chickpeas and Feta Cheese”
When our Vermont Maple Balsamic Vinegar first filled the fusti we were off to find the ideal barbecue sauce. The combination of chipotle and maple flavors makes a wonderful barbecue sauce and replacing white vinegar with the maple infused balsamic gives this mixture deep notes of sweet and smoky. Continue reading “Maple Balsamic Chipotle Barbecue Sauce”
What’s fun about homemade pizza is the versatility. Whether it’s on whole wheat or white dough, thick crust or thin, topped with pineapple or pepperoni the sky’s the limit. We found our Tuscan Herb Olive Oil an excellent addition to any marinara sauce as well as a good flavor enhancer under the crust. Continue reading “Homemade Pizza with Tuscan Herb Olive Oil”
Another seasonal item right about now is a big bowl of tortilla chips and a fresh batch of guacamole. A customer told us she loves making guacamole from scratch but doesn’t like to deal with jalapenos – cutting them, seeding them, gloves, the whole routine. That had us wondering in the OT Kitchen if we could make things easier. Inspired by a recipe we got from Alton Brown on the Food Network we were off experimenting. We landed on an adaptation that surprisingly provided jalapeno flavor along with a subtle note of balsamic vinegar all while staying true to one of the most popular dips to hit the table. Also, the fun thing about making your own guacamole is you can tweak the ingredients to your personal preference. Go ahead, have a party!
Begin by chopping the red onion, cilantro, garlic and tomatoes. We like to prepare these first so they’re ready to mix into the guacamole mixture once the avocados are cut, peeled and mashed.
Measure out your freshly squeezed lime juice ahead of time to minimize browning of your avocados once you cut into them.
Cut each avocado in half and remove the seeds. Scoop out all the avocado into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Working quickly, add the 1 tablespoon of lime juice, ¾ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of cumin, ¼ teaspoon of cayenne, and 1-2 teaspoons of jalapeno balsamic, depending on personal taste. Use a potato masher to mash all ingredients together.
Mash the mixture to your desired consistency. Some like larger chunks while others may like a creamier guacamole.
Fold in chopped red onion, cilantro, minced garlic and tomatoes. Stir well.
Let guacamole sit at room temperature for 1 hour. To prevent browning, you can cover the guacamole with plastic wrap letting the plastic wrap sit directly on the top surface of the mixture. This is especially helpful when refrigerating leftover guacamole. When ready to serve, stir the mixture well and season to taste adding more salt, lime juice, or jalapeno balsamic. Transfer to a serving bowl garnish with cilantro and lime wedges, if desired, and serve!
Have a comment? We’d love to hear from you. Have you tried this dish? Do you have a variation that you think others will enjoy? Leave us a comment below.
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