Sage Sausage Bites with Strawberry-Apricot Balsamic Dipping Sauce

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We made these tasty morsels for the Super Bowl a few weeks ago and they disappeared before the second quarter; so we thought this just might be something we share. Think hearty sage sausage browned in the oven and dipped in a sweet, fruity, spicy mustard sauce. The recipe idea came from Rachel Ray from the Food Network but, of course, we had to give it our Olive This! twist. Take note, this recipe makes more than enough dipping sauce for these sausage bites so you may want to adjust accordingly for your crowd (double the sausage bites or reduce the dipping sauce ingredients proportionally). We made the recipe ā€œas isā€ and used the extra sauce for other dipping items on the table. The carrot sticks, zucchini, celery and cauliflower from a nearby veggie platter somehow found their way to this sweet, flavorful mustard sauce.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. SautĆ© chopped red onions for about 1-2 minutes until onions start to soften. Add the Ā¼ cup of balsamic and reduce by half, about 90 seconds.

Remove balsamic-onion mixture from heat and combine with the 1/3 cup spicy brown mustard and Ā¾ cup apricot preserves.

Add Ā¼ teaspoon of salt and stir until well combined.

Place the 1 pound of sausage into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the dipping sauce directly into the sausage and mix well.

Form sausage into bite-sized balls and fully coat in the Italian bread crumbs.

Place the sausage bites onto a bake pan lightly brushed with the olive oil.

Bake for about 15-18 minutes until evenly brown. Turn sausage bites often while baking to achieve a uniform browning.

Drain sausage bites on a paper towel and serve with toothpicks and dipping sauce.

SERVES 8 (ABOUT 20-24 PIECES)

Have a comment? Weā€™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.

Blood Orange Olive Oil and Dark Chocolate Balsamic Roasted Chicken

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The combination of oranges and dark chocolate goes beyond desserts. Weā€™ve tasted chicken mole dishes before where the chicken is flavored by a Mexican sauce made from chilies and chocolate. However, this dish uses a marinade that combines the fruity flavor of blood orange extra virgin olive oil with the bittersweet flavor of dark chocolate balsamic vinegar. Add garlic and lemon and youā€™ve got a marinade that doubles as a savory dressing. We used chicken leg quarters which are relatively inexpensive cuts but the rich flavor achieved through this recipe makes this worthy of a dish for entertaining. The make-ahead nature of this recipe also makes it a perfect weekday menu option ā€“ it even got the kids asking for seconds!

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 tablespoons Olive This! Blood Orange Olive Oil
  • Ā¼ cup Olive This! Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Ā½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4Ā½ pounds chicken leg quarters, cut into pieces
  • Ā½ cup chicken stock
  • juice from Ā½ of an orange, plus 1-2 teaspoons orange zest for garnish)
  • 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Rinse chicken and dry with paper towels.

Trim any excess skin and visible fat from chicken pieces. Cut each leg quarter with a sharp knife separating into thigh and drumstick pieces.

Prepare marinade by whisking the first seven ingredients together (the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper). Since the mustard is a good emulsifier, you donā€™t need to stream in the olive oil; you can mix all the ingredients at once.

Place all the chicken pieces and the marinade into a zipper locking bag. Seal securely and toss well to combine.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, tossing the chicken pieces occasionally. You can refrigerate the chicken longer and even overnight if necessary but you donā€™t want to go beyond 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer chicken and all the marinade into a greased or non-stick baking pan. Roast in oven on the middle rack for about an hour until the chicken is cooked through. Keep an eye on it every so often; if the chicken skin begins to burn, cover with foil.

When the chicken is done, transfer to a serving platter and tent with foil. Place the baking pan on the stove top over med-high heat and add the Ā½ cup of chicken stock and the juice from Ā½ of the orange. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and reduce the sauce for about 5 minutes until it thickens.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken pieces and garnish with the chopped parsley leaves and orange zest. Serve immediately.

SERVES 4-6

You may want to consider our Dark Chocolate Blood Orange Cake recipe as a dessert suggestion since it, too, uses the same flavor combination.

Have a comment?  Weā€™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. 

Turkey Enchilada Pie with Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil

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This enchilada pie reminds us of lasagna but with half the amount of work ā€“ plus the kids love it (pie for dinner anyone?). You can substitute or supplement this dish with whatever you have leftover in the fridge (mushrooms, zucchini, red peppers, etc). We use a round spring-form pan to hold all the layers of ingredients and it makes baking, cutting and serving the pie a lot easier. Our Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil gives you some depth of flavor without the added ingredients. You can make the filling and assemble ahead of time (up to 24 hours). Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge before baking.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound ground turkey (or beef)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons Olive This! Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil
  • 1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce, (we went with mild for the kids)
  • Ā½ cup frozen corn, thawed, drained
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 5 flour tortillas
  • 1Ā¼ cups shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the chopped onions and ground turkey (or beef, if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is thoroughly browned and onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

Drain well. To drain, we push the meat to one side of the skillet, tilt the pan and soak up the fat with 2-3 folded paper towels.

Add the 2 tablespoons of Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil to flavor the meat mixture. Reserve Ā¼ cup of the enchilada sauce in a small measuring cup or bowl; set aside. Add corn, black beans and remaining enchilada sauce to the beef mixture. Stir in cumin and chili powder.

Generously salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes.

While the meat filling cooks, prepare your tortillas. Flour tortillas can vary in size so hereā€™s a trick we use to make layering a lot easier. Place the five flour tortillas on a cutting board. Using the bottom of the spring-form pan as a guide, run your knife around the edges cutting all five tortillas to the exact size of the pan bottom.

Spray the 9-inch round spring-form pan with cooking spray (or brush insides with olive oil). Layer the ingredients into the spring-form pan in the order below starting at the bottom of the list:

TOP (LAYER 5):

  • Ā¼ cup of cheese
  • reserved enchilada sauce (on top of tortilla – spread evenly)
  • tortilla

LAYERS 1-4:

  • Ā¼ cup of cheese (sprinkled on meat filling)
  • Ā¾ cup of meat filling (on top of tortilla)
  • tortilla (bottom)

Press down with a spatula ā€“ or use your fingers like we do ā€“ each time you add a new tortilla to compress all ingredients into the spring-form pan.

Place spring-form pan on rimmed baking sheet.  Bake, uncovered, 30 to 40 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes to set.

Run a small knife around the insides of the spring-form ring and remove.  Cut into pie slices, and serve.

SERVES 5-6

Have a comment? Weā€™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.

Red Lentil Stew (Dal) with Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil

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Rounding out our vegetarian dishes for the month of January, we have Dal. ā€œPulsesā€ are dried lentils, beans or peas that have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. These pulses are often used in Indian cuisine to make a thick stew called Dal. It is regularly served as a main course offering a ready source of protein for a diet containing little or no meat. In India, it is eaten with rice and a wheat bread called roti. Searching for a slow cooker dish that incorporates pulses, we stumbled upon this recipe from Americaā€™s Test Kitchen. With the red lentils, healthy vegetables, and a robust assortment of Indian spices, our Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil complimented this dish perfectly. Often slow cooker recipes require some sautĆ©ing on the stove top beforehand but youā€™ll find this recipe makes things much easier by using the microwave oven. Then let the slow cooker do its thing and come home to a hearty bowl of goodness.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 onions, minced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
  • 2 tablespoons Olive This! Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
  • Ā½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • Ā½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • Ā½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Ā½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • Ā¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • Ā¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 4 cups water, plus extra as needed
  • 1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk
  • 1 pound red lentils (2 Ā¼ cups), picked over and rinsed
  • 1 pound carrots (about 6), peeled and chopped medium
  • 1 pound plum tomatoes (about 4 to 6), chopped medium
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Ā¼ cup minced fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Chop onions, mince or press garlic and mince or grate ginger. Measure out Ā½ teaspoon each of the coriander, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric along with Ā¼ teaspoon of the cardamom and red pepper flakes.

Combine the onions, garlic, ginger and measured spices with the 2 tablespoons of Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 5 minutes on high or until onions are softened. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Chop carrots to a medium dice.

To the slow cooker, add the chopped carrots, 1 pound of red lentils, 1 can of coconut milk and 4 cups of water.  Stir well and cover. Cook until lentils are tender, 6 to 8 hours on low or 3 to 5 hours on high.

Stir tomatoes into the Dal and cook for an additional 10 minutes on high, until heated through. Add the frozen peas and heat through for another 5 minutes. You can adjust the stew to desired consistency by adding additional hot water.

Finally, stir in cilantro, season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.

SERVES 6

Have a comment?  Weā€™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.

Tofu Sesame Stir Fry

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Tofu, a staple in many Asian dishes, has become very popular in Western cooking. Not only is it packed with protein and calcium but it is also well known for its ability to absorb flavors from spices and sauces while cooking. Add a handful of some of the healthiest nuts around and youā€™ve got a vegetarian dish touting two sources of protein. Some even claim eating with chopsticks helps you lose weight but for now, weā€™ll stick to talking about the food!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 package (15 ounces) extra firm tofu
  • Ā½ cup soy sauce
  • Ā¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons Olive This! Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 1Ā½ inches of peeled fresh ginger (cut into 6-7 slices about Ā¼-inch thick)
  • 12 ounces to 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut diagonally
  • 1Ā½ red onions, chopped
  • 1 red pepper chopped
  • Ā¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1Ā¼ cup vegetable stock
  • Ā½ cup dry roasted almonds, unsalted
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Drain tofu well and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut tofu into Ā¾-inch dice. Cut the red pepper into strips and then cut each strip diagonally into Ā½-inch pieces. Cut the green beans diagonally into about 1Ā½-inch segments. Chop the 1Ā½ red onions.

Whisk together the Ā½ cup soy sauce, Ā¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon dry sherry and the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a large bowl.  Add the tofu and gently stir to coat all the pieces ā€“ being careful not to break the cubes of tofu. You could also tilt the bowl and spoon the marinade onto the tofu cubes.

Slice the fresh ginger into 6-7 slices about Ā¼-inch thick. Heat the two tablespoons of toasted sesame oil into a wok or very large pan over high heat. To give your sesame oil the subtle flavor of the ginger, add the slices to the hot oil and toss for about one minute until fragrant. Discard ginger pieces.

Carefully remove tofu from marinade with a slotted spoon and add to hot oil. Do not discard the marinade; it will be used later for the sauce. Toss and flip tofu with a spatula until most of the sides are seared and golden grown, about 3-5 minutes. Remove tofu from pan and set aside in a clean bowl.

To the hot pan, add the chopped onions, peppers and green beans. Stir fry until onions are soft and turning translucent about 5-8 minutes.

Add the 1Ā¼ cup vegetable stock, reserved tofu marinade (give the marinade a good whisk before adding), and the Ā¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil and stir constantly until sauce thickens (about 1-2 minutes). Salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and stir in the Ā½ cup of dry roasted almonds.  Serve immediately along with brown rice or quinoa.

SERVES 4

Have a comment?  Weā€™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.

Garlic Rosemary Cauliflower Mash

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Remember all those low-carb diets with the tricky yet tasteless substitutes? One of the dishes that weathered the storm is the cauliflower mash (often called ā€œmockā€ mashed potatoes). Yes, fresh cauliflower is a healthy substitute over starchy mashed potatoes but too often large amounts of butter and cream are used to compensate for bland flavor. Bring into play our two infused olive oils (Butter and Garlic), fresh rosemary, and Parmesan cheese and you just might add this healthier, flavor-rich vegetable side dish to your repertoire.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Put a stock pot of about 6 cups of water on the stove to boil.
Wash the head of cauliflower and cut into small pieces. Add to boiling water and let cook for about 8-10 minutes until tender.

While the cauliflower is boiling, measure out the remaining ingredients and set near your food processor.  When the cauliflower is done cooking, youā€™ll need to work quickly so your cauliflower mash stays hot when serving.

Drain the cauliflower well to remove excess water. Working quickly, put the cauliflower pieces into a food processor. Add all remaining ingredients.

Start with short pulses (about 20 pulses) to chop up the big pieces. If necessary, scrape down any chunks stuck on the insides with a spatula. Work your way up and puree until smooth.

Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with rosemary and drizzle with some extra Butter olive oil, if desired.  Serve immediately while warm.

If your cauliflower mash cools down too much, you can reheat it in the microwave (before garnishing) for a few minutes. Give it a good stir and garnish and drizzle as described.

SERVES 4

Have a comment?  Weā€™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.

Basil-Strawberry Vinaigrette

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One of our easier vinaigrettes, the Basil Olive Oil and Strawberry Balsamic do all the work. We add salt and pepper and Dijon mustard (as an emulsifier) but thatā€™s it. We discovered this great flavor combination when creating our recipe for Roasted Beets and Endive Salad with Basil-Strawberry Vinaigrette. We loved the taste and thought this vinaigrette could stand on its own! Continue reading “Basil-Strawberry Vinaigrette”

Roasted Beets and Endive Salad with Basil-Strawberry Vinaigrette

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Weā€™ve all tried canned, sliced beets in factory pickling juices but have you ever roasted your own beets? Itā€™s as easy as a baked potato ā€“ foil, oven, you know the routine. But the natural sweetness you get from the beets combined with the flavors you add with this basil-strawberry vinaigrette will have you wondering if youā€™ll ever go back. Continue reading “Roasted Beets and Endive Salad with Basil-Strawberry Vinaigrette”

Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil

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For many of us, the New Year always brings ambitious resolutions that include eating healthier. We get it and weā€™re in. To play our part, weā€™ll be offering up lighter, vegetarian dishes each week throughout the month of January. Starting us off is a main course that includes quinoa (a wonder food thatā€™s become very popular over the past few years) and other healthier ingredients all served in a bowl you can eat! Continue reading “Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil”

White Truffle Lobster Penne Pasta

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Truffle oil has that sense of something elegant and rich. Combine it with lobster and white wine cream sauce and youā€™ve got something special. Many of you commented on how much you enjoyed the Truffled Cauliflower Gratin dish we posted, so we decided to end the year with our White Truffle Oil. While this dish may not be overly friendly with the waistline or wallet, this dinner for two can be prepared in less than 20-25 minutes. Besides, resolutions for the New Year kick in next week, right? Continue reading “White Truffle Lobster Penne Pasta”

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