Happy New Year!

Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Roast

This roast was just something fun so we could have leftovers that weren't turkey. Turned out so great, my grandfather didn't have any turkey in the first place!

The would work just as well with a boneless roast, but I think the bones add a bit more flavor. And they fall right off anyway. If you can't find apple soda, go ahead with some apple juice. But I think the juice is a bit sweeter.

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Roast

1 2lb bone-in pork roast
1/2 cup applesauce
1 can apple soda
1/4 cup Red Apple Balsamic
2 medium onions
1/4 cup brown sugar

Quarter the onions and toss them into the slow cooker. Put the roast on top, fatty side down. Pour the apple soda over the top.

Cook on medium heat for 6-8 hours.

Add the applesauce, balsamic and the brown sugar to a small saucepan and bring it to a medium low heat. Stir often until the sugar is dissolved. It should only take a couple minutes. The mixture should be thick and a bit sticky.

Remove the roast from the crock pot. Mine was falling apart, so I did it in sections. Peel out the bones if your roast has them. Spread with the balsamic sauce and serve with extra on the side. Tent with foil until you are ready to serve.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

The original recipe I adapted this from was my sister in law's signature thanksgiving cookie. She makes these with chocolate chips. Chocolate is nice....But I thought these would go better with butterscotch!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Vanilla Olive Oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin
2 tbsp molasses
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)
1 egg
1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, the sugar and the egg together until creamy. Gently stir in the pumpkin and molasses. Take all the rest of the dry ingredients and whisk them together in a medium sized bowl. Combine that with the wet ingredients slowly, mixing well in between each addition so that it is well combined.  Stir in the chips.

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets in rounded tablespoonfulls. Bake 12-13 minutes. Their color is already a bit darker because of the pumpkin, so don't wait too long for them to brown.

Apricot Sugar Drop Cookies

These sugar cookies were a last minute thing. I made an apricot paste for thumbprint cookies but found out that the intended recipient was allergic to apricots! In the interest of not killing them, I used some of our Fig Jam instead, but it did leave me with a bunch of apricot paste. I contemplated sandwich cookies, but I was out of time.

So this is another cookie made from a box. With Vanilla Olive Oil of course. But still from a box. I still have a bunch of apricot paste leftover from this. Look for some more recipes with it coming up. I'm thinking chicken! But then, I always think chicken.

Apricot Sugar Drop Cookies 

1 bag of sugar cookie mix
the eggs it calls for
instead of butter or vegetable oil, use Vanilla Olive Oil in the same amount
1/2 cup apricot paste

The apricot paste makes these too sticky to roll out into shapes. But a drop cookie is nothing to be sneezed at.

Bake for the recommended time. Checking at the minimum time to make sure the apricots aren't burning.

Apricot Paste

1 1/3 cup (8 ounces) dried apricots, finely diced
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup white sugar

Put the apricots and water in a small heavy bottomed sauce pan. Heat up to just under a boil and simmer until the water is mostly absorbed and the apricots are just about falling apart. Stir every few minutes so that it doesn't scorch. Should take about 20 minutes.

Add sugar and reduce the heat just a little bit. Stir constantly until it forms a thick paste. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Can be kept for a few weeks in the fridge or a week or so out of it.

Blood Orange Brownies

These are easy enough to make with a box of mix, some oil and a couple eggs. I'll give you the full from scratch recipe I was going to use though. If only I hadn't run out of cocoa powder!

Blood Orange Brownies

from scratch version

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup Blood Orange Olive Oil

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 9x13 inch pan.

Cream the eggs, sugar and olive oil together in a large bowl. Gently add the dry ingredients one at a time, stirring until fully combined.

Pour into your greased pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

For the easy version, grab a box of brownie mix. Mix it all up according to the directions, except where it says to use vegetable oil. Use the olive oil instead. And you are done.

Oatmeal Cookies with Goji Berries and Pecans

You can make these cookies with any berry and any nut. I happened to have pecans and a whole bag of dried goji berries hanging around. And I love they way they taste together. Nutty and sweet, but in a more subtle way than a cranberry.

Oatmeal Cookies with Goji Berries and Pecans

3/4 cup Casa Ligaro VERDONE Olive Oil
1 cup, packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup goji berries
1/2 cup warm water or bourbon

In a small bowl, stir the goji berries and the water or bourbon together. By the time you need them, they should be ready.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a large bowl, combine the olive oil with the sugars, stirring until the oil is well incorporated. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla until smooth.

In a separate bowl, stir all the dry ingredients together, except the pecans. Slowly add them to the olive oil and sugar mixture. When combined, fold in the pecans. Drain the excess liquid from the goji berries and fold them in as well.

Drop in tablespoon sized rounds on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart. They do not spread over-much, but it is always better to be safe than to have giant blob cookies.

Bake for about 11-13 minutes. They should be golden brown.

Christmas Cookies

The recipes are coming tomorrow. This is just the preview. A little torture for you.

I cheated with the brownies and used a box mix. I just subbed our Blood Orange Olive Oil for the vegetable oil that it called for. Cooks exactly the same. Smells amazing! Tastes even better.

For the oatmeal cookies, I did use some of our oils. One of our stronger varietals, but I love the way the olive oil tastes with the pecans and the nutty goji berries.

The apricot sugar cookies have some Vanilla Olive Oil inside, but I cheated and used a bag of mix with that one too. The secret is the apricot paste I made to fill other cookies. But it turned out the person those cookies were meant for was allergic to apricots!

The pumpkin butterscotch also have Vanilla Olive Oil. I just love vanilla with everything.

Tomorrow!

No New Recipes

Sorry everyone!

I had all these great intentions to post a whole slew of Christmas recipes this week. Instead, the store is very very busy and I am hopping around like a hyperactive puppy.

I promise more recipes in a few days. I am making Christmas dinner again this year, so there will be a roasted squash coming at the very least. A few desserts as well and I have big plans for January.

I'm going to do a whole month of slow cooker recipes. Starting with an apple butter and some sausage bites. And it's all for my cousin Jen. She requested more slow cooker things, so she gets a whole month of them.

We will be open at 11am or a little before every day until the 25th. And open until 6ish every day as usual. Including the 24th.

We will be closed Christmas Day.

Happy Holidays!

Basil Chicken Thighs with Pickled Garlic

I found this cute little jar of pickled garlic at one of the specialty grocery stores and figured, what the heck! I'll find something to do with it. I have been eating a couple cloves every time I open the fridge. Good thing garlic is good for you! And it's sweet so I don't have bad garlic breath all the time.

If you can't find pickled garlic, don't worry about it. Use 6-10 roasted garlic cloves and about 1 tbsp of regular or brown sugar tossed in. It will be a little smokier than my version, but that's not a bad thing.

Basil Chicken Thighs with Pickled Garlic

1 pkg Boneless chicken thighs 6-8
1/4 cup pickled garlic
1 tbsp yellow curry powder
1/2 medium onion, sliced thinly
10 leaves fresh basil
1 tbsp Basil Olive Oil
1 Tbsp White Kiwi Balsamic
Pinch of Jalapeno Sea Salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chicken in a casserole pan and spread the onions around the sides. Rub the chicken down with the olive oil. Drizzle the balsamic over it all and sprinkle the curry powder on top.

Tear the basil leaves in large bits and tuck around the chicken. Leave the garlic whole and nestle with the basil.

Loosely tent with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Take the foil off and stir around a bit. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes just to brown the tops a bit.

Put a pinch of the Jalapeno Sea Salt on top of each portion before you serve.

Thank you very much!

I wanted to send a big thank you out to my Cookie Swap swappers!

Gina, Michelle, and Sarah, your cookies were all delicious! I didn't get any pictures, my coworkers descended on them like wolves. They were very appreciated.

According to the organizers, we raised $13778.40 for Cookies for Kids Cancer.

Thank you to our sponsors as well!

OXO
Gold Medal Flour
Dixie Crystals
Grandma's Molasses

12 Days Until Christmas

I almost forgot to put this up!

Cookie Swap 2013!

Welcome to this year's Blogger Cookie Swap! I ended up with the vegan card again this year. But I always love a challenge!

Cranberry Lime Cookies with Caramel Chips

1 1/4 cup spelt flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup Persian Lime Olive Oil
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegan caramel chips*
1/2 cup cranberries
Zest of one lime, minced
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 cup milk of choice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the olive oil and the lime juice. Stir until combined. Add in the chips, lime peel and cranberries. Stir well.

Reduce the temperature to 350degrees.

On a greased cookie sheet, drop the cookies by the tablespoonful about half an inch apart. They do not spread much. Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden. Wait for the cookies to cool well before attempting to remove them from the cookie sheets. They are a bit fragile until they cool.

*I used these: Vegan Caramel Chips

Creamy Mushroom Soup

So this is what I have been eating all week. The risotto on it's own was very nice. This soup is even better. Could be because I have a cold. Maybe not. Maybe it's the Porcini mushrooms. Either way. This is so good.

If you don't have a couple cups of risotto leftover to make this with, feel free to use a couple cups of rice. Just be sure to up your mushrooms by about a pint. I think carrots would be nice with this as well, or chunks of squash...Hm, I may have another soup idea on my hands.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

2-3 cups Wheat-berry Risotto
1 jar Porcini Cream*
2 quarts vegetable stock
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp Vanilla Olive Oil
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
1 pinch nutmeg
6 or 7 dried porcini mushrooms
1 or 2 pints more mushrooms, diced

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil to medium heat and add in the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until the garlic is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the stock to the pan and raise the heat to medium high. Break up the dried porcini mushrooms and put them in the broth. Cook, at just below a simmer until the mushrooms soften, 5 minutes.

Add the leftover risotto, the garlic, the rest of the mushrooms and the pinch of nutmeg. Let this simmer away for about 10 minutes.

Now it is time for the porcini cream. Add in the whole jar. You will not be sorry. (If you don't have any, a can of cream of mushroom will do, but not be near as tasty) Stir around to incorporate.

Simmer for 10-20 minutes. It's hard to overcook soup. Taste for salt. Sprinkle some of that in. Add in a big pinch of black pepper, because it's good for you.

Eat the soup and feel better.

*Porcini mushroom cream available in the store.

Wheatberry Risotto

Sorry for my absence this week. I got more than leftovers from our little family on Thanksgiving. ::Sniff Sniff::

But the upshot is that even though this recipe is late, I took all the leftovers of it from last week and turned it into something I really needed this week. Soup. That will come tomorrow.

Risotto is typically made with rice. But you can use pretty much any kind of grain you want to. Wheat-berries take a little bit longer to cook than regular rice and they retain this kind of al dente bite even after they are done that I really love. They also have this great nutty flavor that I have amped up with some walnuts. But you could leave those out if you want. Feel free to change up the herbs. If you only have dried, use only a teaspoon at most of each.

As this was part of my vegan offerings for Thanksgiving, it is lacking the cheese that is so customary for risotto. I didn't miss it. But go ahead and add it in if the mood takes you. It ususally uses a half cup of Parmesan cheese.

Wheat-berry Risotto with Mushrooms

1/4 cup Garlic Olive Oil
1 cup hard wheat-berries
1/2 onion, diced
2 pints mushrooms, rough chopped
1 1/2 boxes of low-sodium vegetable stock (quart size)
3/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
pinch of salt
sprinkle of Porcini Sea Salt, to finish each plate

The stock should be warm when you add it. Either warm it in a pan on the stove or microwave it a little bit before you need it.

In a large pan with high sides, add the olive oil and turn the heat to medium. Put in all the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften. Add in the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook about 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to release some of their juices.

Stir in the wheat-berries and about 1/2 cup of the stock. Stir and cook until the pan is almost dry. Then work in 1 cup increments until the wheat-berries soften up. It should take about an hour, but you don't have to stir this constantly like a regular rice risotto. Walking away from it for a few minutes is okay.

It is ready when the wheat-berries are soft, but still a little al dente. Add in all the herbs and the walnuts and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkle of Porcini Sea Salt on top.

Pomegranate Turkey Legs

I didn't want to make a whole turkey just for the leftovers. I did consider it, but thought that would just be silly. So I made just a little bit. A few drumsticks just because we need a little turkey now and then.

Pomegranate Turkey Legs

2 turkey legs
2 tbsp Citrus Habanero Olive Oil
1/4 cup Pomegranate Balsamic
2 tbsp pomegranate juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
pinch of ground sage
1/2 cup pomegranate arils, for garnish

Whisk together all the sauce ingredients and place in a large plastic bag. Add the turkey legs and zipper closed. Make sure they get a good coating of sauce and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a smaller roasting pan, place the turkey and the sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 350 and take the foil off. Add in 1/4 cup pomegranate arils. Bake for another 15-20 minutes.

Serve with more pomegranate arils and some parsley.

Cranberry Fool Pictures

Unfortunately, this one sat for a bit before I got to take a picture. It's prettier when the whipped cream is still cold and stiff. Super good though. I was very very pleased with this recipe.

Cranberry Rolls Update

So these rolls were supposed to be fluffy and light. I got thick and dense. What happened?!

I rushed around too much and forgot to put in the applesauce. Completely forgot! And not only that, I forgot to put in the cranberries too. Clearly I think I needed more sleep.

Not to mention that I used a 1/4 cup measuring scoop to measure out the sugar. (except it was actually a 1/3 cup scoop) So they turned out a bunch sweeter than they should have been.

You would think that for all that, they would have turned out terrible. You would be wrong.

Somehow I managed to turn a messed up recipe and turn bad rolls into scones!

So, the new recipe is here.

Sweet Rosemary Scones with Cranberry Butter

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine salt
3 tbsp fresh minced rosemary
10 tbsp COLD Rosemary Olive Oil
3/4 cup favorite non-dairy milk, unsweetened

Combine the vinegar and the milk together in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together. Using a fork, cut in the cold olive oil until the dough is a crumbly texture.

Make a well in the center and pour in the milk. Stir until just combined. Flour a surface and turn out the dough. Lightly flour the top and fold the dough over itself 4-5 times. Pat it down to about 1/2 inch thick and cut it into any shape you like. I used a biscuit cutter, but scones can be any shape you want them to be.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Grease a baking sheet and bake for 16-18 minutes.

Cranberry Butter

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup cranberry sauce
   

Mix the butter together with the cranberry sauce and refrigerate until it hardens.

I used some extra cranberry sauce from my Cranberry Fool. It was delicious.

Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Hanukkah!

I didn't want to give you just a normal, traditional Thanksgiving picture. But thank you to Norman Rockwell for proving that even traditional can still be funny and awesome.

So Happy Thanksgiving!

And Happy Hanukkah too! 

Cranberry Fool

Cranberry Fool
(serves 6ish)

1 bag cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
a pinch allspice
1/4 - 1/2 cup water
3 tbsp Blood Orange Olive Oil
Splash of orange liquor
1 tub frozen cool whip

In a sauce pan, combine everything but the cool whip. Simmer over medium heat until the cranberries start to pop, stirring often. Start with 1/4 cup water, if it seems too dry, add the other 1/4 cup.

Reduce the heat to a very low simmer and cook about 5 minutes. The water should evaporate and leave you with a loose cranberry sauce.

Remove from the heat and cool to at least room temperature. You make this up to 24 hours ahead and put it in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to serve, thaw the cool whip slightly and turn it out into a large bowl. Fold in the cooled cranberry sauce. You want swirls, not pink cream. (although that will taste just as good!)


You could serve the cranberries without the cream as is as cranberry sauce with no problem. I did something similar last Thanksgiving. Though I think leaving the shallots out is better for a dessert!

And if you are really rushed, you can dress up a can of whole berry cranberry sauce with a little olive oil and liquor. If you want to be fancy, feel free to make your own whipped cream.

Slow Cooker Pork Sandwiches

Oh yum. I forgot to put the cheese on my sandwich, but never missed it. Go for it if you want!

Slow Cooked Pork

1 pork shoulder 3-4 lbs

1-2 onions

1 tbsp Rosemary Olive Oil per pound

1 tsp flaky salt (like our Greek)

1/2 cup white wine, optional

Slice the onions medium thick in rings. Rub the salt and olive oil all over the roast. Place it in the slow cooker and top with the onions. Add the wine, if you are using it. Cook on high for 4 1/2 hours. Any longer and it will be pulled pork. You want to be able to slice this. It will still fall apart, but not quite that much. More like pot roast.

If you do not have a slow cooker, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and put it in a large dutch oven for 3 hours.

Sandwiches

Ciabatta bread, sliced in half

1 tbsp stone ground mustard

2-3 roasted red pepper slices

a bit of the onions

2 slices of the pork

2 slices provolone (optional)

Assemble and devour.

Cranberry Rolls with Rosemary

This is a vegan request for Thanksgiving. Vegans need rolls too! And you could also make these just regular rosemary rolls. Just leave out the berries!

Cranberry Rolls with Rosemary

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine salt
1-2 tbsp fresh minced rosemary, optional
10 tbsp COLD Rosemary Olive Oil
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened is better
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
3/4 cup favorite non-dairy milk, unsweetened

Combine the vinegar and the milk together in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together. Using a fork, cut in the cold olive oil until the dough is a crumbly texture.

Make a well in the center and pour in the applesauce and milk mix. Add the cranberries. Stir until just combined. Fold the dough over itself a few times. This helps create a layered texture. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the dough until it is about 3/4" thick. Cut into any shape you like.

Grease a baking sheet and bake for 16-18 minutes. DO NOT open the oven for at least 10 minutes. Chilling the dough and starting with cold oil helps these biscuits to rise. Opening the oven before then will undo all that good work and you will have flat muffins.

Red Apple Waldorf Salad

This is a great way to start off any meal. Or add some leftover turkey and call it lunch!

Red Apple Waldorf Salad

makes 4

2 tbsp Red Apple Balsamic

1 medium red apple

2-3 ounces hard white cheddar

1/4 cup slivered almonds or walnuts

6-7 large brussels sprouts

8 cups lettuce, any mix
1 avocado, diced
1 lemon, in 4 wedges
2-3 tbsp Tuscan Olive Oil
1/3 cup mayo or greek yogurt

Whisk the mayo or yogurt in a small bowl with the Balsamic. Add the olive oil 1 tbsp at a time until you reach a consistency that you like. I like it more on the thin side and add a little more olive oil to mine.

Cut the bottoms off the brussels sprouts and flake all the leaves off. I save the hearts to saute later, or you can dice them up and add them in too. Divide all the salad ingredients evenly in 4 bowls. Drizzle the top of each plate with the dressing and serve with a wedge of lemon.

Thanksgiving Lite 2013 Meal Plan

This Thanksgiving I am spending at my sister in law's house. But that's no excuse not to make some things anyway.

The things on my Thanksgiving Lite menu can be used as sides or meals after, used with leftovers or made anytime. I just love to cook.

Pictures will come when I have made everything!

Thanksgiving Lite Menu 2013

Pomegranate Turkey Legs

Slow Cooked Pork Sandwiches

Cranberry Rolls with Rosemary

Wheatberry Risotto

Red Apple Waldorf Salad

Cranberry Fool (dessert)

Asparagus and Tomato with Mushroom Sauce

I promise, I am working on the Thanksgiving recipes! Promise!

It is a light Thanksgiving for my kitchen this year. My sister in law just redid her whole dining room and kitchen, so we are going to take advantage of that this year and go to her place. But my husband has a few days off while I work, so I'm prepping some things so he doesn't feel left out of the left-over-palooza that is coming.

You could serve this with rice or pasta. Or you can just eat it. Just eat it. It's good for you. All veggies. You could even make a double batch and use it as a side for Thanksgiving. Ha! I might just do that. I need something to bring to work with me.

Asparagus and Tomato with Mushroom Sauce

1 lb asparagus

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup Cream of Porcini 

Himalayan Pink Salt

2 Tbsp Garlic Olive Oil

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan to medium. Trim the asparagus of it's woody ends and slice on the diagonal into bite-sized pieces. Halve the cherry tomatoes.

Add the asparagus to the pan and saute, stirring often for 3-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and a sprinkle of the salt. Cook for about 2-3 minutes more. The tomato juices should be running around the pan and everything should start smelling amazing.

Now it is time for the Cream of Porcini. Add it in a tablespoon at a time stirring until you have it all incorporated. 

Spicy Pumpkin Pockets

I bought some pie crust on sale this week and thought that it would be great to make a pumpkin pie. A pocket pie!

Pocket pies, or hand pies are probably my favorite species of pie. You can fill them with anything and they are portable. And there is a great ratio of filling to crust.

I think that the Rosemary Olive Oil would be great with this as well.

Spicy Pumpkin Pockets

1/2 pkg refrigerated pie crust
2-4 turkey slices, optional
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
1 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil + 1 tbsp for brushing
1 tsp minced garlic
2 slices provolone cheese
pinch ground sage
pinch nutmeg

Bring the sleeve of pie crust to room temperature and unroll it. If there are any breaks, dip your finger in warm water and gently smooth it over the break to join the broken places back together. Slice in half and set aside.

Combine the spices in a large bowl with the pumpkin puree. Stir until combined and taste for salt. Add the olive oil and stir.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or spray it with non-stick spray. Place the dough onto the dish. Layer 1/4 cup of the mixture and some turkey slices on one side of each of the dough half-rounds. Gently wet the very edge of the pastry and fold it in half, pinching or pressing to close. Brush the tops with the remaining olive oil.

Bake for 15-25 minutes. The filling doesn't need to be cooked, just the crust. Keep a watch on it so it doesn't get too brown.

Shrimp Avocado Sandwich

I made a few more shrimp than I needed when I made the lemon pasta earlier this week. I suppose they aren't really extra. There are never extra shrimp. There are just reserved shrimp. 

So these reserved shrimp needed something creamy, and crunchy to pair with. At the grocery store, a nice display of avocados decided the day.

Shrimp Avocado Sandwich

for 1 sandwich

6-8 shrimp, cooked

1/4 avocado, sliced

1 long roll

2 slices provolone

a couple ribs romaine lettuce

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp Pineapple Balsamic

2 tbsp Spanish Olive Oil

Slice your roll in half and brush with the olive oil. Toss under a boiler for a couple minutes until it gets nice and brown. I used my toaster oven and that worked just fine. 

Whisk the mayonnaise with the Pineapple Balsamic and spread over the toasted bread. If you want melted cheese, assemble everything but arrange the cheese on top and stick back under the broiler. I just wanted to eat it, so I folded it up and did just that.

Perfect crispy bread. Nice creamy avocado. Mmmm, shrimp.

Lemon Shrimp Tagliatelle

I really love lemons. Lemon-filled donuts are my favorites, lemon meringue, lemonade, limoncello.... Our Lemon Pasta is like the icing on the lemon poppy seed cake of my food life. So making lemon shrimp with Lemon Pasta is just the best thing I can think of. Unless it's lemon chicken with Lemon Pasta.

Lemon Pasta with Shrimp

6-7 capers
10-12 large cooked shrimp, thaw if frozen
4 tbsp Spanish Olive Oil
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
pinch of smoked paprika
Lemon Pasta for 2-4 people
Lemon wedges for serving

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Rinse well and toss with a little olive oil. Set aside somewhere, but keep it warm.

In a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil up to medium-high. Add the capers and shrimp. I remove the tails, but you don't have to. Sprinkle a little salt and paprika on them. If you want them to have a crispier edge, don't stir them at all and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. If you like them more tender, stir them occasionally and only let them go for 2-3 minutes each side.

In the last minute, add the parsley so it crisps and a little dusting of pepper.

Add the shrimp to the cooked pasta. Make sure you drain all the olive oil from the pan, it is now your sauce!

Serve with lemon wedges if needed.

Turkey Cutlets with Cranberry Cream Sauce and Chocolate Pasta

I wanted to do something savory with the chocolate pasta. And, of course, it's cranberry time. And turkey...The rest just put itself together. I think it's a pretty good job!

This recipe is going out with the Newsletter. Go get this month's coupon!

Turkey Cutlets with Cranberry Cream Sauce
      and Chocolate Pasta

2 turkey cutlets
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil, divided
2 tsp Toasted Onion Sea Salt, divided
2 tbsp Cranberry Balsamic
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp cream cheese (optional)
3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
1 cup (6-10) shaved brussels sprouts
1/2 cup sundried cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp minced garlic
4 slices thick cut bacon
Chocolate Pasta

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spread 1 tbsp of the oil over each cutlet and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the nutmeg and the Toasted Onion Salt. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. If you are measuring with a thermometer, the internal temperature should be 165.

Take them out of the oven and let them cool. Slice thinly on a diagonal and set aside.

Prepare the pasta according to the directions, enough for 4 servings. Rinse well. Cook the bacon until is it nice and crispy and crumble it. Set those aside.

Heat the other 2 tbsp of olive oil in a sauce pan and add the garlic and the cherry tomatoes. Saute for 1-3 minutes. Add the cream or milk and the Cranberry Balsamic and bring to a light simmer. Put in the sour cream and stir to combine. Then add the cream cheese if you are using it. Simmer for another minute or two, the sauce should be nice and thick.

Sprinkle in the salt and the brussels sprouts, saving a little bit for garnish. Stir in some of the bacon, saving some of that for garnish too. Remove from the heat.

Arrange some pasta and turkey slices on each plate. Top with the sauce, a bit of brussles sprouts and bacon and a couple whole cherry tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Harvest Cake

You can't ever really have too many apples in the house right? It's not that I have too many, it's that they are so pretty, and smell so good that they jump in my shopping cart. I can stop buying them any time I want! I just have a bit more than I can eat right now. That's why there is cake. You can give someone a cake. Or just share one.

Baked apples are awesome. Raw apples are awesome. But apples in cake is sticky sweet SUPER-awesome! Get some ice cream to serve with this and the whole thing will be gone in ten minutes!

Harvest Cake

3 med apples, finely diced
1/4 cup diced dates
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup flaked coconut
2 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil
2 cups hot water

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to just under boiling and simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring often. Apples should be very soft and the water should be almost gone.

1 box Spice Cake Mix
2 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil
1/4 cup apple cider or milk

Bake at 350 degrees. 25-30 minutes.

This is a very sticky cake. If you wanted to make it more fluffy, you could add the eggs that the box mix calls for. But I like this to be dense. The only thing I forgot was the ice cream.

Warm this up to serve with vanilla ice cream and you will never look back!

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Chili

A little while ago, I made Pumpkin Hummus. It was very good. But I did have some leftovers, and while my grandfather visited last week, he thought that it was soup and heated it up and ate it. He said it was very good soup.

So pumpkin and beans and a little bit of sweetness in a soup... I can do that. This reminds me very much of African Groundnut Stew. Except with no chicken and a lot of beans! 

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Chili

2 cans black beans

1 can red kidney beans

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup prepared TVP*

12 oz pureed pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling

1 cup peanut butter or other nut butter

1/4 cup agave syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika, smoked

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tsp cumin

2 cups vegetable broth

1 6oz can tomato paste

1 12oz can of crushed or pureed tomatoes

4 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil

1 tsp minced garlic

Rinse and drain the beans and put them aside in a large bowl.

Put the TVP, garlic, onion and the olive oil in a large stock pot and heat to medium high. Saute around for 5-7 minutes. The garlic should be nice and fragrant, but the TVP should not be burning.

Add the vegetable stock and the ground spices. Bring it to a low simmer and stir until all the spices dissolve, or at least distribute well. Taste test for flavor and spiciness. Add a bit more cayenne if you want, and a bit more black pepper than you think you need.

Stir in the tomato paste slowly. When it has dissolved around, do the same with the pumpkin and the peanut butter. You want it to be pretty smooth at this point except for the TVP and onions floating around.

Now add the beans and tomatoes. Cover and bring to a high simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in the agave syrup in the last minute or two of cooking. Serve with pumpkin seeds, fried onion bits or really anything you want.

*TVP, or Textured Vegetable Protein is generally a soy based filler food. You find it in so many commercial products, including a lot of store brand chili's! But it is a good substitute for ground meat in recipes. It has lots of protein and takes on the flavor of whatever you are cooking it with. You can usually find it in the organic or natural aisles of your supermarket. Or you can just add another can of beans.

This is a vegan meal, but you could always play with that a bit. Instead of TVP, next time I am going to add some blended garbanzo beans. It worked for the hummus/soup, it will work for this. You can use ground meat if you want and meat broth instead of veggie broth. And if you don't have agave, honey is fine.

White Pizza with Broccoli and Tomatoes

Happy Birthday to my mom and to my husband! Both of them have birthday's this week and they both like white pizza... So this one is for you guys!

This started with a big ball of store bought dough. Feel free to make your own, but right now I don't have a go-to dough recipe of my own. Well, I have one I really like, but I never plan my meals ahead and waiting for dough to rise is just torture! I even think the pizza dough in the pop-can is pretty good. Don't tell anyone though. I just love a fast meal.

White Pizza with Broccoli and Tomatoes

1 ball pizza dough, enough for one pizza
2 cups chopped broccoli
3/4 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
2-3 plum tomatoes
4 tbsp Sun-dried Tomato Parmesan Garlic Olive Oil
     plus a little more for serving
1 large ball fresh mozzarella, 3-4 inches diameter

Heat your oven to 450 degrees.

Bring the dough to room temperature. Stretch out the dough gently on a baking stone or a greased baking sheet. Make sure not to over work it, or it will get clumpy and stringy. If you get any tears, continue working the dough until you get the right size and then go back and pinch the tears together. Drizzle, spoon or brush the olive oil over the entire surface of the dough, going all the way to the edges.

Spread the ricotta cheese and broccoli in an even layer across the dough. Slice the tomatoes in a medium slice and sprinkle around. Slice the mozzarella into thin slices and distribute around. Make sure not to get the cheeses too close to the edges, stay back about 1/4 inch on all sides.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Until the cheese and crust start to brown and everything is all bubbly.

Sprinkle with a little more olive oil and serve.

Sesame Salmon

I had some salmon in the fridge, a raging hunger and not much else going on. There is only so much raw parsley you can eat before you feel much too fresh.

I popped open a can of sliced potatoes and tossed this together in about 2 minutes. I thought it was fantastic! I hope you do too!

Sesame Salmon

1 salmon fillet
1 can sliced new potatoes
     or 8-10 quartered red potatoes
salt & pepper
1 tbsp fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
sesame seeds
2-3 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
2 tbsp Zesty Lemon Balsamic

Preheat your oven to 400degrees.

Spread half the Sesame Oil in the bottom of a casserole pan large enough to hold everything semi spread out. Add the potatoes and toss them to coat them in the oil.

If you are using canned potatoes, proceed to the next paragraph. If you are using regular potatoes, sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper and pop them in the oven for 10 minutes.

Add the salmon to the pan. drizzle the rest of the oil and the balsamic over everything. Sprinkle the fish with the salt and pepper and toss the sesame seeds over everything. Mix in about a tbsp of chopped parsley to the potatoes.

Bake for about 20 minutes. The salmon should flake easily when you poke it with a fork. (If you have a very thin piece of fish, try it after 15 minutes, try a really thick one after 25.)

Garnish with parsley and devour.

Happy Halloween!

Eyeball Pasta

It's just so much fun to make creepy food! I love this season. This shrimp mix, minus the olives is also really awesome on crackers.

Have a Creepy Halloween!

Eyeball Pasta

12 oz cooked shrimp
4 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 cup white onion, minced
2 tbsp panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp paprika
sliced black olives
4 tbsp White Truffle Garlic Olive Oil, divided
1 jar pesto, at least 8 oz
1 package Squid Ink Pasta*
a few cooked crawfish, optional

Cook the pasta according to the directions. Drain and toss with 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Set aside to keep warm.

Take the tails of the shrimp and give the flesh a rough chop. Put in a food processor with the onions and garlic. Blend until mostly smooth. Add up to 2 tbsp of the olive oil and the panko.

Form the shrimp mix into balls and press one olive slice into the side. These do not have to be cooked. Sprinkle with the paprika.

Toss the pasta with the pesto and sprinkle the 'eyes' around the plate. If you want, bury some crawfish so that they peek out of the pasta. They aren't super important, they just look creepy.

*a tip: Do NOT toss the pasta with the pesto and the eyes. Just the pesto. They eyes take on the color of the pesto and you will have green eyeballs in no time.

Squid Ink pasta is avaliable in our store. If you can't get here in time, take regular pasta and add black food coloring to the cooking water. (I haven't tried it yet, but it's supposed to work!) Good luck!

Pumpkin Hummus

Oh pumpkin. I have so much love for pumpkin. If you don't, you may want to skip the next week or so of posts!

Pumpkin Hummus

2 cloves garlic

3 tbsp Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

1 can Garbanzo Beans

1/2 can Pure Pumpkin Puree

1/4 cup Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 tbsp Citrus Habanero Olive Oil

1 tbsp Greek Honey

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper, plus more for garnish

1 tsp Salt

2 tbsp Tahini

Put the garlic, salt, tahini and the beans into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the pumpkin and cayenne pepper. Process slowly, adding in the olive oil by the tablespoon until you get to your desired consistency. Fold in the pumpkin seeds. Save a couple for the top.

Top with a little more pumpkin seeds a sprinkle of cayenne and the honey.

Roasted Pumpkin with Honey Date Balsamic Butter

I love pumpkin. Homemade pumpkin puree is always best, and you can customize it to be exactly what you want it to be. It is very easy as well. All you need is a sharp knife and a half hour with an oven. You can eat this straight off the rind, or serve it as a side dish. I plan to use this as a side dish for some ham steaks, but it may never make it.

I finally ran out of last year's stash of canned pumpkin. I take advantage of the massive sales that they have on them at this time of year and stockpile it. I eat pumpkin cookies well into July every year. You never know when you need a fall fix.

If I had the time to can vegetables, I would buy so many pumpkins! I'm thinking pumpkin puree and homemade pumpkin butter. Unfortunately, I will have to make do with this batch of pumpkin and deep pumpkin dreams.

Roasted Pumpkin with Honey Date Balsamic Butter

1 small pumpkin, pie pumpkin sized

 Per every cup of pumpkin:
1 tbsp plain varietal Olive Oil, I used Balsari
1 pinch salt

Sauce:
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup Honey Date Balsamic

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Depending on the size of your pumpkin, halve or quarter it and cut each piece into thin slices. Make everything pretty uniform, 1/2 or 1 inch thick, or you will have some very crispy slices. It is also up to you if you want to cut the skin off or not. It will not change the cooking time.

Toss the slices with the olive oil and spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Don't crowd them too much, you can always bake two trays at once. Sprinkle the pinch of salt over them and roast them. This is where the thickness of your slices matters! Check them at 15 minutes. They should be almost fork tender.

Melt the butter and stir in the Honey Date Balsamic. At 15 minutes, brush this mixture over top the pumpkin slices. Close up the oven again and continue baking for another 10 - 15 minutes.

You could let the pumpkin cook fully first and then dress with the Honey Date sauce, but I love the little caramelized crispy balsamic bits you get when it is roasted with them. Go your own way!

Serve as a side, chopped on top of a salad (with walnuts) or just for dinner. Have fun with it!

Pork Loin with Jerk Seasoning and Pan Sauce

I told you another pork loin was coming. Here it is! I went a little spicy with this, but the heat really cooks off and blends with the sauce. Besides, it's only a little spice.

I like the sauce right over top, but if you make a sandwich, it would make an awesome dipping sauce too.

Pork Loin with Jerk Seasoning and Pan Sauce

1 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil
2 tbsp Jerk Blend Spices
2 lbs pork loin
1/2 cup Fig Preserves
1 tsp minced garlic

Preheat your oven to 375degrees.

Spread the oil over the roast and sprinkle on the jerk spices. Pat them do to make sure they stick.  Place in a deep sided pan and roast for about 40-50 minutes. A thermometer inserted in the thickest part should read 145degrees.

Remove the roast from the pan and let rest, covered in foil for at least ten minutes.

Drain the juices from the pan into a large bowl. Add the garlic and the Fig Preserves. Whisk until you get an even consistency.

Serve.

Vanilla Apple Brown Betty

It has started to get a chill in the air! Brrr! But it is so nice and refreshing too! It's fashion scarf weather! (the ladies understand!)

The apples are so beautiful this time of year. They wanted to be made into a pie, but I didn't really want to roll out any dough this week. So the Brown Betty is our compromise. It's not a pie, but it's not a crumble either. It's just the best of both. This recipe takes a short cut and a little less sugar, but it's delicious!

I know that this is a big sports weekend, but to heck with them, Go Apples!

Vanilla Apple Brown Betty

5 large apples or 2 lbs any kind, I like Honeycrisp

3 slices bread, any kind

1 cup apple cider

3 tbsp Vanilla Olive Oil, +2

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

a pinch of allspice

4 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375degrees.

Thinly slice and core your apples. Roughly chop the bread into small bits. Pulse in a food processor until they become crumbs. If you don't have a food processor, just chop the bit up as fine as you can, they will taste just as good.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, put the cider, apples 1 tbsp of brown sugar and the cinnamon. Simmer for about 8 minutes and turn out into a large bowl. Stir in the olive oil and the rest of the spices.

Take one additional tbsp of the olive oil and coat a 9inch pie pan very thoroughly. Put the apples into the pan. Combine the bread crumbs/cubes with the rest of the brown sugar and the walnuts and the last tbsp of the olive oil. sprinkle on top of the apple mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream or even better, ice cream!

Gnocchi with Sweet Corn and Arugula

Gnocchi are a strange pasta. Fluffy and kinda cute. I found some nice sweet corn at the farmers market this past weekend and thought this would be fun. Feel free to use frozen corn if that's what you have.

Gnocchi with Sweet Corn and Arugula

1 pkg gnocchi

1 small bunch arugula

2 ears of cooked corn or 1 cup kernels

1 bunch green onions

2 tbsp Rosemary Olive Oil

a few sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sour cream

Heat the Rosemary Olive Oil in a large saute pan to medium heat. De-kernel your corn if you have to and toss it into the pan. Stir around and let cook for a minute. 

Slice through the arugula a couple times with a sharp knife and add it to the pan with the corn. Stir it around until it wilts down. 1-2 minutes.

Add in the green onions, sour cream and heavy cream. Stir to combine and cover. Let everything come up to temperature.

While you are making the sauce, cook the gnocchi according to the package directions. Drain and rinse them, but keep them warm.

When the gnocchi are done, add them to the pan with the sauce with the rosemary leaves.

Serve warm.

Strawberry Basil Pizza

I love pizza. Crispy pizza, squishy pizza, oh man, breakfast pizza! But dessert pizza's are something else. Add some savory things to the sweet and even better! (Hey, this would be a great breakfast pizza too!)

Strawberry Basil Pizza

1 pocket-less pita

1 tsp Vanilla Olive Oil

1 tsp cinnamon sugar

2-3 strawberries

3-4 small basil leaves

2-3 tbsp ricotta cheese

1 tbsp Fig Balsamic

Brush the olive oil on your pita and sprinkle it with some cinnamon sugar. Spread the ricotta over that.

Slice the strawberries thinly and spread around. Slice the basil into ribbons and spread that around too.

Now you can eat this cold, but I like it toasted in the toaster oven or broiler for a couple minutes. I let the cheese and the pita to start browning around the edges.

Drizzle with the Fig Balsamic and enjoy!

Limoncello Fig Toasts

This was for a day when I felt like having an alcoholic dinner. Because those liquor soaked figs are potent!

Limoncello Fig Toast

1 jar Limoncello Figs

1/2 loaf french baguette

2 cups arugula

1 tbsp Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

ricotta, or chream cheese

flaky sea salt

Turn on your broiler. Slice the baguette into thin slices. Brush the olive oil over the slices and pop them under the broiler for about 2-5 minutes. They should be browning, but not too toasted. Keep an eye on them.

Meanwhile, slice some of the figs and saute them in a pan over medium heat. Toss in the arugula and a little of the juice from the jar. Stir around until the arugula is wilted down.

Spread some of the cheese on your toasts, the amount is up to you. I only gave it a thin layer of Ricotta. Top off with some figs and arugula and a sprinkle of salt. Serve for dinner or as a great appetizer.

The figs are available only in the store or by phone right now. We have Grappa, Cedro, Rhum and the Limoncello.

Pork Loin with Balsamic Mustard Sauce

At the grocery store the other day, I noticed a great sale on pork loin. It was half off. I was tempted to buy them completely out, but stuck with just two instead. If it had been seventy-five percent off, we would have pork loin all month long. Instead, I have this one and then, one more later this month. 

I decided to use one of our rubs on this. One of my favorites, the Prime Rub. It doesn't really add too much flavor, it seems more to bring the flavors out. It is not available on the web yet, but just come in or call for it. 

Pork Loin with Balsamic Mustard Sauce

3-5 lb pork loin
2 tbsp Prime Rub Basiks Seasonings
1 tbsp Salonika Greek Olive Oil

Sauce:
1 medium onion
4 tbsp Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Salonika Olive Oil

Preheat your oven to 350degrees.

Rub the olive oil all over the pork loin. Sprinkle the spices to cover the whole piece. Put the loin into a deep sided roasting pan. Cover loosely with foil and place in the oven. In the last ten minutes, remove the foil. Depending on the size of your roast, it takes about an hour. Make sure that you cook it to an internal temperature of 145degrees.

To prepare the sauce, chop your onion thinly. I like tiny bits, but larger chunks are great. Saute with the olive oil over a medium high setting until they start to lightly brown. Add in the balsamic and the mustard. and stir to combine.

Turn the heat down to just medium and let the mixture simmer away until it thickens slightly. No longer than 7 minutes, or it may burn.

Let the meat rest for 3-10 minutes before slicing it. Serve with sauce on top.