Crab Stuffed Chicken Breasts

You can cook this in separate dishes, but the best thing about it is when

the crab salad leaks out a bit and gets in the peas. And that’s just brilliant.

Crab Salad Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Peas

Crab Salad:

8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon White Balsamic

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 spring onion or scallion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons seasoned breadcrumbs

Pinch of Szechuan Pepper Salt

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

Chicken and Peas:

4 large chicken breasts

3 tablespoons Persian Lime Olive Oil

Crab salad

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1 cup frozen peas

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

At the thickest part of the chicken breast, make a 3-inch incision. Cut so that it makes a pocket, being sure not to go all the way through the breast. Stuff with a couple tablespoons of Crab Salad.

In a greased casserole dish, arrange the chicken evenly. Fill the gaps with the peas. Sprinkle the Olive Oil over everything and add a nice coating of breadcrumbs to everything.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. It should be golden brown and the crab salad should be bubbling.

Maple Bourbon Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

A simple recipe with a delicious result. This came about after a conversation with friends on the best way to make sprouts. We all agreed that we loved them, but we all had our own ways to make them. This is a combination of all our favorites and I think that makes us all winners.

Maple Bourbon Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

2 tbsp bourbon

1 tbsp Greek Olive Oil

2 tbsp Maple Balsamic

     Or 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp traditional balsamic

1lb Brussels sprouts, halved

1/4 lb Pork belly, diced

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Add sprouts, pork and oil to an oven safe pan, tossing to coat. Roast for 30 minutes.

Whisk bourbon and balsamic together in a small bowl. After 30 minutes, drizzle over the sprouts. Return to oven 10 more minutes.

Serve any way you like, even delicious when cold!

Imam Bayildi

Happy Black Friday everyone! This isn't our busiest day, we don't have any extra special sales on. Our busiest day is tomorrow. Small Business Saturday. So come by and enjoy the town at it's bustling best! Or come during the week for a calmer shopping experience. We'll be here 7 days a week.

I've heard many stories about the origin of this dish and its name. It literally translates to The Imam Fainted, and that's just fun. But I love the richness of this. It's not too heavy and the flavors blend together so well. Warmly spiced and comforting, a perfect fall meal. 

Imam Bayildi

2 medium eggplants
1 small onion
1/2 bell pepper
Parsley, handful
Salt
3 – 4 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil, divided
2 tomatoes
1 tbsp Brown sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp fresh mint or 1 tsp dried

Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise. Salt liberally and place in a colander in the sink for 30 mins.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse eggplants, brush with a tablespoon of olive oil each and bake cut side up, 20 minutes. Set aside. Reduce oven heat to 350°F.

Slice onion finely. In a sauté pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil to medium and add the onion. Cook 10 minutes, until they are fully translucent. Dice and add the peppers. Cook 5 minutes.

Add the cumin, mint, diced tomatoes, and brown sugar. Roughly chop the parsley and add that too. Cook 5 minutes; stirring frequently, until everything is well blended and cooked through. Season to taste with the salt. (I like to use our Smoked Salt or the Toasted Onion)

Make a series of shallow cuts over the length of the cooked eggplants. Brush with the remaining olive oil. Spoon veggie mixture over the eggplants. Add 2-3 tbsp water to the pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Stuffed Mini Pumpkins

Did you know that all those tiny pumpkins you buy for decoration this time of year are edible! It never occurred to me to eat them before, but I saw a picture on Pinterest...and you know how that goes. Now, I'm buying them up and going straight pumpkin crazy.

These are brilliant for appetizers, or an adorable main dish. If you have left over filling, I save it to serve over rice the next day.

STUFFED MINI PUMPKINS

8 mini pumpkins

1 lb ground chorizo

2 cup fresh spinach

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 tbsp Chocolate Balsamic

2 tbsp Rosemary Olive Oil

1 tbsp Tuscan Olive Oil, for drizzling

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, fresh grated

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cut tops off pumpkins and save. Using a large spoon, scoop out seeds and strings. Save to make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds later.

Place pumpkins upside down in a pan with 1/3 inch of water. Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully turn pumpkins upright and return to oven until flesh is tender when pierced with a fork, about 5 to 10 more minutes. Let cool and set aside.

In a pan over medium high heat, brown the chorizo with the Rosemary Olive Oil. Tear the spinach into pieces and stir into the meat with the cranberries. Wilt the spinach, cooking another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Toss the Parmesan and Balsamic into the cooked filling and remove from the heat.

Taking a fork, scrape the insides of the pumpkins until some of the flesh pulls away from the sides. Scoop the filling mixture into the cavities, filling them just over the top. Drizzle with the Tuscan Olive Oil and put the caps back on.

Roast for 10 to 15 minutes.

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Separate the strings from the seeds. Rinse and dry the seeds well. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Toss in a teaspoon or so of Olive Oil and a pinch of salt. Roast about 45 minutes, until golden, stirring occasionally.  

Customer Recipe: Philip J.

Friend of the store Philip J. contacted us on Facebook recently to show us this great dish he made with the White Truffle Olive Oil. He gave us a quick rundown of how he made it as well and permission to share it.

Thanks Philip! It looks fantastic!

Boil Penne pasta al dente, in a skillet over medium heat, few tablespoons of oil, fry garlic and mushrooms, set aside. Drain pasta, keep half cup of pasta water. Throw everything into skillet with half cup (I eyeball everything) of the oil, table spoon of butter, 2 tablespoons of ground pepper, some sea salt, some oregano, 5oz fresh grated parmesan. Combine all ingredients together and serve immediately.

Fra Diavolo

While traditional Fra Diavolo gets its spice from the sauce, this Fra Diavolo gets all its heat from the pasta itself! 

This recipe uses one of my favorite things from the frozen seafood case. Prepackaged, cooked and shelled seafood. I really love mussels and if I have the time, steaming them is a great joy. But, when I want to whip together a pasta, having to do all that first kind of takes the fun out of it. Find them if you can, but if you can’t get the precooked ones, I’ll include a recipe for basic steaming underneath. You can use cooked shrimp for this as well if you have them handy, but you’ll only need half the oil.

Fra Diavolo?

1 pkg Peperoncino Pasta

½ pound mussels, cooked and shelled/thawed*

½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed**

¼ cup fresh or frozen green peas

4 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil, divided**

¼ cup white wine
2 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups heavy whipping cream

4 ounces cream cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pepper pasta until al dente, 6 or 7 minutes. Rinse, drain and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, combine the wine, tomato paste, whipping cream, and cream cheese. Cook over medium heat and whisk until dissolved together. Add 2 tbsp of Garlic oil, salt and pepper and parmesan cheese. Increase the heat to high and cook about five minutes, or until thickened slightly, whisking constantly.

In a large sauce-pan, heat the remaining 2 tbsps of Garlic oil to medium low. Place the shrimp in an even layer of the bottom of the pan, do it in batches if you have to. Without moving them, cook for 2 minutes and then flip and repeat. They should be firm and evenly pink on each side.

Add the shrimp, peas and mussels to the sauce-pan and let simmer for another minute. Flip the pasta into the sauce and toss to coat. Serve.

*Cooking mussels isn’t hard, just time consuming. For the steaming liquid, I like a combination of white wine and vegetable broth with big chunks of garlic and parsley in it. Here is a link to the best steaming method, this is the way I do it, I can’t write it any better. Steaming Mussels.

**Fresh Shrimp vs Frozen Shrimp. I prefer fresh shrimp most of the time, but I have a bunch of frozen shrimp in the freezer left over from a party. If you use the pre-cooked kind, you can toss them right in when you put the mussels and peas in. I like to give them a little spin around a saute pan anyway. You won’t need all the remaining olive oil, just toss them with one tbsp of the garlic oil and saute on medium for about a minute. Then go ahead with the recipe as planned.

Columbus Day!

This is the second version of the coupon. The original coupon code "101016" has been replaced with "1016"

For some reason the code 101016 did not work. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Maple Glazed Carrots

I have so many recipes for carrots hanging around! I looked up a recipe for something a long time ago and stumbled through the internet until I found the website of a Carrot Museum. That's right, long, orange rabbit food, with its own museum. Sure, it is a virtual museum instead of a physical one, but that's no problem. As it is a UK-based museum, it would be a bit hard to get to over a weekend. Visit it if you can, it's pretty neat.

Anyway, it's fascinating and I might just have to start using more carrots. Do you have any good carrot recipes?

Maple Glazed Carrots

1 ½ - 2 lbs carrots

2 tbsp Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

2 tbsp Maple Balsamic

Salt

Preheat your oven to 400° and coat a large baking pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Rinse and chop your carrots into small pieces, about 1inch long. Place them in a large bowl.

In a sealed jar, shake the balsamic and olive oil until well combined. Pour over the carrots to coat and immediately turn them out onto the prepared baking pan.

Bake 30-40 minutes or until starting to brown and get crispy. If you carrots are thinner, start checking them at around 25minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Lazy Pasta

Autumn has come on with a will. Serves me right for saying it was too hot last week. We need the rain anyway.

Usually, when I'm feeling the crush of the day and just need something quick and easy, I make Sesame Noodles. A quick whisked sauce, some cooked pasta, and it's done. This didn't take any more time, and will probably go right into the weekly menu for me. The ingredients are things I usually have on hand and can be played around with a bit. Spinach is my favorite, but I think that an arugula mix would be a nice touch too. 

Lazy Pasta

1lb long pasta

1lb ground meat (I like turkey)

4 cups fresh baby spinach

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 tbsp Zesty Onion Olive Oil

2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil Garlic Ginger

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp Traditional Balsamic

¼ cup Chicken or beef broth

In a large pan with high sides, heat the Zesty Onion Olive Oil to medium high. Cook the ground meat until done and browned on all sides. Add the onions and continue sautéing until they are translucent and beginning to brown.

Turn the heat to medium-low and add the spinach and broth. Meanwhile cook the pasta until al dente, drain and set aside. When the spinach is nicely wilted, add the pasta to the pot and toss well to coat.

Whisk the soy sauce and balsamic together to drizzle over each serving.

Herb Potato Salad

I don't know about you, but with the beginning of Fall, I was actually hoping for cooler weather. Silly me.

So this isn't really the season for potato salad, but if you can still grill outside, is the season ever really over?

Herb Potato Salad

7 cups white potatoes, peeled and chopped

8oz sour cream

2 tsp fresh dill, chopped

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbsp Italian Herb Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender, but still firm. 15 minutes. Drain and chill.

While potatoes are chilling, whisk the dressing together in a bowl. Pour over potatoes and toss gently.

Carolina Chickpea Slaw

As it gets cooler, don't let thoughts of coleslaw stay with summer! This is hearty enough for any time of year, and it has cranberries in it, so that's fall-ish.

Carolina Chickpea Slaw

Slaw:

½ large head of cabbage, finely shredded

1 medium bell pepper, shredded

1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced

2 carrots cut into matchsticks or grated

1 cup broccoli florets, small

½ cup edamame

½ cup chickpeas

¼ cup dried cranberries

Sauce:

2/3 cup Olive Oil (Persian Lime is fun here)

2/3 cup White Balsamic

2-3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Salt

Pepper

Combine the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Stir often until well combined and very fragrant.

Place the slaw ingredients in a large bowl, and pour the sauce over it. Toss well to combine.

Cover and refrigerate until cool, at least 1 hour. This is even better if you make it the day before! 

Aush: Afghan Noodle Soup

I love pasta. I love the texture of the different cuts and the different mouth feel of different grains. I love finding the perfect cut of pasta to go with what I'm serving. But. I have never cooked pasta in broth before. Like most people, I cook my pasta in water, drain and rinse it. But this might be a game changer. Because while I love pasta, most of the time, it just tastes like pasta. The sauce does all the flavor work. But this time, things are different. There is no draining, so all that broth stays around and infuses into the pasta itself. And it's awesome.

I love this soup hot or cold. If you have it cold the next day, the broth soaks in even more and you can just eat it up with a fork. This is supposed to be a soup, but the starches from the pasta make it remarkably thick. I love the texture of it as is, but add another cup or so of broth if you want it to be thinner.

Aush: Afghan Noodle Soup

1lb pasta, small pieces

1 can red kidney beans

1 can white beans

½ cup tomato paste, about one small can

1lb ground beef or chicken

3tbsp – ¼ cup parsley, chopped

1 tbsp fresh dill

1 tsp dried mint leaves

Salt

Pepper

2 tbsp Curry Olive Oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups vegetable broth

Heat the Curry Olive Oil to medium high in a large pan. Add the ground meat and the garlic and cook, stirring frequently until fully cooked and browned on all sides.

Add the tomato paste and vegetable broth to the pan. Bring the heat up to a high simmer and add the pasta. Simmer for about 6-8 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. If it absorbs the broth too fast, splash in a little more broth or water.

Drain and rinse both cans of beans. Add them with the herbs and stir until well mixed and warmed through.

Bruschetta Salad

Bruschetta is such a great thing to make. There are so many variations and fun additions you can tinker with it as much as you like. I made this because I found a few pounds of tomatoes buried in my crisper drawer about to go off. Oops!

I used our Traditional Balsamic in this, but you could use almost any one that you like. Black Currant is very good on tomatoes as well, and Lavender.

Bruschetta Salad

2-3 cups finely diced or minced tomatoes
1 tablespoon Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon Prosecco Vinegar (optional)
3 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
     2 tablespoons Garlic Olive Oil
     1 tablespoon Basil Olive Oil
1 small bunch basil, thinly sliced
4 cups chopped mixed greens
Salt and Pepper to taste

Toss all the ingredients together and let sit for an hour or two to let the flavors meld together. Serve with chips or crackers and shredded Parmesan.

The Prosecco Vinegar is optional, but I love the bright pop that it adds to this.

Customer Recipe: Sam Burgess

Sam visited our Smithville store in May and has this to say:

     I wanted to let you know I loved the coconut white balsamic that I bought, and featured it in a recipe that I published thru Edible Rhody Magazine (or at least their website) here's the link:

http://ediblerhody.ediblefeast.com/recipes/strawberry-salad-white-balsamic-vinegar-fresh-thyme

He said the magazine only wanted Rhode Island businesses mentioned so they couldn't mention us. :( But oh well.

Thanks for the recipe Sam! Hope you come back and visit soon!

Strawberry Salad with White Balsamic Vinegar & Fresh Thyme

BY SAM BURGESS | JUNE 25, 2016

If you’re using fresh local strawberries in season, you probably won’t need the added honey. The lime juice and balsamic vinegar bring out the natural sweetness of the berries, so you may want to taste as you go. This recipe is delicious on its own but even better when served with fresh whipped cream and coconut shortbread cookies!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pint (3½ cups) fresh local strawberries, rinsed and dried
• 1 pint (1½ cups) fresh blackberries, rinsed and dried
• 2 ataulfo (champagne or yellow) mangos, peeled, pitted and sliced into (2- to 3-inch) thinly sliced lengths*
• finely grated zest and juice of ½ lime
• 2 tablespoons white coconut balsamic vinegar (or substitute white balsamic vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• honey to taste (optional)

PREPARATION

Remove the tops of the strawberries using a melon baller or paring knife and, depending on the size, cut in halves or quarters, to match the approximate size of the blackberries. Place in a medium bowl along with the blackberries and mango pieces.

Add lime zest and juice, balsamic vinegar and honey (optional). Gently toss to distribute fruit evenly and garnish with fresh thyme leaves. Serve at room temperature or chill and let marinate several hours. Enjoy! Serves 8 as a salad or dessert.

*Click here if you need tips on how to pit and slice the mangos.

---

Sam Burgess, Edible Rhody 2016 Summer Intern

Artichoke Stuffed Portobellos

My husband isn't very fond of artichokes. This is a shame. These stuffed mushrooms are not for him at all. Just for me. :)

Artichoke Stuffed Portobellos

6 large portobello caps
12 oz artichoke hearts in oil
1 shallot
1/2 cup cheese
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/8 cup green olives, pitted
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1-2 tbsp Traditional Balsamic
     plus more for drizzling
1-3 tbsp Greek Seasoning Olive Oil, divided
     plus more for the pan
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°. Trim and destem your portobellos. Brush the insides of the caps with a balsamic and set aside.

Chop the artichoke, shallot and olives finely. Mix them together with the cheese, garlic, lemon juice, parsley and breadcrumbs. Fold in the olive oil 1 tbsp at a time until the filling has the consistency of a thick paste. Add pepper to taste, but I advise only a sprinkle.

Grease a pan with a drizzle of oil and arrange the mushroom caps. Spread the filling evenly between the caps.

Bake 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and tops are just browning. Top with a drizzle of balsamic and serve warm.

Recipe Request: Marianne

     Marianne July 19, 2016 at 7:09 PM
     Hi, I need recipes for walnut cranberry balsamic vinegar 
     and also for honey ginger balsamic vinegar


Marianne,
I'm listing some of the recipes I already have up on the site using those balsamics, or, which will be good with those balsamics. If you need something more specific, please email me at trudy@olivengrape.com ! Hope this helps!



Walnut Balsamic
Black Walnut Green Beans

Beverly's Beet Salad

Black Walnut Pot Roast

Red Apple Waldorf Salad - I originally used the Red Apple Balsamic, but with walnuts in it, Walnut Balsamic should be a perfect compliment!



Cranberry Balsamic
Cranberry Chickpea Salad

Apple Cranberry Crumble

Cherry Mint Pork Chops (should be very nice with Cranberry instead!)

Cranberry Mayo

Asparagus with Cranberries and Lemongrass


Honey Ginger Balsamic
Honey Ginger Chicken

Honey Ginger Sweet Potatoes

Warm Shrimp Salad - I used the Zesty Lemon Balsamic originally, but using the Honey Ginger would be more Summery.

My best recipe for this balsamic isn't one I've put up! I call it Drunken Melons. Lots of fresh Honeydew Melon, lime zest, Honey Ginger Balsamic and rum combined to taste. Let it soak and chill for best results.


Any Balsamic
Balsamic Chicken Fake-Out - My favourite easy recipe, good for any balsamic.

Penne with Balsamic Butter Sauce - This should work nicely with almost anything. Just change up the add-ins to fit whatever balsamic you use!

New Hope's 5th Birthday!

This weekend our New Hope store is celebrating our 5th birthday! YAY for us! What does this mean for you? 

First, THERE WILL BE CAKE! Meyer Lemon Lavender to be precise. The recipe is below, and I've made it gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free so that everyone should be able to have some!

Second, There are going to be IN-STORE specials! There will be special deals and sales going on all weekend, so please stop by!

Sorry internet users, you have to be here for the sales. The next internet coupon should come out in a couple weeks. 

To make the allergen-free version I made for the store, use Gluten-Free flour in place of the all-purpose flour. I like a garbanzo/fava bean flour. And substitute a vegan tofu or soy based yogurt or sour cream. I like this better with the sour cream. It feels fluffier.

A version of the cake made for a friend's anniversary.

 For this, I made a simple confectioner's sugar frosting. 2 cups confectioners sugar whisked with about 3 tbsp of liquid. Milk and water are traditional, but I used lemonade to keep the theme.

Happy 4th!

Happy Independence Day! We're celebrating at home with a BBQ and here with a coupon!

There are also FIREWORKS on Friday! 

Starts at 9:30pm.

So our family BBQs are always fun and filled with the usual suspects. Burgers, chicken and hot dogs and loads and loads of fresh veggies. My grandfather loves corn, but his teeth don't care for it as much as he does. So, in the interest of good dental health, here is a corn recipe that is easy and flavorful while retaining all that is so so good about summer corn. (but gently!)

This works for any spice blend, but definitely recommend the Jerk Blend! It's fiery but not overwhelming. It would be great with the Prime Rub or Anglers too. (I love lime on corn)

Fire Roasted Jerk Corn

1/2 tbsp Jerk Seasoning Blend

2 tbsp Coratina or Casa Ligaro Olive Oil

4 ears Corn

Working one ear at a time, stand up your corn and use a very sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cob. They have fancy tools are extremely cool and work even better, but a knife will work just fine if that's what you have. Gather all the kernels into a bowl and sprinkle with the seasoning blend. Toss to coat. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss again.

Heat your grill to medium high. If you still have them, I like to use the corn husks to grill these. I just grab a silk-free section of the softer husk and use it like a little boat. If you don't have them, I make little boats out of foil. Don't crowd the kernels - I cook these in single serving packets, about one ear of corn worth each. 

Place the corn boats on the edges of the grill and let them cook for 10-15 minutes. If you don't have a grill handy, heat your oven to 400° and bake for about 12-14 minutes. Stir and serve. 

Have a great weekend! And for our friends to the North, Happy Canada Day! (July 1st)

Our Smithville Store is One!

Our Smithville store is one year old! Come celebrate with us and get the summer season started off with a bang!

There will be Specials in store all week, bring in this coupon to get

15% off your entire purchase!

(Does not apply to already discounted items)

This is a Smithville ONLY coupon. Watch this space in the next few days for our 

Independence Day Coupon!

Father's Day

Wanted to wish all the dads a Happy Father's Day!

And a coupon, because it's only right.

Sesame Prosecco Salad

I've been wondering what I should do with our new wine vinegars. Their zesty flavors are perfect for salads, but pictures of my plain green salads and vinegar don't make blog posts(even if I do eat them often).

A sale on shrimp moved this salad to the fore! All the measurements are for 2 side salads so scale up however you need. The dressing makes a little over 1/2 cup, so it should last you a bit longer!

Sesame Prosecco Salad

8-12 medium shrimp, cooked
4 cups favorite greens
1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 lime, sliced into wedges *optional*
1 tbsp Sesame Oil with Garlic and Ginger
1 tsp light soy sauce
sesame seeds for garnish

In a saute pan, warm the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. After 1-2 minutes, they should be almost warmed through. Raise the temperature to high and sprinkle with the soy sauce. Let caramelize for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and toss with sesame seeds.

Assemble the salad with a good toss and drizzle with dressing.

Prosecco Lime Dressing

1/4 cup Prosecco Vinegar
1/4 cup Persian Lime Olive Oil
3 tbsp Honey

Place all ingredients in a sealed jar and shake.

Happy Memorial Day!

I'd love to give you a more interesting recipe to go along with this , but the next thing I have queued up is soup and I don't think it goes as well!

This super easy recipe can be made with whatever bread you have on hand, and can be either grilled or baked. Have fun with it!

Basic Garlic Bread

1 loaf bread, split lengthwise

1/4 cup Garlic Olive Oil

2 tbsp Italian Blend Spices

Pour the olive oil into a shallow dish and use the cut side of the bread to mop it up. Coat evenly.

Sprinkle the spices over the bread and sandwich together. Wrap with foil and toast in the oven or grill until just browning. 

(5-10 mins)

Chocolate Balsamic Pork Loin Customer Request

Poodle Lover wrote:
Hi, I need recipes for the chocolate balsamic pork loin in the slow cooker.whatever else I could cook.....Please, and Thank you.


Well, Hi there back! I love a slow cooker. It always makes things so easy. If you have the time! No pictures for this one yet, sorry!

Chocolate Balsamic Pork Loin

2 lb pork tenderloin
1/4 cup Chocolate Balsamic
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup red wine *
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
pinch ground sage
salt and pepper

Whisk the sauce ingredients together and pour over the pork loin. Turn your slow cooker on low and cook for 6-8 hours. *If you don't want to use wine, use 1/2 cup broth instead.

This can also be made with chicken or beef just as easily! I also like to add a couple handfuls of chopped carrots and shallots as well if I have them on hand.




For other Chocolate Balsamic recipes, the easiest thing to do is go for fresh fruit, berries specifically. A bit of that, some fresh cream and it's good to go!

Also a drizzle on simple roasted veggies is really yummy. With Chocolate, I tend to prefer hardier veggies, like brussels sprouts and asparagus. But it's really good with green beans and onions too!

News

There is news! We have some new products I wanted to tell you about.

You asked for them so we got them: Wine Vinegars!

We have a Prosecco Vinegar, a Sherry Vinegar and a Red Wine Balsamic. Very tart, but oh so good. 

Also, EVENTS are happening!

Here in New Hope, it's time for SHADFEST! 

In Smithville, it's the Renaissance Faire! 

Both are happening the last weekend in April, which is this coming up soon. April is over much too quickly, when did that happen? Links to the festivities are above. We look forward to seeing you there!

Bacon Wilted Spinach Salad

Happy April Fools! This recipe is no joke, it's just good.

This is something I've been dying to do with the Bacon Olive Oil since we got it in. And now that we have the new and improved formula, I really had to give it a shot.

Bacon Wilted Spinach Salad
makes 2 salads

8oz spinach, rinsed and torn
2 + 1 tbsp Bacon Olive Oil
1/2c diced cooked chicken
1/8c currants or raisins
1/4c mushrooms
1 tsp stone ground mustard
salt and pepper
optional:
1/4c walnuts
crumbled bacon

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large pan. Stir in the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook a few minutes or until softened a bit and reducing. 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken and the mustard, stir to coat and cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Over medium high heat, dump all the spinach into the pan. Drizzle the 2 tbsp olive oil evenly over the top. Toss constantly until it has just begun to wilt. Remove from heat.

Serve topped with the chicken mushroom mixture, currants and a bit of black pepper.

Beef Curry Pie

We have a new Curry Olive Oil! It is so flavorful, it's a new favorite. So I decided to make a pie. I brought it in to work and we demolished it completely! I think it's a hit.

But first, the coupon!

This actually makes enough for three pies. I made 2, then had the rest of the filling as is. Marvelous.

Beef Curry Pie
makes 3 pies

1 lb ground beef
20 oz mushrooms
8 oz spinach, rinsed, roughly chopped
3 medium red potatoes, thinly sliced, 1in pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
8 oz mixed stir fry veggies, thawed if frozen
1/4 heavy cream or coconut milk
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Curry Olive Oil
1 tbsp Coconut Balsamic
Salt and Pepper
Prepared pie crust for three two-crust pies*

Preheat the oven to 450°.

In a large high sided skillet, heat the olive oil to medium high and cook the potatoes and onion for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, breaking up any very large chunks and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let cook about 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are reduced and the potatoes are softer.

Add the beef and the soy sauce. Break up the beef into small crumbles and saute until browned through. Dump in the spinach and veggies and stir well. When the spinach is wilted and the veggies are warmed through, stir in the balsamic and the cream. Combine well, and remove from heat.

Stretch crusts across three pie plates and pierce with a fork all over. Blind bake 2-3 minutes unfilled. Remove from oven and divide beef mix between the plates. Top with the second pie crusts*. Pinch edges closed and cut vent slits or pierce with a fork.

Bake 10-15 minutes until crust is golden brown.

*If you prefer a single crust pie, this is also great as a 'Shepard's Pie' dish. Blind bake the crust for 5 or 6 minutes before filling. Fill with beef mixture and cover with mashed potatoes. ( I like to add a layer of shredded cheese between these layers too!) Bake 10 minutes or until the potatoes are just golden.

We killed it: 

Black Truffle Pork Roast

This is another new balsamic we got in. Black Truffle!

I know how well truffles go with cheesy sauces so I served this up with some Alfredo noodles, because I love how a good meal comes together!

Truffle Pork Roast 

1 pork loin, 2 1/2lbs
1 tsp Oregano
2 tbsp Black Truffle Balsamic + 1 tsp
1 tbsp Rosemary Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a casserole dish with foil.

Mix the balsamic, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper together. Rub the pork loin with the olive oil and spread the balsamic mixture on top.

Roast 30 minutes. Brush on the remaining balsamic. Roast an additional 25-30 minutes.


Veggie Alfredo

1 lb pasta, cooked and set aside
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1/3 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups soft shredded cheese (mozzarella is great)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup hard shredded cheese (cheddar or Asiago)
1-2 cups frozen mixed veggies, thawed

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the oil and flour, whisking until smooth. Cook until fully incorporated. Slowly whisk in the milk, making sure that everything is smooth. Cook on medium high heat about 2 minutes or until thickened.

Sprinkle in the shredded cheeses and stir until mostly melted. Spoon in the sour cream and stir until incorporated.

In a large pan, combine the noodles with the sauce and veggies. Cook until the veggies are warm all the way through. Serve.

Mexi Fried Rice

Rice is something I always have on hand. I love it's fluffy texture and ability to take on so many flavors. And lets face it, when you order Chinese food, there is always a bin of the stuff left. I use it for desserts, breakfasts, dinners and sides. One of my all time favorite things to make is fried rice.

Asian style fried rice always has a home in my fridge, but once you have the basics down, fried rice can be anything. The difference is oils and add-ins. The best advice I can give you is to start with cold rice, ideally made at least a day ahead.

Unlike traditional Mexican Rice dishes, this doesn't involve a can of tomatoes and sauce. The tomatoes here are just used for topping. The color comes from the spices!

Mexi Fried Rice

4 cups cooked rice, cold
1/2 cup sweet corn kernels
1/2 cup pigeon peas (or regular)
1/2 cup mixed bell pepper strips
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion (aprox 1/2 small onion)
3 roasted red peppers, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp turmeric
1 dried chili*
1 small tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
Garlic Cilantro Balsamic
2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Heat the oils in a large pan to medium high. Add the onions and saute until just translucent, 1-3 minutes. Add the dried chili and the pigeon peas and cook for one more minute.

Add a pinch of salt and the bell pepper strips and stir well. Add the rice and mix together. Cover and let cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the spices over everything and give it a good toss. Cook stirring occasionally another 5 minutes. Remove the chili.

Stir in the sweet corn and roasted peppers and stir until heated all the way through. Serve with a small mound of diced avocado and tomatoes on each portion and a drizzle of Garlic Cilantro Balsamic on each.

* If you want it spicier, leave in the seeds. For less spice, take them out.  For no spice, leave it out entirely and use all Garlic Oil.

Orange Beer Chicken

I'm baaaack!

Hello again everyone! I have missed writing for the blog so much, but it's been so busy around here! Our store in Smithville, NJ is doing great and we're still going strong in New Hope too. We're hiring for New Hope right now as well, so if you know anyone who needs a full time job and likes working with people and food, send them down to see us!

Back to the real action. FOOD!

I made this dish after the Superbowl (go sports!) because we had leftover beer. Yes, I know that's a strange thing to have leftover. One of our guests left a couple bottles of an amber ale behind and since it's not our favorite, I cooked with it.

If you don't want to use beer, I suggest a ginger beer. It's a strong flavor to add, but will work well with the orange. If not that, go with broth.

Orange Beer Chicken

1 bottle Amber Ale or ginger beer
8 pieces chicken thighs
1 tsp fresh Thyme, minced
1 tbsp sugar
Salt and Pepper
3 tbsp Blood Orange Olive Oil
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp finely shredded ginger (omit if using ginger beer)
Orange slices (for serving)
Rice (for serving)

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Lay out evenly spaced in a casserole dish. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and spices with the Olive Oil to make a paste. Rub the mixture over the chicken to coat. Pour the beer into the bottom of the pan.

Roast for 35-40 minutes. If using chicken with the skin on, I usually give it another couple minutes to let it really crisp up. Watch it carefully. Golden brown, not black and smoking!

Garnish with fresh orange slices and serve with rice.

Coupon!

Trying to start the recipes back up. Bear with me.