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Salmon with Basil Olive Tapenade

1 Large Salmon Fillet (for 4 people)

1/4 cup Basil Olive Oil

2 cups olives, green and kalamata

1 anchovy fillets

1 clove garlic

pinch fresh thyme

pinch oregano

pinch dried laurel

small bunch of fresh basil

1 tbsp capers (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425°. Lay the salmon on a baking sheet. Dice all the rest of the ingredients together and spread out over the salmon in an even layer.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Strawberry Basil Cookies

I know that this may not be the most natural combination in the world for most people, but I can't recommend this enough. Little do my friends know I'll be bringing these cookies to pretty much every event for the forseeable future.

A note on strawberries. If you are serving these right away, fresh strawberries are fine. If you are storing them, even for a little while, dried will be better. The fresh strawberries are so moist if you put them in a closed container, the cookies get soft and soggy. I am also experimenting with freeze dried strawberries. I'll let you know how that works.

Strawberry Basil Cookies

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup diced strawberries
1 bunch basil, chopped
3/4 cup Basil Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Cream together the olive oil and sugars. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk the baking soda, salt and flour together. Add to wet ingredients in batches, making sure that everything is well combined before adding more. Add the strawberries and the basil.

Drop by tablespoonful on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes. The edges should brown, but not all of it.

Walnut Basil Pesto Chicken

We recently got a little bit of this neat balsamic called Chocolate Walnut. We don't have very much of it, and when we run out, we are out. It's like our Black Walnut, but with a chocolate hint. That being said, you could make this recipe with the limited Chocolate Walnut, just the Chocolate, or just the Black Walnut.

It's just tasty any way you serve it.

Walnut Basil Pesto Chicken

6-8 boned chicken thighs
1/2 cup Basil pesto with walnuts (recipe at the end)
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup Chocolate Walnut Balsamic

Preheat your oven to 375°. Place the chicken in an oven proof casserole with high sides. Arrange in a single layer. Combine the pesto and the wine and pour over the chicken, making sure to cover every bit.

Place in the oven uncovered and bake for about 20 minutes flipping the chicken halfway through. Remove from oven and brush the balsamic all over the chicken. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 10 - 15 minutes. Serve with a nice scoop of sauce. (You don't have to flip the chicken, I just think it lets the sauce really get all over everything better)

Basil Pesto with Walnuts

3 cups fresh basil*
1/2 cup Basil Olive Oil
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 clove garlic
Sea Salt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, optional

Roughly chop the garlic and walnuts. Mash them together with a sprinkle of the sea salt and add to a food processor with the basil and 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Pulse until everything is finely chopped, then turn it on and gently stream in the olive oil until everything is nice and smooth. Add Parmesan now if using and pulse to combine.

Instead of all basil, you could use half spinach or arugula. We also have a jarred pesto available in the store made with arugula and walnuts that is good as well.

Tomato Basil Sausage Soup

Now this dish turned on the thick side for soup. Your could call this a pasta dish with sausage, or a nice thick stew. I'm calling it soup. I'm eating it with a spoon and that's all there is to that. A nice slice of crusty garlic bread wouldn't go amiss either.

Tomato Basil Sausage 'Soup'

1 can (28oz) tomato puree
1/2 - 1 lb mild italian sausage
3-4 carrots, finely diced
2-3 ribs celery, finely diced
small handful fresh basil, chopped
4 tbsp Basil Olive Oil
1/2 lb small pasta
1 can white beans
1 box (32 oz) vegetable or chicken stock

In a large soup pot over medium heat, add the tomato puree and the stock. Heat until it reaches a low simmer, then add the celery and the carrots. Cook about 10 minutes. Increase the heat until you have it just under a boil and add the pasta. Cook for 6 minutes then lower the heat to a mild simmer again.

In a separate pan, heat the olive oil to medium high and add in the sausage, casing removed. Cook until done through, making sure to break into very small bits. About 10 minutes. Pour the contents of this pan all into the soup.

Open the can of white beans, drain the water off, but do not rinse. Add along with the fresh basil.

Bring the soup up to a mild simmer again and cover loosely. Allow a bit of the steam to escape, you don't want your pan to explode.

Let simmer 5-20 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan every once in awhile. It's thick and things may stick.

Top with a little roasted garlic sea salt and you're good to go. Just in time for it to snow. Again.

For a thinner soup: add one more box of stock, cook the pasta separately, rinse the beans before adding them and only use 1/2 lb of sausage.

Pulled Apple Chicken

Pulled chicken is the easiest thing in the world. You can leave a tupperware full of it in the fridge and use it in so many ways. I like it on sandwiches, but toss some sweet pepper slices with it and chopped lettuce and cheese and you have taco fillings!

I used thighs and legs, but you can use any chicken bits you want. I think they are easier to debone at the end of a day. If you use boneless, it doesn't take as long to cook, and you don't have to do that extra step, but I think bone in adds a little extra something.

Pulled Apple Chicken

2 lbs chicken, bone in, any cut you like
2 large red apples, minced
2 onions, sliced
1 cup chicken broth, or water
2 tbsp Red Apple Balsamic
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp Basil Olive Oil

Put the onions and apples in the slow cooker first. Add the chicken broth or water, and the garlic. Layer the chicken pieces over the top.  Swirl the oil and the balsamic over everything.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you want chicken that doesn't fall apart as much, put it on for only 5 hours.

Take out the chicken and shred it using 2 forks. Stir the leftover mixture in the slow cooker and turn it up to high. Let that simmer, uncovered for about half an hour. It should become a little thicker.

Spoon the thickened liquid over the chicken and serve as you like.

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.

Braised Zucchini with Tomatoes

This is a very simple dish. And while I am usually a big flavor person, I love this dish because it's flavors are simple as well.

Sometimes you just need something more delicate!

Braised Zucchini with Tomatoes

2-4 Zucchini
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
        or 5-7 small Campari tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
1 tbsp White Grapefruit Balsamic
3 tbsp Basil Olive Oil, divided

Wash your zucchini and slice into long wedges. I like them sliced in half and then longways about 3 or four times. Halve or quarter your tomatoes.

Heat 2 tbsp of the Olive Oil in a large flat saute pan to medium high heat. Brown the zucchini on all sides. Takes about 3-4 minutes per side, don't forget to do the skin side too! Remove them to a plate and get your tomatoes.

With the heat still at medium, slide the tomatoes into the pan. You may need the extra tablespoon of oil now. Brown them as well, about 4 minutes. The skin should be a little wrinkly. Before the tomatoes get to the gooey stage, but just after they reach the juicy stage, stir the zucchini back in.

Cover and cook 1-2 minutes more. Toss with the Grapefruit Balsamic and a little fresh pepper and salt to taste. I like the Black Hawaiian with zucchini!

Enjoy!

BLT's with Fresh Basil Aioli

I got some bacon for a recipe later this week. It was beautiful thick-cut peppered bacon. I was so excited I decided to make BLT's. Since we have had them every day for lunch and dinner for the past 3 days, now I need more bacon for my recipe later this week. OOPS!

BLT's with Fresh Basil Aioli
(makes 2)

4-6 pieces thick-cut pepper bacon
4 ribs Romaine lettuce
2 medium sized campari tomatoes
2 tbsp Basil Aioli, recipe follows
4 pieces toasted bread

The easiest way to cook bacon without splattering yourself is this. You bake it. Space it out on a foil lined baking sheet and put in the oven. Turn the oven to 400 degrees, don't preheat, and wait 20 minutes. If your oven heats up faster, check after 15 minutes. It should be nice and crispy without being burnt and without splattering you.

While that is cooking, you can make the Basil Aioli.

6 Leaves fresh basil
pinch of fresh tarragon (optional)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 cup Basil Olive Oil + 1 tsp
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Place the tsp of olive oil in a small saute pan and heat to medium. Cook the basil leaves and the garlic until the basil has softened and wilted. Place in a food processor.

Add in the lemon juice, salt and the egg. Pulse until smooth. Add the oil in a drizzle until is is this, creamy and comes completely together.

Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before serving. It will keep for 3-4 days in a well covered container and makes a bit over a cup.

(Would be amazing to serve with fish too. Ooo! I know what I'm making on Friday now!)

Assemble your sandwich and serve!

Fridge Soup

I had leftover chicken in the fridge from something my husband made, and a lot of escarole from the pork chop dish earlier this week. The chicken was so good I couldn't throw it away, and I never got to get a picture of it either! He just has to make it again.

Clean Out the Fridge Soup

2 cups leftover chicken, shredded
4-6 cups greens, escarole or spinach
1/2 onion
2-3 shallots
4-6 cups broth
1 pkg mushrooms
2 stalks celery
2 tbsp White Truffle Garlic Olive Oil
2 tbsp seasoning blends

In a large soup pan, heat 2 tbsp Olive Oil and add the chicken. Saute for a few minutes.

Chop the celery to a fine dice. Slice your greens into thin ribbons, and rough chop the mushrooms and onions. Add them and the broth to your pan. Increase the heat to a simmer.

Everything is already cooked for this soup, what you are doing is letting all the flavors really meld. You could let this simmer until everything is just warmed up, or you can let it go for awhile.

I simmered mine, uncovered for about 45 minutes.

The most important ingredients to this soup are the chicken, greens and broth. I used beef broth, because that's what I had on hand. And I had some of the Hunter's Blend spices, but original would be nice. If you used the Italian Herb or Basil Olive Oil, I think that the Italian Table Blend spices would be nice. You could also make this spicy if you want. Use the Zesty Onion or Citrus Habanero Oil and some of the Southwest Spices to really clear your sinuses. This is just what I had in my fridge. If you have other stuff, go for it! Small pasta would be great, also carrots. Mmmm, carrots.

Easy Chicken Alfredo

This chicken dish comes together very easily. The key is to have cooked chicken hanging around in your fridge.

It is a lightened up version of a classic alfredo sauce. You can always add more cheese and cream if you want it. You can mix up the types of cheeses too. Next time, I'll be adding more spice!

Easy Chicken Alfredo

3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
2-3 cups broccoli
Rice
2 tbsp Basil Olive Oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp black pepper
     or 1/4 tsp white pepper
1 cup chicken broth, low-sodium is better
1 cup thick yogurt, like greek
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup shredded cheese, mozzarella is good
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan

Cook the rice according to the directions and set aside.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. You could use Garlic Olive Oil for this and skip the minced garlic, but I like the additional flavor that the Basil oil brings to the dish. Saute the garlic for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken broth and cream. When that is well mixed, add in the yogurt. You may need to use a whisk to incorporate it fully.

Add the spices and bring it to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes before adding the cheeses and the chicken.

Continue to simmer for about 5-8 minutes allowing everything to come together and the sauce to thicken.

Serve with the rice and extra Parmesan if desired.

Herbed Honey Chicken

I love honey and herbs together. The combination of sweet and savory is just magic on the tongue. Extra veggies are just a bonus.

Herbed Honey Chicken

4 chicken breasts, sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup curly parsley, chopped
2 bell peppers, red or orange
1 medium red onion
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped basil
2 tbsp Basil Olive Oil

Heat the olive oil in a pan to medium high heat. Add in the garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Next comes the onions. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and peppers. Saute for an additional 8 minutes. Everything should be starting to brown and getting nice and fragrant.

Add in the basil, parsley and honey. Stir to combine.

Cover and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve with brown rice.

Slow Sauce

This is not the slowest sauce I've ever seen recipes for. This is just the slowest thing I'll probably ever make. Turkey doesn't count. That's turkey. And still, the 5 hours that turkey takes is just a minute when compared to this long, slow, 8 hour sauce.

You can while away the time doing just about anything you please. And if you have a good electrical system in your house, unlike mine, you can even leave and go to work. Or run errands, or get a massage. Hmm... It's after the holidays. I might be due for some 'me-time.' After all, I just spent 8 hours making sauce!

Slow Sauce

2 28oz cans of whole or diced tomatoes
2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp Basil Olive Oil
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp Bottarga Pate
1/2 - 1 cup white wine
5 tbsp chopped garlic
2 chopped carrots
crushed red pepper flakes
salt
pepper
1 bay leaf

Heat the Basil Olive Oil in a saute pan to medium heat. Add the chopped onions, garlic, paprika and turmeric. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should be a little translucent and the spices should be nice and toasty.

Combine the onion/garlic mix with everything else in your slow cooker. Turn the heat to medium and cook, uncovered for 8 hours.

Remove the bay leaf.

This part is optional. I like to leave my sauce chunky and serve it right from the slow cooker. But you can process in batches in your blender until smooth, or use an immersion blender.

This freezes well. I like to freeze sauce in ice cube trays (best to have special ones just for sauce) so I can pop in a little tomato-y burst when I need it.

Emergency Pasta

While cooking at my mom's house this week, I suddenly realized that I had nothing to eat for lunch. I could snack on green beans, but that's a good way to run out of green beans. I found a bag of pasta in the cabinet, but no sauce! What to do?

I grabbed a can of fire roasted tomatoes and some Basil Oil and got to work.

Emergency Pasta and Sauce

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

3 tbsp - 1/4 cup Basil Olive Oil

1 tsp Italian Table Blend Spices

Himalayan Pink Mineral Salt*

Cooked Pasta

In a pan over medium heat, empty your can of tomatoes. If you want the sauce to be very thick, drain some of the water from the can first. Add in the spices and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.

Grab a potato masher and go to work. Add the olive oil a little at a time until you like the consistency. 

Spoon over the pasta and go.

*Salts coming to the internet soon!

Black Currant Steak and Basil Mashed Potatoes

The weather is changing. Nights are getting chillier. There is a certain bite to the air that says 'Fall is coming!'

To heck with Fall! I decided to grill today. As it got darker, my refusal to wear long pants or shoes seemed sillier, but I still think that dinner turned out pretty well. Even if I did mess up the grill marks.

Black Currant Steak

serves 2

1/4 cup Black Currant Balsamic, plus more for serving

2 thick steaks, whatever cut you prefer

2 Tbsp butter, melted

Salt and pepper

Mix melted butter and Black Currant Balsamic together in a large dish. Place your steaks in and make sure to thoroughly coat each side. Set aside to marinade for 20 minutes to 4 hours. 

Heat your grill to high. (Oil your grates!) Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper on both sides. Place steaks on the grill and let cook for about 5 minutes a side. They should be golden brown and a little charred. 

Remove from grill and cover with foil until ready to serve.

Basil Mashed Potatoes

serves 2

1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 tbsp butter

1/4 cup Basil Olive Oil

Salt and pepper

Dried basil flakes

Cover potatoes with water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan. 

Gradually blend in the butter and olive oil, using a hand mixer or potato masher. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with basil flakes.

Now pardon me, but I need to go get a sweater.

Tomato Onion Tart

Tomato Onion Tart
Inspired by Pastry Affair

Crust:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried basil
1/3 cup Basil Olive Oil, plus a few tbsp for filling
1/3 cup cold water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients together. Add the olive oil and water in until it comes together in a ball. (if it doesn't Pastry Affair recommends adding a bit of water a little at a time until it does) Mine came together very well.

On a lightly floured surface, roll your dough out into a 12 inch circle. Mine is never really round, but it's a 'rustic' tart, so that's cool. Transfer to your tart pan and prick the bottom with a fork before baking. Bake 10-12 minutes then remove and allow to cool.

While that is going on, start on your filling.

Tomato Basil Onion filling:

1/2 cup fresh basil
2 cups cherry tomatoes, I love the multi-color heirloom kinds
1/2 med sweet onion, like a vidalia
Few tablespoons Cream of Porcini
1-2 oz shredded cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Few tablespoons Basil Olive Oil

Dice your onion and saute it in a nice hot pan with the extra Basil Olive Oil. Cook until they are softened, but not caramelized. It only takes a few minutes. Transfer them to a bowl and let cool.

Slice your tomatoes in half, I tried to get an even number of each color. I thought it was prettier. You can slice your basil or just trim the stems off. Either way will work fine.

Now that everything is ready, layer.

Take your cooled crust and spread the Porcini Cream on as thick as you like it. I gave it a nice layer. Then spread the onions and cheese over that. Lay your basil down and top with the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. I popped it back in the oven for another 5 or 6 minutes to really brown the tomatoes. But it's done at this point.

Cool before you slice. Molten tomato juice really burns.

My Favorite Salad

This was my lunch today at the store. I love to bring in a salad and just go crazy with the balsamics as much as I want.

This is my go-to salad. Salad mix, chopped strawberries, Espresso Balsamic and a bit of Basil Olive Oil. There are a couple of raisins hiding on the bottom of the bowl, but they didn't make it into the picture.

Just a perfect combination for me.

Sundried Tomato Basil Pasta

I went with a simple pasta this week. I was at the store late last night and just needed something quick.

I cooked the fusili pasta according to the package directions and dressed it with Basil Olive Oil. I tossed sun-dried tomatoes into it and sprinkled on some of our Sun-Ripened Tomato Sea Salt. 

Then I called it dinner. It would probably have been even better with some wilted basil leaves thrown in, but I didn't have any.

It was just what I wanted for dinner though!

Cherry Mint Pork Chops

I have so much mint growing in my backyard. Someone planted it years and years ago and it has taken over a whole planting bed and is starting to creep around the side of the house.

When we got the Cherry Balsamic in, I knew just what I wanted to do with it!

Cherry Mint Pork Chops
Serves 4

-1 package thin sliced pork chops
-Basil Olive Oil
-Cherry Balsamic
-Sun-dried Tomatoes
-Mint leaves
-Sundried-Tomato Sea Salt

Heat 3-4 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over low heat. Increase the temperature to medium-high and arrange chops in the skillet. Cook, turning only once about 3 minutes a side. Set aside.

For the sauce:
Chop 6 to 8 tomatoes and place in a food processor. Chop mint and add(I put in a good handful). Start food processor and stream in enough Balsamic to make a thick sauce. I added almost a 1/4 cup.

Scrape sauce into your skillet and cook over low heat until it is hot and bubbly, no more than 5 minutes.

Spoon the sauce over the pork chops and serve with salad.

Dressed with Cherry Balsamic and Basil Olive Oil of course!