Gingerbread

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup finely grated zucchini
• 1 cup finely grated carrot
• 1/2 cup SOOC Roasted Walnut oil
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup hot water

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon SOOC Honey Ginger White Balsamic

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Grease a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan with walnut oil.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice, and cloves and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk well and set aside.

In a separate bowl stir combine the walnut oil, brown sugar, eggs, molasses, and ginger. Whisk well.  Add the carrot and zucchini.  Add the flour mixture in three parts alternating with the hot water in three additions, beating until flour is just incorporated. Pour into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Whisk the powdered sugar with the honey ginger white balsamic and drizzle over the cooled gingerbread.

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Balsamic Glazed Ham

Ingredients

• 1 – bone-in skinless smoked ham, shank or butt end portion, 6-8 lbs.
• 1 cup SOOC Maple Balsamic or SOOC Cinnamon-Pear Balsamic
• 2 tablespoons Dijon or grainy mustard

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325.

Line a large roasting pan with foil.  With a sharp knife, score the fat all over the ham in a diamond pattern.  Place the ham, cut side down, in the roasting pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake  for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, reduce the balsamic to 1/2 cup, by gently simmering it in a medium sauce pan set over low heat.  This process should be done slowly, taking approximately 25-30 minutes to complete.  When the balsamic has become thick and syrupy and is reduced by half, remove from heat and whisk in the Dijon mustard.

After baking for an hour, remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 350.  Using a pastry brush, liberally apply the balsamic glaze all over the ham, paying special attention to working it in to the scored portions.  Cover just the shank end with a small piece of foil to prevent it from burning.  Return the uncovered ham to the oven and roast for approximately 35 minutes, or until the glaze has caramelized and the ham is golden brown.

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Red White & Blueberry Trifle

Ingredients:

-1 Angel Food Cake, Cubed

-1 box vanilla pudding mix, made according to box directions

-1/4 cup milk (in addition to milk used in pudding)

-1 1/2 cups raspberries

-1 1/2 cups blueberries

-1 1/2 cups strawberries

-1/3 cup SOOC Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar

-1/3 cup SOOC Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar (or Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar)

-2 cups heavy whipping cream

-2 Tablespoons honey

Directions:

1. Make the vanilla pudding mix, adding the extra 1/4 cup milk; the pudding will be runny. Whip with mixer, two cups of heavy cream with the two tablespoons of honey until stiff peaks form.

2. In a large decorative glass bowl, add half of the cubed Angel Food Cake to the bottom. Add a layer of mixed berries (using about 1/2 of the berries). Pour half of the pudding mixture over the berries. Then drizzle half of the Balsamic Vinegar over the pudding. Next add a layer of 1/2 the whipping cream over the top.

3. Repeat the layers with Angel Food Cake, berries, pudding, balsamic vinegar, finishing with a layer of the whipping cream.

4. Garnish with fresh berries. Keep chilled before serving.

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Chocolate-Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients for the Cake

 

3 cups all-purpose flour +1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup SOOC Extra Virgin Olive Oil +1 tablespoon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Generously grease the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with extra virgin olive oil. Add a tablespoon of granulated sugar.  Tilt and rotate the pan to evenly distribute the sugar in the bottom and sides of the greased pan. Tap out any excess sugar.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sift.

With an electric mixer beat the eggs until they are pale and light; slowly pour in the sugar while beating. Next whisk together the sour cream, extra virgin olive oil and vanilla and mix until incorporated.

Add the flour to the wet ingredients beating after each addition, scraping down the bowl a couple times in the process.

Bake in the center of the oven for 45-50 minutes until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then carefully invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate-Raspberry Balsamic Glaze

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped or in chip form
1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons SOOC Raspberry Balsamic

Directions

In a microwave proof bowl, heat the cream on high for 1 minute.

Add the chocolate to the bowl and allow to sit for 2 minutes without stirring.  Whisk well until all the chocolate has melted and there are no lumps.  Add the balsamic and whisk well.

Pour the still warm liquid glaze over your cooled cake.  Allow the glaze to set up on the cake at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

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Balsamic Pot Roast

Ingredients:

– One 5 lb blade chuck roast
– 2 cups SOOC Juniper Berry balsamic vinegar
– 1 cup SOOC Herbs de Provence extra-virgin olive oil
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 tbs whole black peppercorns
– 1 tbs butter
– 3 cups beef stock

Directions:

– Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, peppercorns, and roast into a large zip lock bag. Make sure the roast is evenly covered, and squeeze out excess air in the bag. Seal and let marinate overnight, or at least 8 hours.

– Preheat oven to 250 degrees F

– Melt butter in an oven-safe pot over medium heat. Transfer roast to the pan, saving the contents of the marinade in the zip lock bag. Cook roast on all sides until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove roast from the pot and set aside.

– Pour remainder of the marinade into the pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to scrape browned bits off the side and bottom of the pot. Add 3 cups of beef broth to the pot, and boil for 10 minutes, or until mixture is reduced by half. Place the roast in the pot, and cover.

– Cook the roast in the oven 6-8 hours, or until meat falls apart with a fork. Internal temp should reach 145 degrees F. Serve with baked sweet potatoes or your favorite roasted vegetable!

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Thanksgiving – Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie

Choose between a gluten-free Almond Flour Crust or an Olive Oil Crust for this tasty classic!

Almond Flour Pie Crust

2 ½ cups almond meal or almond flour

4 tablespoons Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 tablespoons Honey

Heat oven to 350°F. Mix the ingredients up in a bowl until combined and pat into the pie plate with your fingertips. Bake for about 10 minutes until the crust is beginning to brown. After 8 minutes, check every minute or so, because once it starts to brown it goes quickly.

Olive Oil Pie Crust

2 ½ cups flour

1 Tbls sugar

1 tsp salt

½ cup Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

Mix the dry together and add the oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Combine all the ingredients together till just wet and you can handle it in your hands. Split dough into two balls and flatten out with your palm, flour the counter top and roll out till 1/8 inch think or till desired size.

Bake at 400°F for 10 min or just till the edge turns light brown.

Pumpkin Pie filling

1 can pumpkin

1 ½ cups half and half

1 egg

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

1 box of Butterscotch pudding mix

¼ cup brown sugar (optional for sweeter pie)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well. Pour into the pie crust and bake for 45 min, once the top is nice and golden take out of the oven and let cool.

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Thanksgiving – Spicy Garlic Sauteed Kale

3 pounds kale, any variety (about 4 large bunches),

thick bottom stems and center stems cut away and discarded

¼ cup Chipotle Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2 large)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped

Coarse kosher salt

Bring extra-large pot of salted water to boil. Add kale and cook until almost tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Rinse kale under cold running water. Drain again. Coarsely chop kale. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Heat Chipotle Extra Virgin Olive Oil in large pot (preferably nonstick) over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and capers; stir 1 minute. Stir in kale and sauté until tender and heated through, about 7 minutes. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Transfer kale to large bowl and serve.

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Thanksgiving – Balsamic Roasted Potato Wedges

4 large yellow-fleshed potatoes or sweet potatoes (2 pounds total), scrubbed well

3 tablespoons Roasted Walnut Oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons Traditional 18 year Balsamic Vinegar

Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F. Halve each potato lengthwise, then cut each half lengthwise into 4 wedges. Toss potato wedges with Walnut oil, salt, and pepper in a 17- by 11-inch shallow baking pan (about 1 inch deep) and arrange in 1 layer. Roast potatoes, turning over once, until golden brown and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons vinegar, roast until vinegar has a turned into a glaze, about 3 minutes.

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Thanksgiving – Blood Orange Cranberries with Cinnamon

1/2 cup Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar

½ cup Blood Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half

1 cup dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)

1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup honey

Directions

Whisk together the Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar and Blood Orange EVOO. Pour into a pot with broken cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer mixture for about 5 minutes.

Add dried cranberries to saucepan; simmer until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add fresh cranberries, 3/4 cup water, and honey; bring to boil, stirring until honey dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until cranberry sauce thickens and is darker in color and berries collapse, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Transfer sauce to bowl; cool. Discard cinnamon sticks. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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Thanksgiving- Oyster Stuffing

This classic stuffing doesn’t taste fishy at all — the chopped oysters simply lend some depth and moisture.

2 loaves Ciabatta bread cut into 3/4-inch cubes (12 cups)

1/2 lb sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup Tuscan Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped (2 cups)

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried thyme, crumbled

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried sage, crumbled

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil

18 oysters, shucked, drained, and chopped (3/4 cup)

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large bowl toss the cubed bread with the Tuscan Herb EVOO, spread the bread cubes out evenly over 2 sheet pans and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until golden, about 20 minutes total. Cool bread in pans on racks, and then transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet. In the same skillet with about a 1/4 cup bacon fat, cook onions, celery, thyme, sage, garlic, and pepper in skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread cubes, then stir in bacon, parsley, butter, and oysters. Drizzle with stock, then season with salt and pepper and toss well. Transfer stuffing to a buttered 3- to 3 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Bake, covered, in middle of oven 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until browned, about 30 minutes more.

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