Walleye with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Leeks

Ingredients for Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup SOOC Traditional 18 year balsamic
• ¾ cup SOOC Lemon EVOO
• ½ cup mustard (Dijon or Horseradish mustard if you like a bite)
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Ingredients for Fish:

• 1-2 lbs. walleye filet (cod or tilapia work as well)
• 4-5 leeks, greens only
• 5-6 cloves minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons SOOC Garlic EVOO

Directions:

1. In a blender mix the balsamic vinegar and mustard together. Slowly add in the lemon EVOO and blend until it thickens or emulsifies. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Then set aside.
2. Wash and dry the fish filets with a paper towel. Rub filets with the minced garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slice the leeks and boil approx. 7-9 minutes until tender, drain and set aside. Brush the fish and leeks with the garlic EVOO. Add the remaining garlic EVOO to a sauté pan and fry the fish filet and leeks on medium to high heat and cook until lightly brown and the fish is opaque through.
3. To serve, place a filet and a few of the leek slices on top and drizzle the vinaigrette on top of the fish, leeks and plate. Add fresh pepper and red pepper flakes for added heat.

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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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Rosemary Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water, 110-115˚ F
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 3 Tb SOOC Rosemary Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 ½ cups bread flour
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• Extra EVOO for brushing on top and serving (I used SOOC garlic EVOO)
• Coarse sea salt and dried rosemary for sprinkling on top
• Serve with SOOC  Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast into 1 cup warm water. Mix in the sugar and salt. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until it foams. Add in Rosemary Olive Oil. Add flour and knead (by hand or mixer) for about 10 minutes. Add black pepper, and oregano. Knead another 5 minutes. Dough should come together well at this point; slightly sticky is fine. Place dough ball in well oiled bowl (I use Garlic EVOO) turning dough a few times so that dough surfaces are protected by oil. Tightly cover owl with cling wrap. Place in warm, draft-free area to rise until dough is doubled, approximately 1 hour, depending on room temp.
2. After dough is doubled, punch it down and shape into a rounded loaf. Using sharp knife, make a criss-cross design on top. Place rounded loaf on greased baking sheet. Cover up loaf with large mixing bowl inverted over it. Make sure bowl is large enough that it gives your loaf room to rise. Let rise until doubled again, approx. 1 hour.
3. After dough has doubled again, gently brush with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and a bit of rosemary. Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes. Bake until top is a nice golden brown, taking care not to over bake.
4. Serve bread fresh and warm, with your favorite SOOC olive oil, ground pepper and SOOC balsamic vinegar.

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Avgelomono Soup with Cayenne Chili Olive Oil

 

Ingredients
8 cups good quality chicken stock or broth
1 cup short grain starchy rice
2 large shallots, or 1 medium onion diced
1 bay leaf
2 large fresh eggs
1 pound chicken breast cut in 1″ dice
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons SOOC Cayenne Chili Olive Oil (or Chipotle Olive Oil)
copious amounts of fresh cracked pepper
sea salt to taste

Directions
In a large stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons Cayenne Chili Olive Oil over medium heat.  Add the diced shallots and sauté until soft, approximately 2 minutes.  Add the chicken stock, chicken breast, bay leaf, and rice to the pot and bring to a simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until the rice is very tender, and the soup is slightly thickened.

In a heat proof bowl whisk together the eggs and lemon juice.  Add one cup of hot stock to the egg and lemon mixture whisking constantly.  Add the egg and lemon mixture back in to the stock pot while stirring constantly.  The soup will instantly thicken and become somewhat creamy.  Simmer for an additional minute over medium heat stirring constantly.

Remove the bay leaf, taste and adjust the seasoning with additional pepper, and salt if desired.

Serve each bowl with a healthy drizzle of Cayenne Chili Olive Oil

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Blood Orange Grilled Salmon

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 pounds salmon filet with skin on (sockeye salmon is great if still in season)
1/4 C SOOC Blood Orange Olive Oil
1/4 C SOOC Tangerine Balsamic Vinegar
4 garlic cloves (minced)
2 Tablespoons fresh herbs chopped (chives, cilantro and parsley or whatever your herb garden is plentiful of)
Dash red pepper flakes (depending on the level of spice you want)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Marinate your salmon filet with the Blood orange olive oil and the tangerine balsamic for up to two hour or if time doesn’t allow then baste your filet before grilling…..marinating adds more flavor. Sprinkle filet with mixture of remaining ingredients.
Preheat your grill to approximately 400 to 450 degrees or on high.
Place salmon steaks skin side down on grill for 3-5 minutes or until skin gets dark and crispy. Then place the filet on a piece of aluminum foil for remainder of cooking time for 6-8 minutes (depending on thickness of the filet). Press on the thickest part of the filet with a fork and it should still feel somewhat soft and squishy with creamy fluids releasing. Do not overcook the filet…..salmon is a fatty fish and will still be very moist but fully cooked.
I always drizzle a little more tangerine balsamic over the filet on the plate as we’ll for added flavor. Enjoy!

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Olive Oil Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 cups warm 110 degree water
• 1/3 cup SOOC Extra Virgin Olive Oil (natural or flavored)
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions:

If using a bread machine follow the instructions for adding ingredients to the machine.  If mixing in a mixer or by hand, combine the sugar and water and yeast in a large bowl or mixer bowl.  Allow to sit for five minutes.    Add the olive oil and salt.  Begin mixing in the flour.  It will be fairly wet but avoid the temptation to add more flour.  Knead for approximately 3 minutes until the dough is relatively smooth and cohesive.  Allow to rise for 1 hour covered in a warm place.  Divide and shape or roll the dough in to two large thin crust pizzas or three medium thin crust pizzas.  Depending on how hot you can get your oven or grill, the cooking time will be anywhere between 5-10 minutes.  You are looking for golden brown crust and bubbling cheese.

makes enough dough for 2 large or three medium thin crust pizzas

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Chicken, Ham and Shrimp Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 lbs skinned and boned chicken breast (cut into 1 inch cubes)

1 tsp sea salt

¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

3 Tbsp SOOC Garlic Olive Oil

2 Tbsp SOOC  Hojiblanca Olive Oil (or any natural EVOO)

2 lbs cooked ham (cubed into 1 inch cubes)

5 cloves garlic (chopped)

2 medium chopped white onion

1 green bell pepper (chopped)

1 red bell pepper (chopped)

3 (14.5oz) petite diced tomatoes

2 ½ cups chicken broth

4 green table onions (chopped)

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 C uncooked long grain rice

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried thyme

¾ tsp cayenne ( or ¼ tsp more if you like spicy)

2 lbs peeled and deveined raw shrimp

Directions:

1. Heat the garlic olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add chicken breast and sauté’ until no longer pink and then remove to a separate dish
3. Heat Hojiblanca Olive oil and add onions, bell peppers and garlic; sauté until beginning to soften
4. Add chicken back in along with tomatoes and their juices, ham, and spices
5. Bring to a boil while gradually stirring in rice and shrimp; cover pot
6. Reduce heat to medium low; simmer until rice is tender and most liquids are absorbed, about 25 minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper and if you desire my kick sprinkle with powdered cayenne.

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Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 Large cauliflower

SOOC Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Garlic or Tuscan Herb are great)

Sea Salt

Directions for Roasted Cauliflower:

Heat the oven while you prepare the cauliflower: Place heavy oven-proof skillet (a cast iron skillet works well) or a baking sheet in the oven and turn the heat to 375 degrees.

Place a small pan of hot water on the lower rack of the oven to create steam.

Break off and discard the outer leaves from the cauliflower. Cut off the bottom of the stem, then use the tip of a small, sharp knife to cut off the leaves close to the stem. Carefully cut out the hard core of the cauliflower, near the bottom. Leave the main stem intact and make sure not to cut through any of the florets.

Rinse the cauliflower (leave the water clinging to the outside: and place on a work surface, core side up. Drizzle with olive oil and rub over the cauliflower until evenly coated. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Place the cauliflower on the hot skillet in the oven, core side down, and cook until very tender all the way through when pierced with a knife, at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours. During the cooking, baste 2 or 3 times with more olive oil. It should brown nicely. If you have a convection feature or broiler, use it toward the end of baking to brown the crust.

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Cream of Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

Ingredients :
2 – 28 oz. cans tomato puree
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 large red bell peppers, roasted, seeded, peeled and chopped, or one jar of roasted red peppers, drained & chopped
3 tablespoons SOOC Tuscan Herb Olive Oil (or SOOC Garlic Olive Oil)
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh basil leaves washed, dried, & torn, reserving 6 small sprigs for garnish
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Romano Cheese
1 cup heavy cream
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

 

Directions:
In a medium heavy stock pot, heat one tablespoon of Tuscan Herb Olive Oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and saute until translucent, for about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for another minute.  Add the white wine and reduce by half.

Add the chicken stock, roasted peppers, tomato puree, basil leaves and oregano to the pot.  Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove the pot from heat.  Using an immersion blender, puree the hot soup until smooth and creamy in consistency.  Add the heavy cream and Romano Cheese and stir to combine.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve individual bowls of soup drizzled with approximately one teaspoon of Tuscan Herb Olive Oil and a sprig of basil.  Serve immediately.

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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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