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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Almond-Cilantro Sauce

Sauce:

• 1/3 cup blanched almonds
• 4-5 tsp. anchovy paste (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 Tablespoon SOOC Butter Olive Oil
• ½ cup SOOC Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I used Garlic Olive Oil)
• 2 tsp. SOOC white balsamic vinegar (I used Sicilian Lemon)
• ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro (or more to taste)
• 1-2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
• Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions for sauce:

In a small frying pan, toast nuts over low heat, shaking often, just until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

In a food processor, combine almonds, anchovy paste if using, garlic and butter olive oil, pulse until smooth. Mix in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and then white balsamic vinegar. Mix in cilantro and red pepper flakes (if using).

Spoon sauce around each wedge of Whole Roasted Cauliflower.

 

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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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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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Peasant Loaf

Ingredients:

• 4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup potato flour
• 1 tablespoon sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon light amber honey or granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons + 3 tablespoons SOOC Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions:

If using a bread machine, add all of the liquid, honey/sugar, salt, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.  Then add both flours, followed by the yeast last.  Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your bread machine if you intend to bake it in the machine.

If using a stand mixer or mixing kneading by hand, mix and then knead the dough for about 6 minutes.  The dough should be very soft, but not sticky.  Add more flour, in small amounts as needed to keep the dough from sticking.  Allow to rise in a warm spot for about an hour.  Lightly punch the dough down, transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment and gently reshape in to a rustic loaf.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap lightly greased with olive oil.  Allow the dough to rise for 45 additional minutes

Preheat the oven to 375 and adjust the rack to the center of the oven.

Drizzle the loaf with two tablespoons of olive oil, and bake for about 40 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the loaf and immediately drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil.  Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.  Best served warm!

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Baked Fontina Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Italian Fontina cheese, rind removed, cubed (1-2-inch cubes)
• ½ cup SOOC Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Arbosana or Arbequina)
• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ tablespoon thyme leaves, minced
• 1 ½ tablespoon rosemary leaves, minced
• 1-2 French baguettes, sliced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place oven rack in upper portion of oven, 5 inches from the heat. Preheat broiler.
2. Take a large, cast-iron skillet and spread an even layer of Fontina cubes along the pan. Drizzle olive oil on top.
3. Sprinkle garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper over the top.
4. Place in oven and bake for 5-6 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. Pay close attention because it is easy for cheese to burn.
5. Remove from oven and serve immediately from skillet. Dipping slices directly into the cheese. Be careful because the skillet and cheese are really hot.

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Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

•   1 bunch broccoli cut into pieces
•   1/4 cup SOOC Garlic Olive Oil (or Tuscan Herb)
•   1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
•   salt and pepper, to taste
•   1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (or use a vegetable basket on grill)
2. Mix together the SOOC Garlic Olive Oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
3. Toss together the broccoli and the oil mixture in a large bowl.
4. Spread out the broccoli on a cookie sheet.
5. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
6. Be sure to check often to make sure broccoli isn’t burning, but tender and crispy.
7. Remove from the oven and toss with the cheese.

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Pasta with Garlic and EVOO

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta of your choice
1/2 cup SOOC Arbosana EVOO
4-6 garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground pepper

 

 

Directions:
Cook pasta until Al Dente. While the pasta is cooking, saute chopped garlic in Arbosana EVOO until golden brown. Remove the pan from heat and add 3/4 of the parsley.

Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce in a separate bowl and toss until all the pasta is coated.

Garnish with remaining parsley and enjoy! Salt and pepper to taste. For a little extra flavor, toss pasta with halved cherry tomatoes and freshly grated Parmesan cheese!

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Marinated Grilled Chicken and Tomatoes

Serves 4-

3 Tbsp SOOC fig balsamic vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp minced garlic

3 Tbsp SOOC Arbosana EVOO

1 pt cherry/grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup sliced red onion

1 1/2 lb chicken breast cutlets (1/4″ thick)

4 cup baby arugula or mixed greens

  

1. Whisk together vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Add oil in slow stream, whisking to combine. Season to taste. Divide between 2 bowls. Add tomatoes and onion to one bowl and chicken to the other. Marinate 15 minutes.

  

2. Preheat grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade). Grill chicken, turning, until golden brown and cooked through, 6 minutes. Transfer to plate and cover to keep warm.

  

3. Toss arugula or mixed greens in bowl with marinated tomatoes and onion to coat. Halve chicken and divide among 4 plates. Top with salad.

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