Chicken Avocado Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

Marinade/Dressing:

• 1/4 cup SOOC 18 year Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tablespoon SOOC Basil Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Salad:

• 4 chicken thigh fillets, skin removed (no bone)
• 5 cups Romaine lettuce leaves, washed and dried
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 cup mini mozzarella
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Whisk marinade ingredients together to combine. Place chicken into a shallow dish; pour 4 tablespoons of the dressing / marinade onto the chicken and stir around to evenly coat chicken. Reserve the untouched marinade to use as a dressing.
2. Heat about one teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, or grill marinaded chicken until golden, crispy and cooked through. Once chicken is cooked, set aside and allow to rest.
3. Slice chicken into strips and prepare salad with lettuce, avocado slices, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and chicken. Top with basil strips; drizzle with remaining dressing; season with salt and pepper.

 

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Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Ingredients:

– 1/2 C SOOC Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar
– 12 slices French bread
– 1 tbs SOOC Basil EVOO
– 1 pound strawberries, diced
– 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
– 1 C goat cheese, room temp
– Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

– Dice strawberries and combine with the thyme leaves in a bowl. Set aside.
– Pour vinegar into a small skillet over medium-low heat. Simmer about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until reduced to about half. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
– Prepare grill for high heat. Place bread slices on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush bread slices lightly with SOOC Basil EVOO. Grill approximately 2-4 minutes per side, until slightly crispy.
– Spread goat cheese on bread slices, and salt and pepper to taste. Add reduced vinegar to the strawberry and thyme, coating evenly. Spoon mixture over the goat cheese topped bread. For a sweeter option, try substituting SOOC Strawberry Balsamic for SOOC Dark Chocolate Balsamic!

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Pasta alla Trapanese

Recipe:

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Almonds
2 Garlic Cloves, Peeled & Minced
1 (14 Ounce) Can Chopped Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Red Hot Pepper Flakes
1/3 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves
1/3 Cup SOOC Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil
(Substitute Basil EVOO with our Baklouti Green Chili EVOO for an extra kick!)
Salt & Pepper
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Pound Pasta Of Choice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and place the almonds on a baking sheet. Roast just until the almonds begin to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Place the almonds in a food processor along with the garlic, canned tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, basil, and olive oil. Pulse until the mixture is finely ground but not pureed. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until it is “al dente.” Drain, and toss the pasta with the sauce and grated cheese.

Serve immediately, garnishing with basil leaves. Enjoy!

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Roasted Salmon With Caramelized Tomatoes

Ingredients
For The Salmon:
4 Salmon Fillets (About 6 Ounces Each Skin Left On)
3 Tablespoons Koroneiki Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

For The Vegetables:
1 Large Fennel Bulb
2 Medium Red Peppers
1 1/2 Pints Cherry Tomatoes
4 Tablespoons Basil Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Traditional 18 Year Balsamic
1 Teaspoon Chopped Fresh Basil
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and balsamic. Place on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper, then bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to brown and the skin shrivel but still remain moist. Remove from the oven and toss with the basil and set aside.

2. Remove the fronds and stem from the fennel, core the peppers and remove the seeds and cut both into thin julienned strips about 1/4 of an inch thick. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and cook the vegetables until tender crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes, set aside.

3. Rub the salmon with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Over medium high heat in a large ovenproof saute pan, sear the skin side of the salmon fillets until crispy.
Place the pan into the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes or just until the salmon is just barely cooked through the center.

4. To serve, place some of the fennel pepper mix on a plate, place a cooked salmon fillet on top, and then spoon on some of the roasted tomatoes. Serve hot.

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Fettuccine with Tomatoes and Crispy Capers

Ingredients

1/2 cup SOOC extra-virgin olive oil (Or try Organic Basil or Butternut Squash Seed Oil)
1/4 cup small capers, drained and patted dry
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 oil-packed anchovies, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1-inch-wide ribbons
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon thinly sliced basil
1 pound fettuccine
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. In a small bowl, toss the capers with the cornstarch and shake off the excess cornstarch. Add the coated capers to the oil and fry over high heat, tilting and gently shaking the pan until the capers are crispy and golden, about 3 minutes. Drain the capers, reserving 2 tablespoons of the oil in the skillet. Spread the capers on a paper towel–lined plate.

2. Add the anchovies and garlic to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring until the garlic is golden and the anchovies dissolve, about 3 minutes. Add the prosciutto, separating the ribbons, and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and crushed red pepper and cook just until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 3 minutes. Stir in the basil.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot and pour the sauce on top. Toss over high heat just until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve the pasta in bowls, garnished with the crispy capers. Top with cheese!

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