Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:  
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup SOOC Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Butter or a mild natural EVOO)
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup raisins or chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
Lightly coat a 9 x 5 inch load pan with olive oil.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and the salt in a mixing bowl and stir with a fork or whisk until thoroughly combined. Be sure to break up any lumps of brown sugar.
Combine the pumpkin, olive oil, and eggs in a separate bowl with 1/4 cup of water. Beat until perfectly blended. Stir in the nuts and raisins or chocolate chips.
Gently stir the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients just until combined. Do not over mix or the bread will not rise.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan slightly, 5-10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack and cool thoroughly.

Read Full Post »

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.

 

Read Full Post »

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.

Read Full Post »

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Cup SOOC Butter Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 Cups Flour
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Milk
• 1 Tbsp. Vanilla
• 1 11 oz. bag of Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine pumpkin, sugar, Butter Olive Oil and egg in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir into the wet ingredients. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir well. (about one minute)
3. Add vanilla and chocolate chips and stir until combined.
4. Drop cookies on a baking sheet by spoonful.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Read Full Post »

Pork Chops In Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients:
6 Pork Chops
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
All-Purpose Flour (for dusting Pork chops)
1 Sprig Of Fresh Sage
1 Clove Garlic
4 Tablespoons Arbosana EVOO
(Garlic or Mushroom and Sage oil could be used!)
4 oz. Dry White Wine
1/2 Chicken Or Beef Broth Cube
4 Tablespoons Traditional 18 year Balsamic vinegar
Fresh Parsley To Garnish

Directions:
Trim away any unwanted fat from the chops.
Coat pork chops lightly with the mustard, then coat in the flour and shake off excess flour.
Finely chop together the sage and the garlic.
In a frying pan, heat the olive oil.
Saute the sage and garlic for a minute, then add the chops and brown well on both sides.
Pour the wine over the chops and add the bouillon cube.
Reduce heat to low until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed.
Drizzle the vinegar over the chops and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Serve hot with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Read Full Post »

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.

Read Full Post »

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.

Read Full Post »

Thanksgiving – Turkey with Fig Balsamic Glaze

1 1/2 cups Fig Balsamic Jam

1 cup warm chicken stock

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon Sicilian Lemon Balsamic

1 (10 to 12 pound) fresh turkey

2 cups chicken stock

4 Tbls Mushroom and Sage Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing and crumbled

2 large onions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves

2 sticks unsalted butter, (1 softened) or 1 ½ cups Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the Fig Balsamic jam, honey, Sicilian Lemon Balsamic and mix in with 1 cup warm chicken stock. Meanwhile, heat 3 Tbls of the Mushroom & Sage EVOO over medium heat and gently sauté the onions with rosemary. Add the sweet Italian sausage and continue to sauté until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the turkey breast and using 1 stick of butter, massage it onto the breast meat. If using the Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil, inject underneath the skin. Rub the outside of turkey with the remaining 1 Tbls Mushroom & Sage EVOO. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper; add the sautéed onions to the cavity of the turkey. Truss the turkey (or just cross the legs over one another and tie with a piece of kitchen twine). Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan; add 2 cups of chicken stock to the bottom of the pan and place in the oven. In a small saucepan, set the fig stock over medium heat and bring to a simmer to reduce, 10 to 12 minutes. Cut up the remaining stick of butter or use the ¾ cup Butter EVOO and whisk it into the glaze mixture.

Once the turkey has turned a nice golden brown start basting the turkey with the fig glaze, about every half hour. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 3 hours total (15 minutes per pound). Transfer turkey to a cutting board, loosely covered with foil to rest for up to 30 minutes before carving.

Read Full Post »

Banana Bread

Preheat the oven to 350.  Thoroughly grease a standard loaf pan with one teaspoon of SOOC Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

In a large bowl whisk together thoroughly:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

In a separate bowl blend together:
6 tablespoons SOOC Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Fold in until combined:
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2)
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Combine the wet ingredients in the bowl with the dry ingredients until just incorporated – do not over mix.  Scrape the batter into a pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before taking out of pan to cool completely on the rack.

Read Full Post »

Blueberry Pancakes

1 ½ cups flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups buttermilk
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 eggs
2 cups blueberries

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk, ricotta, olive oil, and eggs. Stir just until the mixture is moistened. Fold in the blueberries. Lightly oil a griddle of large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Drop the batter by ¼ cups onto the hot griddle and spread gently into 4-inch rounds. Cook the pancakes 2-3 minutes. Turn the pancakes over and cook 1-2 more minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. Place the pancakes on a cookie sheet and keep them warm in the oven while cooking the remaining batter. Serve them with Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar.

Read Full Post »