Simple Asparagus, Ham, and Gruyère Frittata with EVOO

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds organic Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, washed, cut into 1" pieces
2 cups fresh asparagus spears, woody parts trimmed, cut into 1" pieces (spinach works too)
1 bunch green onions finely chopped - you could also opt for shallots or onion here instead
1 cup Canadian bacon or smoked ham cut into 1" pieces - or go meatless with sauteed mushrooms
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese or substitute for any cheese you like, or simply leave it out, it's all good
8 large eggs, whisked
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup  EVOO or any infused olive oil of your choice.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Place the cut potatoes in a medium pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil for 5 minutes, drain, and reserve.

In a large, heavy, oven-proof skillet (a 12" cast iron is ideal here) heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the potatoes and cook until golden brown, turning once.  Add the green onions, asparagus, and saute over medium heat for another 2 minutes.

Whisk together the eggs, salt, cheese, and pepper.  Pour over the potatoes directly into the pan, shake the pan a couple times gently to distribute the egg, and pop the pan in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the egg is set and the top is golden brown.

Remove from the oven, and run a knife along the inside perimeter to loosen from the pan. Allow to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes,before inverting onto a serving plate.  Cut in slices and serve with a lovely salad of baby spinach or arugula dressed with Milanese Gremolata whisked with Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic for a light, healthy meal.

Serves 6-8

Cauliflower "Schnitzel" Fried in Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ingredients
1 large head of cauliflower
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups plain bred crumbs
2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup high-phenol extra virgin olive oil, plus more for frying

Slice the cauliflower in half straight through, leaving the stem portion of each half intact.  Carefully slice the two hemispheres, through the stem portion into 1/2" thick steaks.  It won't be perfect, some might fall apart, don't worry about it.

Whisk together 1/3 cup of olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Place the cauliflower steaks and marinade into a large shallow pan or large gallon size zip lock bag.  Coat the cauliflower well and marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

Whisk the eggs in a pie tin, or similar large flat, shallow dish.

Whisk together the flour with a teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste.  

 In a heavy bottom pan, or dutch oven, heat 2" of super fresh,  High Polyphenol (300 ppm+) extra virgin olive oil to 350 F.
 
First dredge the marinated cauliflower in the seasoned flour.

Dip each steak into the whisked eggs,

Then dip into the bread crumbs.

Fry the coated steaks on each side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to drain on a rack or paper towels before serving.

Adjust seasoning by adding more salt if desired or pepper.

For presentation, consider serving the steaks atop a bed of baby arugula or salad with additional lemon olive oil vinaigrette on the side and/or lemon wedges.

Chocolate-Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Olive Oil Bundt Cake

Speaking of Valentine's Day - Chocolate-Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Olive Oil Bundt Cake

IngIngredients 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 UP Certified 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 UP Certified Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add a tablespoon of granulated sugar and tilt the pan to evenly distribute over the olive oil. 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, UP Certified 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 UP Raspberry Balsamic

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.

Serves 8-12

Arancini Fried in Extra Virgin Olive Oil

They say you can't fry with extra virgin olive oil. "They" say "it's unhealthy" and that it burns creating toxic byproducts.  Some folks say, for instance, that "one should only use extra virgin olive oil for finishing and cold applications, and use cheaper, refined olive oil or other types of vegetable oils to fry and cook with."  You've heard this mantra repeated by chefs, perhaps prominent public figures and even Food Network celebrities.  You might've even heard this from dieticians and those who seem like a good source of information on the topic of culinary applications with extra virgin olive oil.  Well, guess what?  "They" are wrong, sort of.

What's more than likely, is that "they" are using poor quality, old, and/or adulterated extra virgin olive oil.  If the FFA of an olive oil is over .5, will it smoke at lower temperatures?  Heck yes!  If it's old, oxidized, and devoid of good phenolic content, will it stave off the formation of toxic aldehydes that typically form in other types of cooking oils when heated?  Nope, at least not as effectively!  So the key is knowing the crush date and chemistry of the extra virgin olive oil you are using.

Most TV celebrity chefs would go blank if asked to define FFA, oleic acid, or phenols and the role they play in the stability and health benefit of extra virgin olive oil.  Most doctors and dieticians are well behind the curve on their practical knowledge of the chemical parameters of extra virgin olive oil, and which ones are particularly important when we look at nutrients, stability, and how they affect suitability for various culinary applications.

*Disclaimer:  In the making of the deep fried risotto croquette above, no Up Extra Virgin Olive Oil was made to smoke, nor were toxic aldehydes formed

Truffled Wild Mushroom Risotto & Arancini in Baby Arugula UP Pesto

Porcini/Shitake Mushroom Stock
5 cups water brought to a simmer
2 cups of a mixture of dried Porcini mushrooms and Shitake mushrooms broken in to pieces or coarsely chopped

Bring the water just up to a simmer and then add the mushrooms.  Allow to steep for 30 minutes before using in recipes.  Strain before using.

Make the risotto:

5 cups mushroom stock

3 tablespoons  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 shallots, finely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground pepper 

1 1/2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice  

1/2 cup white wine

1 teaspoon white or black truffle oil  

1 pound mixed wild mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese  

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer. Keep warm. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.   Add the shallots and saute for another few minutes until the mushrooms are nicely caramelized and the shallots are cooked through and translucent.

Add the rice and cook, stirring until well coated with olive oil and beginning to toast. Add the wine and cook, stirring until the wine is absorbed. Add 1 cup of the warm stock and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until it is nearly absorbed between additions. The risotto is done when it is opaque and just the sauce that has formed from the rice, creamy.  About 20 minutes total. Add the truffle oil and cheese in at the very end, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. 

Eat this now using any leftovers for the recipe below.

The Arancini 

3 cups cooled, leftover risotto from the recipe above or your own

1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs

1 large egg, beaten

6 oz. mozzarella fresca (fresh mozzarella in water) 

 Extra Virgin Olive Oil for deep frying I recommend Oro Bailen or Melgarejo's new oils for this 

Mix together 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and the beaten egg with the cooled risotto.  Heat 2" of  Extra Virgin Olive Oil to 350 F. in a heavy pot with relatively high sides.  Preheat the oven to 250 F.  

Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish or plate for rolling the arancini and cut the mozzarella into small 1/2" cubes.

Using a scoop or spoon, portion out 2 tablespoons of risotto mixture and roll into a ball.  Gently push one piece of mozzarella into the center of each ball and re-roll between your hands to encase the cheese.  Roll the ball in the bread crumbs to fully coat and deep fry until golden brown.  Place the fried hot ball of arancini on a rack and hold in the oven while frying the rest.  Serve hot with the cheese melting in the center.   

Baby Arugula Pesto

3 cups baby arugula washed and dried

1/2 cup  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice  

1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese
1 large clove garlic chopped
Sea salt to taste

Add all of the ingredients to the the container of a a blender or food processor.  Pulse to combine and adjust seasoning with salt if desired.  Serve with the arancini above or with bread, pasta, vegetables.... you name it.

Balsamic Truffles

Balsamic Ganache Truffles
1/2 Cup Steaming hot heavy cream
1 pinch of sea salt
8 ounces best quality dark chocolate in chip form, or chopped
3 tablespoons dark or white balsamic - my favorite options for this are: coconut, raspberry, apricot, tangerine strawberry, maple, espresso, lavender, or traditional.

1/2 cup cocoa powder for rolling the truffles or use 6 oz. tempered (melted chocolate) for coating the truffles.

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium size heat proof bowl.

Heat the cream and salt in a heavy bottom sauce pan over low heat until it just begins to steam.  Do not allow it to simmer or boil.  

Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes without stirring.  Stir the mixture gently until all the chocolate is melted.  Add the balsamic and stir to combine well.  Cool to room temperature and then place the bowl in the refrigerator, covered until the ganache has become cold and can be scooped and formed into balls. 

Have a baking with a sheet of parchment ready that will fit into your fridge or freezer. 

Take 1 teaspoon of cold balsamic ganache and quickly roll between your hands to form a ball.  If you spend too much time trying to get the shape just right, you'll begin to melt the ganache and it will be a mess.

Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet and then place the sheet in the fridge or freezer to firm up the truffles when you're done rolling all of them. 

Now you can roll into cocoa powder or in tempered (melted) chocolate.  However, these are best stored in single layers, separated by parchment or wax paper in a sealed container in the refrigerator.  They can be taken out and served at room temperature. 

Makes approximately 30-40 truffles

Lemon Agrumato (Fused) Olive Oil & Polenta (Stone Ground Cornmeal) Cake

Super simple, extremely delcious, relatively healthy, and adaptable for so many other applications (think trifle, strawberry short cake, glazed lemon cake, with fruit compote, layered cake etc.). 

It has a lovely, bright lemon aroma and moist crumb exclusively owed to the addition of fused lemon agrumato olive oil, a  gentle tang from yogurt, and a pleasing delicate crunch and extra complexity from a little cornmeal.

Ingredients
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour (organic if possible)
1/2 cup stone ground cornmeal (regular cornmeal will work here too)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup fused lemon (agrumato) olive oil
1 cup whole milk yogurt
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Grease a 9"x9" baking pan with lemon olive oil.  In a large bowl combine the sugar, eggs, yogurt, vanilla, and lemon olive oil.  Whisk until pale and well combined.  Whisk the dry ingredients together and add to the wet ingredients. 

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes in the center of the oven until golden brown, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, and invert on to a rack and cool fully before serving. 

Serves 6-8

Cream of Roasted Pepper & Tomato Soup With Tuscan Herb Olive Oil

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 Tuscan Herb 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 (5+ quart) 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.

Serves 4-6

Fall Garden Greens Spanakopita with Garlic Olive Oil

Fall Garden Greens Spanakopita with Garlic Olive Oil

8 cups washed and dried greens coarsely chopped in any combination such as:  kale, beet greens, collards, spinach, swiss chard etc.
1 pound package thawed phyllo dough
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons garlic infused olive oil
 8 oz. whole milk ricotta
1 teaspoon corn starch
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Brush a 9"x13" baking pan liberally with olive oil. 

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of garlic olive oil.  Add the diced onion and saute until translucent.  Add the greens and saute until cooked down, about 3 additional minutes.  Add the feta and ricotta to the greens and mix thoroughly.  Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water and add to the greens.  Continue cooking over medium high heat until the mixture thickens and season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  Allow the mixture to cool until just barely warm.

Take the thawed phyllo out of the refrigerator. Unroll the sheets and cover with a clean barely dampened towel. 

Liberally brush three sheets or spray three sheets with garlic infused olive oil and layer one on top of another, lining the bottom and part way up the sides of the baking pan. Add 1/3 of the spinach mixture and spread evenly over the phyllo.  Continue brushing each sheet with olive oil and layering three sheets at a time followed by two more layers of spinach and ending with three sheets of phyllo on top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and crisp.  

Allow to cool slightly and cut into squares.

Cinnamon-Pear Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and each cut
lengthwise into 8 wedges
1/3 cup Cinnamon-Pear Balsamic 

2 tablespoons  All Natural Organic Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

PREPARATION:

Heat oven to 400F. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a half sheet jelly-roll pan.

Thoroughly shake or whisk together the Cinnamon-Pear Balsamic and Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  In a large bowl toss to liberally coat the sweet potato wedges with the emulsified balsamic-olive oil mixture.  

Arrange the potato wedges on the parchment paper lined pan in a single layer, without over-crowding.  Sprinkle with sea salt and roast for 45 minutes until tender and the balsamic glaze has caramelized. 

Fall Garden Greens Spanakopita with Garlic Olive Oil

8 cups washed and dried greens coarsely chopped in any combination such as:  kale, beet greens, collards, spinach, swiss chard etc.
1 pound package thawed phyllo dough
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons garlic infused olive oil
 8 oz. whole milk ricotta
1 teaspoon corn starch
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Brush a 9"x13" baking pan liberally with olive oil. 

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of garlic olive oil.  Add the diced onion and saute until translucent.  Add the greens and saute until cooked down, about 3 additional minutes.  Add the feta and ricotta to the greens and mix thoroughly.  Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water and add to the greens.  Continue cooking over medium high heat until the mixture thickens and season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  Allow the mixture to cool until just barely warm.

Take the thawed phyllo out of the refrigerator. Unroll the sheets and cover with a clean barely dampened towel. 


Liberally brush three sheets or spray three sheets with garlic infused olive oil and layer one on top of another, lining the bottom and part way up the sides of the baking pan. Add 1/3 of the spinach mixture and spread evenly over the phyllo.  Continue brushing each sheet with olive oil and layering three sheets at a time followed by two more layers of spinach and ending with three sheets of phyllo on top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and crisp.   Allow to cool slightly and cut into squares.