It's All About the Garnish!

Lindsay Olives "Love this Recipe" Contest - 5 Ingredients!

2011-06-30T12:23:45-07:00

One more recipe for you using delicious Lindsay Olives!

Mediterranean Pork Tenderloin with Olives, Feta, Mint and Onion

1 2-pound pork tenderloin
1 cup Lindsay California Large Black Olives, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup red onion, minced
2 tablespoons mint, coarsely chopped (plus additional sprigs for garnish)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butterfly the pork tenderloin and pound with a meat mallet until 1/2-inch thin. Sprinkle olives, feta cheese, red onion and chopped mint evenly over tenderloin, leaving 1-inch bare on each edge. Beginning with a long end, roll tenderloin tightly and secure in 3 places with kitchen twine. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 30 minutes or to desired doneness. Slice into medallions and garnish with sprigs of mint. Serves 4.

Lindsay Olives "Love this Recipe" Contest! - Snack!

2011-06-28T16:22:46-07:00

It's time for another delicious olive recipe, this time a snack - easy to make, quick to disappear from the bowl!

Spicy and Sweet Asian Olives with Wonton Strips

3 cups Lindsay Pitted California Ripe Olives, Large
2 tablespoons sriracha (garlic chili sauce)*
2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided*
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce*
6 wonton wrappers
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, whisk together the sriracha, half of the sesame oil and hoisin sauce. Add olives and toss to coat.

Slice wonton wrappers into 1/4-inch-thin strips and place in a medium skillet. Drizzle with remaining sesame oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook on medium high heat, strirring frequently until light brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Pour half of the olives into a serving dish. Add half of the wonton crisps, then the rest of the olives. Sprinkle with remaining wonton crisps and serve. Serves 4-6

Lindsay Olives "Love this Recipe" Contest!

2011-06-22T15:50:13-07:00

I know it's been a while, but I'm back with a few new recipes for you. The first is an appetizer featuring Lindsay Olives:

Mediterranean Pita Pizza with Olives, Lemon and Mint

4 pita bread rounds
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large red onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup Lindsay Chopped California Black Ripe Olives
1 pound ground chicken
1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons mint, chopped
Additional mint leaves for garnish

Preheat broiler. Slice pita bread rounds into 4-6 wedges each. Place pita bread wedges on a large baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then broil for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

In a large skillet, cook onion on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Add the garlic, olives and chicken, continuing to cook for an additional ten minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, stir to combine the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice and chopped mint. Arrange pita wedges on a platter and top each with 1-2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture, followed by 1 tablespoon of the yogurt mixture. Top each with a mint leave and serve.

A Little More than 30 Minutes, but Better than Rachael Ray

2011-04-13T07:29:06-07:00

It's semi-quick and made with great ingredients, without using cooked-up words.

You may love to cook, but you don’t always have the time to putter about in the kitchen whipping up a gourmet fantasy meal: Time is short on weekdays when you come home from work and need to make dinner in addition to everything else on your list.

You also don’t want to compromise on taste! Below, a relatively quick meal that mostly relies on ingredients you’ll already have in your fridge and pantry, plus a couple things you really should stock on a regular basis anyway:

Feta and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Wrapped in Prosciutto
Basil Garlic Red Potatoes
Shallot Asparagus

(Follow the steps in this order, as it optimizes efficient multitasking)

Feta and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Wrapped in Prosciutto

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons artichoke hearts, chopped
4 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
2 slices prosciutto
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice a pocket into the side of each breast and stuff with equal amounts of artichoke and feta. Wrap chicken with prosciutto, making sure to cover the pocket opening and tuck ends underneath. Grease a small casserole dish with the olive oil, place the chicken breasts in it and roast for 30 minutes or until done.

While the chicken cooks, prepare the potatoes.

Basil Garlic Red Potatoes

5 red potatoes, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook, covered, on medium high, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.

While chicken and potatoes cook, prepare the asparagus. (They cook quickly, so this might be a good time to pour another glass or wine and/or set the table.)

Shallot Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil

Place all ingredients in a medium skillet and cook on high heat, shaking the pan often, for 5-8 minutes or until tender.

At this point, all three dishes should be finished cooking and ready to plate at the same time. Enjoy! Serves two.

Want more? My Patch.com articles can be found here.

Cherries Win!

2011-03-21T10:17:18-07:00

Woo hooo! I'm so honored to be chosen by head judge Matt Armendariz of Matt Bites and the Cherry Marketing Council. Here's the recipe: http://www.choosecherries.com/recipes/Sweet_and_Spicy_Seared_Tuna_with_Cherry_Cabbage_948.aspx

Here's the write-up from Matt (and a beautiful photo): http://mattbites.com/2011/03/20/judging-the-cherry-contest/

Gluten-free Friday, Meatless Monday -- Whatever Happened to Taco Tuesday?

2011-03-13T15:12:29-07:00

Time for this week's latest Napa.Patch column!

Enjoy! http://napa.patch.com/articles/gluten-free-friday-meatless-monday-whatever-happened-to-taco-tuesday

Latest Patch.com Article: Is Home Cooking Becoming a Lost Art?

2011-03-04T16:12:18-08:00

Happy Weekend! Check out my latest article on Napa.Patch.com: Is Home Cooking Becoming a Lost Art?

From the Valentine's Day Dinner: Sous Vide Pork Belly with Wine-Soaked Onions

2011-02-20T15:50:24-08:00

(This is Post 4 in a four-part series on Valentine's Day Dinner)

In any multi-course dinner, the meat course needs to be the centerpiece. It's what all of the previouse courses had led to, had set the stage for so to speak. Pork belly is the new go-to for decadence so it was the natural choice. I had read enough of Thomas Keller's Under Pressure, the bible for sous-vide for professionals. He cooks it a 180 degrees for 12 hours, so I followed his lead.

Sous Vide Pork Belly with Wine-Soaked Onions

1 pound pork belly, trimmed

Smoked sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 teaspoons truffle oil, divided

1 small red onion, mandolin-sliced

1 cup red wine

Preheat sous vide machine to 180 degrees. Rub pork belly with salt, pepper and half of the truffle oil. Place in a foodsaver bag and cook for 12 hours.

Place onions and wine in a small oven-proof dish and roast at 425 degrees for 45 minutes fluff with a fork.

Heat a cast-iron skillet to high heat and sear pork belly on all sides. Slice into portions and plate, topping with onions and remaining truffle oil. Serves two.

From the Valentine's Day Dinner: Reverse Salad with Greens Croutons

2011-02-17T07:18:00-08:00

(This is Post 3 in a four-part series, Valentine's Day Dinner)

For the salad course, I wanted to do something original. But how? I mean, how can you make a bunch of leaves on a plate original? So, I reversed it. The croutons became the leaves and the leaves became croutons, with a little help from some Gellan gum in my molecular gastonomy kit.

Reverse Salad with Manchego Tuile

1 cup mixed greens

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon Gellan gum

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Garlic powder to taste

Smoked paprika to taste

1/2 cup Manchego cheese, finely grated

Black pepper to taste

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Puree mixed greens in a food processor until they are a watery consistency and salt to taste. Pour into a small saucepan and whisk in the Gellan gum. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour into a shallow, wide container and refrigerate for 3 hours. Slice into squares.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice puff pastry into leaf-like shapes and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic powder and smoked paprika. Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden brown.

Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle Manchego cheese into 6-8 similar-sized clumps. Sprinkle with black pepper and place in the oven with the door slightly ajar. Immediately turn the heat off. Remove tuiles after 7-10 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, egg yolk, red wine vinegar and mustard.Pour into a squeeze bottle.

To assemble, divide puff pastry leaves out to 4-6 salad plates. Carefully arrange the croutons made of greens onto the leaves. Squirt dots of dressing onto the croutons, then wedge the cheese tuiles into the leaves. Serves 4-6.

From the Valentine's Day Dinner: Champagne Battered Tarragon and Shallot Shrimp

2011-02-15T07:16:00-08:00

(This is Post 2 in a four-part series - Valentine's Day Dinner)

The second course in our Valentine's Day dinner was to be shrimp, but how would I make it a little different and luxurious at the same time? The husband had eaten enough spicy, garlicky shrimp and I wanted to serve him something different, but with big flavors.

Champagne Battered Tarragon and Shallot Shrimp

1 cup flour

2 egg yolks, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup champagne

1 large shallot, crushed

1 tablespoon tarragon, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

8 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail-on

Additional canola oil for frying

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, egg yolks, salt, pepper and tablespoon of oil. Slowly stir in the champagne, combining completely. Refrigerate for 3-6 hours.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the shallot, tarragon, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Toss with the shrimp and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Heat oil in a deep fryer according to manufacturer's directions. Shake marinade from shrimp and dip into the batter. Fry until goldn brown, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serves two.