Mediterranean tuna and bean salad

This tuna and bean salad is packed with protein and fiber and is quick to prepare. For extra flavor, add a pinch of crushed red pepper or cayenne.

Ingredients:

– 8 cups mixed salad greens
– 1 15- to 19-ounce can beans (feel free to use, chickpeas, rinsed kidney beans or black-eyed peas)
– 1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
– 2 5-ounce cans water-packed chunk light tuna, drained and flaked
– ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
– ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
– 4 teaspoons capers, rinsed
– 1½ teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
– ½ cup lemon juice, divided into 2
– 4 tablespoons Olé extra virgin olive oil
– Freshly ground pepper
– ¼ teaspoon salt
– Sea salt

Serves 4

Procedure:

1. Combine beans, tuna, bell pepper, onion, parsley, capers, rosemary, ¼ cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl.

2. Season with pepper.

3. Combine the remaining ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oil and salt in a large bowl.

4. Add salad greens; toss to coat.

5. Divide the greens among 4 plates.

6. Top each with the tuna salad.

Enjoy!

Recipe from: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2009

 

Tomato Basil Pasta with Olé extra virgin olive oil

A simple delicious dish.  It refrigerates well and can be served as a cold pasta salad.

Ingredients

2 cups diced tomatoes

1 small onion, finely chopped

6 tablespoons Olé extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves crushed garlic

6 leaves fresh basil, torn

10 ounces fusilli pasta

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Stir tomatoes, onion, Olé extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and basil together in a bowl
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook fusilli in the boiling water, occasionally stirring, until cooked through but firm to the bite, (approximately 12 minutes)
3. Drain
4. Toss warm pasta with feta cheese and Parmesan in a large bowl
5. Stir tomato mixture into pasta and season with salt and pepper

Enjoy!

Olé extra virgin olive oil black cod poached Alaska with herbs

Get elegant with this light delicious entrée

 

Ingredients needed:

1 Tablespoon Olé extra virgin olive oil

1 Medium red bell pepper, diced

1 Medium onion, diced

2 Stalks of celery, chopped finely

4 Garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 Cup dry white wine

1 Tablespoon of thyme leaves

4 Cups chicken, fish, or vegetable broth

2 – 3 Cups Olé extra virgin olive oil (enough to cover fish fillets)

4 Alaska black cod fillets, (approximately 4-ounces each), fresh or thawed

 

Directions:

Sauté onion, red pepper and celery in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a stockpot until soft (about 5 minutes).

Stir in garlic and continue cooking 5 minutes.

Stir in wine and thyme.

Add broth and cook 5 to 10 minutes,

Turn off heat, cover and keep warm.

While vegetables are cooking, in a shallow high-sided, heavy pan or stockpot, heat 2-1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil over low heat until oil appears wavy.

Add salt and pepper to Alaska Black Cod fillets.

Add fillets to Olé extra virgin olive oil, making sure the fillets are covered, adding additional oil, if needed.

Turn up heat to medium and poach 10 to 12 minutes, cooking just until fillets are fully opaque throughout.

Remove fillets with slotted spoon and place each fillet in a shallow soup or pasta bowl. Divide broth over fillets; garnish with fresh herbs.

 

Enjoy!

Smoked salmon omelette with Olé extra virgin olive oil olive oil

A delicious and quick omelette with smoked salmon.

Ingredients needed

• 3 medium-sized eggs
• 15g (½ oz) unsalted butter
• 40g (1½ oz) smoked salmon, roughly chopped
• ½ tsp Olé extra virgin olive oil olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Beat the eggs together in a bowl and season to taste, with salt and black pepper.
2. Heat the butter in an omelette pan until it begins to foam. Pour in the beaten eggs and cook for a few seconds, until the bottom of the omelette is lightly set.
3. Push the set parts of the omelette into the uncooked centre of the omelette. Cook again, until the omelette has set further, then push the set parts into the centre of the omelette again.
4. Repeat the process until the eggs have just set but the omelette is still soft in the centre.
5. Place two-thirds of the smoked salmon into the centre of the omelette and cook for 30 seconds.
6. Remove from the heat and tilt the pan slightly to move the omelette to the edge of the pan. Slide the omelette onto a serving plate, then shape it into a neat roll. Brush the omelette with Olé extra virgin olive oil olive oil and serve.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Salmon Baked with Olé extra virgin olive oil & Herbs

Serves 4

This is a great and foolproof way to make a delicious salmon dinner.

The fish is basically poached in a very shallow pool of olive oil, protected from the heat by the oil below and a paste of herbs on top.

Together the oil and the herbs keep the fish from overbaking, so even if it cooks for 5 minutes too long, it will still be moist, tender, and falling apart on the fork.

Ingredients:
1 1/4-pound salmon fillet
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Olé extra virgin olive oil
Flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large shallot, roughly chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh dill fronds
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley or tarragon leaves
Zest of 1 lemon

The Process:
Heat the oven to 250°F.
1. Pour 1/4 cup olive oil in a small baking pan, just large enough to hold the entire piece of salmon.
2. Lay the salmon skin-side down in the olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
3. Blend the shallot, dill, parsley, and lemon zest in a food chopper or small food processor.
4. Blend in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Pat this herb paste over the salmon.
5. Bake the salmon for 22 to 28 minutes (depending on the thickness of the salmon fillet).
6. To check for doneness, insert a fork into the thickest part of the fillet and gently pull. If the fish flakes easily, then it is done. If it is still gooey, and if the fork is difficult to pull out, bake the salmon for 5 more minutes and check again.
7. Serve with rice or fresh bread and a generous green salad.

Enjoy!!

 

Beef with green olives…and cinnamon!

You’ll love this recipe with cinnamon and Olé extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg beef
• ½ kg green olives
• 3-4 ripe tomatoes
• 1 clove of garlic
• Cinnamon
• Salt, pepper
• 1 cup Olé extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:

1. Cut the meat into medium-sized pieces.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the meat until it browns.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, finely chopped garlic, cinnamon, salt and pepper and 1 cup of water.
4. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, put the green olives into scalding hot water and when the meat is half cooked, add them to the pan. Cook for another 30 minutes.

 

Shortbread Hors d’Oeuvres with Parmigiano Reggiano

Serves: 8 people

Ingredients needed:

1 cup of organic all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon Olé extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of chopped olives
1 cup of chopped prociutto
1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
1/3 cup of salted butter
1 3/4 cups of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 Tablespoon of freshly-grated garlic
1 cup roasted pine nuts

Steps:
1. Mix the flour, butter, olive oil, cheese and garlic to make the dough (the dough will be a bit dry at this point).

2. Combine all the other ingredients and the dough in a bowl, adding a few tablespoons of water to moisten the dough, if necessary.

3. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight if serving the next day.

4. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

5. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

6. Roll out the shortbread on a floured surface until about 1/2” thick. Use a small glass or holiday cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place the shapes about 2” apart on the prepared cookie sheet.

7. Bake in the oven until the shortbread is light brown, about 15 minutes.

8. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven. Serve the Hors d’Oeuvres fresh out of the oven, but cooled slightly, with a glass of Chardonnay. This is a classic French hors d’oeuvre, but it is even more tasty and healthy when it is homemade. If there are any leftovers (unlikely), store them in a metal box.