Author Archives: Carol

Sicilian Orange and Olive Oil Salad

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Sicilian Orange and Olive Oil Salad
10 Jan

INGREDIENTS

2 Medium Size Oranges
1/8 – ¼ cup of Barbàra Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Zest of one orange -optional
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt or to taste
Pepper to taste
Fresh oregano leaves – optional

DIRECTIONS

  1. Peel the oranges making sure to remove all of the white skin.
  2. Cut into ¼ inch rounds.
  3. Arrange on a plate.
  4. Drizzle olive oil to cover oranges. Make sure that they are covered in olive oil but not swimming in it.
  5. Decorate with orange zest and/or fresh oregano leaves –optional
  6. Sprinkle salt
  7. Pepper to taste

Serves 2-3 people as a side dish or serves 2 people as a dessert.

Bacon Cheesy Grits & Fried Egg

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Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

3 slices bacon, diced & trimmed of excess fat 1 large shallot, diced
1 ¾ cup of water + ¼ cup milk 1/2 cup corn grits (recommend quick cooking type)
⅔ cup grated cheese of choice (shredded Italian Blend or Cheddar recommended). handful of fresh arugula ½ tsp. olive oil 2 large eggs salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Sauté diced bacon & shallot over medium heat in a frying pan until cooked & lightly brown (4 to 5 minutes). Set aside.
  2. Bring the water & milk to a rolling boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low, stir in the grits, bacon & shallot. Cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the grits have thickened.
  3. While the grits are cooking, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Crack the eggs into the pan, season with salt & pepper, and cover. Cook over medium until the whites are set but the yolk is still soft. Set aside.
  4. Remove the grits from the heat. Stir in the cheese and arugula. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Spoon the grits into two shallow bowls. Top each bowl with a fried egg.
  6. Serve immediately.

 

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 2

These recipes are a part of the Cooking Guru web-series that is produced by Food Guru.

Purple Kraut Dressing

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Purple Kraut Salad
28 Sep

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup Barbara EVOO
¼ cup purple kraut juice
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
¼ cup mix of chopped herbs (such as dill, parsley, or cilantro), optional

DIRECTIONS
Mix well and serve tossed with mix of organic salad greens and top with purple sauerkraut.

Learn how to make your own purple sauerkraut by visiting
http://www.krautsource.com/new-page-1

Yield: approx. ½ cup

 

Recipes by Karen Diggs
Chef + Certified Nutritionist, www.kareniscooking.com
Founder, Kraut Source www.krautsource.com

 

Goat Cheese & Sundried Tomato Penne

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Ingredients:

2 cups penne pasta
2 tbl. Barbàra Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4-6 garlic cloves peeled & thinly sliced
½ of medium-large onion thinly sliced
⅛ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
⅓ cup white wine
⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes; julienne cut (packed in oil).
⅓ cup goat cheese
¼ cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
2-3 basil leaves, thinly sliced or 2 teaspoons prepared pesto sauce.
ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan on medium-high for about 1 minute. Add sliced onions and garlic and reduce temperature to medium-low. Add the red chili pepper flakes.
  2. Saute for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until garlic and onions caramelize.
  3. While the onions and garlic cook, fill a large pot ⅔ full with water and bring to a boil.
  4. Add pasta and cook about 9 minutes to al dente (slightly underdone). Add the chopped broccoli florets and sundried tomato to the pot. Continue cooking for one minute (10 minutes total). Remove from heat and drain in a strainer.
  5. Add drained penne, broccoli, & sun-dried tomato to the pan with the caramelized onions & garlic and stir to mix (if using pesto sauce, add now).
  6. Pour in white wine and heat on medium-high, stirring until the wine evaporates. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the goat cheese and toss until melted. Season with several grinds of salt and black pepper.
  7. Spoon into bowls and garnish with grated parmesan cheese & slices of fresh basil.
  8. Serve immediately.

 

Serves: 4 Prep and cooking time: 40-45 minutes

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

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Ingredients:

6 oz. (about ¾ cup) roasted jarred red bell peppers, drained
1 (15 oz.) can organic chick peas, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. tahini paste
2 cloves garlic, pressed
½ tsp. sea salt, or more to taste
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. Barbàra Extra Virgin Olive Oil + more to drizzle on top
Assorted fresh vegetables or pita chips

Directions:

  1. Place chick peas, roasted bell peppers, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, salt, cumin, cayenne and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 1 minute, then pause and scrape down the sides of the processor. Continue to process on low speed until smooth (approx. 30 seconds to 1 minute).
  2. Place hummus in a bowl and drizzle with additional olive oil if desired. Serve with fresh veggies or pita chips. Store left-over hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*Note: consistency will firm up if hummus is refrigerated for 2-3 hours prior to serving.

Serves: 4-6 Prep time: 5-7 minutes Processing time: 3 minutes

 

Cajun Spiced Salmon Fillet

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Cajun Spiced Salmon Fillet

Cajun Seasoning Mix:
In a bowl or container, blend
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Ingredients:
(2) 6 ounce wild salmon filets, about ½” thick
(2) tbl. Barbàra Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 lemon, thinly sliced crosswise
Cajun Seasoning Mix

Directions:

  1. Place salmon fillets, skin side down, on a foil lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
  2. Sprinkle Cajun Seasoning equally over both fillets and rub into the fish. *You may have a little seasoning left over.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the salmon filets (skin side down/seasoned side up), and cook for approximately 5 minutes until the bottom of the salmon is cooked and you can easily separate the skin from the fish with a spatula. Discard skins.
  4. Return the partially cooked salmon to the foil lined baking sheet, seasoned side up. Top with 2-3 thin slices of lemon
  5. Broil salmon in a pre-heated oven (upper rack; leave oven cracked open) for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and fish is just cooked through. *Do not overcook!
  6. Serve with a side of broccoli florets steamed over boiling water for approximately 2-3 minutes until crisp tender. Toss with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice to taste.

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 8-10 minutes
Serves 2

These recipes are a part of the Cooking Guru web-series that is produced by Food Guru.

 

Zucchini Panini

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Zucchini Panini

Ingredients:
2 slices of cracked wheat Sourdough bread
1 Tablespoon + 2 Teaspoons of Barbara Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ zucchini squash, sliced lengthwise into strips
1-2 slices of fresh Mozzarella cheese
¼ cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes (remove excess oil with paper towels) OR dried tomatoes soaked in warm water to soften
Pesto sauce

Directions:

  1. Preheat panini maker on “high” setting.
  2. Wash the zucchini squash & slice in half. Slice half lengthwise into 3 or 4 slices. Brush slices lightly with olive oil.
  3. Grill zucchini on hot panini maker for about 2 minutes. Flip and repeat. When slices are softened with grill marks, remove and set aside.
  4. To assemble the panini, lay (2) slices of bread open flat on a work surface. Spread pesto sauce on the face of both slices. On one slice, layer as follows: grilled zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and slices of fresh mozzarella. Top with remaining slice of bread.
  5. Lightly brush one side of the panini with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Lay face down on the hot panini maker. Brush the remaining side with 1 tablespoon olive oil and close the lid, pressing the sandwich between the hot grills
  6. Cook for about 3- 4 minutes until the cheese melts and the sandwich is golden brown.
  7. Serve immediately.

Prep and cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 1

These recipes are a part of the Cooking Guru web-series that is produced by Food Guru.

Fresh Summer Roasted Tomato Pasta

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Roasted Tomato Pasta2

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds of seasonal & organic medium-sized tomatoes (we used farmer’s market Heirlooms)
1/4 cup of Barbàra Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)
2 1/4 teaspoons of high quality sea salt
5 whole peeled garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
16 ounces of uncooked linguine pasta
3/4 (3 ounces) shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons torn fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 225°.
  2. Core and cut tomatoes into thick slices. Then, place tomatoes on a jelly-roll pan; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of Barbara Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Bake for 2-3 hours until slightly browned and almost sun-dried in texture.
  3. Heat a large, cast-iron skillet over low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of Barbara Extra Virgin Olive Oil and garlic; cook for 10 minutes, and stir occasionally. Remove garlic, and chop. Combine garlic, tomatoes, and red pepper in pan.
  4. Cook pasta in boiling water with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt until almost al dente or slightly undercooked. Drain pasta, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
  5. Increase heat to medium-high for tomato mixture and stir in reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 3 minutes. Add pasta and cook for 1 minute, while tossing to combine.
  6. Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheese and basil.
  7. Twirl and pile up your plate with this seasonal pasta.

Serves 6 people.

Recipe by Food Guru

 

Honey & Thyme Ice Cream with Extra Virgin Olive

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Honey & Thyme Ice Cream with Extra Virgin Olive
24 Sep

INGREDIENTS

2 cups heavy cream
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/3 cup raw honey
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup yoghurt, full fat
1/4 Barbara Extra Virgin Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place cream,honey, thyme, and salt in a pan. Place over low-medium heat until the mixture simmers. Stir well.
  2. While the cream is heating up, place the egg yolks in a large class or stainless steel bowl and lightly whisk them.
  3. When the cream is ready remove from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Then slowly pour about 1/3 onto the yolks while gently whisking.
  4. Return the whisked mixture to the rest of the heated cream.  Place pan onto a low heat and stir with a wooden spoon.
  5. Heat and stir until the cream mixture thickens and coats the back of the wooden spoon. (About 8 – 10 minutes.)
  6. Pour the thickened mixture through a strainer.  Allow to cool completely.
  7. Whisk in the Barbara Extra Virgin Olive Oil and yoghurt.
  8. Transfer to an ice cream maker to churn this into a delicious ice cream!

Serves 6 people.
 

Recipes by Karen Diggs
Chef + Certified Nutritionist, www.kareniscooking.com
Founder, Kraut Source www.krautsource.com