CategoriesDessert
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Tiramisu-Style Espresso Balsamic Cups

Tiramisu has to be one of our favorite desserts, and there is nothing like layers of coffee-soaked sponge cake and creamy mascarpone topped with cocoa powder. Although this is not the traditional recipe, consider it a tiramisu revamped! Ladyfingers are crumbled together with Ferrero Rocher hazelnut nougat-filled chocolates. We recommend a food processor to get that crumbly textured layer. The Espresso Balsamic gives it a nice coffee flavor with a fruity touch. The traditional tiramisu recipe calls for raw eggs, but this one is eggless, only whipped cream and mascarpone. You may double or even triple the recipe to make a trifle. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Makes eight 5 oz. servings.

What you’ll need:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

8 oz. tub of mascarpone

12 lady fingers

10 Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolates

3 tablespoons Espresso Balsamic

2 tablespoons cane sugar

1 tsp vanilla powder or vanilla extract (non-alcoholic)

Cocoa powder for sprinkling

8  5 oz. clear cups

Here’s how:

Break lady fingers in half. In a food processor, add the lady fingers and 6 Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolates. Process on low until you get a crumbly mixture. Add the espresso balsamic and pulse until you get a semi wet crumbly texture. Set to the side. In a mixer, add whipping cream, cane sugar and vanilla. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add mascarpone and mix again until evenly distributed. To layer, grab a cup and add a heaping tablespoon full of the lady finger balsamic crumble and then add a scoop (approximately two tablespoons) of the cream. Repeat. Smooth out the last layer of cream. With a strainer-sifter, sprinkle the cream top with cocoa. Cut in half the remaining 4 Ferrero Rochers and lay them face down over each cup. It’s now ready to serve or refrigerate to enjoy later! These cups may also be frozen for another time.

CategoriesSides Vegetables
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Roasted Root Vegetables with Rosemary Olive Oil

This is an easy peasy recipe. Not much to it. I chose a variety of root vegetables mainly for the beautiful color combination and taste. I’ve included sweet and purple potatoes, celeriac, rutabaga, and turnips.  You may choose any type of root vegetables. Yukon gold or red potatoes could be another option as well as carrots or parsnips. We tried those too and it’s equally delicious. Drizzle on the rosemary olive oil and you got yourself a yummy side dish.

What you’ll need:

1 Celeriac

1 Rutabaga

2 Medium Turnips

2 Purple Potatoes

3 Sweet Potatoes

1 small onion

4 Tablespoons Rosemary Olive Oil + more for drizzling

Sea salt

Pepper

Here’s how:

Preheat oven to 400°. Peel and chop root vegetables into small cubes. Dice the onion and place everything on a large baking sheet. Drizzle on the rosemary olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Mix so that olive oil covers all the vegetables, and spread  evenly on baking sheet. Place aluminum foil over the vegetables. Bake in oven for 40 minutes, half way through turn over vegetables and continue to bake without the aluminum foil. Root vegetables are done when slightly golden brown on the edges. Remove from oven and drizzle with more rosemary olive oil before serving.

CategoriesMain Dish
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Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Chicken

What you’ll need:

1 1/2 pounds free-range, boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast tenders.

1 large sweet onion sliced thin

8 oz. assorted wild mushrooms, sliced

4 inch fresh thyme, stem discarded

1/4 cup Traditional Balsamic

2 tablespoons of fruity-floral Hojiblanca, Picual, or Koroneiki, or Wild Mushroom Sage olive oil

1/2 cup heavy cream

sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Here’s how:

Season the chicken on both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to a pan or cast iron skillet and allow it to heat for a minute over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute for a few minutes until golden brown on both sides. Remove the chicken to a plate and reserve. Add the onions to the drippings in the pan. Cook for about five minutes, stirring frequently until the onions become a soft golden brown. Add the mushrooms. Saute for approximately three more minutes over medium high heat until the mushrooms are browned and slightly caramelized. Add the fresh thyme leaves and balsamic to the mushrooms and onions, de- glazing the pan by scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook to reduce for a minute. Add the cream and stir to combine. Add the reserved chicken. Allow the pan to come to a simmer. Cook for another two minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens. Season generously with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve over pasta, rice, or cooked whole grains.

CategoriesMain Dish Sides Vegetables
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Harvest Bowl

We’re calling this the Harvest Bowl. It includes the wonderful abundance available in the fall such as winter squash, brussel sprouts, dried cranberries, and pumpkins seeds. We used acorn squash in this recipe but any winter squash may be used. We roasted the squash and brussel sprouts in butternut squash seed oil and finished the dish with it, along with the Neapolitan herb dark balsamic vinegar. It makes a great side dish or a main meal.

What you’ll need:

2 cups Brown Rice, cooked

2 cups Quinoa, cooked

2 pounds Brussels Sprouts, cut in half

1 Acorn Squash, cut and cleaned with skin

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1/4 cup Dried Cranberries + 2 tablespoons for sprinkling

2 tablespoons Butternut Squash Seed Oil + more for drizzling

Neapolitan Herb Balsamic Vinegar for drizzling

Sea salt

Here’s how: 

Preheat oven to 400°. On a large baking sheet, add brussels sprouts on one side of the sheet and the squash on the other side. Add butternut squash seed oil and sea salt and then mix until well coated. Roast it in the oven for about 30 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together brown rice, quinoa, brussels sprouts, and dried cranberries. Add salt to taste. Lay the roasted squash around and on top of the mixture. Sprinkle on the pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Drizzle with butternut squash seed oil or roasted pumpkin seed oil and Neaopolitan herb balsamic.

CategoriesSalads
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Caesar Lime Dressing

Ceasar Lime Salad Dressing Recipe

Here is a fresh take on the classic caesar dressing usually made with anchovies, our fantastic Ceasar Lime Salad Dressing recipe. Capers are the perfect anchovy substitute for the saltiness that anchovies provide. The Persian lime olive oil is the essential ingredient for that nice lime flavor. The fresh limes are necessary for that sour touch, but you will find that the Persian lime olive oil gives it a superior lime taste. Combine the Ceasar lime dressing with chopped romaine lettuce and kale (for a healthier salad), toasted garlic olive oil croutons, and top with fresh grated Parmesan, and we have ourselves a new kind of caesar salad!

Ceasar Lime Salad Dressing Recipe

Ceasar Lime Salad Dressing Recipe

Ceasar Lime Salad Dressing Recipe

What you’ll need:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons Persian Lime Olive Oil

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons capers

1 teaspoon caper juice

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Parmesan for shaving

Garlic Olive Oil for the homemade croutons

Here’s how:

Whisk together mayonnaise, olive oil, and mustard in a small bowl. Then grind the capers in a small food processor or chop and smash with the back of a spoon. Add ground capers, garlic, caper juice, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk well. Finally, stir in grated parmesan cheese.

Combine the dressing with chopped romaine lettuce until it’s mixed evenly. Feel free to add chopped kale as a healthier option. Toast baguette slices on both sides in a pan with Garlic Olive Oil and crumble on top of salad. Then add shaved parmesan. Feel free to add your favorite protein.  Either with, it’s now ready to eat!

CategoriesMain Dish Vegetables
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Spicy Salmon Kebabs

These spicy salmon kebabs are inspired by the flavors of the Carribean with the combination of our Cayenne Chile agrumato extra virgin olive oil, fresh ginger, garlic, thyme, and honey. Whole cayenne chile peppers and olives are crushed together to make this exquisite spicy olive oil. Any one of our other spicy extra virgin olive oils will work just as well; chipotle, harissa, or baklouti chili. Not a fan of fish? Use chicken, beef, or tofu. Pair together with pineapple coconut couscous and you’ll have a Carribean inspired meal!

What you’ll need:

Marinade:

4 tablespoons Cayenne Chile Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon honey

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon ginger, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

Salmon Kebabs:

1 pound wild caught salmon, boneless, cut into cubes

1 red pepper, cut into chunks

1 yellow pepper, cut into chunks

1 orange pepper, cut into chunks

2 small zucchinis, sliced into rounds

1 medium red onion, cut into chunks

wooden skewers

Here’s how:

For the marinade, whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl. In a shallow dish, add salmon and vegetables. Pour the marinade over the salmon and vegetables and mix until well combined. Allow it to marinade for 15 to 30 minutes. Add salmon and vegetables to skewer, alternating until the skewer is full. On a hot preheated grill or cast iron grill pan place the skewers down. Reduce heat to medium/medium high. Allow it to cook and occasionally turn until it’s nicely cooked through. Enjoy it with our Pineapple Coconut Cousous recipe.

CategoriesSides
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Pineapple Coconut Couscous

We tried something completely new with couscous by giving it a taste of the tropics. Coconut white balsamic is added to the water so that the coconut flavor is absorbed into the couscous, and mixed in sweet tangy pineapple bits. This side dish pairs well with spicy grilled kebabs or any other dish with heat.

What you’ll need:

1 cup couscous

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup Coconut balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Here’s how:

Pour water and coconut balsamic vinegar into small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Remove saucepan from heat. Add the couscous and stir so that couscous is moistened. Cover the pan and let it sit for about 10 minutes so that the water can absorb the couscous. Gently fluff the couscous with a fork. Squeeze out the juice of the pineapple bits and mix it into the coucous. Garnish with cilantro.

CategoriesAppetizers
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Baked Feta Tomato Medley

The baked feta and tomato medley is a fantastic summer dish because it’s a great way to show off the numerous tomato varieties available in the summer. Not only that, it’s a carefree recipe that anyone can make. Rosemary and thyme give it a nice earthy rustic flavor, and a robust extra virgin olive oil help to bring out the flavors. Use any tomato variety; whether it’s from your garden, local farmer’s market, or even the grocery store, it does not matter. You can add more herbs, use less garlic, add more olives, whatever inspires you.

What you’ll need:

1 lb. block of feta, sheep’s milk recommended

6 cups of tomatoes, multiple variety

1/2 cup of green olives, non-oil cured, cut in half

Cloves of one garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons Robust Intensity Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling

2 tablespoons Traditional Balsamic

3 – 4 rosemary sprigs

5 – 6 fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

Fresh ground pepper

Here’s how:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cut feta in 1/4 inch slices and lay on large baking sheet, leaving about an inch space between each slice. Slice smaller tomatoes in half, quarter the larger tomatoes, and place in a large bowl. Add olives and garlic cloves to the tomatoes. Remove and roughly chop the leaves from the rosemary and remove thyme leaves by sliding leaves down the stem. Then add rosemary and thyme to the bowl. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients until well combined. Add the tomato mixture in between and on top of the feta allowing a portion of the feta to remain uncovered.

Place in preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes. It’s done when feta is slightly golden brown on top. Drizzle on some more olive oil and enjoy with a fresh loaf of crusty Italian bread!

Find this recipe on Pinterest!