Mediterranean Baked Olives October 26, 2011

Imagine the best olive mix you’ve ever bought.  The marinated olives you can make at home are infinitely better.  Combine a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your house (garlic, wine, bay leaf, oregano, etc.), bake them with your favorite mix of olives, and serve them with crusty bread for a simple tapas-style appetizer.  The smell of these olives cooking will elicit moans from anyone in the vicinity of your kitchen.

Mediterranean Baked Olives

1 cup Kalamata olives

1 cup green olives, such as Picholine

1 bay leaf

3 cloves garlic, 1 sliced and 2 minced

1 tsp. oregano

1 Tbs. parsley

1 ½ Tbs. olive oil

½ cup dry white wine

1 ½ Tbs. olive oil

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1.            Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Combine olives, bay leaf, sliced garlic and wine in baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake in single layer, covered, for 45 minutes or until olives are fragrant and swollen.

2.            Meanwhile, combine minced garlic, parsley, oregano and olive oil in mortar and pestel until it resembles a thick paste.   When olives are done baking, pierce each olive with a knife or fork, and add parsley mixture, along with olive oil and crushed red pepper, tossing to combine.  Serve immediately or cool and store at room temperature for up to a week.

Serves 6-8

Tasting Theme Party March 31, 2011

A tasting theme is a great way to spice up any gathering, whether it’s a casual weekend get-together or a wedding shower.

Make a tasting theme party out of any food or drink.  Have a beer, scotch or wine tasting and serve complementary foods (pizza, wings, steak, cheese or tapas—whatever goes best with the beverages you choose).  You can make the tasting into a blind taste test by setting up a station with glasses behind numbered signs.  Print tasting note sheets (find a form online or simply print “tasting notes” at the top of a sheet and have lines after the numbers that correspond with the beverages).

For a more family-friendly tasting, choose a favorite food and get different types, flavors or brands to compare.  Steak sauces, hot sauces, ice cream and cheese are all great foods for tasting.  Serve steak to dip into the steak sauces, wings to dip into the hot sauces, different toppings for the ice cream, and different spreads (quince paste, raspberry jam or mustard) to serve with the cheeses.

Goat Cheese Artichoke Dip December 21, 2010

I love to serve a warm dip during the holidays, like this Goat Cheese Artichoke Dip.  It can be prepared several days in advance and popped into the oven right before guests arrive, filling your house with the inviting smell of cheesy goodness.  This dip is a huge crowd-pleaser, so I always double the recipe when serving as part of a cocktail party menu.

Although this dip is cream cheese based, it freezes surprisingly well.  I often make an extra and freeze it (unbaked) so I have a delicious dip on hand for impromptu holiday entertaining.  If you aren’t a fan of goat cheese, use sour cream in place of the goat cheese.  Either way, this dip is absolutely delicious.  Serve with warm whole wheat pita wedges, baguette slices, or whole-grain crackers.

Goat Cheese Artichoke Dip

½ C. low-fat mayonnaise

8oz low-fat cream cheese or Neufatchel cheese, softened

6oz goat cheese, softened

½ C. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 can (14oz) water-packed artichoke hearts, drained

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced

1.            Combine mayo, cream cheese, goat cheese and Parmesan in food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Add artichoke hearts, onion and garlic and pulse until combined, leaving some texture to the mixture.  Transfer mixture to a 6” soufflet or casserole dish.  (You can refrigerate this mixture for up to 2 days).

2.            Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake dip for 30 minutes, or until warm and bubbly.  Serve immediately.

Basil Infused Olive Oil August 18, 2010

Wondering what to do with the abundance of fresh basil this time of year?  I love to make basil infused olive oil and drizzle it over heirloom tomatoes, grilled eggplant, fresh mozzarella and broiled fish.  I also serve it as a dipping oil with crusty bread, or toss it with any grilled veggie for a flavorful side dish.  It’s the essence of summer, concentrated into a simple oil. 

Basil Infused Olive Oil

1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
¼ cup olive oil

Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil and blanch basil for 5 seconds.  Drain and immediately plunge into ice water.  Once cooled, remove from water and pat leaves dry with paper towel.  Puree basil with olive oil in a food processor.  Season with salt and pepper.  Strain the basil oil through a fine mesh strainer and discard basil remnants.  Pour oil into a jar, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  Basil oil will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

 Photo Credit:  Lisa Barber

Wine Cork Place Card Holders August 6, 2010

Looking for a craft project for those wine corks you’ve been saving all these years? Turn them into place card holders for your vineyard or wine tasting party!  Using a sharp knife, slice a small piece off of the cork so the cork will lay flat. On the opposite side, slice a long slit in the cork lengthwise and tuck a place card into the slit for a wine-themed place card holder.

If you’re not a DIYer but like the idea, you can order wine cork place card holders, like the ones pictured above, online.

Wine Cork Place Card Holders – $8 /set 4

http://www.beau-coup.com/wine-cork-place-card-holders.htm

Simple Summer Appetizer – Cantaloupe Caprese Salad or Skewers July 27, 2010

Since the heat wave moved in I haven’t been able to turn on my oven.  As a result, I have gotten creative with my no-cook recipes.  A caprese salad is one of my favorites this time of year, when the tomatoes and basil are at their best.  But instead of tomatoes, I substitute cantaloupe and made a delicious hip twist on this Italian classic.  Serve this combo as a salad or on mini skewers for a party (or kids).  This is a savory recipe – think of it like a vegetarian version of cantaloupe and prosciutto, another delicious sweet-salty combo. 

Seed and cut one ripe cantaloupe into chunks or round balls (with a mellon baller).  Use one container of Bocconcini (mini Mozzarella balls) and a small bunch of fresh basil.  Layer cantaloupe, Bocconcini and basil on skewers and repeat until the skewers are full, leaving an inch or so at the end.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Instead of skewers, make a salad using the same ingredients and tossing until combined.  Serve with a nice glass of white wine or prosecco and enjoy!

Hip Tip – Wine Cork Candles June 9, 2010

Whether you’re hosting a wine tasting or just a dinner party, add some interest to your table with wine cork candles.   No need for expensive crystal candle holders; use empty wine bottles and faux wine cork candles to add ambiance.  Wine cork candles are available from a number of online retailers.  A few I have ordered from in the past are listed below. 

Uncommon Goods – $22/ set of 12
http://www.uncommongoods.com/item/item.jsp?itemId=12841

Amazon – $10/ set of 6
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029K2TKS/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?ie=UTF8&cloe_id=0f2fabef-c00a-4420-a0b0-4c76d1c57e3f&attrMsgId=LPWidget-A2&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000199GC8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0WE3GAKN9X5WMTXNSTPQ

Beau Coup – $7.20/ set of 4
http://www.beau-coup.com/wine-cork-candles.htm