This is an attractive seasonal salad, one that can be adapted to what you have on hand. Substitute a firm pear for the apple (an Asian pear is especially good) or fresh orange juice for the lemon juice.
Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe adapted from natashaskitchen.com
Peaches or apricots are delicious alternatives to the pears.
Yields 6 servings
My wife, Meghan, and I often order souvlaki (both chicken and lamb) during our stays in Oz. We present it as an appetizer here, but it can easily become a main course—especially when served with a Greek salad and pita.
Serves 6 as an appetizer, 4 as a main course — Recipe adapted from themediterraneandish.com and allrecipes.com
This hummus twist has a sweet, seasonal spin—great with vegetable chips, crudités, crackers, or pita.
Serves 4 as an appetizer — Recipe adapted from littlesunnykitchen.com
This vinaigrette is also delicious as a topping for bruschetta or pizza. And you can let it cool to room temperature and use it as a dressing on cold dishes as well as salads.
Yields 4 servings
This South American-inspired olive oil-rich pesto elevates simple roasted chicken and packs an herby punch.
Yields 2-3 servings
This olive-oil based recipe turns chimichurri into an aioli, a highly flavored, garlicky mayonnaise. It’s great as a veggie dip, a condiment, and even a dressing for cold pasta salad.
Yields about a 1/2 cup
Nearly any kind of mild fish can be enhanced with salmoriglio, a centuries-old sauce with uncertain beginnings that is popular in southern Italy. We also love it on potatoes, chicken, and shrimp or other shellfish.
Serves 4 — Recipe from Food and Wine September 2007
Extra virgin olive oil gives classic lemon curd all the silkiness of butter without the saturated fat. It’s delicious spooned over Greek yogurt and topped with berries—serve it in a champagne glass for an indulgent yet good-for-you dessert. You can also use it to make a lemon tart—fill a baked and cooled 8″ tart shell with the chilled curd, and top with dollops of whipped cream.
Yields 1-¾ cups.
The ultimate sauce for filet mignon or any great steak—it’s rich and buttery.
Yields about 1/2 cup.
This vinaigrette must be in your repertoire. It can also be made in a blender or food processor: Pulse all ingredients except the olive oil for a few seconds (the machine can mince the garlic for you), and then, with the machine still running, slowly add the olive oil through the opening in the lid/top until the mixture is blended. (You’ll find that a vinaigrette with honey will quickly emulsify and create a thick dressing.) For deeper flavor, add more vinegar, one teaspoon at a time.
Yields a scant 1/2 cup
The blend of sweet and hot sausage means a taste explosion in every bite. (Of course, if you prefer your stuffing to be on the milder side, you can use 2 pounds of sweet sausage only.) Though we still call it “stuffing,” the safest and tastiest way to bake it is in its own dish—you’ll get the crispy top that everyone loves over the greatest surface area too.
Grease a deep 13" by 9" baking pan with olive oil, and pour the stuffing mixture into the pan, leaving about 1" clearance from the top—it will bubble up as it bakes. (Use two baking dishes if necessary.) Dot the surface of the stuffing with the butter cubes, and cover with foil, making a fairly tight seal. Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes, taking the foil off for the last 15 minutes to brown the top, if needed. The stuffing will keep warm out of the oven with the foil back in place for up to an hour.