For his pesto, JuanJo used semi-matured goat cheese rather than Parmigiano-Romano (see more in the Healthy Ingredient Spotlight in Newsletter). It was simple, fast, and stunning. He dolloped it on just-roasted tomatoes, and it’s equally delicious on bruschetta, as a sandwich spread, tossed with hot pasta and a splash of pasta water, served with grilled fish or chicken, and stirred into warm white beans.
Yields 4 servings
This makes a satisfying lunch and a great appetizer for your next get-together. I love the tangy, fruity taste of sumac, a spice that’s finally getting the attention it deserves. If you’ve got the grill on, drizzle olive oil on the bread and toast over the coals.
Yields 4 lunch or 8 appetizer servings
Add zest to mozzarella with this flavorful marinade. Pearls are cheese balls about the size of cherry tomatoes. Serve them as a finger food or pair with tomatoes for a first course.
This delectable dish starts with a rich yet quick tomato sauce. You can substitute a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes with their juice for the fresh tomatoes but add it after the tomato paste.
If you’re new to lentils, this flavorful recipe makes a great introduction. I’ve streamlined the number of spices used in traditional recipes because garam masala already incorporates the essentials—coriander, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, among others. This makes a hearty meatless meal, a soup, or a side dish—scoop it up with a piece of your favorite Indian bread.
Yields 6 main servings, 6 side servings
This is a zesty alternative to steamed green beans, with ingredients that reflect the colors of the Italian flag.
Serves 4
This earthy medley is easy and very versatile. Serve it over pasta, polenta, or rice, or stir it into a flavorful risotto. Replace the cream with vegetable broth for a vegan version.
Serves 4
While there’s a place for slowly simmered red sauce, I love how quickly this version comes together, enriched with extra virgin olive oil and ricotta cheese.
Yields 4 to 6 servings
Roasting vegetables brings out their depth of flavor and turns a simple salad into a spectacular one. Beets, in particular, become oh so sweet!
Serves 2
Melbourne-based foodie and olive oil authority Melissa Wong shared two of her dumpling recipes with me on my most recent trip to Australia for the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club. The shrimp-and pork-based dumpling recipe is available in the current Pressing Report included with our latest Ozzie olive oils. Here is her meatless version. Tailor the filling to your tastes by adding more veggies like diced shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts, or jicama. Please click here to join now so you don’t miss my sumptuous trio of Oz oils shipping now.
Serves 8 to 10
Called cicchetti in Venice, their birthplace, these appetizers are a favorite around the world, especially among the large Italian population in Australia. They’re also quick to assemble from pantry ingredients. For more recipes popular Down Under, check out the Pressing Report in this quarter’s shipment of fresh-pressed olive oils.
Yields 6 to 8 servings