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Annie’s Baked Pears with Ice Cream and EVOO

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Annie also shared her recipe for slow-baked pears. “The long cooking time is essential—they’re just not the same if you try to hurry the dish along,” she explained. Serve them with the best-quality store-bought ice cream or make your own. Note: The pears can also be baked with the skins on for a more rustic look.

Ingredients

  • 2 large ripe green pears
  • 1/2 cup water, more if needed
  • 1 vanilla bean, split, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 4 teaspoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • Vanilla or vanilla olive oil ice cream
  • Slivered almonds (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel, halve, and remove the core from the pears.

Step 2

Place the pears, cut side up, in a baking dish and pour the water around them. Add the vanilla pod or extract to the water. Place 1 teaspoon olive oil, topped with 1 teaspoon butter, in the cored center of each pear half. Sprinkle the sugar over the pears

Step 3

Cover the baking dish (use foil if it doesn’t have its own cover) and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, checking periodically to make sure the water has not evaporated (add more water if necessary). At the end of the cooking time, the sugar and water should have just started to caramelize, and the tip of a sharp knife should easily pierce the fruit.

Step 4

Let cool slightly, then serve with vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of olive oil, some syrup from the baking dish, and a sprinkling of almonds, if desired.

Serves 4

Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Chinese broccoli is a delicious change from American greens. Melissa Wong shared her simple recipe with me. If you can’t find it at your local ethnic markets, feel free to substitute broccoli rabe. Vegetarian versions of oyster sauce are available online or at larger markets.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound gai lan or baby gai lan
  • 4 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought
  • chicken or vegetable broth, or salted water
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce

Directions

Step 1

Soak the gai lan in cold water to dislodge any sand or grit; rinse well and drain. Trim about 1/2 inch off the stem ends. Peel any tough ends with a vegetable peeler or paring knife. (This will not be necessary if you are using baby gai lan.) Prepare an ice bath by adding ice cubes to a large bowl of cold water.

Step 2

Over medium-high heat, bring the broth to a boil in a deep saucepan or wok. Add the gai lan and blanch until it turns bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the gai lan to the ice bath to stop the cooking. Reserve the cooking liquid in a separate bowl or container. Drain the gai lan and transfer it to a platter, plate, or shallow bowl.

Step 3

Add the olive oil to the still-hot pan (or reheat, if necessary) as well as the garlic and ginger, if using. Sauté over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid (save or freeze the remainder for another use) as well as the oyster sauce. Pour the sauce over the gai lan. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 4

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Roasting vegetables brings out their depth of flavor and turns a simple salad into a spectacular one. Beets, in particular, become oh so sweet!

Ingredients

  • 2 small red or yellow beets, about 6 ounces each
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Pinch of kosher or coarse sea salt
  • 4 cups micro greens or arugula
  • 1 ripe pear, halved, cored, and cut into thin slices
  • 3 ounces goat cheese, cut into slices
  • 1 small red onion, cut into thin rings
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted pistachios Balsamic vinegar of Modena

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 2

Scrub the beets and cut off the roots and tips, but don’t peel. Cut into medium cubes and transfer to the sheet pan. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast until the tip of a sharp knife easily pierces a few cubes, about 30 minutes. Remove beets from the oven and let cool.

Step 3

Divide the greens between two large plates. Top with equal amounts of beets, pears, cheese, red onion, and pistachios. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Serves 2

Melissa’s Vegetarian Dumplings with Dipping Sauce

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

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. 

Ingredients

For the dipping sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon ground Sichuan pepper
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger 
  • 1/2 fresh chile, such as jalapeño or serrano, chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons black vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

For the dumplings:

  • 1/2″ piece ginger, peeled and cut into coins
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced small
  • 1/2 carrot, diced small
  • 1 cup diced red cabbage
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 ounce dried rice noodles
  • 1/2 cup diced zucchini
  • 2 portobello mushrooms, diced small
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 package square or round dumpling wrappers (about 50)

Directions

Step 1

For the dipping sauce, toast the sesame seeds in a dry, hot frying pan until fragrant, about 2 minutes; transfer to a small dish and set aside. In the same pan, dry toast the Sichuan pepper, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, swirl in the olive oil, garlic, ginger, chile, cilantro, and sugar. Whisk in the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, scallions, and the reserved sesame seeds. Pour into a serving bowl and set aside.

Step 2

For the dumpling filling, place the ginger, garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small food processor and blitz to a rough paste; set aside.

Step 3

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add in 1 tablespoon olive oil and the onions and cook until the onions soften slightly. Add the carrots and cook for 30 seconds. Add in the ginger-garlic paste and cook until fragrant. Transfer the contents of the wok to a large bowl and return the wok to the stovetop.

Step 4

Let the wok heat up again, then add the remaining tablespoon olive oil and the cabbage and cook until the cabbage softens slightly. Turn off the heat and stir in the coriander and cumin. Add to the bowl with the other vegetables, holding back any released liquid from the cabbage (discard it). Allow the vegetables to cool completely.

Step 5

Soak the rice noodles in cold water until softened, about 3 minutes. Drain and roughly chop into 1″ pieces. Add to the cooked vegetables along with the zucchini and mushrooms. Evenly sprinkle on the cornstarch and mix well. 

Step 6

Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place a bowl of water next to your work area. Open the package of wrappers and cover with a damp kitchen towel so that they won’t dry out. 

Step 7

Place a generous teaspoon of filling in the center of a wrapper (don’t overfill or the dumplings won’t stay closed). Dip a fingertip in the water bowl and moisten the outer edges of the wrapper, then fold it and press the edges together to seal them. For round wrappers, crimp the edges together to make a crescent shape. For square wrappers, use your fingertip to wet the two bottom corners, then overlap them slightly and press together to form a shape like a bishop’s hat. As you finish each dumpling, place it on the rimmed sheet pan under the towel. There should be enough filling to make about 50 dumplings.

Step 8

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in 12 to 16 dumplings at a time and cook for 7 minutes (they will float to the surface). Use a Chinese strainer to transfer them to a large bowl; cover with a pot lid to keep them warm. Repeat until all the dumplings have been cooked. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Serves 8 to 10