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Seafood and Avocado Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Pick your own culinary adventure with the seafood you choose for this dish—succulent lobster meat, crabmeat, shrimp, calamari rings, or any combination. I love to serve the seafood in avocado halves, but if you prefer a handheld meal, add avocado cubes to the mix and sandwich it between ciabatta slices that have been lightly toasted or grilled and drizzled with olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cooked shellfish
  • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, plus more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • Coarse sea salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 ripe avocados, halved and pitted 

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the shellfish, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olive oil, vinegar, and dill. Taste and season as desired with salt and pepper. Divide the salad among the avocado halves, mounding it high (a large ice cream scoop works well).

Yields 6 servings 

Prawn and Pork Fried Rice

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Asian cuisine abounds in Australia, and this dish is one of my favorites! Fried rice is a kitchen-sink kind of meal—a great way to use up veggies and any leftovers you have, so feel free to augment the ingredients with whatever you have on hand.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 8 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed and cubed
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 8 ounces shelled and deveined shrimp
  • 4 cups any combination of chopped onions, diced carrots, bell pepper, broccoli florets, mushrooms, scallions, and/or peas
  • 2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 cups cooked rice, white or brown, at room temperature
  • Optional: 1/4 cup unsalted, roasted peanuts

Directions

Step 1

Heat a large wok or deep frying pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir-fry the pork and garlic until the meat is cooked through; transfer to a bowl. Add the rest of the olive oil and stir-fry the shrimp until cooked through (pink and opaque); transfer to the bowl with the pork.

Step 2

If necessary, add 2 more tablespoons olive oil to the pan, then stir-fry all the vegetables until tender and the onions have turned a light brown. Add the rice along with the sesame oil, hoisin, and soy, and mix thoroughly; cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add back the pork and shrimp, then cook for another 5 minutes. Fluff before serving.

Serves 4

Crispy Potatoes

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

The only trick to this delicious side dish is to not crowd the potatoes—you’ll get better browning and crisping if you leave some space between the slices. Use two rimmed sheet pans if needed.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and dried
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 6 sprigs fresh oregano
  • 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch slices and place in a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Spread
out the slices in single layers on rimmed sheet pans. Roast for 30 minutes, flip over the potatoes, and roast for another 30 minutes or until done to your liking. Sprinkle with more salt, the oregano, and the parsley before plating.

Serves 4-6

Nutty Banana Bread

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Aussies love their banana bread. My version gets flavor boosts from hazelnuts and coconut. Because it uses almond flour, making it gluten free, it won’t rise the way a flour-based loaf will and is more like a delicate torte.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces shelled hazelnuts
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 very ripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 extra-large eggs plus
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper, using enough for an overhang of 2 inches on the sides of the pan, and set aside. Heat a small frying pan and, when hot, toast the hazelnuts for 2 to 3 minutes until they become fragrant; remove from the heat and allow to cool, then roughly chop them.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, mix the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a larger bowl, mash the bananas thoroughly with a fork, then mix in the olive oil, vanilla, sugar, whole eggs, and egg whites. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture, the hazelnuts, and the coconut. Transfer to the loaf pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a knife tip inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly before lifting the loaf from the pan by grasping the sides of the parchment; transfer to a rack to finish cooling. Use a serrated knife for easier cutting.

Serves 10