Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Appetizers Page 10

Smoked Salmon and Nori Rolls

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Luscious hot-smoked salmon is a specialty of the island of Tasmania, an offshore Australian state. A bit of wasabi gives these colorful rolls a “devilish” flavor profile. If you prefer, replace the edamame spread with a schmear of cream cheese mixed with wasabi paste. A mandoline is a handy tool for slicing the cukes.

Ingredients

For the edamame wasabi spread:

  • 1 cup fresh or frozen shelled edamame
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
  • 2 teaspoons wasabi powder mixed with 1 teaspoon water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste

To assemble the rolls:

  • 8 sheets of nori (dried seaweed)
  • 1 cup edamame wasabi spread
  • 8 ounces of smoked wild salmon
  • Sixteen 1/4-inch slices of English cucumber, cut lengthwise
  • 16 thin strips stemmed and seeded red bell pepper
  • 16 slices ripe but rm avocado (about 2 large, pitted and peeled)
  • 24 fresh mint leaves
  • 24 fresh cilantro leaves
  • White or black sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Make the edamame wasabi spread: Put the edamame, sea salt, water, olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, and wasabi paste in a small food processor and process until smooth. Add more lime juice, salt, or wasabi, if needed; you want well-balanced flavors.

Step 2

Place a sheet of nori on a work surface with the rough side facing up. Carefully spread 2 tablespoons of the edamame wasabi mixture over the nori, leaving 1 1/2 inches bare along the bottom edge of the nori (the edge facing you) and 1/2 inch bare along the top edge.

Step 3

Place 2 pieces each of the salmon, cucumber, bell pepper, and avocado about 1 1/2 inches from the bottom edge. Top with 3 mint leaves and 3 cilantro leaves. Starting with the bare edge, roll the nori around the fillings, pressing gently to make a compact roll. Run a water-moistened finger along the inside edge of the nori and press gently so it adheres to the roll.

Step 4

Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Cut each roll into 8 pieces using a sharp serrated knife. Sprinkle the cut sides with sesame seeds, if desired. Can be made several hours ahead.

Serves 8 — Recipe adapted from drweil.com

Cheesy Smashed Potatoes with Mojo Colorado

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Mojo colorado is a classic red chile sauce from Spain’s Canary Islands. Great on smashed potatoes, it’s also wonderful as an accompaniment to anything you cook on the grill—meat, fish, or veggies.

Ingredients

For the mojo colorado:

  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons pimentón
  • 1 small, fresh, hot red chile, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste
  • 1/4 cup water

For the potatoes:

  • 8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, skin on
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • Coarse kosher or sea salt
  • 1/2 cup coarsely grated Manchego cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon pimentón

Directions

Step 1

Make the mojo colorado: Char the bell pepper over a gas burner or under a broiler until it is blackened and blistered on all sides. Peel, stem, seed, and tear it into several pieces. Place in a blender jar with the other sauce ingredients, and blend until smooth. Add more salt if needed or water to thin. Set aside.

Step 2

Bake the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 375°F. (If you used your broiler to roast the pepper, let the oven cool to 375° before continuing the recipe.) Use 1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat a baking dish large enough to accommodate the potatoes. Bake the potatoes until they are soft when pierced with a knife or a bamboo skewer, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and gently smash each potato with the back of a large spoon. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then season with salt. Top with the grated Manchego cheese and dust with pimentón. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Drizzle with the mojo colorado before serving.

Yields 4 to 6 side-dish servings.

Grilled Halloumi Over Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

I’m a huge fan of halloumi, a brined goat’s milk cheese from Cyprus. Because it has a high melting point, this firm, somewhat salty cheese can be grilled directly on the grate. You can skewer chunks along with your favorite veggies or simply grill slices and serve them with the refreshing seasonal salad in this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon best-quality red wine vinegar 
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved 
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • One head romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn 
  • 12 brined Kalamata olives, drained, pitted, and halved 
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 12 ounces of halloumi, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices 
  • 4 tablespoons Greek yogurt (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Make the salad: In a bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, olives, and parsley. Toss gently to coat the vegetables with the dressing and divide evenly on four plates.

Step 2

Pour the rest of the olive oil onto a rimmed sheet pan and gently coat both sides of each cheese slice. On a medium-hot grill, grill the cheese for 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning with tongs or a thin-bladed spatula. (Work in batches if necessary.) 

Step 3

Top each salad plate with equal amounts of the grilled cheese and add a dollop of yogurt, if desired. Serve immediately. 

Yields 4 servings.

Chilean Salsa (Pebre)

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

No collection of Chilean recipes would be complete without pebre. Every cook, it seems, has their own version. If you want to tame the onion, soak it in cold water for about 30 minutes, then drain well. Serve the salsa with bread, meat, seafood, or eggs.

Lilly, the talented cook/housekeeper at the Don Rafael farm in Chile’s Lontue Valley, shared her recipe for Chile’s favorite condiment during one of our many visits to the farm. It’s best, she says, when made less than 2 hours ahead.

Ingredients

  • 8 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced
  • 4 fresh aji or serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
  • 1 medium bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped
  • 1/2 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) to taste

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the scallions, peppers, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, water, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups — Recipe courtesy of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club