Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Page 11

Roasted Parmesean Carrots

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This might be my new favorite way to eat carrots, which, like most vegetables, grow huge in Central Chile’s fertile soil. Marinated in olive oil and spices, then coated in freshly grated Parmesan cheese, the carrots are roasted until tender. They’re great with chicken, pork, or lamb.

Ingredients

  • 8 large carrots, peeled and trimmed
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, or more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice each carrot lengthwise, then into 2-inch planks. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat the carrots thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, then toss with the cheese.

Step 2

Tip the carrots onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Arrange them in a single layer, flat sides down. Sprinkle with any cheese remaining in the bowl. Roast the carrots until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Arrange on a platter, flat sides up. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Serves 4 to 6

Quinoa and Black Bean Burgers

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Even carnivorous types crave a well-made vegetarian burger from time to time. I love the combination of quinoa, a protein-rich grain related to amaranth, spinach that is cultivated by small farms in the Andes, and black beans. If desired, you can transform this into a vegan burger by employing an egg substitute and vegan cheese.

Ingredients

  • One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water, plus more if needed
  • 1/4 cup quinoa
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use, plus more for your hands
  • 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped
  • 1/2 poblano or red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
  • 2 tablespoons minced onion
  • 1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon merquén or smoked paprika
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup panko or other dry bread crumbs, or more as needed
  • 1/3 cup cashews, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/3 cup drained feta, crumbled

For serving:

  • Your favorite burger buns, preferably toasted, and condiments

Directions

Step 1

Line a rimmed sheet pan with paper towels. Spread the beans out on the prepared sheet pan to dry for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and mash roughly, leaving some beans whole. In the meantime, bring the broth and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat, and simmer the quinoa until it’s tender and the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add to the beans.

Step 2

Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, the mushrooms, poblano, and onion; sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and the pepper and onion have softened; add the garlic, cumin, and merquén and cook for 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly. Add to the black bean/quinoa mixture. Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the panko, cashews, egg, and feta. If the mixture is too dry to shape into patties, add broth or water a tablespoon at a time. If too wet, add more panko.

Step 3

Rub a bit of olive oil on your hands, then shape the black bean/quinoa mixture into patties. (Each will require about 1/2 cup of the mixture, but you’ll want your burgers to be as large in diameter as your buns.) Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Fry the burgers, flipping once, until they are heated through and have developed nice caramelization on each side. Serve on buns with your choice of condiments.

Serves 4 to 5

Iced Olive Oil, Lemon and Blueberry Loaf

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This moist and flavorful cake is great for dessert, breakfast, or an afternoon treat.

Ingredients

For the loaf:

  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup medium or bold extra-virgin olive oil
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
  • 1 1/2 cups pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 cups blueberries

For the icing:

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, or more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until no whites are visible, then slowly whisk in the sugar, followed by the yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then fold into the egg-oil mixture with a spatula until combined. Fold in all but a handful of the blueberries.

Step 2

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and level the top with the spatula, being sure to get the batter into all the corners. Sprinkle on the remaining blueberries and bake for 60 to 65 minutes, depending on your oven—it’s done when the point of dinner knife inserted in the center comes out clean, except for a possible trace of blueberry. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Step 3

Once the cake is only barely warm, make the icing by whisking the confectioners’ sugar, olive oil, and lemon juice until incorporated. It should be thick—add more sugar if needed. Use a small offset spatula to spread it over the top of the cake.

Serves 8 to 10

Dulce de Leche Sundaes

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Craving the sweetness of dulce de leche but don’t want to go to the trouble of making it yourself? A store-bought brand (La Serenísima is excellent) is the way to go—just be sure to get 100 percent pure milk-and-sugar dulce de leche and not a “sauce” made with any additional ingredients. This combination of warm topping, salty hazelnuts, and vanilla bean ice cream is divine.

Ingredients

For the salted hazelnuts:

  • 2 ounces hazelnuts
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)

For the dulce de leche topping:

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream, or as needed
  • 8 ounces dulce de leche
  • 2 tablespoons mild extra virgin olive oil

For the parfaits:

  • 1 quart best-quality vanilla bean ice cream

Directions

Step 1

Prepare the hazelnuts: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the hazelnuts in a small bowl and add the olive oil; toss to coat. Transfer the nuts to a parchment-lined rimmed sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. Take the nuts out of the oven, put them on a small plate, and sprinkle with the salt; set aside.

Step 2

Make the sauce: Bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Off the heat, slowly whisk in the dulce de leche and then the olive oil. Note: the heavy cream is to make the dulce de leche pourable and silken—adjust the amount based on the thickness of your brand of dulce de leche.

Step 3

To assemble the sundaes, place three small scoops of ice cream in each of four parfait glasses or small bowls. Top with equal amounts of sauce and hazelnuts.

Serves 4