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Cauliflower Caponata

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

As you know by now, I love all foods Mediterranean, and caponata is a wonderful dish that melds many flavors of the region. Traditionally the main ingredient is eggplant, but I’m super excited to share a wonderful variation with you that capitalizes on the wild popularity of cauliflower. As a cruciferous veg, cauliflower gets high marks for its nutrients, and its mild taste really lets the sweet and savory ingredients in this recipe come through. Caponata is often served as an appetizer, but it’s also a wonderful main dish when you want something light. I love to mound it on grilled bread slices for a fast bruschetta or serve it in a bowl surrounded by bell pepper sections to use as dippers—easy-peasy when company’s coming over. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup diced celery hearts or inner stalks of a full head
  • 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 4 to 6 peperoncini, stemmed and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 2 tablespoons brined capers, drained
  • Zest and juice of one lemon
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1

Heat the vinegar in a small saucepan or in the microwave and pour on top of the raisins. Soak for 30 minutes to plump them and infuse flavor. In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to boil and blanch the cauliflower for 90 seconds, strain, and cool to room temperature in a large bowl.

Step 2

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 1/4 cup of olive oil, the garlic, bell pepper, red onion, celery, and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for several minutes, stirring frequently, until the bell pepper is tender-crisp and the onion and celery are translucent. Remove from the heat and pour over the cauliflower. Add the raisins and vinegar to the cauliflower mixture along with the peperoncini, pine nuts, capers, remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil, lemon juice and zest, parsley, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently mix the ingredients. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. It keeps for 5-7 days in the fridge.

Yields 6 appetizer servings

Chacareo Chileno

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Santiago’s signature sandwich is the chacarero, a mouth-stretching pileup of grilled steak, mashed avocado, tomato, green beans, and a shot of hot sauce on a soft roll. This unusual combination, chockful of healthy veggies, is served up at casual eateries all over the city, from lunch counters to beer halls. It’s equally delicious when made with grilled pork, chicken, or vegetables, and thanks to the olive oil-based marinade, guaranteed to be anything but ordinary! ​

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless steak, such as rib eye, strip, or sirloin
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the rolls
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, plus whole leaves for serving
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, julienned
  • 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
  • 4 Kaiser rolls or other large soft rolls, sliced and lightly toasted
  • Four thick slices ripe red tomato
  • Thinly sliced jalapeños (optional)
  • Hot sauce for serving

Directions

Step 1

Place the steak in a resealable plastic bag along with 4 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice, the chopped cilantro, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Marinate, refrigerated, for 4 to 8 hours. Meanwhile, steam or boil the beans in salted water until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes; plunge them in ice water, then drain and set aside.

Step 2

Mash the avocados with the remaining lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and set aside. Set up a grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium-high. Drain the steaks. Season well with salt and pepper and grill to medium-rare, turning once with tongs. Let rest for 5 minutes, and then thinly slice on a diagonal. Drizzle the cut sides of the rolls with olive oil. Thickly spread one-fourth of the avocado mixture on the top half of each bun. Divide the meat between the bottom halves of the buns. Top the meat with a tomato slice, jalapeños (if using), cilantro leaves, and green beans. Replace the top half of the bun and press lightly. Serve with hot sauce.

Yields 4 servings.

Mediterranean Deviled Eggs

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

They say what’s old is new again, and that’s definitely true about the classic hors d’oeuvre deviled eggs. But I like to put a Mediterranean spin on this popular canape with heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil as the enrichment rather than the original, butter. Olive oil not only adds creaminess, but a delicious spiciness, too. And adding a variety of garnishes lets you get super creative and give your platter of deviled eggs a festive look. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
  • 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot or onion
  • 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, rough chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, preferably from a Meyer lemon
  • 1 anchovy or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 1/2 clove garlic, minced
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Your choice of garnishes (ideas below)

Directions

Step 1

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise, remove the yolks and transfer them to the bowl of a small food processor. (Alternatively, use an electric hand-held mixer.) Put the egg white halves on a deviled egg platter or other oversized dish.

Step 2

To the bowl with the yolks, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the mayonnaise, mustard, shallot or onion, parsley, lemon juice, anchovy, and garlic and process until fairly smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil if the mixture is too thick.

Step 3

To pipe the filling into the egg white halves, place a resealable plastic bag into a tall drinking glass and turn the edges over the rim of the glass. (For an extra fancy touch, place a wide fluted pastry tip in one of the lower corners.) Fill the bag with the yolk mixture and seal the bag after pressing out any air. Snip off one of the lower corners and then gently squeeze a generous amount of the filling into the egg white halves. If you don’t have enough filling for all the whites, chop the remaining ones and enjoy them in a salad. Garnish the deviled eggs with your choice of olive slices, slivers of sun-dried tomatoes, drained brined capers, chopped chives, good-quality anchovies, basil chiffonade, caviar and/or a sprinkle of pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika). I like to pick four to six options, depending on what I have on hand. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. The deviled eggs can be made up to four hours in advance.

Tuna Ceviche with Avocado

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Originally from the neighboring country of Peru, ceviche is very popular in Chile. Not surprising given Chile’s proximity to the Pacific (it has thousands of miles of coastline).

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sushi-quality albacore or yellowfin tuna, cut in 1/2-inch dice
  • 1/2 small red onion, cut in small dice
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
  • 1 to 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles, to taste, stemmed, seeded and minced
  • 1 tablespoon brined capers, rinsed and drained
  • 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut in small dice
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 chopped fresh cilantro leaves, or more to taste Leaf lettuce, baby arugula, baby spinach, or radicchio leaves, for serving

Directions

Step 1

Refrigerate the diced tuna while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Step 2

Place the onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Let it sit for five minutes, then drain, rinse, and dry on paper towels. (This step removes some of the bitterness.)

Step 3

In a medium bowl, combine the onion, garlic, chile, capers, avocado, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the lime juice. Toss together gently. Add the tuna to the bowl.

Step 4

Stir together the remaining lime juice and the olive oil. Pour over the tuna and toss the mixture together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes, stirring gently from time to time.

Step 5

Just before serving, add the cilantro and toss. Taste and adjust seasonings. Line salad plates with salad greens, spoon the ceviche on top, and serve.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe from cooking.nytimes.com