Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Page 37

Smashed Beets and Greens Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Perhaps you’ve had smashed potatoes. Beets also respond well to this technique. And we love the way the beet greens are incorporated in the salad rather than discarded. This recipe was inspired by the remarkable chef Francis Mallmann, whose restaurant Fuegos de Apalta has become a favorite of my wife and myself when we visit Chile.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium beets, yellow or red, with green tops, if available
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 4 cups arugula or baby greens
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4 ounces feta or queso fresco, crumbled

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Trim the beets, reserving the greens. Discard any thick stems. Place the beets on a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Coat them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast until easily pierced by a knife, about 50 to 60 minutes, turning them once midway. Let cool slightly.

Step 2

While the beets are cooling, whisk together 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the vinegar in a large bowl. Add the arugula or baby greens and the beet greens, if available, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter.

Step 3

When the beets are cool enough to handle, cover them with another sheet of parchment and gently smash each one with the palm of your hand to flatten it to a disc about one-inch thick.

Step 4

Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add two of the smashed beets and cook until the bottoms are charred, about 3 minutes; flip and repeat. Use a spatula to place them on top of the greens on the serving platter. Repeat with remaining beets and the last tablespoon of olive oil.

Step 5

Scatter the cheese over the beets, and drizzle with more olive oil.

Serves 4

Lomo a la pobre

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Meet the Chilean version of steak and eggs, a popular breakfast option throughout the country. The dish can be made on the stovetop or grill using a grill plate, a cast iron skillet, or a plancha—a very handy flat Spanish griddle you can use right on your grill without the risk of food falling through a grill basket or the grill grates—plus, its smooth surface distributes heat evenly. For a more substantial meal, serve the lomo with oven-roasted potatoes.

Ingredients

  • Two 6-ounce filet mignons or strip steaks, each about 1 inch thick
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • One large red or white onion, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, or chives

Directions

Step 1

Brush the steaks on both sides with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step 2

Toss the onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a cast iron skillet, sauté the onions over medium heat until soft and lightly colored. Remove from the skillet and keep warm. Over medium-high heat, sear the steaks for 3 to 4 minutes per side; cook until done to your liking. Keep warm. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and fry the eggs until done to your liking. (I prefer runny yolks. They mingle with the olive oil and make an unctuous sauce.)

Step 3

To serve, arrange the steaks on a bed of onions. Top each steak with a fried egg, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with the fresh herbs.

Serves 2, but can be multiplied as desired

Mushroom Toasts

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This South American take on bruschetta gets its inspiration from marraqueta, the crusty bread wildly popular in Chile (often called pan francés), and the country’s penchant for white sauces.

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled, one halved
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 12 ounces baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons half-and-half or light cream
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 4 slices of crusty bread, 1/2 inch thick

Directions

Step 1

Place the onions and 3 1/2 of the garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (reserve the remaining garlic half). Heat a sauté pan and, when warm, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the onion-garlic mixture. Cook until the vegetables start to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté until browned and the moisture has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and stir until it evaporates; add the salt and pepper and stir again. Off the heat, stir in the half-and-half and top with the parsley; set aside.

Step 2

Set your oven to broil (lowest setting if it’s calibrated). Place the bread on a rimmed sheet pan and brush both sides with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toast the bread under the broiler for about 2 minutes, watching closely so it doesn’t burn; flip and toast the other side. (This can also be done on the grill if cooking outdoors.)

Step 3

Transfer the bread to a platter and rub the tops with the garlic half. Top each slice with equal amounts of the mushrooms and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 4

No-Muss, No-Fuss Chocolate Donuts

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Forget deep frying and waiting for a yeasted dough to rise—these chocolate treats are ready in just a few minutes. Enjoy as is, with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar, or with this simple yet rich chocolate glaze.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
  • 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 6 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional glaze:

  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly coat two 6-cavity donut pans with olive oil. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Step 2

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, then add the sugar and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in the yogurt, olive oil, milk, and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients. 

Step 3

Use a large spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip to fill the donut pans. Bake for 10 minutes or until springy to the touch. Allow to cool in the pans, and then glaze if desired.

Step 4

For the glaze, place 5 ounces of the chocolate in a small, microwave-safe glass bowl and melt at 50 percent power for 3 minutes; repeat if needed until the chocolate is almost fully melted. Add the last ounce of chocolate and let sit on the counter for 2 minutes to cool down; then stir until smooth. Stir in the olive oil until fully blended. Dip the top of each donut into the chocolate and then place on a cookie sheet to firm up.

Yields 12 donuts