Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Sides & Salads Page 21

Baby Bok Choy

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Looking for a simple side dish for an Asian-influenced meal? We love baby bok choy. You could substitute rapini or broccoli florets if baby bok choy isn’t available.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound baby bok choy, stalks separated, washed and spun dry
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons natural rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sliced scallions
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add half the baby bok choy and sauté the vegetable for a minute; then add the other half. Cook the bok choy until it’s caramelized, about 3 minutes, then remove to a plate.

Step 2

Deglaze the pan with the orange juice and vinegar, then add the soy sauce. Cook for just a few seconds, then swirl in the sriracha and sugar. Cook for about 45 seconds more, reducing the sauce slightly.

Step 3

Drizzle the sauce around the bok choy and garnish with the sesame seeds and scallions.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from L.A. Son by Roy Choi (Anthony Bourdain/Ecco, 2013)

Prawn Tacos with Asian Slaw

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Nagi Maehashi is one of Australia’s most popular food bloggers. We were inspired by her recipe for tacos made with prawns, and paired them with one of our favorite Asian cabbage slaws featuring extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients

For the prawns:

  • 1 pound large prawns or shrimp, peeled (tails, too)
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with the flat of a heavy knife
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon pure chile powder, preferably chipotle
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the slaw:

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar (unseasoned)
  • 3 tablespoons honey or agave
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
  • 1 tablespoon peeled fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha, or more to taste
  • 1/2 pound shredded napa cabbage
  • 1 carrot, trimmed, peeled, and grated
  • 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

For serving:

  • Small corn or flour tortillas, warmed
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño slices (optional)
  • Your favorite hot sauce

Directions

Step 1

Place the prawns in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, combine the lime zest and juice, garlic, olive oil, cilantro, chile powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Whisk to combine, then pour over the shrimp. Marinate for 15 to 20 minutes (no more).

Step 2

In the meantime, make the dressing for the slaw: Combine the extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, salt, and sriracha in a small bowl. Whisk and set aside. Taste for seasoning, adding more sriracha, if desired.

Step 3

Add the cabbage, carrot, scallions, and cilantro leaves to a medium bowl. Pour the slaw dressing (you may not need all of it) over the cabbage mixture and stir gently. Let the slaw sit until the cabbage wilts slightly. Top with sesame seeds.

Step 4

Drain the shrimp and sauté in a hot skillet for about 2 minutes per side, or until opaque and cooked through. (Alternatively, skewer the shrimp and cook on a hot grill.)

Step 5

Serve the shrimp with the tortillas, sour cream, jalapeño chips, if using, hot sauce, and the prepared slaw.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from recipetineats.com

Turkish Shepherd’s Salad (Çoban Salatasi)

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

If you find dicing vegetables and chopping herbs relaxing, you’ll enjoy making this healthful salad. It makes a great accompaniment to grilled meats. Find sumac and Aleppo pepper online or at well-stocked spice stores.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and diced
  • 1 European (English) or 4 Persian cucumbers, diced
  • 1 green or red pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
  • 1/2 small red onion, sliced, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes, then drained
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped dill
  • 2 tablespoons chopped mint
  • 1 teaspoon sumac or lemon zest
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or hot red pepper flakes
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea), to taste
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
  • Pitted and chopped black olives, for garnish (optional)
  • Romaine lettuce leaves and/or pita, for serving (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Combine all of the ingredients except the olives and romaine in a large bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, toss together, taste, and adjust the seasonings. Garnish with olives, if using, and serve with pita and romaine lettuce, if desired.

Serves 6 — Recipe adapted from Little Foods of the Mediterranean by Clifford A. Wright

Squash and Kale Toasts

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Creamy delicata squash pairs perfectly with Tuscan (aka Dinosaur or Black) kale. Need heat? Red pepper flakes!

Ingredients

  • 2 small delicata squash
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing the bread
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pound Tuscan kale, thick stems and ribs discarded, leaves coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • Eight 1/2-inch-thick slices of coarse bread
  • 4 ounces shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Step 2

Peel the squash and halve each lengthwise, then seed and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the squash on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, turning once, until tender and lightly browned.

Step 4

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil; add the water and hot red pepper flakes, if using. Add the kale. Cook the kale until it’s wilted, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic slices and cook until the kale is tender, about 3 minutes longer. Season the kale with salt and pepper. Add the squash and toss gently to combine.

Makes 8 toasts — Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, March 2011