Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Sides & Salads Page 25

Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

While fresh spinach is preferred in this popular Catalonian dish, which can be served as a side dish or appetizer, feel free to use frozen leaf spinach.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh baby spinach (stem, if the spinach is more mature)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons raisins or sultanas, soaked in water or sherry for 20 minutes, then drained
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Wash the spinach thoroughly in plenty of water. Drain, and put the leaves and 1/4 cup of water into a large pot. Cover the pot and put over high heat until the water begins to boil. Lower the heat and steam the spinach for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the leaves wilt into a soft mass.

Step 2

Sauté the pine nuts briefly in the olive oil in a large skillet, shaking the pan or stirring constantly (don’t take your eyes off them), until they just begin to color. Add the raisins and spinach and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the mixture doesn’t scorch. Add a few drops of lemon juice, if desired.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden (HarperCollins, 2011)

Zucchini with Onions, Garlic, and Oregano

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Zucchini was introduced to the Iberian Peninsula by the Arabs and is a specialty of Murcia. The following recipe, though simple, makes a great accompaniment to roasted chicken or grilled meats. It is important to keep the heat low to achieve a soft, delicate texture. You can turn the zarangollo into a meal by the addition of scrambled or olive oil-fried eggs.

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 pounds zucchini, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 Spanish onions, peeled and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Directions

Step 1

Heat a large skillet and one-half of the olive oil over low heat. Add the zucchini cubes and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until soft and jammy. Drain any excess liquid.

Step 2

In the meantime, add the remaining oil to a second skillet. Over low heat, cook the onions and garlic for 10 minutes. Add the oregano, and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until the onions are golden and soft.

Step 3

Combine the zucchini and onion mixtures in a serving bowl and stir gently. Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to two days.

Serves 6 — Recipe adapted from food.com

Fava Beans with Jamón

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This recipe for creamy fava beans is a springtime favorite on the Iberian peninsula—enjoy it with a glass of fino sherry or a vinho verde from Portugal. In a pinch, you can substitute prosciutto or even bacon for the jamón, Spain’s famed dry-cured ham.

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces thinly sliced Jamón Serrano
  • 2  pounds fresh fava beans, weighed unshelled
  • 3  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
  • 1 small onion, diced 
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock, or more as needed 
  • Crusty bread, for serving 

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil and place an oven-safe wire rack on top of it. Arrange the slices of jamón on the rack in a single layer. Bake the jamón just until crisp, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. 

Step 2

Shell the fava beans. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and add the shelled beans. Cook for 2 minutes, then drain and transfer to an ice water bath. Remove the outer skin from each bean. Set aside. 

Step 4

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until both are translucent but not browned. Add the fava beans and the wine and cook over high heat until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the stock, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the fava beans are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated (add more stock if they need more cooking time). Transfer the fava beans to a shallow earthenware dish, such as a cazuela. Crumble the crisped jamón over the beans. Serve with crusty bread.

Yields 4 appetizer servings

Creamy Tortellini with Spring Peas

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This simple dish makes for a fast and fresh spring meal. The creaminess of the mascarpone combined with the delicate pop of the peas is a fan favorite in our house.

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup freshly shelled peas (about 1 pound in the shell)
  • 8 ounces mascarpone 
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste 
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or to taste
  • Coarse salt to taste 
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano 

Directions

Step 1

Bring four quarts of salted water to a boil and cook the tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat a small sauté pan and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sauté the peas over low heat for 3 minutes until tender and bright green and then transfer to a large mixing bowl. 

Step 2

When the tortellini are done, use a large strainer to transfer them to the bowl with the peas. Immediately fold in the mascarpone—the heat of the pasta will melt it, creating a sauce—and mix well to distribute the peas. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, to thin it. Season liberally with black pepper and nutmeg (use a microplane to grate it right over the bowl), and add salt to taste. 

Step 3

Transfer to a serving platter, top with the grated Parmigiano, and drizzle on the final tablespoon of olive oil. Serve at room temperature. 

Yields 4 servings