Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
breakfast Page 2

Orange-Raspberry Muffins

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

The combination of olive oil and almond flour creates a tender crumb that rivals any flour-based batter and a muffin that’s infinitely more nutritious. I like to use “tulip-shaped” cupcake liners because you can fill them right up to the level of your baking tin for very tall muffins. Also, topping the batter with berries after filling the liners helps keep the fruit from falling to the bottom. 

Ingredients

  • 3 cups almond flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup sugar, divided use 
  • Freshly grated zest of 1 large orange
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
  • 1 cup raspberries

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place tulip-shaped cupcake liners in the cups of a 12-muffin tin; set aside.

Step 2

In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup sugar, orange zest and juice, egg yolks, and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture.

Step 3

In a very large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites on a low speed to break them up, about a minute. Once they start to foam, increase the speed to high and add the remaining sugar. Whip until the whites form stiff peaks, then use a large spatula to gently fold them into the almond flour mixture in 3 or 4 batches, rotating your mixing bowl as you move your spatula from the center out to the sides. Don’t overmix to avoid deflating the batter—a few streaks of whites are OK.

Step 4

Use a large ice cream scoop to fill the paper liners up to the level of your baking tin. Top with equal amounts of berries. Bake the muffins for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tip of a sharp knife comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yields 12 muffins

Eggs with Basquois Piperade

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Piperade, a vegetable stew–like concoction popular in Basque country (which straddles northern Spain and southern France) is similar to Sicilian caponata or Middle Eastern shakshuka. This version is from the Alonso family, whose patriarch is Basque, though he has lived in Chile for many years. Instead of scrambling the eggs, you can break them right into the hot piperade. Cover them with a tight-fitting lid, then cook to your desired degree of doneness.

Ingredients

For the piperade:

  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 green, orange, or yellow bell pepper, or another red one
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 pound red ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (reserve juices)
  • 1 small zucchini, cubed (optional) Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1 teaspoon piment d’Espelette (see Note below), or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or honey (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice, or to taste (optional)

For the eggs:

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 4 large eggs, thoroughly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley
  • Country-style bread, preferably toasted or grilled, for serving

Directions

Step 1

Make the piperade: Stem, core, and seed the bell peppers. Slice into 1/4-inch strips. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, bell peppers, and onion, and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes with their juices as well as the zucchini if using. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the piment d’Espelette and simmer (lower the heat if necessary) until the tomatoes have broken down and the mixture is jammy, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste, adding more salt or piment d’Espelette, if desired. Add sugar if a touch of sweetness is needed, or red wine vinegar if you would prefer a bit of acidity. The sauce should be well balanced. Keep warm.

Step 2

Scramble the eggs: In the meantime, heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the oil, then the eggs. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir and fold the eggs until they begin to set. Give them a final stir and take the eggs off the stove to finish cooking with residual heat.

Step 3

To serve, ladle about 3/4 cup of the piperade into each of two warm shallow bowls. Top each with half the eggs, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with chives. Serve with toasted bread.

Note: Piment d’Espelette is a popular pepper in Basque Country, widely available in powdered form in the US through online sources. Merquén, a Chilean spice blend made mostly from dried chiles, or pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika) makes a good substitute.

Serves 2

Brunch Fruit Salad with Honey-Lime-Mint Vinaigrette

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

For a bright brunch dish, serve the dressed fruit salad over thick Greek yogurt or Icelandic skyr.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups mixed fruit, such as chunks of melon and mango, sliced strawberries, red grapes, blueberries, and pineapple cubes
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey, preferably orange blossom
  • Zest and juice of 1 medium lime 
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh spearmint or peppermint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon calamansi or other citrus-based vinegar (optional)

Directions

Place the fruit in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, honey, lime juice and zest, mint, and optional vinegar. Pour the dressing over the fruit and toss gently. Allow to macerate for 30 minutes. Toss again before serving.

Serves 6

Iced Blueberry Scones

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

If you’ve ever had a store-bought scone, chances are it was dry and crumbly. My recipe is flaky yet still tender, thanks to the olive oil in the pastry flour dough. A light icing drizzle balances out the tartness of blueberries. 

Ingredients

For the Scones:

  • 2 cups pastry flour, plus more for the cookie sheet and shaping the dough
  • 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour 
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2/3 cup half-and-half
  • 1 extra-large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry

For the Glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle it liberally with flour.

Step 2

Place the 2-1/4 cups flour (pastry and whole wheat), sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, thoroughly whisk the olive oil, half-and-half, egg, and vanilla. Using a large spatula, fold in the blueberries and then the flour mixture. Be careful not to overmix, which can cause too much gluten development and a dense scone.

Step 3

Turn the dough out onto the parchment paper. Heavily flour your hands and use them to pat the dough into a 12-by-8-inch rectangle (do not use a rolling pin). If the dough is extremely wet, sprinkle on a tablespoon of additional flour. Use a bench scraper to help even out the edges, cut the dough into 12 triangles or squares, and then move the pieces as needed to leave about two inches between them.

Step 4

While the scones are cooling, mix the confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice, thinning if needed with 1 tablespoon of water. Use a spoon to drizzle on the icing in a crisscross pattern.

Step 5

Serve warm or at room temperature. Store any leftovers in the fridge.

Yields 12 scones