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The Olive Oil Hunter News #2

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Mediterranean Chicken Wing Recipe with Healthy Ingredients, Spotlight on Cumin and Garlic, Bone Health and Social Media

As fall gears up, I love to get in the kitchen and revisit recipes from around the world. Sharing them with you and highlighting super-healthy ingredients are very important to me because this message is so important: Delicious food can, and should be, healthy food…and healthy food can be delicious! Whether you follow the Mediterranean diet, have adopted a Keto or Paleo plan, or are vegetarian or vegan, once you have access to a repertoire of great recipes with fresh pressed olive oil, you can tailor them to your diet by swapping healthy ingredients as needed. Below you’ll find my favorite alternative chicken wing recipe.

Let’s get cooking with…

Piri-Piri Drumsticks with Blue Cheese Dip

You don’t have to be a football fanatic to love sports bar food like Buffalo hot wings, named for the city that lays claim to them. I like to indulge not only by recreating this favorite dish at home, but also by elevating it with an alternative chicken wing recipe with fresh pressed olive oil that switches from wings to drumsticks—more meat!—glazed with piri-piri, a Portuguese chile sauce available in larger supermarkets or online.

  • The Olive Oil Hunter Newsletter Vol. 1 Piri-Piri Drumsticks with Blue Cheese Dip

    Nando’s Peri-Peri Sauce is my go-to brand (both spellings are correct!). For the blue cheese dip, the ultimate is Cabrales, an artisanal blue from Asturias, Spain. And for even more flavor, I’m replacing celery sticks with fresh fennel. The only prep work—still fast and easy—is the marinade for the drumsticks. Since they need time to absorb all the spices, I like to do this early in the day.

    Ingredients

    For the drumsticks

    • 2 tablespoons pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika) 
    • 2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
    • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard 
    • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground fennel seed
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
    • 12 meaty chicken drumsticks
    • Extra virgin olive oil 
    • Large fennel bulb

    For the glaze

    • 3 tablespoons butter
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1/2 cup Nando’s Peri-Peri Sauce or your favorite hot sauce
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

    For the dip

    • 1/2 cup crumbled Cabrales or other artisanal blue cheese 
    • 3/4 cup sour cream
    • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or cream (optional) 
    • Extra virgin olive oil

    Directions

    Step One

    Combine the pimentón and other spices in a small bowl. Place the drumsticks in a large bowl (or a large resealable plastic bag) and coat them with olive oil. Add the spice mixture and use your hands to distribute it evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.

    Step Two

    To cook, preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then top with a wire rack. Oil the rack and arrange the drumsticks on it. Bake until cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes, turning once or twice with tongs. (Alternatively, you can grill the drumsticks.) 

    Step Three

    While the chicken is cooking, make the dip and the glaze. For the dip, mash the blue cheese in a bowl with a fork. Whisk in the sour cream, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce. If desired, thin with the milk or cream. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil.

    Step Four

    For the glaze, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the piri-piri sauce and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. When the drumsticks are cooked through, remove from the oven, brush on all sides with the glaze, and return to the oven for 5 minutes to set. 

    Step Five

    To plate, trim the fennel bulb, reserving the feathery fronds. Cut in half lengthwise, remove the core, and then slice each half into small wedges. Arrange them on a platter with the drumsticks, garnish with the fronds, and serve with the dip.

    Yields 4 appetizers or 2 hearty main dish servings. ​

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Cumin

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Earthy Cumin

Cumin, the seed of the Cuminum cyminum plant, is a relative of caraway, fennel and parsley and has been used in medicine and cooking for over 4,000 years. Originally found in Egypt, cumin was introduced to the Mediterranean region and Asia (notably India and China) before being brought to the Americas by the Portuguese and Spaniards. Its earthy flavor adds a unique richness to dishes, and it’s a mainstay in countless cuisines…from Indian curries and chutneys to Moroccan tagines to Mexican salsas and moles. Buy cumin in seed form. When a recipe calls for ground cumin, do it yourself in a spice grinder.

Healthy Kitchen Tip: Garlic and Allicin

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Garlic’s Key Enzyme: Allicin

Eating garlic every day is one of the tastiest ways to enhance your health. To maximize garlic’s benefits, whenever you chop or crush cloves, wait 15 minutes before adding to a recipe. That’s the time it takes for a key enzyme to trigger allicin, one of many compounds in garlic that help fight heart disease, inflammation and damage from oxidative stress. For the greatest benefits, eat garlic raw, as in salad dressings, or minimally cooked, like in a fast stir-fry.

For Your Best Health: Selenium

For Your Best Health

Selenium for Bone Health

When it comes to bone health, most of us think of calcium and vitamin D. But another needed nutrient is the trace mineral selenium. New research shows that a shortage could lead to problems including increased bone turnover, reduced bone mineral density and a higher risk for bone disease. Selenium is also important for reproductive health, proper thyroid hormone function, and combating oxidative damage and infections. All it takes is 55 micrograms a day. You can get about that much from 1.5 ounces of yellowfin tuna, 3 ounces of halibut, 4 ounces of shrimp or sardines, 7 ounces of light meat chicken or just one Brazil nut—a crazy-rich source!

Fitness Flash: Screen Time and Stress

Fitness Flash

Screen Time and Increased Stress

There’s no doubt that we’re all spending more and more time on social media and tapping into streaming services, sometimes as a way to cope with stress or as an antidote to physical distancing. But these are trends that started long before the pandemic. Problem is, excessive screen time can take a toll on emotional and physical health. It can actually increase stress thanks to bad news overload and lead to weight gain, sleep disorders and even addiction to social media or other outlets, like computer games or online gambling. 

According to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the takeaway is that media in general and social networks in particular can help you cope when they provide support and fact-based, positive information and when you steer clear of both sensationalized and false news. Also, put exercise in your playbook—it can work wonders on stress, anxiety and insomnia as well as give you a break from day-to-day problems.

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Olive Oil Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This moist cake proves chocolate and olive oil have an affinity for each other. On its own, the cake itself is vegan, as it contains no eggs or dairy. You can leave off the ganache and simply serve the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar and a few raspberries.

Ingredients

  • For the cake:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups cold water

  • For the ganache:
  • 12 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.

Step 2

Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder.

Step 3

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, vanilla, olive oil and water. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until fully combined. Pour into the prepared pan.

Step 4

Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Set aside on a rack to cool.

Step 5

Make the ganache: In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate, heavy cream, and instant coffee granules in the top of a double boiler. Heat over simmering water, stirring until smooth and glossy. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Pour the ganache over the cake and spread evenly.

Serves 12 — Recipe adapted from themerchantbaker.com

Chickpea Flatbreads with Burst Tomato Sauce

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Chilean merquén, one of our favorite seasonings, is made from sun-dried chiles that are smoked and ground, then blended with other ingredients such as toasted cumin and salt. Professional chefs are just beginning to discover it! Find merquén at amazon.com.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chickpea flour
  • 10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use, plus more for serving
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved if large
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained (see Note), rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon sherry or red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon merquén or smoked paprika (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 cup coarsely grated queso fresco or crumbled feta (about 5 oz.)
  • Baby greens, such as arugula, kale, or spinach
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Step 1

Place a rack in the top third of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Whisk the chickpea flour, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 cup water in a medium bowl or large measuring cup until combined. Let sit at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour to let the flour hydrate.

Step 2

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pour in exactly half (3/4 cup) of the chickpea batter and tilt to evenly coat the skillet. Transfer to the oven and bake the flatbread until the edges are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a large spatula, transfer the flatbread to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Step 3

Meanwhile, cook the tomatoes, garlic, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the whole tomatoes begin to burst, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, oregano, vinegar, and merquén (if using). Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have formed a fully chunky sauce, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.

Step 4

Slice the flatbreads in half. Serve with the tomato-chickpea mixture, cheese, greens, and lemon wedges alongside for squeezing and olive oil for drizzling.

Note: The liquid from drained chickpeas is called aquafaba, and is used by many vegans and vegetarians to lighten baked goods or make egg-free meringues.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from epicurious.com, March 2019

Grilled Cauliflower Fajitas

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

One of the best things about fajitas is that you can stuff them with anything that suits your fancy. If dairy’s not a concern, shredded cheese is a winner, and so is a dollop of sour cream. If you want to double up on the veggies, add some shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and more onions and peppers. Half the fun is letting everyone put together the combo of ingredients they like best. This recipe was adapted from a dish served at El Toro Blanco, a wonderful Mexican restaurant in New York City.

With over 6 percent of Americans identifying as vegan and millions more describing themselves as “vegetarianinclined,” a meatless main course option belongs in your recipe repertoire.

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower, green leaves and stem removed
  • 1 orange or red bell pepper, stemmed, seeds and veins removed
  • 1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeds and veins removed
  • 1 white onion, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon merquén or pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup fresh herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, and basil, stemmed and chopped
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup salsa or pico de gallo
  • Lime wedges

Directions

Step 1

Cut the cauliflower into florets and slice the red and poblano peppers into long strips. Place the cauliflower, peppers, and onions in a large bowl. Whisk together the ancho powder, merquén or pimentón, cumin, salt, and olive oil and add to the vegetables, tossing until they’re thoroughly coated. Transfer to a grill basket.

Step 2

Preheat your grill to medium-high, and then grill the cauliflower mixture until slightly charred and tender-crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from the grill, transfer to a platter, and sprinkle with the pine nuts and herbs. While the grill is still hot, warm the tortillas. To serve, let each person fill two tortillas with equal amounts of the cauliflower mixture and top with salsa or pico de gallo and a squeeze of lime.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from El Toro Blanco, New York, NY