oil

Zippy Olive Pesto

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Talking Points: Zippy Olive Pesto! Your last visit to the doctor may have been one where you received a good report, yet were advised to lean more toward a Mediterranean diet. What does that mean exactly, you wonder. In layman’s terms it simply suggests making a couple of substitutions in food choices to maintain a healthy weight, prevent heart disease, live longer, and travel often. “The healthy fats in olives are extracted to produce olive oil, one of the key components of the incredibly healthy Mediterranean diet”, according to Healthline, a provider of health information.* For many this may not be the advice you wish to hear, but for an olive-lover, like me, it is the Best.News.Ever.

ZIPPY OLIVE PESTO

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 bunch parsley, leaves only

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

5 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup organic green olives, chopped

3 tablespoons water (optional)

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:

In a skillet over medium-high heat, toast pine nuts turning occasionally until slightly golden, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool. In a food processor, combine parsley leaves, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Pulse until almost smooth. Add toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Pulse slightly. With the machine running on low, drizzle in the olive oil until combined. Transfer pesto to a bowl. Fold in the chopped green olives. Add water, if needed. Season with kosher salt. Serve over toasted bread.

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Utmost Prosciutto Plate

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Talking Points: Utmost Prosciutto Plate! Treat yourself right by going the extra mile in gourmet treats. Something so simple, yet sublime, can change a mood from sour to exciting. We all need something to look forward to. Am I right? Fresh mozzarella is usually sold in a brine or water solution to retain its moisture, texture, and soft shape. Let it drain for a few minutes on paper towels; then dab dry and slice. By drizzling a rich olive oil over the mozzarella to enhance that delicate milky flavor, the buttery essence peeks through. Add a leaf or two of fresh basil to enrich the nutritive value. As you sit there nibbling on a slice of prosciutto, pat yourself on the back for enduring the tough times we’ve been through recently. Our home is a safe haven and we can get through whatever storm is next.

UTMOST PROSCIUTTO PLATE

Ingredients:

4 ounces fresh mozzarella, room temperature

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon dried basil

3 ounces old world prosciutto, sliced

7 ounces rustic crostini crackers

4 ounces organic green olives, pitted

Instructions:

Drain mozzarella cheese for a few minutes on paper towels; then dab dry and slice. Transfer to a platter. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with dried basil. Arrange sliced prosciutto and crostini crackers around cheese. Add pitted green olives. Garnish with fresh basil. Serve with Pinot Grigio.

Hummus in Hindsight (without tahini)

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Talking Points: Hummus in Hindsight (without tahini)! Let’s spread the news: rules are meant to be broken. I put off making hummus because I had no tahini, sesame seed paste, in my kitchen. The last time I needed it I became frustrated because I couldn’t find it in the grocery stores. So I made it myself. The trouble is homemade tahini can be pricey as well as wasteful if you don’t use it all before it becomes bitter. Not cool. Now you have an alternative. Lose the tahini without sacrificing the taste. By adding sesame oil and spices, you still end up with a smooth, creamy paste to smear onto pita bread. And isn’t that the point?

HUMMUS IN HINDSIGHT (without tahini)

Ingredients:

15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Drizzle of sesame oil, for topping

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Red pepper bits, for garnish

Chives, for garnish

Instructions:

Using a food processor, pulse the chickpeas until coarse. With the machine running, add the olive oil, sesame oil, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Fold in the ground cumin, Himalayan pink salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir well to combine. Transfer to a shallow dish. Drizzle hummus with sesame oil. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Garnish with red pepper bits and sliced chives. Serve with celery sticks, red pepper strips, and pita bread.

Tripletail Fish Fillet

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Tripletail Fish Fillet! No, this fish species does not actually have three tails, like its name implies. It does, however, have three rounded fins on the back end of its body that make it appear that way. Pretty cool, huh? It tends to swim in tropical waters, or float on top of the water giving it an appearance of a dry leaf drifting along on a wave. Perhaps the tripletail’s ancestors were the original hippies of the sea, back in the day. You know, hanging out with aquatic mermaids and other interesting water nymphs. But I digress. If you’re wondering how tripletail taste, it’s kinda like grouper or snapper: naturally firm, flaky, and sweet. You should try it.

TRIPLETAIL FISH FILLET

Ingredients:

12-ounce triple tail fish fillet

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Green Onions, chopped

Instructions:

Wash the fish fillet; pat dry. Place in a shallow dish. In a separate bowl, combine rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ground ginger, garlic powder, and chopped green onion. Mix well. Pour the marinade over the fish; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Preheat the gas grill to 400°. Transfer triple tail fish directly to the grill grates. Close lid and cook for 4 minutes. Discard marinade. Turn fish and cook 4 minutes longer, with lid closed. Serve over a bed of Chinese fried rice.

Kalamata Olive Oregano Loaf

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Kalamata Olive Oregano Loaf! Olive-Lovers rejoice. If olives are not in your wheelhouse, no worries. I’ll catch up with you later…….or you could simply substitute sun-dried tomatoes in this recipe. Just so you know, olives have heart-healthy fats. I’ve mentioned before how much I love bread. And in the World of Bread, there are so many options: whole wheat, multi-grain, sourdough, flax seed, rye, pumpernickel, focaccia, pretzel, and more. Focus today on the taste of Mediterranean culture where savory bread can be made without yeast. Talk about instant gratification for a weeknight treat. Don’t forget the bread dipping oil. It’s slurp-worthy.

KALAMATA OLIVE OREGANO LOAF

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 egg whites, room temperature

1/4 cup Kalamata olive blend, pitted and chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick oil. Line with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, and egg whites. Add liquid mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in chopped olives and dried oregano. Spread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove loaf from pan. Serve slightly warm with seasoned olive oil.

Hard Salami Corkscrew Pasta

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Hard Salami Corkscrew Pasta! Tricolor pasta always makes me feel like a special occasion. The burst of natural colors in spinach and tomato keep the dish from becoming humdrum, in my opinion. By adding veggies, cheese, or pickles, the salad becomes a meal-in-a-bowl. Mix things up by substituting artichokes, hard-boiled eggs, or cucumbers. It’s really up to your personal preference and cravings of the moment. Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days. As if. (smile)

HARD SALAMI CORKSCREW PASTA

Ingredients for Pasta Salad:

1 1/2 cups rainbow rotini corkscrew pasta, uncooked

4 ounces hard salami, cut into strips

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup green olives, halved

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

1/2 sweet bell pepper, chopped

Ingredients for Dressing:

3 tablespoons garlic wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Rinse under cold water. In a serving bowl, combine cooked pasta, hard salami, grape tomatoes, green olives, red onion, and bell pepper. Gently toss. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic wine vinegar, olive oil, sugar, sea salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, marjoram, and garlic powder. Mix well. Pour the dressing over the pasta. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for one hour. Serve.

Garlic Wine Red Snapper

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Garlic Wine Red Snapper! Before I begin, Rule Number One: When marinating fish, always refrigerate. As fish sits in a marinade at room temperature, it encourages bacteria growth, which can be a bad thing. The olive oil makes a wonderful tenderizer making the fish soft and juicy. When seasonings are added at the same time, the results elevate the flavor. By grilling the fish fillets at a high temperature, the meal transforms into perfection on a plate.

GARLIC WINE RED SNAPPER

Ingredients:

1/2 cup garlic wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 6-ounce red snapper fillets

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Juice of fresh lemon

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions:

Arrange the red snapper fillets in a shallow dish. Pour the garlic wine vinegar over the fish. Allow the vinegar to surround the fish. Pour olive oil over top. Sprinkle Italian seasoning blend and black pepper over all. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the grill to 450°. Transfer red snapper directly onto the grill grates. Close lid. Set timer for 4 minutes. Discard marinade. Using a fish spatula, flip fish and grill 4 minutes longer with lid closed. Meanwhile, melt butter and pour into individual cups. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into warm butter. Remove red snapper fillets from grill. Serve with melted lemon butter poured over top.

Zucchini Meatball Bateaux

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Zucchini Meatball Bateaux! Call me “Fancy Shmancy” today since the title of this recipe makes it gourmet all-the-way. Bateaux means Boat. And in the world of food, nothing looks more like a boat than zucchini, especially when it’s sliced horizontally and scooped out. Amirite? Actually, I like this recipe because I always seem to have a bag of frozen Italian meatballs on hand in my freezer. Most days I make my own homemade marinara sauce because I like to stock my pantry with a variety of Italian Roma tomatoes that are imported from Italy. Obviously you can do the same. Recipes are designed to modify in ways that bring accolades to you for the extra effort. If time is of the essence, follow the instructions below. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

ZUCCHINI MEATBALL BATEAUX

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise

16 precooked frozen Italian meatballs, thawed

15-ounce jar prepared marinara sauce

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

8 ounces fresh burrata cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon Italian herb blend

Fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Arrange sliced zucchini halves on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick oil. Scoop out the center of each zucchini, using a spoon, to remove seeds and create a well to hold the fillings. Spread a little marinara in each zucchini. Place 4 Italian meatballs in each. Divide the remaining marinara between them. Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Bake 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Transfer zucchini boats to a platter. Place fresh basil leaves on each end. Divide the burrata into four sections and arrange dollops as desired. Drizzle each dollop with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian herbs. Serve immediately.

Yellow Squash Panko

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Yellow Squash Panko! Many of you already know this particular vegetable is a second cousin to zucchini. The skin is tender, glossy smooth, and edible which makes it a no-fuss dinner companion. Although its flavor is mild, when cooked it actually becomes buttery sweet with a slightly nutty nuance. Try to buy yellow squash that is 6”-8” in size. You’ll know because the larger it is, the more likely the skin will appear bumpy and less tender. You’ll also notice a lot of seeds, once you cut into it. By then you’ll need to rethink dinner and purée it for soup. Hindsight is 20/20 after all.

YELLOW SQUASH PANKO

Ingredients:

2 yellow squash

1-2 tablespoons olive oil, for sauté

Ingredients for Herbed Oil:

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Ingredients for Crumb Topping:

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions:

Wash and pat dry yellow squash. Slice into 1/4” rounds; set aside. To make the herbed oil, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, dried parsley, sea salt, and cracked black pepper. Set aside. To make the crumb topping, toss panko bread crumbs, grated parmesan cheese, dried parsley, sea salt, and red pepper flakes into a bowl. Mix well; set aside. To prepare yellow squash, warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the yellow squash and sauté for 8 minutes. Turn occasionally to cook both sides. Squash should be soft, but not mushy. Remove from heat. Drizzle herbed oil over yellow squash. Transfer to a platter. Top with panko crumb topping mixture. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired. Serve immediately.