It's August. Officially. The summer sneakily slipped away again. Next week my daughter starts preschool full time and the week after that, my son begins Kindergarten. What. In. The. World. Where did summer go? The students will soon be back, football season will begin, the weather will get cooler, and before you know it, we'll be in full school year swing.
I'm probably being overly dramatic, but I have started making lists. I love lists. They soothe me. Even if I don't check a single thing off, at least it's not swimming around in my mind anymore. It seems only fitting, that for this post, I made you a list of my Top 10 Recipes. I pulled many from the blog archives, but I have introduced a few new ones, too. They aren't in any particular ranking order, as I love them all and I hope you will, too.
The common theme in every recipe is Olive Oil. Surprise! Some of the recipes just use a tablespoon or two, whereas some use 1/2 to 1 cup. Whether you use a mild, medium, or robust oil is totally up to you and I don't think it would make much of a difference for any of the recipes, except for maybe the granola, where I would use a mild one. Some are quick recipes, some are slow. All are lovely.
In solidarity to the below list, the discounted oil of the month is actually all of our 2017 Northern Hemisphere Olive Oils, from which you have five to choose: Ogliarola, Coratina Gran Cru, Biancolilla, Hojiblanca, or Organic Chetoui. The Southern Hemisphere harvest is finally in and in order to put them out, first I need to move our 2017 stock. Come in during this month and get 25% off any 2017 Extra Virgin Olive Oil!
I ordered a ridiculous amount of olives that came in today. Our distributor was out of stock for a while, any many of you are addicted. Lucky for you, I have the "Abuela" recipe pitted olives, the Red Chili and Garlic stuffed olives, and Sevilla Orange stuffed olives by the boat load. I vow to never run out again! I feel like I am going to face some backlash for saying this as an olive oil store owner, but I don't actually like eating olives. Until now. Until these olives. They are not your typical black circles on a pizza olives, they are large, juicy, flavorful olives. From Spain. Faaaaancy. And they make a martini that the characters of Mad Men would die for. All of that was to say, we have olives again. Sorry for running out.
Here are the recipes with the associated links!
1. Instant Pot Sausage and White Beans
https://www.simplyhappyfoodie.com/instant-pot-sausage-white-beans/
I meant to make this and freeze half for later. I never got that far. My family devoured the whole pot of beans within two days. It was that good.
Notes: If you don't have an Instant Pot (WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??), you could do these in a slow cooker, or even (gasp!) on the stove top. If you aren't using the IP, make sure to soak your beans over night before you start.
This recipe says to cook for 45 minutes, but I found mine to need a full hour in the Instant Pot to be totally creamy. I'm not a huge fan of thyme, so I reduced that measurement to 1/4 tsp.
You could use small red beans, omit the Rosemary, add some rice and Louisiana Hot Sauce and this recipe is now Red Beans and Rice. Any way you shake it, this is my comfort food.
2. Chicken Marinade/Grilled Chicken
I use this marinade All. The. Time. For Greek Chicken pitas, Chicken Caesar Salads, Chicken Tikka Masala, you name it. It's delicious.
3 chicken breasts, pounded thin
1/4 c. plain yogurt
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. EVOO
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Mix all the ingredients together in a gallon Ziploc bag, add the chicken and smush it around so that it all gets covered. Stick it back in the refrigerator and marinate for about an hour or all day, while you move on to other things.
When you're ready, preheat your grill to medium flame (?). Remove chicken from the bag and shake off excess marinade. Place your chickens on the hot grill, close the lid, and leave them alone for about 5 minutes. Flip them over and cook for about 5 more minutes (depending on how thin you pounded them and how hot your grill is). When your chicken is cooked through, but not yet a dry, tough bird, remove and set aside until cool enough to slice.
3. Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
Taco Tuesday! Tacos Everyday! This is the best rice side in the world. I usually leave out the peppers, so my daughter doesn't cry. Otherwise, follow the instructions to a "T" and you will never make it any other way.
Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated Sept/Oct 2009
*Please note that you could skip the roasted garlic part and use our Garlic Infused Olive Oil, but I really, really love the complexity the roasted garlic adds to this dish.
**Also note that I have been making this recipe since 2009 and stopped measuring things around 2010, so the actual measurements given are approximations only. Proceed.
1 head garlic
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 c. (ish) olive oil, divided
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
1 lb. Campanelle or Orecchiette Pasta
1 c. (ish) chopped Walnuts
1 lemon, juiced (or 2, if you really like lemon)
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 425. Slice off the papery end of the garlic bulb, drizzle it with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, wrap it in foil, place it on a baking sheet and stick it in the oven. While that's getting started, chop up your cauliflower. Put the cauliflower in a large bowl and toss with a good bit (2 Tbsp.?) of olive oil, a healthy sprinkle of salt and pepper. a pinch of sugar, and a shake of red pepper flakes (optional).
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Remove the hot baking sheet with garlic from the oven and (quickly) put the cauliflower onto the sheet. Return to the oven, and bake, turning once, for 30 minutes or so. You might want to check on your garlic after 20 minutes and make sure it's still soft and not burning. Oh, and add your chopped walnuts to the baking sheet when there's 5 minutes left for the cauliflower, so they get a bit toasty.
Once your water is boiling, add in pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining it. I like the put the cooked pasta back in the same bowl that I tossed my cauliflower in, so as to use any left-over oil.
Remove everything from the oven. Put the cauliflower and walnuts in the same big bowl as the pasta. Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze out the roasted cloves (I start with half of the cloves, to make sure it's not too overpoweringly garlicky) into a medium bowl with the remaining olive oil and juice from a lemon. Whisk it all together with some salt and pepper, until smooth. Pour it over the pasta, adding in the reserved pasta water if it seems too dry. Add on the Parmesan and toss well. Voila!
5. Kale Chips
I love chips. Potato Chips. I do not allow them in my house, because they call to me. I feel them looking at me. I cannot resist. I really miss them, but I miss them a lot less if I have Kale Chips around. I will eat an entire sheet pan of Kale Chips, but I don't feel the least bit queasy when I do. In fact, I congratulate myself on eating so many vegetables in one sitting! Plus, my kids love them.
Here's a how-to on kale chips from the Minimalist Baker blog. Ignore the fact that she uses coconut oil. Olive Oil all day, every day!
How To Make Kale Chips
I love chips. Potato Chips. I do not allow them in my house, because they call to me. I feel them looking at me. I cannot resist. I really miss them, but I miss them a lot less if I have Kale Chips around. I will eat an entire sheet pan of Kale Chips, but I don't feel the least bit queasy when I do. In fact, I congratulate myself on eating so many vegetables in one sitting! Plus, my kids love them.
Here's a how-to on kale chips from the Minimalist Baker blog. Ignore the fact that she uses coconut oil. Olive Oil all day, every day!
How To Make Kale Chips
6. My Go-To Granola
This granola has saved my life several times now. I am generally not a breakfast eater and I get hangry. I mean, Snickers commercials bad. But if I have a bag of this granola around, it makes the perfect snack, breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
6 c. old fashioned rolled oats
2-3 c. unsweetened coconut chips (found at ONF/Whole Foods in bulk)
3-4 c. chopped nuts of your choice or a dried fruit/nut combo
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. pure maple syrup
2/3 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or Blood Orange Fused Olive Oil)
Preheat oven to 300. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Dump everything into a large bowl and mix well.
Bake for 40 minutes, flipping the granola every 15 minutes, so that it doesn't burn. It should be lovely and fragrant and nicely golden when it is finished. Let it cool before putting it in an air-tight container.
This will keep at room temperature for a couple weeks. However, I freeze mine and grab handfuls out of the freezer bag in the morning and mix with whole milk yogurt.
7. Yumm Bowls
Let me tell you about a little thing called a Yumm Bowl. It is a super filling, healthy little flavor bomb. Even devout meat eaters will fall for this. It is as follows: brown rice, black beans, chopped tomatoes, a little salsa, sliced avocados, black olives, shredded cheddar cheese, and cilantro. Throw on some jalapenos, if you wish. Be sure to top it with a generous spoon full or two of Yumm Sauce and you are set. The flavor of the Yumm Sauce is really what makes it so amazing. You can't put your finger on the exact spices and combos, but you also can't stop eating it. And I have finally (!) perfected a copy cat recipe. Yumm Bowls are gluten free, vegan (if you don't top it with cheese), and protein packed. If you don't like it at first, that's fine. Try 3 more bites. It grows on you, just like the mold and fungi did when we lived in Oregon. It makes for a great packed lunch and several dinners.
Yumm Sauce
Adapted from This site and this site and multiple trials and errors over the past 7 years
Makes about 2 cups
1/4 c. raw almonds or almond meal
1/4 c. EVOO (use a milder one, like Sevillano)
1/2 can rinsed and drained garbanzo beans
1/2 package of silken tofu
1/4 c. water
Juice of 2 lemons
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. fresh cilantro
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. nutritional yeast (NOT baking yeast! Find nutritional yeast in the bulk section of Whole Foods or ONF.)
1. In the bowl of a food processor or a blender, put in the almonds and process until fairly fine. Add the oil and garbanzo beans. Pulse a bit, until smooth. Add in everything else and process until really smooth. You may need to add a bit more water or lemon juice, depending on your personal tastes, and if you like a thinner sauce. It should be fairly thick, like hummus.
2. Put it in a covered container and refrigerate for an hour to meld the flavors, if you have time. It will last in the refrigerator for a while (1-2 weeks?) and I have had success with freezing it before. It might not last you that long, though.
8. Ratatouille
A fantastic end of summer dish to make on a lazy Saturday. Go to Market, get your veggies and a bag of seconds tomatoes. Go home and put this in the oven while you catch up on laundry. You can eat it hot, room temperature, cold. It doesn't matter. It just gets better with time.
Adapted from Saveur
1/2 c. olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 bay leaf
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 large yellow onions, quartered
2 medium zucchini, cut into 2" pieces
1 medium eggplant, cut into 2" pieces
1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and quartered
2 large cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained (Or fresh tomatoes, halved or quartered)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven add oregano, basil, garlic, bay leaf, garlic and onions; cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
2. Stir in zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes and salt and pepper. Turn off burner, transfer pot to oven, and bake uncovered for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
3. Stir in basil and parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.
A fantastic end of summer dish to make on a lazy Saturday. Go to Market, get your veggies and a bag of seconds tomatoes. Go home and put this in the oven while you catch up on laundry. You can eat it hot, room temperature, cold. It doesn't matter. It just gets better with time.
Adapted from Saveur
1/2 c. olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 bay leaf
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 large yellow onions, quartered
2 medium zucchini, cut into 2" pieces
1 medium eggplant, cut into 2" pieces
1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and quartered
2 large cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained (Or fresh tomatoes, halved or quartered)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven add oregano, basil, garlic, bay leaf, garlic and onions; cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
2. Stir in zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes and salt and pepper. Turn off burner, transfer pot to oven, and bake uncovered for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
3. Stir in basil and parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.
9. Red Wine Porcini Pot Roast
This is "my" pot roast. I know every Pinterest board has a "Mississippi Pot Roast" saved to it, with the stick of butter, ranch packet, yada yada. But this one. This one is the best. You can follow the directions, as written in the link below, and it is AMAZING. Transcendent even. Or, you can be like me and be a little lazier. I still sear the roast in the olive oil, followed by the onions and celery, but the rest I just throw into a crock pot and leave it on high for 5 hours, or low all day. I do none of the boiling the dried mushrooms, hand crushing the tomatoes one at a time, etc. And where do you find marjoram? What herb is this? I don't think it really exists. I use a few pinches of dried Rosemary and call it a day.
I use my immersion blender at the end, to puree the sauce and pour it over anything that will stand still. Usually carrots and potatoes, which you can throw in with the pot roast, if you so choose. It isn't a viral internet sensation, but this roast is soooo good. It makes a great week night meal.
Red Wine Pot Roast
10. Smothered Cabbage Soup
This is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. It's traditionally more of a fall or winter dish, and it's also one to make on the rainy weekend day, when you can put the cabbage in the oven and go on to do other things. But I will gladly eat it any time or year, rain or shine. I can't describe it well, but I want any person who says, "I don't like cabbage" to make this. It will change your mind. And since it's a peasant dish, it's super cheap to make a large pot!
Smothered Cabbage, Venetian Style
Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup
Well, I think that wraps it up. I hope you all have a seamless transition to the school year. If you don't have to worry about school stuff, well...I hope you have a lovely August anyway.
Cheers!
Andrea
