Great Ideas for Mother’s Day Brunch with The Spicy Olive

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Melanie Cedargren, owner of The Spicy Olive, was on Living Dayton with Delicious Ideas for Brunch to surprise your mom on Mother’s Day! The Spicy Olive’s fresh and flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars add wonderful flavors to our recipes and ease to preparing a meal sure to delight mom on her day! Melanie prepared a Mimosa featuring our Cara Cara Orange Vanilla balsamic to give the cocktail a hint of an orange vanilla creamsicle! The Cara Cara Orange Vanilla balsamic was also used to dress a fruit salad. We also made moist Lemon Bread with our Lemon olive oil. Rounding out the brunch is a Wild Mushroom and Smoked Cheese Omelette.

Recipes From May 2016 Newsletter

 

May Recipes Featuring the Flavors of the Month:

 Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups kale leaves, washed, dried, and cut into 1/2″ pieces, with tough stems removed
  • 2 tablespoons Harissa Olive Oil, Chipotle, Milanese Gremolata, Tuscan Herb or Blood Orange could also be used
  • 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

In  a large bowl toss the kale with Harissa olive oil, paprika, and salt.  Arrange the leaves in a single layer on the baking sheet lined with parchment.  Bake until crisp and beginning to turn golden-brown at the edges, about 20-25 minutes

The Spicy Olive’s Shrimp Scampi

2 Tablespoons The Spicy Olive’s Milanese Gremolata
1 onion or a shallot,  diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons The Spicy Olive’s Sicilian Lemon white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup white wine
1 Tablespoon capers
2 lbs. large raw shrimp, clean, peeled and deveined
Parmesan cheese to taste
2 Tablespoons butterSaute onion or shallot in Milanese Gremolata olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic, salt and pepper, Sicilian Lemon balsamic, white wine and capers. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add shrimp and simmer for about 7 minutes, until shrimp are almost done. Add butter to pan and stir into sauce. This should thicken the sauce, you can add more butter if desired. Serve over pasta, rice or toasted french bread slices and top with parmesan cheese. Delicious!The Spicy Olive’s Citrus Salad

2 tbsp. walnuts or pecans, chopped
6 oz. bag of mixed greens
2 naval oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 large grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
1 pear, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup seedless grapes, halved
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Dressing:
1/4 cup The Spicy Olive Sicilian Lemon or Grapefruit White Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup The Spicy Olive Blood Orange Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. orange juice

Mix salad greens and fruit in a salad bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil. Add oil in steady stream, whisking constantly until well incorporated. Pour over salad and serve.

The Spicy Olive’s Roasted Broccoli

1 bunch of broccoli, washed and cut into spears
Mortar and Pestle’s Citrus Herb Seasoning
1/4 cup The Spicy Olive’s Milanese Gremolata olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place broccoli in a ziplock bag. Pour Milanese Gremolata over broccoli and seal. Shake bag until broccoli is evenly coated. Spread on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle with Mortar and Pestle’s Citrus Herb seasoning. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes until broccoli is crisp tender. Enjoy!

What’s better than extra virgin?

 At The Spicy Olive we have always prided ourselves on bringing our customers the freshest, healthiest and best olive oils. As we head into the new year, we will be bringing in olive oils that are even better than extra virgin. This new level of quality is called ultra premium.


We are currently in the process of transitioning all of our olive oils from extra virgin to ultra premium (all of our single varietals have made the switch), so the next time you visit we will probably have several of them available! The biggest benefit of this change is that our flavored olive oils will be fresher. By making this transition, we will be able to implement our dual hemispheric model, which enables us to use ultra premium olive oil from around the world and deliver the freshest olive oil to you.

It seems that consumers focus on where their olive oil is produced, when they really should consider when, what and how the oil is made. By using the ultra premium (UP) standard focuses on the chemistry and freshness of the olive oil. To create the best olive oil, both high quality fruit and high quality production processes are needed and the UP standard encompasses strict requirements for both the end-product and the production processes.

The UP standard was created by our suppliers Veronica Foods in response to the growing need to separate high quality extra virgin olive oils from what dominates the so-called “gourmet” and “premium” olive oil markets. We have told you before about the low standards and misinformation surrounding olive oils and we hope this new designation will help create more clarity.

Only the freshest and best olive oils will meet the UP standard – it exceeds all existing Italian, Spanish, Greek, North American, Californian or any other standard for olive oil. In order to qualify for this UP certification, the olive oil must meet or exceed a comprehensive set of production, storage, transportation, testing chemistry and organoleptic requirements. All of this is intended to promote Fair Trade practices and to promote and protect the highest quality olive oil.

If you want more information about our new UP olive oils, be sure to visit the UP website and feel free to ask next time you visit or give us a call! 

Wild Mushroom & Sage

Flavor: Savory sage with hunts of shitake, chanerelle and morel mushrooms

Complements: rice, vegetables, potatoes, pork, poultry, pasta and eggs

Vinegar Pairings: Blenheim Apricot, Blackberry,
Black Currant, Cherry, Cinnamon Pear, Cranberry Pear, Maple, Oregano,
Peach, Golden Pineapple, Red Apple, Sicilian Lemon, Aged 18 Year
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Ideas:

  1. Drizzle over noodles and smoked Gouda cheese
  2. Great for cooking omelets, frittatas, scrambled eggs
  3. Sauté dry rice in Wild Mushroom & Sage EVOO until translucent, then cook as directed
  4. Use in place of butter for mashed potatoes
  5. Combine with Red Apple Balsamic to inject into and baste turkey

Tuscan Herb

Flavor: a full-bodied blend of oregano, rosemary, sage and garlic with a peppery finish

Complements: Rice and risotto, beef, poultry, fish, vegetables, pasta, bread

Vinegar Pairings: Wild Blueberry, Champagne,
Espresso, Oregano, Sicilian Lemon, Tangerine, Aged 12 Year White
Balsamic Vinegar, Aged 18 Year Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Ideas:

  1. Great for sautéing, roasting or grilling vegetables, beef, pork, lamb, poultry, or fish
  2. Combine with Espresso Balsamic for grilling skirt steak
  3. Drizzle on pasta and mix in prosciutto and caramelized red onions
  4. Combine with Aged 18 Year Traditional for an excellent dressing
  5. Mix with grated Parmigiano Reggiano and Aged 18 Year Traditional Balsamic Vinegar for bread dipping

Persian Lime

Flavor: Fresh Persian Lime

Complements: Seafood, chicken, salad, fruit, vegetables, dessert

Vinegar Pairings: Blenheim Apricot, Blackberry,
Black Currant, Wild Blueberry, Cherry, Chocolate, Cinnamon Pear,
Coconut, Cranberry Pear, Fig, Honey Ginger, Grapefruit, Jalapeño,
Lemongrass Mint, Oregano, Golden Pineapple, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Red
Apple Serrano Honey, Sicilian Lemon, Strawberry, Tangerine, Vanilla,
Aged 12 Year White Balsamic, Aged 18 Year Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Ideas:

  1. Combine with Coconut, Honey Ginger or Grapefruit Balsamic Vinegar to marinate shrimp, scallops, salmon, tuna or chicken
  2. Combine with any of The Spicy Olive’s Balsamic Vinegars for a great salad dressing or to grill fruit
  3. Use in baking in place of butter or other oils, i.e.:brownies, cakes, breads or muffins
  4. Use to sauté shrimp or other shellfish

Organic Garlic

Flavor: Fresh garlic

Complements: Salad, meat, seafood, pasta, vegetables, bread

Vinegar Pairings: Blackberry, Blenheim Apricot,
Champagne, Black Cherry, Cinnamon Pear, Coconut, Espresso, Jalapeño,
Lemongrass Mint, Oregano, Peach, Golden Pineapple, Red Apple, Serrano
Honey, Sicilian Lemon, Aged 12 Year White Balsamic Vinegar, Aged 18 Year
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Ideas:

  1. Combine with Aged 18 Year Traditional or Oregano Balsamic Vinegar to drizzle on salads
  2. Combine with Peach or Pineapple Balsamic Vinegar for a chicken or pork marinade
  3. Combine with equal parts of Espresso Balsamic and Harissa EVOO for a flank steak or chicken marinade
  4. Use alone or with any Spicy Olive Balsamic Vinegar for roasting vegetables or bread dipping

Organic Butter

Flavor: Natural butter flavor

Complements: Baking, bread, meats, pasta, popcorn, rice, seafood, vegetables

Balsamic Pairings: Cinnamon Pear, Maple, Vanilla, Aged 18 Year Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Ideas:

  1. Use as a butter substitute or anytime you need melted butter
  2. Combine with Cinnamon Pear or Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar over squash
  3. Use for cooking stove-top popcorn, or use in an oil mister and spray after cooking
  4. Combine with Vermont Maple Balsamic Vinegar and pour over pancakes or waffles
  5. Use in baking (Conversion: .75 c EVOO to 1 c butter)
  6. Recommended for vegetarians, vegans or those with dairy allergies or intolerances.

Milanese Gremolata

Flavor: Fresh lemon zest, minced garlic, Italian flat leaf parsley and a hint of mint

Complements: Fish, veal, poultry, pork, pasta, bread, potatoes

Vinegar Pairings: Blenheim Apricot, Grapefruit,
Jalapeño, Lemongrass Mint, Maple, Oregano, Peach, Pomegranate,
Raspberry, Sicilian Lemon, Tangerine, Aged 12 Year White Balsamic
Vinegar, Aged 18 Year Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Ideas:

  1. Brush on fish after baking or grilling
  2. Serve with veal or other slow braised dishes for a zip of flavor
  3. Drizzle over wedged potatoes and roast
  4. Sauté with bread crumbs, sprinkle over vegetables and roast
  5. Toss with pasta, tomatoes, grated cheese, and grilled chicken

Lemon

Flavor: Fresh-fused citrus lemon

Complements: Seafood, chicken, salad, fruit, vegetables, pasta, dessert, bread

Vinegar Pairings: Blenheim Apricot, Black Currant,
Wild Blueberry, Black Cherry, Chocolate, Cinnamon Pear, Cranberry Pear,
Espresso, Honey Ginger, Grapefruit, Peach, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Red
Apple, Serrano Honey, Sicilian Lemon, Strawberry, Tangerine, Vanilla,
Aged 12 Year White Balsamic Vinegar, Aged 18 Year Traditional Balsamic
Vinegar

Ideas:

  1. Combine with any of The Spicy Olive’s balsamic vinegars for salad dressing or roasting vegetables
  2. Use to sauté, bake or grill chicken, shrimp or fish
  3. Sauté dry rice in Lemon EVOO until translucent, the cook as directed
  4. Use this to replace other oils or butter in baking.