Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup The Spicy Olive extra virgin olive oil 

1/4 cup The Spicy Olive Raspberry balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
We recommend our Basil Olive Oil for this dressing. Whisk the ingredients together and serve over any salad. It’s also great drizzled over cooked vegetables like broccoli and asparagus.

The Spicy Olive’s Marinated Mushrooms or Cheese Balls

The Spicy Olive’s Marinated Mushrooms or Mozzarella Cheese Balls

1/2 cup Organic Tuscan Herb olive oil

1/2 cup Traditional balsamic vinegar

1-2 cups fresh mushrooms or

1-2 cups fresh mozzarella balls

Place the olive and vinegar in a bowl and place mushrooms or cheese balls in to marinate. Add a teaspoon of our Gourmet Pepper blend spice mix for a hint of spice. Marinate for 24 hours and serve with toothpicks.

The Spicy Olive’s Red Wine and Balsamic Marinated Mushrooms

Red Wine And Balsamic Marinated Mushrooms

1 lb Button or Baby Bella Mushrooms 2 cloves garlic 1 C Spicy Olive Single Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil 3⁄4 C red wine 1/3 C Spicy Olive 18 Year Traditional Balsamic Vinegar 1⁄4 tsp. butter or Spicy Olive Butter Olive Oil Sea salt to taste Pepper to taste

Directions:

Grate or finely chop the garlic. Add the garlic to the mushrooms. Place a large pot on medium high heat. Add 4-5 tablespoons Spicy Olive Single Varietal EVOO. Add mushrooms and garlic. Stir for about 1 minute. Add the red wine. Increase the heat to high, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the Spicy Olive 18 Year Traditional Balsamic Vinegar and stir through. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in 1⁄4 tsp. butter.

Allow to cool. Drain and serve (reserve the liquid). Can be served whole as part of antipasto platter, or in salads or even sliced on crostini. Store remaining mushrooms in marinade in the refrigerator.

The Spicy Olive’s Red Cabbage and Onions

Crock Pot Red Cabbage and Onions

Ingredients:

1/2 head red cabbage, chopped 1 Vidalia onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, sliced 3 Tbsp. Red Apple Balsamic Vinegar or Fig Balsamic 1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt Dash of freshly ground pepper 2 Tbsp. water

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a 3-4 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low, stirring twice during cooking time, for 6-8 hours until cabbage is tender.

The Spicy Olive’s Garbanzo Bean, Sausage and Kale Pasta

The Spicy Olive’s Garbanzo Bean, Sausage and Kale Pasta

 Step 1: Cook 1/2 lb. Farfalle pasta, then drain and coat in The Spicy Olive’s Lemon olive oil.

 Step 2: In a skillet, brown 3/4 lb. ground Italian Sausage meat in a single varietal olive oil, breaking up chunks with a spoon. Add 2 tablespoons minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add 1 can rinsed and drained garbanzo beans and cook 3 minutes. Add 5 cups ribbed and shredded fresh kale and wilt.                                                              Step 3:  Add pasta and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, season with sea salt and pepper if needed. Drizzle with The Spicy Olive’s Lemon olive oil to finish. Serve with crusty bread and salad for a delicious meal!

The Spicy Olive Slow Cooker Beef, Barley & Squash Stew

The Spicy Olive’s Slow Cooker Beef, Barley and Squash Stew

3 tablespoons The Spicy Olive’s Organic Garlic olive oil, divided

1 lb. beef chuck roast, cut into 3 pieces

sea salt and pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

4 thyme sprigs

4 cups beef broth, divided

1/2 pound small potatoes, halved

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup pearl barley 

If your slow cooker has a stove top safe insert then heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat, otherwise do in a medium skillet and transfer to slow cooker later. Season beef with salt and pepper and brown pieces in olive oil until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Add remaining olive oil and garlic and saute until fragrant. Place insert into slow cooker or transfer to slow cooker and add thyme and 2 cups beef broth and scrap down sides and bottom of pan to release browned bits. Transfer this broth to slow cooker.  Add potatoes, squash and barley to slow cooker with 2 cups water and remaining 2 cups of beef broth. Cover and cook on high until meat is very tender and liquid mostly absorbed (about 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.) Using 2 forks shred beef. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 6.

 ** Would also be delicious with carrots or celery or other vegetables you might like to add.


Pecorino Pear and Arugula Salad

1 1/2 tbsp. The Spicy Olive Sherry Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 c. The Spicy Olive Hojiblanca Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small french shallot, finely chopped
4 c. arugula leaves
1 small fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 ripe but firm pear, cored and sliced thin
1 c. parsley, chopped coarse
1 c. shaved Pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese

Combine the vinegar and a pinch of salt in a bowl and whisk until salt has dissolved. Add the oil slowly to thicken the dressing, whisking constantly. Stir in the shallot.

Combine arugula, fennel, pear and parsley in a salad bowl and toss. Add dressing and toss again. Top with the shaved cheese and serve.

We chose our mild Hojiblanca Extra Virgin Olive Oil to balance out the bite in our Sherry Balsamic Vinegar. If you would like to add more flavor to the dressing, perhaps try one of our more robust single-varietal EVOOs.

Asparagi Gratinati

2 bunches asparagus
1/4 lb. provolone cheese, sliced thin
3 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Any of The Spicy Olive’s single varietal EVOOs

Preheat the broiler and bring a pot of salted water to boil. Once boiling, cook the asparagus for about 5 minutes, until they’ve just become bright green and are crisp-tender.

Drain and put in a baking dish. Arrange with the provolone over the stalks, below the heads. Scatter with parmesan and liberally drizzle with EVOO. Season with fresh ground black pepper.

Broil the dish until the cheese starts to melt.

Here, we’ve recommended any of our single varietal EVOOs…use your favorite! Many of our flavored EVOOs could be used as well: Garlic, Wild Mushroom & Sage, Cilantro & Roasted Onion… wonderful possibilities!

Garlic Chicory

1 large bunch chicory
3 tbsp. The Spicy Olive Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp chili flakes

Bring 12-16 cups of water to boil in a large pot. Add the greens with a thorough pinch of salt and boil for 4 minutes. Drain and squeeze to remove any excess water. Chop coarsely. The result should be 4 cups.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over moderate heat. Add the garlic and chili and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicory and sauté for 3-4 minutes more.

To really bring out the fragrance and flavor, we have recommended our Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. However, if you’d like to spice this up, our Harissa or Chipotle EVOOs should do the trick!

Gratin Potatoes with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers

4 large ripe tomatoes (peeled, halved and seeded)
2 lbs. waxy potatoes
2 tbsp. The Spicy Olive Cilantro & Roasted Onion Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 red onions, sliced thin
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 c The Spicy Olive Kalamata Olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 small lemon, sliced super thin
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Chop one of the tomatoes and slice the rest. Drop the potatoes into a large pot of boiling, salted water and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Combine 1.5 tbsp. of The Spicy Olive Cilantro & Roasted Onion Extra Virgin Olive Oil with the onions and thyme in a frying pan. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté over moderately high heat until the onions start to gain color. Arrange these ingredients in an oiled gratin dish. Then toss in the tomato, olives, garlic, half of the lemon and extra sprigs of thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Finish with a drizzle of EVOO.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender.