The Spicy Olive's Tropical Chicken Salad

The Spicy Olive’s Tropical Grilled Chicken Salad

TROPICAL GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 cups chopped romaine – or green leaf lettuce
¼ cup cherry tomatoes – halved
¼ red onion – chopped
1 large avocados – sliced diced into small pieces
1 whole pineapple cut into rings – can use canned pineapple rings
½ tablespoon The Spicy Olive’s Melgarejo Picual EVOO (single Varietal olive oil from Spain)
cilantro – roughly chopped
Marinade for Chicken
½ cup of soy sauce
½ cup of The Spicy Olive’s Golden Pineapple white Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon The Spicy Olive’s Basil Infused Olive Oil
1 can of cola soda
1 tablespoon of mustard (our Roasted Garlic and Champagne Mustard would work here!)
Whisk together – place chicken in a Ziploc bag with marinade, allow chicken to marinade for at least 2-3 hrs. Best overnight.
Salad Dressing
⅓ cup The Spicy Olive’s A Premium or Golden Pineapple White Balsamic Vinegar
⅓ cup The Spicy Olive’s Melgarejo Picual EVOO
whisked together
Preheat grill 350 degrees F.
Remove chicken from marinade and place on hot grill, cook approx. 10-12 minutes on each side -until chicken is fully cooked. Cut chicken into slices and set aside. Brush EVOO on the pineapple rings and place on grill – grill for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Prepare salad – place chopped romaine lettuce or lettuce as your choice on a plate, top with red onions, chicken, grilled pineapple, avocado, cherry tomatoes, garnish with cilantro. Add dressing and serve.
Spicy Olive BLT Pasta Salad

The Spicy Olive’s BLT Bow-tie (Farfalle) Pasta Salad

The Spicy Olive’s Farfalle  BLT Salad
1 lb. of farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
½ lb. of bacon
1 ½ cup of grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon of chopped/torn fresh basil
½ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup of crumbled feta cheese
¾ cup of The Spicy Olive’s Garlic Infused Olive Oil
1 lemon (juiced)
In a medium to large pot bring water to boil add a pinch of salt. Cook pasta until al dente (about 10 minutes), drain and set aside.
In a large skillet cook bacon until browned and crispy, drain on  and dab with  paper towel to remove all excess oil. Cut bacon to form crumbles and set aside.
Combine bacon, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, and basil in a bowl.
Using a blender, combine Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Then pour into a bowl and toss pasta with this mixture.
Serve pasta and top with bacon, tomato, feta and basil mix.
The Spicy Olive's Ricota Cilantro and Onion DIp

The Spicy Olive’s Ricotta, Cilantro and Roasted Onion Dip

RICOTTA, CILANTRO & ROASTED ONION DIP
1 lb. fresh ricotta
3/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 cup The Spicy Olive’s Cilantro & Roasted Onion infused Olive Oil
1/4 cup finely chopped mixed chives, parsley, mint, and tarragon.
Kosher salt
Pepper
Pepper flakes – optional
The Spicy Olive’s CA Organic Arbequina EVOO – drizzle on top (mild single varietal EVOO)
2 baguettes
3 tablespoons of The Spicy Olive’s Butter infused Olive Oil – for baguette
In a food processor, puree the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic and the 1/4 cup of Cilantro & Roasted Onion infused olive oil until smooth. Scrape into a medium bowl, stir in the herbs and season generously with salt and pepper.
For baguettes (use oven or grill) – Brush the baguettes with Butter infused olive oil. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until lightly charred, 3 minutes.
Serve dip in bowl and top with pepper flakes. Add a drizzle of EVOO. Can be served with baguette, or grilled veggies.
The Spicy Olive's Steak Fajitas

The Spicy Olive’s Steak Fajitas

SPICY STEAK FAJITAS
1 1/2 pounds flat iron steak
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 1/2 tablespoons The Spicy Olive’s Baklouti Green Chili Fused Olive Oil, divided
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red onion, cut into wedges
1 pack of wheat flour tortillas
Mortar and Pestle Cuatro Taco seasoning blend
(optional – add lettuce to the wrap)
Preheat grill to medium high heat.
In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Season steak 2 teaspoons Mortar and Pestle Cuatro Taco seasoning mixture.
Coat the grill with the Baklouti Fused Olive Oil, add steak to grill, and cook, flipping once (5-7) minutes per side Let rest 5 minutes.
Season bell peppers and onion with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons Baklouti Fused Olive Oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Add bell peppers and onion to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until charred and tender, about 6-8 minutes.
Thinly slice steak against the grain and slice. Toss together steak strips with sliced bell peppers and onions. Warm tortilla until soft, add meat, peppers and lettuce and serve. Optional – add guacamole and sour cream.

The Spicy Olive’s Mediterranean Barley Salad

Spicy Oliveʼs Mediterranean Barley Salad

This is one of our most popular recipes! It is a super healthy side dish as well, chock full of many different colored vegetables.

My favorite combination for the salad dressing is The Spicy Olive’s Persian Lime olive oil and our Honey Ginger white balsamic.

To boil barley:
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup barley (I use Quaker “quick barley”)
1 Tbsp The Spicy Olive’s single varietal Ultra Premium extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt

For Salad:
1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives
1/2 cup cucumber or zucchini, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced
2/3 cup chopped parsley
cherry tomatoes, halved
avocado, peeled and chopped
feta cheese
optional vegetables (you can add all or none as you like):
blanched, fresh broccoli florets
blanched, fresh cauliflower (small pieces)
cilantro, chopped
spinach, fresh leaves, chopped
garbanzo beans
Dressing:
1/2  cup  The Spicy Olive’s Lemon olive oil or The Spicy Oliveʼs Persian Lime or Cilantro and Roasted
Onion
1/2 cup The Spicy Oliveʼs Honey Ginger white balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
(can add a splash of fresh lemon or lime juice if you use the cilantro and onion olive
oil)
Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add barley, olive oil and salt. Bring
back to boil and adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover and cook until barley
is tender ( 10 minutes for quick barley, about 30 minutes for regular barley. Remove
from heat and drain excess liquid, if needed. Cool. ( you can spread on a plate or
cookie sheet to keep from getting mushy.)
Meanwhile, whisk dressing together. Toss with barley and vegetables and serve!

The Spicy Olive’s Shepherd Pie

SHEPHERD’S PIE
1 ½ lb. ground beef
2 tablespoons of The Spicy Olive’s Madagascar Black Peppercorn Infused Olive Oil
1 finely chopped onion
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
1 finely chopped Roma tomato
1 cup of low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 chopped carrots
1/2 cup of frozen corn
½ cup of frozen peas
¾ cup of The Spicy Olive’s A-Premium or Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
2 lbs. Red-potatoes
2/3 cup of half and half
3 tablespoons of The Spicy Olive’s Infused Butter Olive Oil
1/2 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Teaspoon of salt
Preheat oven at 400 degrees F.
Peal the 2 lbs. of potatoes, cut into cubes. Boil potatoes in a large pot, add a teaspoon of salt, cook until tender (approx. 20 min). While potatoes are cooking heat 2 tablespoons of Madagascar Black Peppercorn Infused Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in your chopped onion, ground meat, carrots, thyme, garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, and cook until meat has browned. Add the chopped tomato, cook and stir until soft – about a minute. Stir in ¾ cup of A-Premium Balsamic Vinegar, add frozen corn, peas and chicken broth to the mixture let simmer for 5 minutes until reduced and saucy.
In a 3-qtr baking dish transfer your meat mixture and evenly spread across the dish.
Back to the potatoes – drain the potatoes and return to the pot, add the Infused Butter Olive Oil, half, and half. Mix in cheddar cheese and Dijon mustard. Smash until all ingredients have mixed – season with additional salt if needed. Spread mashed potatoes over the meat in the baking dish creating an even layer on top. Place baking dish in the oven, bake until topping is golden brown, approximately 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

The Spicy Olive’s Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread is an easy quick bread to serve on St.Patrick’s Day or any day. It mixes up effortlessly and bakes up beautifully.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp The Spicy Olive’s Mild Single Varietal EVOO ( Arbosano, Athinolia, Hojiblanca)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and salt. Add the oil and buttermilk. Stir until a sticky dough forms.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough lightly and shape into a 6-inch round. With a sharp knife, cut an X in the top of the dough.
  • Place the round on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. The crust should be brown and will give a hollow sound when thumped.
  • Enjoy warm with butter or a bit of cheese.

The Spicy Olive’s Irish Colcannon

A great recipe for St.Patrick’s Day but a delicious side dish for anytime you are craving comfort food! Cabbage can be substituted for the kale in this recipe too.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 pinch Kosher Salt
  • 4 ounces Curly Kale leaves (about 6 ½ ounces with stem) (or leafy cabbage)
  • ½ cup Scallions trimmed, white and lower green of stalk rough chopped
  • 6 Tablespoons The Spicy Olive’s Butter Infused olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Garnish with scallion slices (about ¼ cup needed for whole recipe)

Instructions

  • Fill a large pot of water with enough room to cover the potatoes by 1 inch (with plenty of room for the potatoes). Bring to a boil.
  • Add a large pinch of salt to the boiling water.
  • Place potatoes in boiling water until done (about 20 minutes; poke a fork in them to ensure they are no longer hard and are cooked through). Drain and return to cooking pot.

Preparing the Kale (blanching)

  • While potatoes are boiling, bring a second pot of water to boil for blanching the kale and fill a large mixing bowl of ice and water.
  • Place the kale leaves into the boiling water for two minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure they all become submerged.
  • Remove from boiling water, and place immediately into ice water bath. Allow them to remain there for two minutes then place them in the bowl of a food processor.
  • Add the rough chopped scallions to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse for 10-15 seconds until kale and onions form a finely diced mixture.

Making the Colcannon

  • Add the butter olive oil to the potatoes.
  • Mash the potatoes with a masher or potato ricer making sure all the butter olive oil is absorbed.
  • Add the diced kale and scallion;stir to fully combine.
  • Serve hot garnished with scallion slices, drizzle additional butter olive oil on top.
The Spicy Olive's Grilled Lamb Chops

The Spicy Olive’s Grilled Lamb Chops

The Spicy Olive’s GRILLED LAMB CHOPS
1/4 cup The Spicy Olive’s Tuscan Herb or Garlic Infused  Olive Oil
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup lemon juice)
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 lamb chops
1 tbsp. The Spicy Olive’s Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil for pan cooking

Using paper towels, pat the chops dry.
Mix all of the ingredients together in a small in a large shallow dish or gallon zip lock bag. Arrange lamb chops in the dish or bag, and pour the marinade all over the lamb, rubbing it into the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 2 hours, or for more flavor, marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning the chops from time to time. Allow the lamb chops sit at room temp 30 minutes before cooking. Heat a grill pan over high heat and add oil just before the chops. Fry or grill lamb in 2 batches for 3-4 minutes each side, depending on thickness until done to your liking. (Usually, at 3 minutes per side they are medium, and at 4 minutes they are medium-well.)

Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

The Spicy Olive's Coconut Curry Shrimp

The Spicy Olive’s Coconut Curry Kabocha Shrimp

Ingredients:
1 lb. of tiger shrimp shelled and deveined.
1 lb. yard-long beans, cut into 2-inch slices
1/4 lb. kabocha squash, cubed into 1/2 inch segments
1 tablespoon curry powder, optional
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons of The Spicy Olive’s Garlic Infused Olive Oil
1 teaspoon of The Spicy Olive’s Harissa Infused Olive Oil
1/2-inch piece of ginger, crushed and sliced
1/2 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Garnish with shallots – optional
Heat the Garlic Infused Olive Oil and Harissa Infused Olive Oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the kabocha squash cubes, curry powder if you’re using, ginger, and turmeric and stir fry the squash letting the cubes of squash lightly brown. Add the beans and cook, until the beans are lightly browned. Salt shrimp and add to pot, stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Pour the coconut milk, water, sugar, and let the liquid simmer for 20 minutes, until the beans and squash are tender but not mushy. Serve warm.