Recipes

Marinated Asparagus with Feta and Cherry Tomatoes

  Fresh and Local this time of year, Asparagus is a lovely and healthy way to dress up a meal. Asparagus is low sodium, high fiber, and is a good source of Vitamins A, C and Iron.

2 lbs green asparagus

salt and sugar

9 oz cherry tomatoes

4 tablespoons LG med robust Extra Virgin Olive OIl

2 tablespoons LG White Balsamic Vinegar  (I like Sicialian Lemon, and Oregano)

5 oz Feta Cheese

Basil for garnish

fresh cracked pepper

Method:

Remove tough ends. Cook the asparagus in sugar and salted water, for 10 mins, until just cooked.  Immediately place in ice water to cool.

Cut tomatoes in half

Beat oil and vinegar with salt, sugar and pepper to taste

Mix asparagus and tomatoes together in a bowl and drizzle with vinaigrette. Marinade for 30 minutes.

Arrange the asparagus and tomato on serving platter, sprinkle with Feta and Basil leaves.

Serve with grilled French bread.

This is as close to the original that I could find.  Many versions including pine nuts and peppers have been prepared in my kitchen. Making it your own, is half the fun.

Italian Golden Lentils

Serves 6-8 

Another of Nigella's wonderful recipes, that I like to play with.

3 T LG Garlic infused olive oil

1 Leek, washed, trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 t Dried thyme or 1 t finely chopped fresh thyme

3 cups Castelluccio Lentils, or your favorite lentil if not available, rinsed and drained

Approx. 1 quart cold water

3 dried Bay leaves

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Chopped fresh Parsley and or chives

Liquid Gold EVOO or LG fused or infused Chipotle, Harrisa, Baklouti Chili, or Cayenne Chili Pepper olive oil to drizzle over the lentils during the meal.

Roast Brussels Sprouts with Rosemary Lemon & Pecorino

It was a variation of this recipe that brought Bill over to the 'other side', the side where people eat and enjoy Brussels sprouts.  This one is from Nigella Lawsons cookbook, but has a bit of a Liquid Gold twist.

Serves 4-6      Preheat oven to 425F

Ingredients:

2 T Liquid Gold Garlic infused olive oil

1 t finely chopped fresh Rosemary needles

Zest of 1 organic Lemon

1 pound small Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

2 T grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

Traditional Balsamic, or Sicilian Lemon (optional)

Crispy bacon (optional)

Mix olive oil, rosemary, and lemon in a shallow roasting pan. Add the sprouts, toss around and mix well. 

Roast for about 20 minutes, check for done ness (they should have some resistance when you bite in to it) If they are not done, put them back in for another 4-5 minutes.

Transfer sprouts into a warmed serving bowl, sprinkle with the pecorino, then toss to combine well before adding slat and pepper.  This is where I am torn between adding a splash of Traditional Balsamic, or Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic, or a sqeeze of lemon.  For the carnivores in the crowd, add some crispy bacon.

Baby Spinach a la carte

 It doesn't get much simpler than this. This can be a side dish, or enjoyed on it's own.

Ingredients:

As much baby spinach as you can consume at one sitting, wash and pat dry.

LG Extra Virgin Olive Oil, mild to medium robust, for sauteing

Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper. 

 *If serving as a side dish, toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds add a nice touch.

Sauteed Fiddleheads

 Spring is my favorite time of the year!  I love all things new and green. Fiddleheads have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  My dad had a secret place to pick, somewhere in Nine Mile River, NS.  It was so secret, to this day, I do not know where we picked a trash bag full every spring. My mom would stand for hours, cleaning them of the 'brown paper', blanching and freezing the little green pinwheels, so we could enjoy them for months to come. BTW, they are apparently toxic if eaten raw, good thing I did not know that as I munched away as we picked, so cook em.

 Cook cleaned fiddleheads in boiling salted water, until barely tender. About 7 mins. Drain

Saute until lightly browned with 1 Tablespoon LG Extra Virgin Olive Oil (this is where a nice grassy one will shine) for every 1 cup fiddleheads.

Sprinkle with salt, fresh ground pepper, and finish with a splash of LG Sicilian Lemon white balsamic or Traditional dark balsamic.

Since I will always have butter in my life, this is where I will have at least one good feed, served with nothing but butter, salt and pepper.

Garlic Truffle Cauliflower Puree

You can use this simple puree on pork, beef, chicken or use it as a side dish. For a quick appetizer, add this puree to crostini's.

1/2 head of cauliflower

3 Tbs of Liquid Gold Garlic Olive Oil

1/2 tsp of Liquid Gold White Truffle Oil

1 head of Weedy Gardens garlic

1/4 fine diced red onion

3 sprigs of thyme chopped

3 sprigs of oregano chopped

3 Tbs fine diced red pepper

Maldon Sea Salt to taste

1. Boil Cauliflower until tender in salted water with 1 Tbs of Garlic Olive Oil and whole head of garlic.
2. Scoop out the cauliflower and garlic and place in blender along with remaining Garlic Oil and White Truffle Oil, reserve your water to moisten the puree. 
3. Puree until smooth, adding reserved water to moisten the mixture, approximately 1/4c.  
4. Remove puree into a bowl add onion, red pepper, thyme and oregano, stir to combine.

Thank you Chef James Oja for this delicious recipe.

Italian Roasted Potatoes

 Preheat the oven to 425F

Serves 8

4 pounds waxy potatoes washed (Yukon Gold )

2 heads garlic( I use more, as I love garlic)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary needle

2/3 cup medium robust LG Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Traditional Balsamic for finishing, optional

1 head escarole lettuce (optional to serve)

Sea Salt Flakes (Maldon is my favorite) 

Dice the potatoes with their skins on, roughly into about 1 inch chunks, and then spread them out on a large but shallow roasting pan or lipped baking sheet.

Break up the garlic heads into cloves, keeping their skins on too but discarding the loose papery outside layers.  Arrange the garlic among the potato pieces.

 Sprinkle with the chopped rosemary and then drizzle the olive oil over, (Balsamic if using) turning everything in the pan to coat well.

Cook in hot oven for 1 hour, until potatoes are golden brown on the outside and soft in the center.  Lift or scrape the potatoes off the pan and put on a couple of salad-lined plates or a warmed platter , sprinkling with the sea salt flakes to taste, then serve.