Tag Archives: olive oil

Party Perfect

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You guys know my two besties: Cheese and Wine?! Well they haven’t hung out in a while and what kind of food blog would we be if we didn’t impart multiple ways for them to be paired together. Don’t pull a rookie move and think that sliced cheese and crackers is what to serve at a party. This is done just as quickly and looks, tastes, and impresses much more than that tired old look. Plus it’s obviously DELISH!

  • Polenta log from Trader Joe’s
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup goat cheese
  • 3 tbsp of half and half or cream
  • 2 tbsp basil, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Pine nuts, pistachios, or really any nut would work (optional)

Grab the Trader Joe’s polenta log (it’s cheap and cuts down the work a ton)! Slice into 1/8 inch rounds then cut into half moons. Brush with olive oil and grate parmesan cheese over them before sticking in broiler to make into a chip. Remember to keep an eye on them as they shouldn’t take more than 5-10 min at the MAX. While those are toasting up, whip goat cheese with the half and half or cream, add in the chopped basil with some salt & pepper to taste. I also think a nice crunch element would be to add toasted pine nuts (a handful) or pistachios to the cheese mixture.

Dollop the mixture on the cooled chip, (if its still hot the mixture will start melting) and serve!

Party Perfect

Happy Eating (And Partying), XO.

3S Cauliflower: Sweet Smokey & Spicy

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All of you can stop whining about how I am this evil person for making you buy pure maple syrup for a previous chicken recipe and how I haven’t given you more recipes to cook with it. I am here to save your expensive maple bottle and put it to good, nay great use! As you know I am a huge fan of the sweet and spicy combo, that was the flavor profile of the sassy fish recipe as well. So this recipe is near and dear to my taste buds. Also! It is my ALL TIME favorite way of cooking vegetables. Roasting is THE freaking BEST! I legit roast everything: Brussels sprouts, asparagus, zucchini, butternut squash, eggplant -sike I hate eggplant, but you could def roast it to make it suck less. Anywho, I love the charred flavor of the high heat and the simplicity of cooking so that it lets the actual veggie shine! See below for a 10 minute (And mind you 4 ingredient) side dish that will fancy up any meal you serve it with…

  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sriracha
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 425°(F). Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces; transfer to a large bowl; set aside. In a small bowl combine olive oil, sriracha, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Pour the sriracha mixture over the cauliflower and mix well, making sure the cauliflower is well coated in the sauce. Spread the cauliflower onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring once at the half way point. Increase the oven temperature to 475 and bake for another 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

PicMonkey-Collage5-418x1024

Happy Eating, XO.

Greek Bake

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We’ve all been there – those nights where you just don’t know what to make but have a ton of seemingly random things in the pantry. Not to mention those fresh herbs in the fridge that are about to go bad. Well, you know us a little by now, and we almost (read: almost) like those kinds of nights because that’s when we have to get creative with our recipes. Just like this one. We love our “toss ’em together” recipes that leave just enough cooking time in the oven to go peel off the work clothes and settle in with a nice glass (read: bottle) of wine.
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 lb. lean ground turkey (or chicken or lamb, knock yourself out)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¾ tsp ground oregano
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp ground pepper
  • 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cup cooked brown rice (I had some white leftover from a fish & rice I had made the night before, works just as well)
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, divided (I did the feta with the Mediterranean herbs, but plain feta works as well)
  • ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ground turkey. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, ¼ cup of the feta cheese and the parsley. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining feta cheese. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Greek Bake

Happy Eating, XO.

Sassy Fish

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Hopefully everyone is full of chocolate from V-day and is now ready for eating better. As we know, fish is a staple to eating healthier, but I have a really a good twist on a basic pan seared fish recipe! I love it because its a lil sweet & spicy and I think it resonates with me/my personality. I’m a sassy girl! Overall I am sweet, but I have a lil fiery side to me as well. I also love this fish idea because it totally came out of no where when I was rummaging through my mom’s fridge over the holidays.

  • 2 5-6oz filets of a “meaty” fish (so think salmon, tuna, halibut and not tilapia or cod because they are more flaky)
  • 1 tbsp. minced garlic (3 cloves?)
  • 2 tbsp. minced onions (yellow, Spanish, shallots, whatever you want)
  • 1 tsp. sriracha (more if you like it spicier vs. sweeter)
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp. mango chutney (I use the brand Patak’s Major Grey Mango Chutney, but really any one would work)
  • Pinch of black pepper

In a small sauce saucepan simmer the chutney, soy, sriracha, garlic, and onions. This will not only marry all the flavors, but it will thin out the consistency since the chutney is chunky with pieces of mango in it. Think about 3-5 minutes. While that is happening coat the fish with olive oil and pepper (no salt really needed because of the sodium in the soy). Start to sear in a hot non-stick pan. Reduce the flame on the saute pan and add the sauce to the fish, finish cooking the filets with the sauce in pan. Approximately 10-12 min. of total cook time for fish.

Happy Eating, XO.

So Easy a Caveman Can Do It: Lemon Basil Hummus

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Get the last of the fresh herbs in while you can with this fresh and super simple recipe! It’s honestly so easy a cave man can do it. And I think this may even qualify for the paleo diet?!

I had friends coming over and literally had no finger food ready, so I went pantry-diving. Chic peas? Check. Basil about to go bad? Check. So many lemons I couldn’t possibly use them all myself? Check. All of my friends like hummus, so why not give it a whirl? Like literally, whirl it in a food processor. (I crack myself up…)

  • 1 can of chic peas
  • 1 cup of fresh basil leaves
  • 2 lemons (1 tsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp of zest)
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil

Break out the food processor (or mortar and pestle) and pour in all of the ingredients. Puree until smooth. That’s it! Seriously. But I mean, don’t forget to service it with pita chips (I’m addicted to Stacy’s sea salt pita chips). Or you can stuff it in to a cucumber for a healthier snack like we did here.

Chic peas/hummus is such a versatile ingredient, get creative! Mix your own flavors (red pepper and lemon, anyone?) and let us know what you come up with! Tweet it to us @damn_delish.

Lemon Basil Hummus

Happy Eating, XO!