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Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Stuffed Acorn Squash

I love the combination of sweet and savory ingredients in this stuffing. Cooking the wild rice and roasting the squash take some time, but you can work on the components of this dish simultaneously. Any stuffing left over after you fill the squash halves makes a great cold lunch the next day!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked
  • 1/3 cup raisins, preferably golden
  • 2 acorn squash
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, trimmed and diced 
  • 1 Granny Smith or other tart apple, cored and diced 
  • 4 fresh sage leaves, chopped 
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Coarse salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cook the wild rice as directed on the package. While the rice is cooking, steep the raisins in a cup of boiling water to plump them; set aside. Next, cut each acorn squash in two and use a grapefruit spoon to remove and discard the seeds. Brush the cut sides with a tablespoon of olive oil and place them, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 25 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet and, when hot, toss in the pine nuts and cook, stirring constantly, for about two minutes, until fragrant. Lower the heat to medium, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the onions, and celery, and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the diced apple, sage, and thyme, and cook for another 5 minutes. Drain the raisins, reserving the liquid, and add them to the skillet. Drain and fluff the rice and add to the skillet. If the mixture is too dry, add some of the raisin liquid, a tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Step 3

Take the squash out of the oven, carefully turn over the halves, and fill them with the rice mixture. Drizzle each half with the remaining olive oil and return to the oven for another 25 minutes or until a knife tip easily pierces the squash flesh. 

Yields 4 side dishes or 2 main dish servings

Clam Cakes Remoulade

These clam cakes come together in minutes. The remoulade sauce is a delicious garnish—use any leftovers as a flavorful sandwich spread. 

Ingredients

For the remoulade:

  • 1 cup high-quality mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce, such as Cholula or Sriracha
  • 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Obrycki’s or Old Bay
  • 1 large pickle spear, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon pickle juice
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

For the clam cakes:

  • 6 ounces of clams, freshly steamed or canned and drained
  • 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
  • 1 stalk celery, trimmed and cut into chunks
  • 12 spicy corn tortilla chips, such as Garden of Eatin’ Red Hot Blues 
  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour, divided
  • 1/2 cup high-quality mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Cholula or Sriracha
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Step 1

For the remoulade: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until needed.

Step 2

For the clam cakes: If you’re steaming fresh clams, reserve the juice they release for another recipe. If you’re using large cherrystones, use kitchen shears to cut them into pieces for easier processing. Pulse the clams, vegetables, and chips in a food processor until you get a fine dice. Transfer to a large bowl and fold in half the flour, the mayo, hot sauce, and parsley. Form into about 10 small or 6 large patties. 

Step 3

Place the rest of the flour in a pie plate. Heat a heavy skillet and then add the olive oil. Very lightly dip both sides of each patty into the flour, shake off any excess, and place in skillet. Cook until a light crust develops, about 5 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes.

Step 4

Transfer the clam cakes to a serving dish or individual plates. Top with dollops of the remoulade and pass more on the side. 

Yields 3-4 servings

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Salsa Verde

This is an easy and flavorful entrée, and so healthy, too. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, and salmon delivers Omega-3 fatty acids. Win-win!

Ingredients

  • 1 skinless side of salmon, 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/2 loosely packed cup of roughly chopped dill fronds
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Step 1

Heat the oven to 325°F. Place the salmon in a shallow baking dish that fits it with at least 1 inch around all sides. Coat the salmon fillet (top and bottom) with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Bake until the salmon is opaque on the outside and an instant-read thermometer inserted into
the thickest part of the fillet reads 130°F for medium, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet.

Step 3

Meanwhile, make the salsa verde: Toast the fennel and cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and crush to a rough powder (or crush the seeds with a heavy skillet on your cutting board). Finely grate the zest from the lemon into a bowl then halve and juice the lemon into the same bowl. Stir in the crushed spices, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and the dill and walnuts. Season the salsa verde with salt and pepper.

Step 4

Remove the salmon from the oven and spoon the salsa verde all over the top of the salmon. Let the fillet rest for 5 minutes, then serve family-style straight from the baking dish.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe from latimes.com

Spaghetti with Fried Eggs

This is a substantial, very satisfying breakfast. It’s great for brunch or overnight guests. We like to serve it with freshly squeezed fruit juice and extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients

  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1/2 pound uncooked thin spaghetti
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
  • 4 large eggs
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino cheese, optional

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Start the sauce in the next step, and start cooking the pasta when the water boils.

Step 2

Warm a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil. Cook the garlic, pressing it into the oil occasionally to release its flavor; it should barely color on both sides. Remove the garlic and add the remaining oil.

Step 3

Fry the eggs gently in the oil until the whites are just about set and the yolks are still quite runny. Drain the pasta, and toss with the eggs and oil, breaking up the whites as you do this. (The eggs will finish cooking in the heat of the pasta.) Season to taste and serve immediately. Top with the cheese.

Serves 2-3 — Recipe from nytimes.com