Starters Archives - Page 4 of 5 - Garlic & Olive Oil Veins

Artichoke & Olive Salad

My family makes this artichoke salad as one of the sides we have for the Feast of Seven Fishes, for Christmas Eve, however I make it often as it’s just a great little simple cold salad.

I love this salad because it last for days and is great for a meal prep and healthy too! I love artichokes in every form. I always have a few cans in my cabinet to make this salad. It’s so delicious and easy! Give it a try!

Artichoke & Olive Salad

Ingredients:

2 cans quartered artichokes, in water
2 garlic cloves, minced or very thinly sliced
1 can black olive, crushed
3 T olive oil
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 t salt
2 t pepper
2 t dried oregano

Directions: In a medium bowl, add in all the above ingredients and mix well. For the black olives, I just crush with my fingers so they care in pieces. Put in the refrigerator and let 2 hours minimum so the flavors can marry. It’s best to take out at least 15 minutes prior to serving and mix well. The ingredients above can be changed up to your personal preference. If you want to reduce the garlic you can, add more salt, that’s fine too! Whatever you like.

April 30, 2020April 30, 2020

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Bacon & Swiss Cheese Dip

I love bacon. I love Swiss cheese! I got this inspiration for this dip because of the bacon and Swiss cheese quiche I make. This came out so cheesy and delicious. It definitely isn’t a healthy dish, but hey you gotta splurge sometimes right?

Bacon & Swiss Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 lb bacon, cooked and sliced
1 small onion, diced
8 oz Swiss cheese, shredded
2 t garlic powder
2 t onion powder
1-2 T heavy cream, optional
cooking spray
Crackers or Chips for serving

Directions: Preheat oven 375°. In medium mixing bowl add in 16 oz of cream cheese and smash with a fork. Add in cooked bacon (Note: cook bacon till crispy as it will soften sightly inside the dip). Mix well, add in onion and Swiss cheese. Mix well till fully incorporated. Next season with garlic and onion powder. This is where you could add the heavy cream if you’d like. This will help thin the dip out slightly.

Spray an oven safe baking dish with cooking spray. Add in dip and bake in the oven 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven let sit a few minutes. Serve with chips or crackers.

March 27, 2020March 26, 2020

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Polenta Bites with Pulled Pork & Ricotta

I’m always looking to try new food creations and that’s exactly how this came to be. Yes, it’s another pulled pork recipe. Who doesn’t like pulled pork? This can very easily be made with bbq chicken as well.

While I was in culinary school we made polenta often. I will tell you right now, I haven’t made it in years. I cheated in this recipe and actually bought an organic polenta I found in a roll at the store. When I was shopping and came across it, I just had to buy it and give it a try. Hey, it is organic. I’m sure it’s not the greatest since it’s in a roll, duh! However, sometimes you just need to give something a try. It worked out perfectly for what I was wanting to use it for.

This recipe is pretty simple and would be PERFECT for a small dinner party. I’m not adding my pulled pork recipe but if you need it, check it out in my previous blogs. This is simply going to be giving directions on how to crisp up this rolled polenta and assembling. The flavors in this recipe are amazing. From the creamy ricotta to the heat from the pulled pork and the jalapeño this is one delicious bite of food.

Polenta Bites with Pulled Pork & Ricotta

Ingredients:
Polenta roll, sliced 1/2 inch slices
4 T butter
1 T Olive Oil
3/4 cup ricotta
2 jalapeños, sliced
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cups cooked pulled pork

Directions: Heat a medium sauté pan over high heat. Add in half the butter and olive oil and heat 2 minutes. Add in sliced polenta and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Next add in the remainder of the butter and oil and flip the polenta and cook for another 4-5 minutes. You can cook longer to your preferred the polenta cake crispier. Remove the polenta cake and place on paper towel.

To Assemble: Add a spoonful of ricotta over the polenta, then top with a spoonful of pulled pork next add the sliced jalapeño and diced onions. You can add more bbq sauce to the pork if you like it saucier. Sever and enjoy immediately.

October 16, 2019October 15, 2019

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Cauliflower Chowder

It’s been a cold and snowy last week or so in Chicago. The weather is only about to get worse, unfortunately. We are looking at more snow and super cold temperatures by the middle of the week. I keep reading articles talking about coldest temperatures in 25 years. I hope it doesn’t get that cold. However, what is better on a cold winter’s day but a nice bowl of a hearty soup.

Today I made cauliflower chowder. It’s hearty but light at the same time. I made this soup as a healthier alternative to traditional cream soups. It’s very easy to even turn this into a Keto recipe. Check it out. See cook’s notes below to make Keto.

Cauliflower Chowder

Ingredients:
3 T butter
1 T olive oil
3 T flour
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 large red pepper, diced
1 cup gold potatoes, diced
3, 16 oz bags frozen cauliflower
3, 32 oz boxes unsalted or low sodium chicken broth
2 cups fat free half and half
8 oz reduced fat cheddar cheese (more for topping)
1 large bay leaf
2 t dried rosemary
2 t dried thyme
2 t garlic powder
2 t onion powder
2 t chili powder
2 t salt (more to taste)
2 t pepper (more to taste)
1 t crushed red pepper

Toppings (optional)
Shredded cheese
Chopped Bacon
Green onion

Directions:

Heat a large soup pot on medium high heat. Add in the olive oil and let heat a minute before adding in the garlic and onion. Once garlic and onion are added cook about 3-4 minutes until the onion is translucent. Next add in the red pepper and cook another 3 minutes until soft.

Add in the butter and let melt completely. Slowly add the flour and mix well. Cook the roux for about 4-6 minutes. Add in the chicken stock, potatoes and frozen cauliflower and mix. Add in thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Simmer on medium high heat about 45 minutes, stirring halfway through. Check potatoes and make sure they are soft. Remove the bay leaf. Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to break up the cauliflower, but leaving some chunks.

Once blended put back on the stove and add in the 2 cups of fat free half and half and mix well. Season the soup with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, crushed red pepper and chili powder. Mix well. Let simmer 15 minutes once the cream is added.

Remove the soup from the heat and add in 8 oz of cheese and mix to thoroughly melt the cheese. Make sure to put the spoon to the bottom of the pot to make sure the cheese isn’t all fallen to the bottom.

To serve, ladle soup into a bowl and top with a sprinkle of shredded cheese, bacon and green onions.

Chef Notes: For Keto recipe, replace 3 T of flour with ¼ t of xanthan gum. Do not add in with the butter. Make a slurry with the xanthan gum some liquid and add into the pot. Replace fat free half and half for full fat heavy whipping cream. Omit potatoes entirely.

January 27, 2019January 27, 2019

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French Onion Soup with Garlic Crostini & Swiss Cheese

Happy December! I made French Onion soup for the first time in years. It’s a super easy soup to make. You don’t need a lot of ingredients or time to make this. I almost feel like it’s healthier compared to most soups because there is no cream and yes there is butter but I cut back on that as well.

This is perfect for lunches or with a salad for dinner. It’s nice and warm for those cold winter nights. What’s better than soup and bread? This recipe has BOTH!

French Onion Soup with Garlic Croutons and Swiss Cheese

Ingredients:
5T butter
6 large sweet onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large bay leafs
6 sprigs of thyme
3 T flour
1 ½ cups wine (I used white)
2- 32 oz cartons beef broth, no salt added
3 t salt
2 t pepper

Croutons:
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 loaf crusty French bread
2 T olive oil
½ T parsley
2 t garlic powder
Sprinkle: salt and pepper

Toppings:
Swiss cheese

Directions:

In a large soup pot, melt butter on medium heat. Add sliced onions and garlic and mix well. Add in the bay leafs and 3 of the thyme sprigs. The other 3 sprigs, remove the herb and sprinkle in the mixture. Cook on medium low heat until onions are tender and caramelized. This may take 30-40 minutes for the amount of onions we are using. I covered the pan and let them cook down mixing every 10-12 minutes. They will cook down, don’t worry if they seem to take up the whole pot. (That’s what happened to me.)

After onions have cooked down and are soft and starting to caramelize remove some of the liquid and add to a small bowl and mix with the 3 tablespoons of flour. Mix well to remove lumps. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Add in the flour mixture and the wine and whisk well. Cook on medium heat about 10-15 minutes mixing half way through with a whisk. A whisk will help make sure the flour mixture gets broken up. Add in the beef broth and salt and pepper and stir, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.

While the soup is simmering make the croutons for the top of the soup. Slice the bread into ½ inch pieces. In a small bowl add oil, parsley, garlic powder, fresh garlic and salt and pepper and mix well. Single layer the slices of bread on baking pan covered with foil. Brunch the bread with olive oil mixture. Bake at 400° in the oven 12-15 minutes. It’s okay if they get hard, they will soften once added to the soup.

To serve ladle soup into bowl add 2-3 slices of bread and top with sprinkle of Swiss cheese. If you wish, you can add to an oven save bowl and put under the broiler for a few minutes to make the cheese brown and bubbly. I made this for lunches, so I just add in the bread slices and top with some cheese once the soup is heated through and the cheese melts perfectly. Enjoy!

December 4, 2018December 4, 2018

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Herbed Goat Cheese Wonton Bites

Let’s talk about goat cheese! I’ll be honest, for years I use to avoid it. I just never thought about using in in dishes or cooking with it. A few years back I had a friend that turned me onto it and ever since I’ve been hooked. I don’t buy it often but when I do, I love to incorporate into different dishes. I now put ontop of pizza, in pasta, with eggs and also make cute little appetizers like these.

This is a simple dish. It may take a bit of time just stuffing the wrappers but this is perfect for an appetizer and the goat cheese mixure can be made ahead of time to cut down on time.

Herbed Goat Cheese Wonton Bites

Ingredients:
24 Wonton wrapper
8 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
2 t dried or fresh oregano
2 t dried or fresh parsley
2 t dried or fresh thyme
1 garlic clove
1 shallot
2 T olive oil
1/2 t crushed red pepper
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Olive oil spray
1/4 cup sriracha or chili sauce, for dipping

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350°. In a food processor add in goat cheese, garlic clove, shallot and spices. Pulse slowly while drizzling in olive oil. Pulse until creamy. If mixture becomes too think, add more oil slowly. Taste and add more seasoning as needed.

Add a spoonful of goat cheese to the middle of the wonton wrapper. Fold the edges in and place in a mini muffin tin. Complete with all remaining wonton wrappers.

Spray Olive oil over the wonton wrappers. (This will help brown the wontons.)

Bake in oven 12 minutes then remove from oven and cover loosely with aluminium foil. Add back in the oven and cook for another 6-7 minutes. Using the foil will help make sure the top of the wonton wrappers don’t burn while cooking the bottoms.

Make sure to keep an eye on these as they can burn quickly. Serve warm with sriracha or chili sauce.