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Tag: extra virgin olive oil

Bolognese Sauce with Spaghetti

I would highly recommend this recipe for bolognese sauce- it is easy to make and really delicious! The pancetta and sausage flavor it amazing.. definitely worth a try…

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
  • 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • ½ cup pancetta, chopped
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 large Italian sausage links, meat taken out of the casings
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 cup beef or chicken broth
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • ½ pound spaghetti, cooked al dente

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, rosemary and thyme. Stir and sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add one teaspoon of salt. Add the pancetta and sauté on medium heat till the vegetables are soft and pancetta is crispy. Add the beef and sausage and separate vigorously with the back of a wooden spoon while stirring. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes on medium high heat. Add the white wine and scrape off all the golden brown bits from the bottom. Add the tomato paste and sauté for a minute. Add the tomato sauce, broth and milk. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium low heat with lid on for 2 hours. Stir every 15 minutes or so to check the consistency. Once the consistency is according to taste, check for seasonings and serve with spaghetti.

Garlic and Cilantro Shrimp with Soba Noodles

Garlic and Cilantro Shrimp with Soba Noodles

  • 1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Add the garlic and salt into a mortar and pestle. Pound till the garlic and salt are mixed well. Add the cilantro and oil and pound and mix till a paste is formed (this can be done in a food processor). Spread the paste all over the shrimp and marinate for 4 to 5 hours in the refrigerator.

  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 3 cups Soba noodles, cooked
  • 5 cups spinach or Chinese greens
  • 3 tablespoons tamari
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a large wok like pan with the oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the soba noodles and greens. Saute for another minute and add the tamari, Worcestershire sauce and sweet chili sauce. Mix well and check for seasonings.

Preheat oven to broil.

Skewer the shrimp and broil in the oven 3 to 4 minutes on each side or till done. Careful not to over cook the shrimp. Take shrimp off the skewers and serve on top of the noodles.

Garlic Cilantro Shrimp

Garlic Cilantro Shrimp

I adapted this recipe from Saveur magazine. We had some friends over for a tapas party and I made this dish. It is a bit involved but so worth the extra work. The good thing is that the sauce can be prepared ahead of time. It worked out very well, as I was able to attend to my guests and cook the shrimp right before serving. Try this dish next time you want to have garlic shrimp.

  • 1 to 2 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt

Sprinkle the salt on the shrimp and let sit for 1 to 2 hours.

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 2 two inch baguette slices
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • ½ cup slivered, blanched almonds
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 cups fish stock (2 tablespoons separate)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt

Add olive oil and garlic cloves to a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, making sure the garlic cloves don’t burn. Take out the garlic and discard. Turn the heat up and fry the bread slices 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Take out and place on a paper towel. Turn the heat off.
Transfer the fried slices, garlic, almonds, parsley, cilantro and 2 tablespoons of fish stock. Process till smooth.
Add the remaining fish stock to the garlic olive oil. Turn the heat on and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the processed mixture and bring to a boil and cook on a simmer for 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and gently cook till they are cooked. Serve immediately.

Turkish Style Bulgur Pilaf

Healthy and delicious!!

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon Turkish tomato paste (or use regular tomato paste)
  • 1 cup bulgur wheat (I used quick cooking bulgur from Trader Joes)
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Heat a medium saucepan with the olive oil. Add the tomato paste and cook on medium heat for a minute or two. I bought some Turkish tomato paste from Istanbul. I got the spicy kind, which has chilies in it- but regular tomato paste can be substituted. Add the bulgur and stir. Add the broth and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and let cook for 10 minutes. Turn heat off, fluff with fork and let sit for another 5 minutes. Check for seasonings and serve.

Turkish Style Lentil Soup

Yummy lentil soup for meatless Monday!!

  • 1 tablespoon butter or extra light olive oil
  • ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • ½ cup red lentils, washed
  • 1 small potato, peeled and cut in half inch squares
  • 2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • Fresh lemon juice

Heat a medium saucepan with the oil. Add the onion, ground cumin and mint. Saute on medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add the lentils, potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil and add the salt and turmeric and simmer on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes adding more broth if necessary. Once the potato chunks are soft, take off the heat and let cool. Transfer to blender and blend till smooth. Pour the liquid back to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Adjust the consistency by either adding more broth or cooking off extra broth. Check for seasonings. Squirt some fresh lemon juice right before serving.

Pasta Cinghiale- My Version

Our favorite dish to order at our favorite Italian restaurant (Arturo’s) is pasta cinghiale… it is really, really delicious and if I close my eyes, I am transported to Umbria where wild boar dishes are in abundance. I have tried to make this dish at home before but this time I found wild boar sausages and decided to use them to replicate my favorite dish…

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ pound wild boar sausage, casings off, crumbled
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, chopped
  • 3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • Salt
  • ½ to 1 cup pasta water
  • ½ pound penne, cooked al dente

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the crumbled sausage and sauté over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till golden brown. Take the sausage out with a slotted spoon and add the mushrooms and more olive oil if needed. Saute on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and thyme and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes on medium heat. Add cooked pasta, cream, pasta water and salt to taste. Bring to a gently boil and turn heat off and serve.

Fresh Corn Salad with Fresh Lemon Dressing

Before corn goes away… make this yummy salad.. so easy and so delicious!

  • 4 ears of corn, taken off the cob
  • 4 cups mixed greens

Transfer the corn and green onto a salad bowl. Keep aside.

Dressing

  • 2 lemons, ends cut off, cut in half with the pits out
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Add all the ingredients into a blender (I used a vitamix) and blend till everything turns into a smooth sauce. Add more water or oil if needed. Check for seasonings.

Add half of the dressing to the corn and the greens, toss and add more if necessary. Serve immediately.

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