November Recipe Ideas
Orzo Arugula Salad
Ingredients
Vinaigrette (makes 1 cup):
6 tablespoons SLO Olive Reserve Aged Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup SLO Olive Arbequina or Basil Olive Oil
1/4 cup Elki Pesto
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pasta Salad:
1 (1-pound) package Orzo
3 cups baby arugula, washed
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, chopped
Directions
Whisk all the ingredients together vigorously in a mixing bowl while slowly adding the olive oil. Adjust to taste. Set aside in a container.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and the pasta. Cook until very al dente.
Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and to wash away some of the starches. (note: only rinse your pasta if it is intended for a cold pasta salad dish). Allow the pasta to cool.
Toss the cold pasta, tomatoes, onion, and arugula with the pesto dressing. Mix to coat evenly.
Serve cold.
Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
16 extra-large white mushrooms
5 tablespoons SLO Olive Koroneiki olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium sherry
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 garlic cloves minced
2/3 cup Panko crumbs
5 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala. Set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it's completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.
Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake until the stuffing for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.
Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
4 medium sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon SLO Olive Arbequina Olive Oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 garlic clove, finely grated on a microplane
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup nonfat Greek-style yogurt
1 scallion, white and green parts chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Make a series of 1/8-inch slices along each potato, slicing 2/3 of the way through.
Stir together the butter, oil, thyme, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub the potatoes all over with the mixture, getting in between the slices.
Place on the baking sheet and roast until the center of the potatoes are tender and the outside is crisp, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Halfway through the roasting time, remove the potatoes from the oven and run a fork gently across the tops of the potatoes, using light pressure, to fan the slices and separate them from one another.
Meanwhile, stir the yogurt and scallions with a pinch salt and a pinch pepper. Serve the sauce with the potatoes.
Balsamic Manhattan Cocktail
Ingredients
1/2 jigger (1.5 tablespoons) SLO Olive Strawberry, Raspberry or Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar
1 jigger (3 tablespoons) whisky or bourbon
1 tablespoon dry vermouth
5 drops bitters
ice
optional garnish: sliced strawberries or maraschino cherries
Instructions
Combine the balsamic vinegar, whisky, vermouth, and bitters in a mixing glass with a few ice cubes. Stir gently to combine
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish and serve in a martini or cocktail glass.
