Tag Archives: Recipes

Berry Fresh & Pina Colada Frappe`s

Fresh fruit drink.

3 Fruit servings in 1 drink!

1/2 c Strawberries’ (hulled) or Blueberrie’s washed

1 Banana peeled and quartered

4 ounce Vanilla Yogurt or Ice Cream

3 ounces  Orange Juice.

1/4 cup Crused Ice

Place all in a mixer and blend for 30 seconds.

May drink immediately, served chilled or frozen.

Pina Colada 2 servings Fruit

Pina Colada Frappe`

1 Banana peeled and quartered

1/2 cup Pineapple

3 ounce Pineapple Juice

4 ounce Coconut Cream (yogurt).  For nut allergies use Vanilla Yogurt

1/4 cup Crushed Ice (optional)

Place all ingredients into blender for 30 seconds. Place mixer in freezer for 15 minutes

Oven Roasted Chicken

The preparation time for this dish is 10 minutes. The easiest dish to prepare and then into the oven for 1-1 1/2 hours. Read a book, watch a great movie, get office or house work done while your oven does the work!
Choose a whole Chicken, 65% of a whole chicken is edible. For 4-6 people choose a 4 lb chicken. Cooking time for a whole chicken is  20 minutes per pound.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4-6 pound Whole Chicken (Remove giblets from cavity. Wash and pat dry with paper towels)
  • Salt, Pepper and Sage to taste
  • Lather chicken with 1/4 cup oil or butter
  • 3-4 Rosemary Sprigs
  • Lemon for the chicken
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 1/4.c white wine

Preheat oven to 450 F.

CHICKEN PREPARATION: In a bowl mix 3/4 tsp, salt and 1/2 tsp pepper, 3/4 tsp sage, set aside. Rub vegetable or olive oil, or butter onto the chicken, this will reduce the water loss from the chicken and maintain a juicier bird. Rub seasonings onto all sides of chicken and inside of the cavity (Use all the seasoning!) Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the cavity of the chicken and then place  the lemon halves into the chicken cavity. (Moisture tip: align bacon strips on top of chicken.)

ROASTING INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. In a roasting pan, (if available use a roasting rack) rest 4 rosemary sprigs about 3-5 inches in length on bottom of pan.
  2. Place chicken on top of rosemary.
  3. Add water and wine. (If desired, spoon raw vegetables around chicken.) Cover pan with tinfoil.
  4. Place chicken into oven, reduce temperature to 375F.
  5. Allow chicken to bake in oven covered for 60 minutes. Remove tinfoil, let chicken finish baking for 30 minutes. 
  6. Check temperature of bird by placing thermometer into between the breast and the thigh of bird without touching the bone. Internal temperature should be 165 F. Fluids should run clear when the chicken is done.

TOTAL COOKING TIME depends on the size of the bird. Allow the chicken to cook 20 minutes per pound. ADJUST ACCORDINGLY if roasting pan has no water add 1/2 cup. IF the bird is juicy and there is and abundance of water remove aluminum foil.

Ingredients for vegetables

Roasted Vegetables

  • 3 onions peeled and quartered
  • 4-6 potatoes washed and quartered (optional peeled)
  • 4 Carrots quartered
  • 3 Zucchini’s quartered (lightly salted to remove bitterness)
  • Mushroons
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 Pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp Turmeric
  • 2 Whole Garlic Cloves (peeled and minced)
  • 1/4 c. Olive Oil

In a separate oven proof dish, add all ingredients and mix well with a spoon.  Place into oven and allow to bake along side chicken for 1 hour.

Pork & Roasted Vegetables

The preparation time for this dish is 5 minutes. The easiest dish to prepare and then into the oven for 1-1 1/2 hours. Read a book, watch a great movie, get office or house work done while your oven does the work!

Choosing a Pork or Beef Roast.  Allow for water loss when working with meat, measure 5 ounces per person.

Serving 6, 30 ounces or buy a 2 lb pork roast (900 g, round up to 1 Kilo of meat).

INGREDIENTS

3 onions peeled and quartered (Red or Yellow)
Do Not peel following vegetables to optimize flavor of dish.

  • 4-6 Red Potatoes washed and quartered
  • 4 Carrots quartered
  • 3 Zucchini’s quartered and lightly salted (removes bitterness)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric
  • 2  Garlic Cloves (peeled and minced)
  • 1/4 c. Olive Oil

Pork or Beef Roast (washed and patted dry with paper towels)

  • 1 tsp each Salt
  • 1 tsp dried Sage( or 1 Tbsp freshly chopped) .
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
  • 3-4 Rosemary Sprigs
  • 1 1/2 c. Water
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce for Pork Roast
  • 1 cup red wine for Beef Roast
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 F (232 C).

In an oven safe dish place washed and quartered vegetables. With a large spoon turn 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp turmeric, rosemary springs, garlic, olive oil into vegetables until they are well coated. Place into oven set at 450 F.

Place skillet on medium high heat for 1 minute and then add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil.  Add meat to skillet and sear each side for about 2 minutes. The meat is ready to turn when is easily releases itself from pan. (Don’t fight to detach! The meat will detach itself once completely seared on one side.)

Rub seasonings onto Pork poast

In a bowl, mix 3/4 tsp, salt and 1/2 tsp pepper, 3/4 tsp sage. Rub seasonings onto all sides of roast. (Use all theseasoning!) In a roasting pan, rest 4 rosemary sprigs about 3-5 inches in length on bottom of pan, place pork, or beef roast on top.  Add water, soy sauce (or wine). Cover pan with aluminum foil and seal edges.

Leaving vegetables in the oven to continue baking. Reduce oven temperature to 325F (150C) when placing roast in the oven and bake roast  for 20 minutes per pound (450 grams). Internal temp. will reach 160 F or 72 C. Using oven gloves, carefully remove pan from oven and place onto a pot pad. Keep covered and allow roast to rest for 10 minutes. With a large meat fork and butcher knife thinly slice meat. Remove vegetables from oven and with large spoon, gently place vegetables around meat for presentation. Buon Appetito!

Easy Homemade Taco or Burrito Meat

Easy to make! From frying pan to dinner plate in 15 minutes! Serves 16 taco’s or burrito’s. A dinner party, or fun family weekend afternoon that can be  brought together last minute with minimal effort

1/3 c. Olive Oil
1/2 Onion diced (red or yellow)
2 Garlic Cloves (peeled and minced)
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Salt
2 pounds ground meat
1 c. Tomato Sauce
1/4 c.  Water
(Optional: Add in red beans, red bell pepper diced and a celery stick sliced small.  Increase spiciness with 1 tsp cumin, or 1/2 tsp more of red pepper flakes.) 

Herbs & Spices makes this meat sauce delicious!

Add in peppers as part of the sauce, or serve them as a topping.

On medium heat, place in a frying pan: onion, garlic, oregano and pepper flakes in olive oil, allow to saute` for 4 minutes. (next, may add in vegetables with cumin and allow to cook for 5 minutes) Add ground meat breaking it down with wooden spoon until brown and crumbly. Add salt, tomato sauce and water, stirring, incorporate all ingredients, cover and allow flavors to come together for 5 minutes.Remove from heat and turn off stove.

Prepare your taco and burrito topping the meat sauce with favorite toppings: sliced avocado, tomato, pepper sticks, lettuce, re-fried beans, rice, bacon, cheese, guacamole, mayonnaise or sour cream.

If sensitive to spicy foods, drink a glass of milk with your dinner. The milk fat covers the acidity of tomato seeds combined into tomato sauce and also calms the strength of the spice so that digestion is easier on those with lower tolerance of spicier foods.

ADD ON TO YOUR PARTY WITH:
Paratha
Feeling adventurous! Make your own burrito style bread; bringing a bit of Indian cooking to your table.

Cucumber Guacamole Dip

Sangria’s Best

The Olive Tree

A handful of olives each day improves the health of the body.

The history of the sacred olive tree’s goodness extends from peace offerings between “The Powers” of countries and cities, to its fruit’s medicinal benefits.  Before presenting how the olive is processed, enjoy some trivia on the olive tree and it’s influence on society.

  1. Genesis states that Noah received an olive branch from a dove once the flood waters receded. Christians continue with the tradition of exchanging small olive branches as a sign of peace one week before Easter.
  2. The name Athena is said to bare the name of the Olive Tree with the Olympic Crown being made of olive branches.
  3. Olympians  and other individuals used olive oil to make their skin more supple.
  4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is used as a medicine in order to improve healthy cholesterol (HDL) and reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL). The quality of nutrient’s work as a hammer and chisel, helping to reduce plaque build up in veins and arteries.
  5. Thousands of  years of history and research have shown the importance of olive oil. World history indicates that in 2000 b.c. Egyptian’s imported Olive Oil from Crete, Syria and Canaan.

Generations of farmers and their  knowledge on handling of the fruit is passed down through time and right to our kitchens where the tree of life provides us with vitamins and minerals that satisfy our bodies keeping them healthy and strong.

EVOO a.k.a. Liquid Gold

Homer called it “Liquid Gold” and so the name stuck since Greek times. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a name from “Oleum” (oil ) Gk and “Elaion” (olive tree ) Gk, originates from “El’yon” (meaning superior) Gk. Todays largest producers of Olive Oil are: Spain, Italy and Greece. Spain & Italy perform multiple presses on olives, while Greece is the number one  producer of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (a single first press).

Olive trees are pruned yearly. The height of fruit production is 20-25 years per branch and then it is removed. By alternating the cultivation of branch shoots, olive trees can live 300-600 years.

Olives await their press

In late fall and early winter, large nets are spread around the tree, olives are combed from the branches with rakes, combs or shakers, then placed into a large wagon. They await their press within the first 24 hours of being collected. The olives are removed from the wagon and elevated into a wash bin, separated from leaves and insects, ready for press.

Old olive press

Olive presses have evolved over time! Two stone wheels once stood vertically to each other with a large pole balancing them in the center. A donkey was roped onto the pole and would walk in circles, causing the wheel to rotate and press the olives, resulting in a beautiful green ribbon oil streaming from the attached siphon. Archaeologists found 100 olive oil presses dating back to 1600 b.c. in “the fertile crescent”, the stomping grounds of Lebanon, Israel and Palestine. The ancient presses would have produced between 1,000 to 3,000 tons of olive oil per season.

Once in press, the water and oil are separated from the olive.

Today olives are more easily pressed with their oil extracted and water being separated from the fruit. There are 3 presses performed on a single olive in modern times. Description of “Cold Press Oil” is reference to when the olives were obtained and pressed; November-January for most countries north of the equator! Looking through the screen, one can observe the pressing of the olives! The filaments are an earth color, soon to come out yellow-green as the pits and olive skin are sorted from the oil.

Olives endure 3 presses. The virgin press has the highest quality of nutrients and is dark yellow-green in color.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a color of dark yellow-green and holds a superior quality in vitamins and minerals. It is preferred to NOT HEAT EVOO, but instead use it on fresh on salads, vegetables and breads. Second press, a pale yellow oil, is used for low-heat sautéing of garlic & onion, a precedent to sauce making. Third press, yields clear oil, considered a poor quality with very few nutrients, often combined with a pat of butter for frying. Understanding olive oil and how or why it is used in various recipes provides one an opportunity to achieve the best dietary results in keeping a  family healthy.

1 serving a vegetables= 4 olives. Replace butter intake with EVOO to improve skin

Europe has many wonderful olive orchards.  A special thanks to Villa Maiano (Florence, Italy) and an opportunity to visit to their Olive Orchard and access to their farm.  http://www.fattoriadimaian​o.com/en/

Recipes

Recipes for Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
DRESSING or DIP:

  • Whisk together 1 Tbsp EVOO, 1/2 Tbsp balsamic Vinegar, pinch of salt and pepper, 1 tsp parmesan cheese and serve on baguette or salad.
  • Vegetable salad. 1 tomato diced, 1 cucumber peeled and diced, olives, 1/2 c. arugula leaves. Combine with 1 Tbsp EVOO, pinch of pepper and oregano.
  • Salmon and Mozzarella
  • Cucumber Guacamole Dip

Recipes for Second Press Olive Oil

Recipes for Third Press or Light Olive Oil

OLIVE OIL can be used by itself  in place of facial creams.  Please read more and learn how to save money be making your own home remedy; a daily application before bed time is enough to improve skin.  Home Remedy Facial! Stimulate Your Skins Collagen & Elastin
Written by Kimberly Crocker Scardicchio