Lentil Soup Basil EVOO and Winter Ambrosia

We bought a huge bag of lentisl, (25 lbs to be exact) through our local co-op, so it looks like we will be having a plethora of lentils this year! I decided on Lentil Soup because my husband has been craving it and my girls love soup! I stumbled upon this recipe and decided to add the Quail and Olive Basil EVOO and compliment it with Winter Ambrosia as well. It was a hit here, all three of my girls ate it all up and wanted seconds! I have to agree with them, it is a wonderful soup. Enjoy!

Lentil Soup with Basil EVOO and Winter Ambrosia

Ingredients:

2 1/2  tablespoons Quail and Olive Basil EVOO

1 tablespoon Berbere Spice( mixture of paprika, ground red pepper, ginger, onion, garlic, cardamon, coriander, nutmeg, fenugreek, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves)

2 cups lentils ( washed and drained, I have been soaking my lentils all day and draining them just before I start the recipe, that way they seem to not take as long to cook.)

1 onion chopped

3-4 carrots peeled and diced

3 ribs of celery chopped

10 oz cremini mushrooms sliced ( or any variety of mushrooms)

2 cans diced tomatoes

4 cups chicken stock

Splash of Quail and Olive Winter Ambrosia

Pour Quail and Olive Basil EVOO into stock pan. Heat at medium high setting. Add onions, carrots celery, and mushrooms. Add Berbere Spice. Saute until vegetables soften. Add a splash of Winter Ambrosia and deglaze pan. Add diced tomatoes, stock, and lentils to soup. Cook on medium heat for 30-40 minutes until lentil have soften and begin to split open. 

Ladle into soup bowls and top with fresh cut italian parsley. Drizzle Quail and Olive Olio Nuovo over soup (as a finishing oil), it is so good! Serve with a green salad and loaf of bread if desired. 

New Year resolution, using only non processed foods and no salt!

       Everyone makes New Years's Resolutions, mine happens to be using only non processed foods in my family's diet. In addition, I think it is very important that I not add salt to my diet, therefore, all the recipes I have posted, I chose not to add salt. The Quail and Olive's vinegars act as my "salt" in each of these recipes. It is truly amazing that the olive oils and vinegars can enhance the flavors of your meals without adding extra salt. The olive oil and vinegars give life to food, life like I have never tasted before! I will be posting more recipes which contain various delicious olive oils and vinegars.  Happy New Years everyone and as a wise quail once said, " Eat right, be healthy, live well, and enjoy life."

Mahi Mahi w/ Lime EVOO

MAHI MAHI

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 MAHI MAHI FILETS

QUAIL AND OLIVE LIME EVOO

SALT AND PEPPER

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place Mahi Mahi filets in shallow baking pan. Sprinkle Mahi Mahi with Quail and Olive Lime EVOO and a little salt and pepper on both sides of fish. Bake in oven 12-18 mins until flaky. Serving suggestions: serve on top of pureed acorn squash and serve with a green salad with Quail and Olive champagne Mimosa sprinkled over greens and Quail and Olive Lime EVOO.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup w/ Rosemary EVOO

I have yet another wonderful recipe for all of you to try! I had two butternut squash I needed to use up and decided to make some soup. I used Quail and Olive Rosemary EVOO and can I just say yum?!?

Butternut Squash Soup

2 butternut squash (depending on the size you may only need one) peeled, seeded, cut into 2 "chunks)

3 Tablespoons Quail and Olive Rosemary EVOO

2 green apples ( peeled, cored, and diced )

1 piece of whole grain bread

1 onion, chopped

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

1 carton of reduced fat chicken broth

1 cup apple cider

Quail and Olive Winter Ambrosia to taste

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 

1/2- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pepper

sour cream

salt to taste

Using a dutch oven or stock pot, pour the Quail and Olive Rosemary EVOO until it coats the bottom of the pan, turn your heat up to medium high. Add the chopped onion and sliced mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms and onions have softened. Add nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper to pan. Add apples and pour a little Quail and Olive Winter Ambrosia over vegetables, deglaze pan. Add the butternut squash to pot, cook for about 5 minutes stirring often. Add chicken broth and apple cider. Add a piece of bread to pot as well, this will help thicken your soup and also a bit more fiber! Cook until butternut squash has softened, about 30 minutes. Use an immersion blended to blend soup once the squash is done. To serve ladle soup into bowl and top with a dollop of sour cream. A good finishing oil is the Quail and Olive Lemon EVOO. Enjoy!

Photo: "Mr & Mrs Squash" by Boaz Yiftach - Free Digital Photos

Habañero Grilled Cheese w/ Plum Basil Vinegar

It has been so cold and rainy here in the Pacific Northwest, my husband and I thought it would be a good idea to have grilled cheese and some soup, and did it ever hit the spot! We used Quail and Olive Habañero and Quail and Olive Plum Basil and created a masterpiece! Enjoy!

Habañero Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Quail and Olive Habañero 

1 Tablespoon ( or to taste ) Quail and Olive Plum Basil

2 pieces whole wheat bread

Swiss cheese

jalapeno, chopped

kale, chopped

spinach, chopped

onion, chopped

In sauce pan drizzle Quail and Olive Habañero, enough to coat pan. Add chopped onions, spinach, kale, and jalapeno. Saute vegetables until softened. Drizzle a small amount of Quail and Olive Plum Basil over vegetables and remove from heat. Transfer vegetables to platter. Drizzle more Quail and Olive Habañero over bread slice, add to pan. Cook on medium low heat.  Place Swiss cheese and vegetables on bread. Then add another slice of bread and top it with a little more Quail and Olive Habañero. Cook in pan until bread browns, flip over and do the other side. If you find this a little spicy, then try it with the Quail and Olive Arbosana. Honestly this was exactly what I was craving, and kept me warm during all the rain! Enjoy!

You can also do this with whole wheat tortillas and make a quesadilla with it, delicious as well! 

Strawberries + Shrimp Salad w/ Lemon EVOO and Champagne Mimosa vinegar

Dried Strawberries and Grilled Shrimp Salad

1lb shrimp, shelled and deveined

dried strawberries

arugula 

pepper

Quail and Olive Lemon EVOO

2 teaspoons fresh basil chopped

Quail and Olive Champagne Mimosa

Preheat oven to 210*

Cut the stem off the strawberries and slice them in half. Arrange strawberries on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 3 hours.

Marinate shrimp in Quail and Olive Champagne Mimosa and a squeeze of orange. Grill shrimp.

Prepare dressing:

Quail and Olive Lemon EVOO

Quail and Olive Champagne Mimosa

Squeeze of orange

Blend up until smooth. Pour dressing over arugula and toss. Add dried strawberries and toss to coat. Plate your salad and add the shrimp on top. Sprinkle basil over salad. Enjoy!

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms w/ Pacific Spice vinegar and Garlic EVOO

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

24 mushrooms, stemmed

6 italian hot sausages, casings removed

2 teaspoons oregano

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon Quail and Olive Pacific Spice

8 oz package cream cheese

1 egg yolk

Quail and Olive Garlic EVOO + 1teaspoon

1/3 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven 350*

Sautee sausage and oregano in pan. Cook until sausage cooked through,about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage into large bowl and cool. Meanwhile mix 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, Quail and Olive Pacific spice, 1 teaspoon Quail and Olive Garlic EVOO, and cream cheese. Season filling with salt and pepper, mix in egg yolk. 

Brush baking dish with Quail and Olive Garlic EVOO, brush cavity of each mushroom with a little white wine. Sprinkle cavities with parmesan cheese. Add filling to mushrooms. Bake uncovered until mushrooms are tender and top is brown, about 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!