Scallops on Blood Orange

Ingredients

3 blood oranges
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 ounces watercress, stemmed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large (2-ounce) diver or day-boat sea scallops, sliced in half, or 12 medium
(1-ounce) scallops, patted dry

Cut skin from two of the oranges, following the curve of the fruit with the knife. Carefully cut the sections from the membranes, working over a small bowl to catch any juice. Put the segments in a large bowl.

Measure 2 tablespoons of the juice and transfer to a small bowl. If there is less than 2 tablespoons, squeeze enough from the remaining orange to yield 2 tablespoons.

Whisk in the vinegar and shallots. Gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Add to the bowl with the orange segments. Add the watercress and toss gently to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide among 6 small plates.

Season scallops with salt and pepper. In a large saute pan, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat until it shimmers but does not smoke. Add scallops and cook until browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes (slightly less for smaller scallops.

Turn and cook until the other side is browned, 1 to 2 minutes or to desired doneness. Divide the scallops among the plates of salad and serving immediately. Yield: 6 small plates

Morning Glory Muffins

Recipe by Lisa A. Sheldon "Olive Oil Baking"

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup peeled, finely grated carrots
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
• ½ cup raisins or currants
• ½ cup shredded, sweetened coconut
• ½ cup walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a small bowl, combine flours, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Mix well.
In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.

Fill muffin cups three-fourths of the way and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container or freeze for up to 1 month. Yield: 24 muffins

Lisa's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe by Lisa A. Sheldon "Olive Oil Baking"

Ingredients

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 to 1½ cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the flours, wheat germ, baking soda and salt, and set aside.

In another bowl, using a hand-held mixer, beat together the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add the olive oil, vanilla and eggs, and beat until light and fluffy.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until combined. Then stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until slightly brown at the edges. Do not overbake. Allow to cool on the sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 3 dozen cookies.

Raspberry Oat Bars

Recipe by Lisa A. Sheldon "Olive Oil Baking"

Ingredients for the bar:

• ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• ½ cup sliced almonds

Ingredients for the filling:

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, allow to thaw slightly)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and coat a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, flours, salt and baking powder. Make a well in the center. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, olive oil, water, and vanilla and almond extracts. Whisk until blended.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until well-mixed. Reserve 1½ cups of this mixture for the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the prepared pan.
Mix reserved crust and sliced almonds. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch and raspberries. Evenly distribute the berry mixture over the crust. Sprinkle reserved crust and almond mixture over the berries.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. The bars will look slightly less than done but will firm up as they cool.

Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once completely cool, cut into bars. Yield: 36 to 48 bars.

Olive Oil Cake

Makes 6 to 9 servings.

Ingredients

1 large baking pan, filled with water
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups milk
1 orange, zest removed
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon anise seeds
Cooking spray
9 teaspoons whipped cream
9 teaspoons fruit jam

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place baking pan filled with water on the bottom shelf. (The water bath prevents the cake from drying out while baking.) In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Add oil, milk and zest. In a larger bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and anise seeds.

Use a rubber spatula to create a well, or indentation, in the dry ingredients. Pour about 1/3 of liquid mixture into well. Use a rubber spatula to begin mixing wet and dry ingredients.

When almost completely mixed, add 1/3 more liquid and mix; repeat with final 1/3 of liquid. Mix until the batter comes together evenly. It may be slightly lumpy. Spray the sides of the cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Pour cake batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Rotate pan and bake another 15 to 25 minutes, or until cake sets in the center. Allow to cool to room temperature. Run a knife along the sides of the pan and gently place cake top-side down on a plate. Remove pan and parchment paper. Place another plate on top and flip the cake back over. Cut into pieces and serve with whipped cream and fruit jam.

Approximate values per serving: 560 calories, 28 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 74 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 196 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 45 percent of calories from fat.

ALEO OLIO PASTA

Directions

Lightly coat a skillet with the KOOG Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and add the garlic, peppers, chillies and cracked black pepper. Sauté until the garlic starts to turn brown, toss the spaghetti in until it is lightly coated with the oil. Serve on plates and grate some Parmesan cheese over the top.     

This dish is also good if you care to add onions, capers or anchovy paste. 

Directions

Bruschetta is one of the simplest things in the world to make, and can be very satisfying with KOOG Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You will need 4 six-inch wide slices of Tuscan bread. Toast them, gently rub them with a cut clove of garlic (you don’t want to overwhelm the oil), then drizzle them with KOOG. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cut the slices in half, and serve.     

There are many variations to bruschetta. Here's one of the tastiest: After rubbing the slices with the garlic, rub them with a very ripe cut tomato as well (or spread a thin layer of chopped tomatoes seasoned with basil, salt & pepper over the slices). Then sprinkle with KOOG and season. As well as being a fine appetiser, this is a traditional merenda, or afternoon snack (unfortunately it’s not as common now that other companies are producing pre-packaged cakes).     

Don't forget, if you are having a barbacue, bruschetta is an excellent way to begin.

Directions

Grate the lemon to remove the zest from it, using the small holes of a box grater. In a warmed serving bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, KOOG Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, garlic cloves, olives, thyme, the 1-teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. Press on the garlic with the back of a wooden spoon to release its juices, and remove it just before you add the cooked pasta to the sauce.     

To cook the pasta, bring the water to the boil in a large pot. Add the pasta, and 2 tablespoons salt. Stir frequently to prevent from sticking together.     

Spaghetti will cook in about 5 minutes. When done, drain immediately. Toss the hot pasta with the cold sauce. Serve piping hot.    

Directions

Source: Manuel Perez     

Directions

With a sharp, serrated knife, cut along the back of each prawn to reveal the black vein and carefully remove it. Rinse the prawns in a little cold water if necessary and pat dry on kitchen paper. If you prefer them peeled, simply peel the body shell away, leaving the head and tail attached.     

Blend or process chillies, capsicum, olive oil and a good pinch of salt until smooth, then mix carefully with the prawns.     

Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours. Cook prawns on a heated barbecue or grill plate for about 2-3 minutes on each side for medium-sized ones, or 3-4 minutes for large.     

Serve with lemon or lime wedges.     

Cook's tip: For ease of cooking and turning on a barbecue, you may want to thread the prawns onto a metal skewer before cooking.     

Directions

To make chickpea salsa, heat olive oil in a saucepan and gently cook green onions, chilli, capsicum and lime zest for a few minutes until soft, but not coloured. Add the chickpeas, stir well and remove from heat. Stir in chilli sauce and fresh herbs; season with salt and pepper, and set aside. If the salsa seems dry, dress with a little more oil.     

Make a cut down the centre of each squid and open flat. With a sharp knife, score the body in criss-cross fashion about 2cm apart, then cut each piece in half. Brush the squid bodies and tentacles with vegetable oil, and season with salt and pepper.     

Cook the pancetta on a heated grill plate and barbecue until crisp. Then cook the squid for 2 minutes on each side and serve with rocket, warm salsa and the pancetta.    

Olive Oil Cake With Crème Fraiche and Candied Tangerines

Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes 

Ingredients (Serves 8)

1 cup KOOG Extra-Virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing pan 
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
2-1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 cup semolina (also sold as pasta flour) 
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
1/4 cup brandy 
3 extra-large eggs 
6 extra-large egg yolks 
2 cup sugar 
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise 
6 seedless tangerines, peeled and separated into segments, white pith (veins) removed 
1 cup heavy cream 
1/4 cup crème fraiche 

Directions

1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 9-inch round cake pan with a little olive oil. In a large bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, then stir in semolina and salt. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup olive oil and the brandy. 

2. Using a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and 1 cup sugar at high speed for 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Alternate folding in dry ingredients and olive oil mixture, one third at a time. Pour batter into cake pan, and tap three times to remove air bubbles. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, scrape the pulp from the vanilla bean into a medium saucepan. Add the pod, remaining sugar, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and add tangerines. Simmer until shiny and slightly puffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl and discard vanilla pod. Return liquid to the pan and boil over medium-high heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Allow to cool completely and gently stir in the tangerines. 

4. To serve, let cake cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes. Using a stand mixer, whisk the heavy cream and crème fraiche together to soft peaks. Place slices of the cake on plates, top with some of the candied tangerines and syrup, and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream. 

Tasty Carrot and Walnut Muffins

Recipe Adapted by Toni Jones  

Ingredients

2 cups self raising flour 
1 teaspoon of cinnamon 
½. cup brown sugar 
½. cup chopped walnuts 
2 cups grated carrots 
3 extra large eggs 
¼. Cup of Dolce organic olive oil 

Blueberry and Orange Muffins

Recipe Adapted by Toni Jones  

Ingredients

200 g. of blueberries. 
220 g. plain flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
125 g. sugar 
¼. Cup of milk or buttermilk 
1 egg 
¼. Cup Dolce organic olive oil 
grated rind of an orange 

Fennel, Orange and Radicchio Salad

Recipe Adapted by Toni Jones  

Ingredients

1 bulb fennel (sliced) 
3 oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds 
1 Spanish onion sliced 
1 Radicchio, washed and torn roughly 
¼ cup roasted pistachios 

Dressing

¼ cup orange juice 
½ cup Dolce - Olive Oil 
1 tablespoon honey 
Salt and Pepper

Olive Focaccia with Thyme & Sea Salt

Preparation Time
25 minutes

Cooking Time
20 minutes

Makes
1 loaf (8 portions)

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 400g (2 2/3 cups) plain flour
• 2 tsp (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
• 1/2 tsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbs dried thyme leaves
• 250ml (1 cup) lukewarm water
• 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
• 55g (1/3 cup) sliced pitted kalamata olives
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Extra virgin olive oil, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Combine flour, yeast, sugar, salt and 1 1/2 tsp of thyme in bowl. Make a well in the centre. Combine water and 2 tbs of olive oil. Add to dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to stir until just combined. Use your hands to bring dough together. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.

2. Brush a large bowl with 1 tbs of remaining olive oil. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draught-free place for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.

3. Preheat oven to 200°C. Brush a 23 x 33cm baking tray with 2 tsp of the remaining olive oil. Place the olives on paper towel and set aside to drain.

4. Meanwhile, punch down dough with your fist. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough out to a 23 x 33cm rectangle, about 8mm thick. Transfer to greased tray and press into sides. Brush with 2 tsp of remaining olive oil. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes or until doubled in thickness.

5. Scatter olives evenly over dough and lightly press into. Combine remaining thyme and sea salt in a small bowl, scatter over olives. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Serve warm with extra virgin olive oil if desired.

Notes & tips

Prep: 25 mins (+ 1 hour 15-30 mins proving time)
wine suggestion: Enjoy with a glass of sparkling wine.

Irish Cabbage Rolls

Makes 4 to 6 Servings

Filling: 

12 large cabbage leaves (outer leaves from 2 cabbage heads)
2 cups precooked corned beef, diced
2 large white potatoes, peeled, diced and boiled
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon fresh diced parsley
½ teaspoon rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil

Filling Additions:

1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Vegetables:

1 large zucchini, julienne sliced
1 large carrot, julienne sliced
1 large yellow squash, julienne sliced
1 cup yellow corn kernels
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 small red potatoes, boiled and sliced

Final Topping:

1 stick melted, unsalted butter
Pinch of thyme
Pinch of rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste
Place cabbage leaves in 4-quart pot of boiling water for approximately 10 seconds. Remove, place on paper towels and set aside.

In large bowl, mix corned beef and potatoes with thyme, parsley, rosemary and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper. Fill cooled leaves and roll tightly. Place in baking dish. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes until golden.

Lightly boil zucchini, carrot and squash, and drain well. Add corn. Toss with olive oil and boiled potato slices.
Mix melted butter, thyme and rosemary together in small pan. Arrange cooked rolls on dishes with vegetables as a side. Top with herbed butter. Salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition facts per serving: 1360 calories, 96 g fat, 28 g saturated fat, 94 mg cholesterol, 103 g carbohydrates, 24 g protein, 604 mg sodium, 11 g fiber

Chef Jesus Ramos of Metropolitan Cafe