Category Archives: Main Dishes

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

 

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  • 1 # ground chicken
  • ½ cup bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons Italian flat leafed parsley, chopped
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ground Italian spices
  • Sea salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Combine ground chicken, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, egg and season with ground Italian spices and salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan, add enough oil to coast the bottom of the pan and brown meatballs on all sides. Remove meatballs and whip out the pan with a towel. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and mozzarella cheese and cook until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Cover with a lid if you like to melt the cheese faster, the meatballs are already cooked.

Serve immediately over pasta.

Meatballs and sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Adapted from Delish

Lettuce Varieties

 

Are you hankering for some romaine lettuce? Well, there are tons of alternatives here in So. Cal for you. From the CDC website here’s what they are saying about the current outbreak of e coli on romaine lettuce.

‘Based on new information, CDC is narrowing its warning to consumers. CDC is advising that U.S. consumers not eat and retailers and restaurants not serve or sell any romaine lettuce harvested from the Central Coastal growing regions of northern and central California. If you do not know where the romaine is from, do not eat it.’
Here’s the link for more information, CDC.

Personally, I like a mix of lettuce mostly, a little crunch, a little color and a tangy dressing. My favorite is a good old Italian dressing made with a very good red wine vinegar. I love a little cheese as well, blue, parmesan or goat goes well with a tangy Italian dressing.

Just mix a little Dijon mustard, like Maille, with your red wine vinegar, add a little minced shallot, some fresh ground Italian spices and whisk in a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and you’re done.
Local lettuce varieties are usually more plentiful during the winter as most lettuce prefers to grow in the cooler weather. Here are some varieties that will offer no only color but flavor to your salad bowl.

Choose lettuce that is bright with no brown edges or spots. Try and get them not too wet, if they are wet, they have a tendency to go bad faster. Pick whole heads of lettuce rather than bagged lettuce. The more lettuce is handled from field to bag the greater chance it can pick up any bacteria. Bagged lettuce can also be washed with chlorinated water and tends to be older than a non-bagged lettuce. Are you tempted to buy the bag that says triple washed and leave it at that? That lettuce may be contaminated with more than just chlorinated water and if it’s wet at all it will likely rot within a couple of days in that bag. Buy un-bagged lettuce, wash and dry well before storing. You might notice that if you purchase your lettuce at a farmers market that it lasts longer than a store bought lettuce, it’s because your farmers market lettuce was probably picked within a couple of days. I’ve had lettuce last up to 2 weeks from my farmers markets. So here are just some of the lettuce types you should be able to pick up anywhere.

Arugula (Rocket)-spicy and peppery, the larger the leaves the more bite it will have

Batavia is a loose-leaf lettuce similar to red or green leaf lettuce with a mild flavor

Belgian Endive-these can be a tad bitter, but they will add crunch to any salad mix

Butter-a very mild lettuce with big cupped leaves, great for serving topped with a crab salad

Frisee (Curly Endive)-Sometimes called chicory, the leaves are thin and curly with a little bit of a bite, aka peppery.

Iceberg-A dense head of lettuce with lots of crunch but little flavor

Leaf Lettuce, Red or Green-Another loose leaf lettuce with mild flavor but both add a lot of color to a salad bowl, great on sandwiches as well.

Little Gem-This lettuce looks like a mini version of romaine but it’s not as crunchy, mild flavor

Oakleaf-Another beautiful bi-colored loose-leaf lettuce that has a mild taste

Radicchio-There are numerous colors of radicchio, most have a little bitterness but a great addition to any salad.

Spring Mix-Usually a variety of small lettuces, some are mild, and some mixes can be spicy.

Watercress – Although probably a little difficult to find it makes a nice addition to a mixed salad or added to a rustic piece of bread slathered with some soft cheese. It has a peppery bit, much like Arugula. Use smaller leaves for less intense flavor.

January 2019 Cooking Demo

 

 

Join us in Seal Beach

NEW DATES/DAYS

Thur. Jan 10th

Tue Jan 22

6:30 – 8:30, approximately

Menu

Pink Grapefruit, Avocado & Watercress Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Spaghettini with Vodka Cream Sauce

Winter Roasted Vegetables with Basil Vinaigrette

Lemon Curd Cream Puffs

$45.00
Taking reservations now, call:
Temecula Olive Oil, 148 Main St. Seal Beach
(562) 296-5421

Sponsored by our friends at

Herb Roasted Turkey

From my book, What’s In Your Pantry. Buy the book here

 

Herb Roasted Turkey

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I no longer stuff my turkey; it takes too long to cook the stuffing to 165°, the recommended temperature to kill any bacteria; by that time the turkey itself is overcooked. I can also make the dressing the day before, bake it and heat it while I’m making the gravy.
Try serving with Duchess Potatoes instead of the traditional mashed.

  • 12-14 lb. free range or organic turkey, room temperature
  • 2 medium onion, quartered with skin on
  • 4 carrots, peeled and rough chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, rough chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
  • 1 bunch fresh sage
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme
  • ¼ cup butter, room temperature
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 lemon, Meyer lemon is preferred
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 cup turkey stock, see recipe in Basics chapter
  • Gravy
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ cup flour
  • 7 cups turkey stock, approximately
  • salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425°.

Wash and dry turkey inside and out; dry well.

Choose a roasting pan that will fit the turkey with no more than 2” of space on any side, otherwise the juices that accumulate in the bottom of the pan may burn.

Place ¾ of the onion, carrots and celery plus bay leaf, ½ of the bunch of parsley, sage and thyme into the bottom of a baking pan that will fit the turkey, don’t let the turkey hang over the edge and make sure there is no more than 2” open on each side of the bird. (The turkey will sit on this bed of vegetables instead of a rack).

Pat the turkey dry and rub the turkey with butter, season with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon over turkey and tuck rind under the bird. Insert an oven-proof probe thermometer into thick part of the thigh and set for 165°.

Pour wine and turkey stock in the bottom of the pan and place uncovered in hot oven. (The total cooking time will be approximately 1 – 1 ½ hours).

Baste after ½ hour; if you don't have enough juice in pan use some extra stock. Do not cover bird until browned and then loosely place foil over breast. If wings start to brown too early, wrap with foil. Baste every ½ hour until the turkey is done. Remove from the oven, place turkey on a cutting board or platter, and tent lightly with foil, do not remove probe thermometer until you’re ready to carve the turkey. Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Remove the vegetables and herbs from the roasting pan; place the roasting pan on two burners, add the wine, and turn the heat to medium, bring to a boil and scrape the bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan. Strain this liquid into a large measuring cup, through a cheesecloth lined sieve before continuing, add turkey stock to equal 8 cups.

Make a roux for the gravy:

Add ½ cup of butter to the hot roasting pan and, when melted, add flour and whisk until roux is light brown.

Whisk pan the reserved pan drippings and stock into the roux, pouring in a steady stream until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper, keep warm.

Makes approximately 8 cups.

Turkey will serve 8-10

Oct. Cooking Demo

Join us in Seal Beach

Thursday,

Oct. 11th & 18th

6:30 – 8:30, approximately

Fall Harvest Celebration Menu

Gazpacho Shooters

Fall Salad with Oranges and Pomegranate Arils

Santa Maria Style Tri Tip

Ranchero Beans

            With Tortillas

Mini Tangerine Olive Oil Cakes

$45.00
For reservations call
Temecula Olive Oil, 148 Main St. Seal Beach
(562) 296-5421
Sponsored by

 

Photo: Food and Wine Magazine

Potato and Ham Quiche

 

Potato and Ham Quiche

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  • Crust
  • 1 ¼ cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick butter, cut into pieces
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons ice water
  • Filling
  • ¼ cup finely diced ham
  • 2 -3 Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 1 ½ cup shredded cheese, such as Chedderella
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream or half and half
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Crust

Add flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor; pulse a few times to incorporate all the ingredients.

Add the butter and process until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is pea size.

Place the mixture into a wide bowl and add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together. Don’t overwork the dough or it will be tough, not flaky. Once the dough comes together in a ball, divide it into two pieces, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400° while the dough is chilling.

Dough can be wrapped well at this point and frozen for up to three months. Let the dough defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Roll one chilled disk out on a floured counter or rolling mat, lifting and moving the dough every few rolls to help prevent sticking. Add only enough flour to the counter to keep the dough from sticking.

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the tart pan.

Place your pan on top of the dough to make sure it is the correct size, it should be slightly larger than the pan, then roll the dough onto your rolling pin and unroll over your pan. Gently lift and lay the dough to fit the pan, never pull the dough to stretch it. Lightly press the dough into the pan, roll your rolling pin over the top edge of the tart or pie pan and remove excess pastry. Prick the dough well with a fork.

Cut a piece of foil a little larger than the tart pan, butter the shiny side and place butter side down onto the dough. Press so the foil lays against the dough snugly, add another piece of foil if it doesn't cover the entire crust.

Bake the crust for 20 minutes, remove beans and foil, bake another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before filling. (Leave oven on).

Filling

Boil potatoes until knife tender (when a knife can slip into the potato effortlessly with a little resistance). Drain and let cool until you're able to handle them. Slice into disks or chop into a medium dice.

Heat a medium sauté pan, add oil until it covers the bottom of the pan, add potatoes and season with a pinch of salt and grind of pepper. Sauté potatoes until lightly browned, add ham and cook for about 2 minutes or until browned. Add potato mixture to the bottom of the cooled crust. Add cheese on top of the potato mixture.

Whisk together the eggs and cream, add a little seasoning of salt and pepper, pour over potato and cheese mixture, bake for 30 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Let cool before serving.

Corned Beef

One Pot, Three Methods

Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Dutch Oven

Happy St. Patricks Day whether you’re Irish or not!

Corned Beef

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Choose your method….

  • 2 pounds corned beef brisket (after trimming)*, flat cut with pickling spices
  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
  • 3 cups beef stock, chicken stock is fine as well
  • 1 bottle Guinness beer
  • 2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
  • 4 medium carrots, chopped into 1 or 2” pieces
  • 1 cabbage**, cut into 8 wedges

Trim excess fat from the corned beef brisket. Place corned beef into Instant Pot on the rack. Add onion, stock, and beer. Turn steam release handle on lid to sealing; select manual setting on high pressure for 70 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Allow to naturally release for 15 minutes then quick release any remaining steam until the float valve drops and you can remove the lid. Place the corned beef into an ovenproof casserole dish with a lid and place into the oven to keep warm.

Add the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage to the Instant Pot. Place lid on Instant Pot and close. Make sure the steam release handle is positioned to sealing and select manual on high pressure for 3 minutes. When finished cooking, quick release (using an oven mitt) the steam.

Transfer vegetables to a platter and slice the corned beef against the grain. Serve with a coarse grain Dijon mustard, warm fresh rye bread or rolls.

*Purchase a 3 – 3 ½ pound corned beef if there is a lot of fat that will be trimmed off. The recipe will work with a 3# corned beef as well.

** Instead of cabbage, I like to serve the corned beef with good sauerkraut such as Boars Head.

This recipe can be made using a slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours or low for about 8 hours, adding all the vegetables for the last 45 minutes.

It also can be made stove top in a heavy Dutch oven, bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, cook covered for 2 ½ hours then add the potatoes and carrots and continue cooking for 30 minutes, adding the cabbage after 15 minutes and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender.

Photo: Martha Stewart

One Skillet Dinner

 

One Skillet Kielbasa, Potatoes, Veg & Sauerkraut

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This is a quick and easy one pot dish that you can make stove top or in your Instant Pot. For variety change the vegetables with the seasons if you like.

Serves 6 – 8

  • 4 small red potatoes, cut into slices or chunks
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 1 ½ cup chicken stock
  • 2 medium carrots, cut into slices or diced
  • ½ medium sized leek, sliced in half and then into half moons
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 kielbasa, cut into ½" pieces
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 8 oz. bag Boars Head sauerkraut, drained, you can use a different brand, but I think Boers head is the best I can find
  • 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, minced

Heat a deep sauté pan over medium heat and barely coat the bottom of the pan with a little olive oil or butter. Add the potatoes and stir for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper, cover the potatoes with chicken stock, reserving the rest of the stock. Cook the potatoes until almost done and the stock has reduced to almost nothing in the pan. Add a little more oil to the pan and add the carrots, cook for 1 minute before adding the leek, red pepper and kielbasa. Season again with a little sea salt and fresh pepper. Add the wine and reserved chicken stock, cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables have cooked but still have a little crunch. Add the sauerkraut and cook until heated, stirring once or twice. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Skillet Lasagna

 

After making this for a demo in a skillet because I have no oven available, I will never make lasagna in the traditional manner. An easy weeknight recipe for dinner and leftovers it’s ready in about 30 minutes with little prep. Feel free to doctor it up with herbs, spices, sausage, chopped peppers or whatever floats your boat. Be mindful of the addition of extra ingredients, you may need to adjust the amount of sauce that you use. I wouldn’t add more than a half cup of other chopped vegetables without adding another half cup of sauce. The size of the pan also matters, if you use a larger than 9″ or 10″ pan you may need more ricotta to cover the top of the lasagna but you shouldn’t need to adjust other ingredients. As I say in cooking class, try the recipe as written before you make any changes, then adapt it to your taste. Have fun in the kitchen!

Skillet Lasagna

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Great recipe to cook ‘From Your Pantry’ as you should have most of these ingredients as staples in your kitchen. Add a nice loaf of warmed Italian bread with olive oil on the side, a green salad and your set to go.

  • 1 pound lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
  • ½ medium brown onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 8 ounces sliced mushroom
  • ½ pound dry pasta, egg noodles, rotini, rotelle, farfalle or other shape
  • 1 favorite jar pasta sauce
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup dry red wine
  • ½ cup ricotta cheese
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 8 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • Basil leaves for garnish, optional

In an approximately 9" sauté pan*, preferably non-stick, with lid, brown ground beef adding a little salt, pepper and Italian seasoning as it cooks. Drain and set aside.

Add a little olive oil, if needed, to lightly coat the bottom of the pan, add the onion and sauté until lightly translucent, add garlic and stir, cook briefly, then add mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms are lightly browned.

Add ground beef back to the pan and add the pasta, pasta sauce, water and wine, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low boil, cover and cook about 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Taste and season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to taste.

Spoon ricotta into mounds on top of the lasagna mixture, sprinkle grated cheese over the top, cover, reduce heat to low and cook until the cheese is melted.

Add parmesan cheese and basil leaves, if using.

*If you're confused about sauté pan vs. skillet, a sauté pan has straight sides and some depth to the pan whereas a skillet has flared sides and won't hold the volume that this recipe calls for.

 

Chicken and Barley Soup

 

Chicken & Barley Soup

Print
  • Poached Chicken
  • 1 qt. chicken stock
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 carrot
  • ½ small onion
  • 2 medium chicken breasts, bone-in, skin on
  • Sea salt and ground pepper
  • Soup
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 2 carrots, peeled
  • ½ small onion
  • Olive oil
  • Sea salt and ground pepper
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 2 medium chicken breasts, bone-in, skin on
  • 1 cup cooked barley*
  • 1 small can diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • ½ cup snow peas, cut diagonally into bite sized pieces
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • zest of 1 lemon plus 1 Tb. or more of juice

Poach chicken or purchase 2 cups cooked chicken.

To poach the chicken, bring chicken stock to a boil, turn heat down so the stock is just barely simmering. Roughly chop the celery, carrot and onion and add to the stock along with the chicken, season with a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper, and simmer for 20 min. to ½ hour or until chicken is cooked through but not dry. Remove the skin from the chicken and pull the meat from the bone, discard skin and bone. Shred or chop the chicken into pieces and strain the stock through cheesecloth and reserve.

For the soup:

Cut celery, carrots and onion into bite sized pieces. Heat a Dutch oven or lg. saucepan over medium high heat, add just enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan, add the vegetables and sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper and sauté until lightly translucent and soft. Add enough chicken stock to the reserved stock to measure 6 – 8 cups and add to the vegetables. Add remaining ingredients except the lemon juice and simmer until the spinach is barely wilted, adjust seasonings and serve with a little squeeze of lemon juice.

*See How to Cook Barley, Debskitchen.com

Salisbury Steak

 

 

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

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Here’s a great recipe for a weeknight dinner, easier than stopping at the store or fast food for dinner. Make sure to stock your pantry ahead of time.

  • Salisbury Steak
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (or 1/3 cup ordinary breadcrumbs)
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Large pinch of sea salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ onion, finely chopped
  • 1 package mushrooms, sliced or 5 oz.
  • Gravy
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Sea salt and pepper

Be sure to form the patties into ¾” thick ‘burgers’ and cook according to directions. This will ensure that your Salisbury Steaks come out perfectly cooked and not overdone. The recipe is really as easy as cooking one of those frozen dinners and tastes so much better! Serve with mac and cheese, mashed or roasted potatoes.

Mix the Salisbury steak ingredients with your hands or a wooden spoon, form into 4 thick patties (about ¾” thick) and set aside.

In a deep sided skillet, heat oil and when hot add onion and sauté until translucent. Add the mushrooms into the pan and cook, stirring until lightly browned. Transfer into a bowl.

Add a splash of oil, if needed to the pan and add the meat patties, cook the first side for 1 minute or until browned, then flip and brown the other side (they will still be raw inside).

Take the skillet off the stove and transfer meat patties onto a plate. Turn the heat down to medium low.

Return skillet to the stove and add butter. Once melted, add flour and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in remaining Gravy ingredients until smooth. Increase heat to medium then transfer the reserved onions and mushrooms into the gravy. Stir, then add the patties into the gravy along with the juices on the plate. Cook for 7 minutes, or until gravy is thickened and patties are just cooked through, stirring occasionally around the steaks. If the gravy thickens too quickly, add more water.

Remove steaks onto a plate. Adjust the seasoning, if needed, with salt and pepper.

Adapted from Recipe Tin Eats

Photo: Recipe Tin Eats

Holiday Roast

Prime Rib actually refers to the grade of the beef that you are using, prime grade is the best you can buy and you will pay dearly for it but it’s a true holiday treat. You could purchase a Choice grade standing rib roast and still have a very lovely dinner for a lot less money. If you don’t like meat rare to medium then you’ll be better off serving another cut of meat for a special dinner as the roast can be dry and tough if overcooked.

Prime Rib

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The easiest holiday roast you can make. Add some scalloped potatoes, a great salad or side vegetable and you’re done in the kitchen.

  • Serves 2 – 4
  • 1 Bone in standing rib roast, prime or choice grade, about 2 ½ - 3 lbs.
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, I like Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
  • Mild flavored olive or vegetable oil
  • Butcher twine, optional
  • Probe meat thermometer (not optional)

Preheat your oven to 400°. Line a baking or sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

*If you’d like to make the roast easier to carve when hot, cut the bone off the meat before cooking. Use a boning knife and slice as close as possible to the bone between the bone and the meat. Now tie the bone back on to the meat with butcher twine, when the roast is ready to slice just cut the twine and remove the bone, saving to make stock or soup, and slice the meat as desired. Remember to always cut across the grain of the meat.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before cooking. Dry the meat well then rub it with a little of the oil and season generously with sea salt and pepper. Heat a sauté pan that’s just a little larger than the roast over medium high heat, when hot add roast and brown all sides of the meat. Do not add oil to the pan, sear the roast quickly and remove to the prepared sheet pan. If you can stand the roast to rest on the bone then do so, otherwise place on the sheet pan on one side. Insert a probe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without touching any part of the bone.

Cook the roast for 10 minutes and then turn down the oven temperature to 350°. Continue to roast until temperature reaches 130°, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and loosely cover with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes. The temperature will rise, this is called carry over cooking time and the roast will be rare to medium rare when sliced. If you’d like the roast closer to medium, cook until the temperature reaches 135°; do not overcook.

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