Menestra (Bean Stew)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 LB  Beans (dry, soaked overnight – kidney, black, etc.)
• 2 TB      Lucini Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 C    Red Onion (chopped small)
• 1/4 C    Garlic (fresh, minced)
• 1/2 C    Lucini Organic Peeled Tomatoes
• ½ tsp   Paprika  (or achiote)
• 1 tsp     Cumin (ground)
• 2 tsp     Chili Powder
• 4 C        Water
• 2 TB      Cilantro (chopped leaves)
• Salt
• Black Pepper (fresh, ground)

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or pot.   Add the diced onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until you can smell the garlic.  Add the tomatoes, paprika,ground cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the water and bring to a boil.   Add the soaked beans (and enough to cover the beans) and simmer for about 2 hours, until all of the liquid has been reduced.   Mix in the chopped cilantro.

Roast Potato Wedges

Ingredients:

• 2 LB        Potatoes (I prefer Russet, cut into 1/2″ -wide wedges)
• 2 TB        Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp  Salt (sea or kosher)
• 1/4 tsp  Black Pepper (fres,h ground)
• 1/2 tsp  Smoked Paprika
• 1/4 tsp  Turmeric
• 2 TB        Lucini Garlic-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 TB        Flour (sifted)
• 1 C           Milk
• 1 C         Lucini Organic Stravecchio Parmigiano Reggiano
• 3 TB        Scallion
• 1/4 tsp  Hot Sauce or dry Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 425F. Toss potatoes in a bowl with the oil, salt, pepper, paprika and turmeric. Place the potato wedges evenly on a lined baking pan (i use a Silpat) and bake for 25 minutes, then turn the potatoes and bake for 15-20 more minutes — until the potatoes are just browned.

For the sauce, heat the oil in medium saucepan. Add the flour and stir over medium heat for 30 seconds.  Add the milk gradually and stir until thickened. Reduce the heat to low; stir in cheese, green onions and hot sauce or cayenne pepper (if using)/  Serve the potato wedges with the warm cheese sauce.

Fried Ravioli

Ingredients:

• 1 LB  Ravioli (i prefer to make my own cheese ravioli, but use your favorite)
  
• 2       Eggs (whisked well)
• 2 TB  Lucini Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  
• Salt
  
• Black Pepper (fresh, ground)
• 2 C    Bread crumbs
• 1 jar   Lucini 100% Natural Tomato Sauce
  

Preparation:

Heat oil 300F in a fryer or deep-sided pot. Beat the eggs with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper.  Dip each ravioli into the egg mixture and then coat with bread crumbs.  Fry 5 to 7 ravioli at a time, leaving plenty of room for the ravioli in the pot.  Drain the ravioli on paper towels. Serve with the tomato sauce (heated if you like).

Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 12  Dates
• 4    Bacon slices (cut in thirds)
• 12  Lucini Stravecchio Parmesano Reggiano slices (1/2 inch by 1/4 inch)
• 1 TB  Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:

Preheat you oven to 425.  Careful cut a hole (as long as the pit) into the date (lengthwise).  Remove the pit.

Slide a parmesan slice into each pit, through the hole, then wrap each date in a bacon slice.  Place dates on an oiled baking pan.

Bake until the bacon is crisp – 4-6 minutes.  Then flip the dates and bake until the other side is crisp – 3-5 minutes.  Drain excess grease on paper towels and serve.

Wild Mushroom Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• 12       Tortillas (6-inch) flour
• 1/4 C  Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 C  Red Onion  (diced small)
• 2 TB    Garlic (diced small)
• 1 1/2 LB  Wild Mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, and portobello, chopped
• Salt (kosher is preferable)
• Black Pepper (fresh, ground)
• 1 1/2 C  Cheddar Cheese (I prefer sharp, but use your favorite, including Jack or Colby)
• 1/4 c Lucini Organic Stravecchio Parmigiano-Reggiano (cotilla or mexican farmer’s cheese is a substitution)
• 2 TB  Lucini Chili-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 425°F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until light brown, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.  Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown and all of their liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes.

Divide the cheese mixture and mushrooms evenly among eight tortillas and season each with salt and pepper.  Stack the tortillas to make four double-layer tortillas and cover each with one of the remaining tortillas.  Brush the top of each quesadilla with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.

Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until lightly golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 8-11 minutes, .

Top each quesadilla with the chili oil, cut into quarters and serve.

“Healthy” Chicken Wings

Buffalo wings are never going to be a healthy proposition, but this preparation replaces the butter and veg oil with extra-virgin olive oil, limiting the amount of bad fats and aactually adding tocopherols and other anti-oxidants to the equation.

Ingredients:

• 2 LB  Chicken Wings (organic, free-range are highly recommended)
• 2 TB  Lucini Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (plus additional oil for frying the wings)
• 2 TB  Lucini Chili-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2-3 TB  Hot Sauce (Frank’s is traditional, but use your favorite)
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric

Preparation:

Mix the oils, hot sauce and spices until you have a consistent emulsification.

Heat enough olive oil to come halfway up the sides of a large saucepan or deep fryer and heat to 350 F.  Add the chicken wings in batches (never crowd anything you are frying) and fry, turning, until the wings are golden brown and float in the oil, 7-9 minutes.  Drain well on paper towels.  Add the wings to a bowl, toss with the sauce and allow to sit for a few (3-4) minutes.  Serve with Lucini Delicate Cucumber & Shallot Dressing or your favorite buffalo wing dip.

Lemon-Maple Walnuts

Ingredients:

• 1 C     Walnuts
• 3 TB  Maple syrup
• 1 TB  Lucini Lemon-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/8 tsp  salt
  

Preparation:

Cook the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the walnuts, maple syrup and salt.  Stirring the walnuts frequently until syrup is caramelized and the walnuts smell toasted – about 4-5 minutes.  Cool to room temperature and serve.

Guacamole

No Super Bowl bash is complete without Guacamole!!

Ingredients:

• 3       Avocados (ripe, peeled and chopped coarsely)
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1/4 C  Red Onion (chopped fine)
• 1 TB  Lucini Chili-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Lucini Lemon-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Lucini Garlic-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt
• Black Pepper (fresh, ground)

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or food processor and mix well, leaving small chunks of avocado.  Season, to taste, with salt, pepper, and lime juice.

Salmon with Pomegranate Salsa

I love to prepare healthy fish dishes in the winter, particularly recipes that use fruit (so I can pretend it isn’t freezing outside).  This is one of my favorite fish/fruit preparations and find it is best with salmon, although firm white fish will also work.

Marinated Salmon

Ingredients:

• 1LB     Salmon fillets (4 fillets, preferrably wild salmon, can substitute bass, cod or snapper)
• 2 TB    Lucini Garlic-Infused Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp   Cayenne Pepper (can substitute chili powder or paprika)
• 4 TB    Lime Juice (fresh, can substitute orange juice)
• 1/3 C  White Wine
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• 1 C       Pomegranate arils (seeds)
• 1 TB    Jalapeno Pepper (seeded and chopped small)
• 1/2 C  Yellow Bell Pepper (chopped small, can substitute red or green, but yellow is the best visually)
• 1/4      Onion (chopped small, if you have time, allow the onion to sit for 10 minutes in ice-water, then drain well)
• 1/4 C  Cilantro (fresh leaves, chopped small)
• 2 TB    Lucini Basil-Infused Olive Oil
• 2 TB    Lucini Pinot Grigio White Wine Vinegar
• 3 TB    Lucini Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:

Combine the garlic-infused olive oil, garlic, cayenne pepper, 2 TB lime juice, white wine and salt.  Mix well in a bowl large enough to hold the fish.  Add the fish and allow to fish marinate for 1 to 2 hrs.  Meanwhile to prepare the pomegranate salsa — combine the pomegranate,  2 TB lime juice, onion, cilantro, jalapeno peppers, vinegar and basil olive oil.  Add salt, pepper and more lime juice to taste.  Mix the salsa well and let it rest refrigerated until ready to use.  Heat the remaining 3 TB olive oil over medium high heat in a large sauté pan, add the salmon fillets and cook until browned on each side and cooked, about 3-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the fillets.   Serve with the pomegranate salsa.