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.

Linguini Aragosta Fra Diavolo (Spicy Lobster) – Feast of the Seven Fishes

Ingredients:

• The meat from 2 (approximately 2 pound) Lobsters
• 1/4 C  Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 TB    Garlic (minced)
• 1/2 tsp Hot Pepper flakes
• 1/2 C  White Wine (dry)
• 2 C  Lucini Organic Plum Tomatoes
• 4      Anchovies  (chopped coarsely)
• 2 tsp Oregano (dried)
• 2 TB  Salt
• 1 LB   Linguini (or Fettucini, Spaghetti, etc.)
• 3 TB   Italian (flat-leaf) Parsley (chopped coarsely)
• Black Pepper (fresh, ground)

Preparation:

Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat, and when it is hot, add the olive oil.  Add the garlic and stir until golden, about 2 minutes.  Add the hot pepper and lobster meat and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Add the wine and tomatoes to the pot and bring to a simmer.  Add the anchovies and oregano and stir well.  Transfer the pot to the oven and cook until the sauce has thickened, 6 to 7 minutes.  Remove from the oven.

While the sauce is cooking, fill a 10-quart stockpot to half with water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Add the salt.  Add the pasta, stir, and cook until al dente.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, and add the pasta to the pot of sauce.

Add the lobster meat and parsley to the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. If the pasta looks dry, add the reserved cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing to combine between additions.  Season with salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes (or Lucini Chili-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil).

Thai Chicken & Pumpkin Curry

Ingredients:

• 1 LB       Pumpkin (fresh, peeled, cut into 1 inch chunks)
• 1/2 LB  Rice Noodles (preferably thai rice noodles)
• 1TB         Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 TB       Thai Chili Paste (another asian chili paste or Sriracha will work in a pinch)
• 1/2 C     Stock (chicken or vegetable, home made is much better)
• 1 can     Coconut Milk
• 2             Chicken breasts (skinless, boneless, cut into bite-size pieces)
• 1             Red Repper (seeds removed, sliced thin)
• 4             Scallions (sliced thin)
• 1/2 C    Cilantro (chopped large)
• 1/4 C     Mint leaves (chopped large)
• 2 TB      Peanuts (chopped small)
• 2 TB      Lucini Chili Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 tsp     Lime juice (fresh, orange juice will work as well)

Preparation:

Season the chicken with salt and allow to sit for 15 minutes.  Steam the pumpkin chunks until tender.  Prepare the rice noodles as described on package.  Heat the oil in a wok (or large saucepan) over a medium heat. Add the chili paste and fry for 1 minute.  Stir in the stock, bring to a boil, then add the coconut milk.  Return to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes.  Add the chicken to the wok, along with the red pepper and pumpkin.  Cook for 6-9 minutes, stirring often.

Divide the noodles and chicken between 4 bowls and top with the scallion, coriander and mint leaves.  Spoon the coconut/stock mixture over the top and garnish each bowl with chopped peanuts, chili oil and lime juice.

Spicy Chicken with Cucumber Sauce

On the grill

This simple recipe balances the tangy heat of the Lucini chili-infused olive oil with the creamy, delicate flavor of Lucini’s award-winning cucumber vinaigrette.  The fresh mint looks great and adds a wonderful aromatic dimension to the dish.  This preparation works equally well with grilled turkey breast – just double the amounts of the other ingredients and taste for salt and paprika after the turkey breast has cooled.

Ingredients:

• 4              Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless)
• 1 TB        Lucini Chili-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp  Salt (sea salt is best)
• 1/4 tsp  Black Pepper (fresh, ground)
• 1/4 tsp  Smoked Paprika
• 1/8 tsp  Turmeric (optional)
• 3/4 C      Lucini Cucumber Vinaigrette
• 6               Mint leaves (fresh, large, minced)
• 1/2           Lime (cut into 4 wedges, optional)

Preparation:

Combine the chili-infused oil, salt, pepper, paprika and turmeric.  Coat the chicken with this sauce, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.  In separate small bowl, combine the cucumber vinaigrette and mint, mix well and refrigerate until serving.  When ready to eat, grill or broil the chicken 6″ from heat for 4-5 minutes on each side until lightly browned and cooked through.  Serve with the cucumber/mint sauce and lime wedges (if using).

Trinidadian Hot Sauce (Scotch Bonnet Peppers and Mango)

Yesterday, some wonderful scotch bonnet peppers appeared at my farmers market.  When I got home, I realized there was no way i could eat 8 of them before they went bad, so I came up with this sauce to preserve their wonderful flavor.  It is based on Trinidadian sauces I have loved in the past.

Ingredients:

• 1        Mango (large, chopped)
• 1-4    Scotch Bonnet Peppers  (Seeded)
• 1        Onion (small, peeled, sliced thick)
• 1        Garlic clove (1 TB)
• 2 TB  Lucini Delicate Lemon Infused Olive Oil
• 1 TB  Lemon zest
• 1 C     Lucini Pinot Grigio Vinegar
• 3/4 tsp  Allspice (fresh, ground)
• 1/2 tsp  Turmeric (ground)
• 1/8 tsp  Nutmeg (fresh, ground)
• 1/2 tsp  Salt
• 1 TB       prepared Mustard

Preparation:

Puree the mango, seeded Scotch Bonnet peppers, onion, garlic, zest, and olive oil in a food processor. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add the vinegar, turmeric, allspice, nutmeg, salt and mustard.  Simmer the mixture over very low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thick.  Store in a just sterilized jar or bottle.

1 Green Papaya, Peeled, Seeded and Roughly Chopped

10 Scotch Bonnet Peppers, Seeded

2 Onions, Quartered

3 Cloves Garlic

Rind of One Lime

1/2 c Lime Juice

1 1/2 c Malt Vinegar

1 t Salt

1/4 c Prepared Yellow Mustard

Bloody Mary recipe

Just in time for Fathers’ Day, here is a tasty Bloody Mary recipe.  I love the new Lucini Infused olive oils and have been working on creative ways to get more of them into my belly.  Here, three of the infuseds mix with tomatoes and a bit of horseradish, salt and pepper to create my favorite Bloody.  I think the drink stands up fine without the worcestershire sauce and celery salt, but in my testing most people preferred the drink with those traditional ingredients, so they are included below.

A lot of places, including the King Cole Bar in midtown NYC, claim to be the ‘birthplace’ of the Bloody Mary, but it is more likely that the drink developed over time rather than in a single birth.  What began as a simple vodka and tomato juice added different ingredients until the tasty beverage we know today was achieved.

I was worried that the olive oil would separate in the drink, but the emulsification held and the drinks look great!

This Bloody Mary is best enjoyed outdoors ...

Ingredients:
2 C     Lucini organic tuscan plum tomatoes
1 TB  Lucini chili infused extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp  Lucini basil infused extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp  Lucini lemon infused extra virgin olive oil
2 jiggers ice-cold vodka (two large shots, not the little 1oz)
Dash of worcestershire sauce
Ground black pepper (to taste)
Horseradish (to taste)
Celery Salt  (to taste)
Cayenne pepper (to taste)
Sea Salt (to taste)

Preparation:
Combine the tomatoes, oils, vodka, worcestershire sauce and black pepper into blender and puree.   Stir in the horseradish and celery salt, to taste.  Mix together well the celery salt, cayenne and sea salt mixture in a small bowl or plate. Dip the glass rims into water and then the salt/spice mixture.  Fill the glasses with good quality ice.   Add the Bloody Mary mixture.   Garnish generously (see below).

Garnishes:
Celery stalk
Pickled Green Beans
Pickled Asparagus
Basil (leaves and stalk)
Cerignola Olives (all 3 colors)
Crab Leg
Oyster
Bocconcini
Pepperoncini
Special Pickles (Homemade, Guss’, McClure’s…)
Anchovy
Bay Leaf
Shrimp
Scallion
Pickled or fresh carrot
Lemon Wedge

Simple Enchilada Sauce

This recipe makes the sauce for the Enchilada recipe above.  It is a great way to expand your Lucini sauce recipe repertoire beyond Italian cuisine.  I toast whole cumin seeds and then grind them, but pre-ground cumin works in a pinch.  Pre-ground spices tend to lose their potency quickly and often include fillers, so I highly recommend using fresh or whole spices whenever possible.

Ingredients:

• 1 TB         Lucini Premium Select Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  

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• 1               Red Onion, minced
• 1/2 tsp    Salt
• 1/2 tsp    ground Pepper
• 3 TB        Chili Powder
• 3 cloves  Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp        Cumin, ground
• 1 tsp        Oregano (fresh, minced or dried, crushed)
• 2 C           Lucini Spicy Tuscan Tomato Sauce
• 1/4 C      Water

Procedure

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the chili powder, garlic, cumin, and oregano.  Cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.  Stir in the tomato sauce and water.  Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spicy Sandwich Spread

I landed on this quick recipe while trying to jazz up a wimpy sandwich and unable to locate the glorious hot pepper relish used in many Italian delis.  It really highlights the tasty new Lucini Chili-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil, adding complexity to an otherwise single-note dish.  It would be a great addition to any Super Bowl snack situation, particularly where sandwiches are involved, very easy to prepare (two steps!) and colorful to boot.

Ingredients

4              Hot Cherry Peppers
3 Tb         Lucini Chili-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tsp    Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp    Salt

Remove the seeds from the cherry peppers and mince finely.  Combine with remaining ingredients in a serving bowl.