Olive Oil Education

My education in olive oil all culminated from a conversation I had with a man who spent nearly two decades living in Italy. He was looking for a place in Fresno where he could get REAL olive oil! Like knock on the door of someone who has an olive tree in their yard real olive oil. Even though I use olive oil every day and in every meal, I was embarrassed to admit I've been buying just run of the mill, grocery store, olive oil! GASP!

Hang in there with me and at the end of this post, I'll share with you one of "those" knock on the door places. I mean, c'mon - it's Fresno - we have everything awesome here!

In the meantime, if you're like me, you know you love and use olive oil, but you may not know much about it. This prompted me to head down to We Olive. The gentleman behind the counter basically put me through the rigors of olive oil. We did a tasting that was just like wine tasting. As he explained to me the flavors, I was amazed at the differences! I was able to distinguish pepper and grass and more!

The difference between this fresh oil and that which I've been using was extreme!

Here's a little tidbit that he shared with me. Olive oil is one of the few things not regulated by the FDA. Olive oil from the grocery store may be as little as 20% pure olive oil and the rest could be other types! You can be sure I'm not going to do that again!

What's cool too is that you pay by the ounce. You can bring in your own container or purchase one of theirs. It's just a one time fee and then you can bring that bottle back next time. The one I chose is actually made at Fresno State, which pleased me too!

Point of this whole long post is this. Fresh is better. Pure is better. Local is better. Education is better. I received all of those from this experience and would highly recommend you do the same!

NOW, for those of you who are hardcore, let me share another tidbit. Apparently no one knows the name of this place, but it's pretty much a "Oh look they have olive trees, I wonder if they make their own oil?" I was told to just follow these directions :) (Sounds like the real deal to me)

Take Minnewawa to Copper
Left on Copper
Take an immediate right onto Auberry Rd
Within a 1/2 mile or less on the right hand side you will see a sign that says "Olive oil for sale" and there will be instructions on it. (Something about a house and where to knock or ring haha) If you get to the Eucalyptus grove before seeing the sign you've gone too far.

Now, if one of you actually goes there, LET ME KNOW!!

Chili Bean Enchilada Casserole

Well, this is recipe seems really bad for you, but it serves 4 and actually only has 360 calories per serving. That's pretty darn good! I, of course, made my mine with a vegetarian chili and added some kidney beans to it for extra protein, but you can just use a regular can of chili con carne.

There's only a few ingredients in this recipe and it's definitely bachelor approved.

Preheat oven to 425. I'm making mine in 2 mini casserole dishes so I cut the tortillas to fit in each one better.

Spread some enchilada sauce in the bottom of your dish and brush onto the sides.

Put in 1 layer of tortillas and top with ingredients of your choice. (You're going to do multiple layers so you don't have to put 1 of everything on each layer if you don't want to.)

Add another layer of tortillas and top with more enchilada sauce.

Top again with your choice of ingredients.

Repeat again with the tortilla, enchilada sauce, and more ingredients.

Top with final layer of tortilla, enchilada sauce, and cover with cheese. Spray foil with cooking spray before covering so it doesn't stick to the cheese when baking.

 

 

Bake at 425 covered for 20 minutes. Then remove foil.

Put back in the over and continue baking until fully heated through and browned. While the casserole finishes cooking, chop up whatever toppings you would like. I chose avocado and cilantro.

Let it cool for a few minutes, plate, garnish, and ENJOY!

Cauliflower Casserole

Here's a cute recipe for cauliflower that my mom used to make for us. It's not THAT healthy, I can admit, but it's a cheesy creamy way to get non-vegetable lovers on board.

First, preheat your over to 375 degrees.

Steam the cauliflower. Remember, it's going in the oven, so don't over cook it.

While the cauliflower is steaming add some mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper to a small bowl.

Stir thoroughly and to taste.

Place steamed cauliflower in a casserole dish (or two mini ones!)

Spread mayo/mustard mixture lightly and evenly over the top.

Top with sliced cheddar cheese.

Bake, uncovered, until cheese melts and just starts to brown.

SERVE!

Grandma's Scalloped Potatoes

Well, if anyone knows me, they know I worship the potato. I think it's the purest vegetable to ever grow from the ground and I love that there's nothing you can't do with it. I feel like Forest Gump talking about shrimp... You can hash it, mash it, bake it, brown it, fry it, or make it into soup, breads, or salads. WOW!

Sometimes we over complicate our foods and my grandma always made really simple (BUT DELICIOUS) recipes. As with any recipe from a grandma, it's not really a recipe. I've tried to put exact measurements, but honestly it's a little different every time because you sort of add as you go.

I added a couple of my own ingredients to this to really make it my own. Hope you enjoy these delicious and homemade scalloped potatoes! MMMMMM

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OHK - Apple Sausage Potato Soup

Let's talk comfort food! We all love it and we all occasionally need it too! A dear friend of mine, who's a way better cook than me, came up with this recipe and I've since stolen the recipe and now I'm sharing it with you!

You're gonna love this one! There's no real set rules, but I guarantee you no other potato soup will match the depth of flavor contained in this hearty and simple meal!




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Orange Chocolate Peanut Bark

Well, I suppose I should have posted all these before the holidays, so just consider this your Holiday 2010 Go-To place!

I've never made this before, but it turned out really quick, was super easy, and I would totally recommend making it!



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The Unhealthiest Potato Casserole in the whole world!

Actually, I hate this recipe. I hate it because everyone LOVES it. I hate it because I made two -from scratch- recipes (Plus this one) and all people could talk about was this stupidly delicious potato casserole. I hate it because you gain 10 pounds just from looking at it. I hate it because it's cheap and easy and seems like a cheater recipe. I hate it because people request I make it every time I'm supposed to make something.

Make it and tell me if you hate it too!

A recipe in pictures.

In a big bowl, mix:

1 thing of sour cream:

1 thing of Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 stick of melted butter

1 packet of ranch dressing

1/2 packet of Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Stir all those thoroughly together and then add:

1 package of frozen shredded hash browns

 Put in a big casserole dish, cover with remaining cheddar cheese, and cover with foil. Bake for at least 30 minutes at 400. Remove foil and finish crisping up the top for at least 15 additional minutes.

I don't have a picture of the final product because as soon as I set this sucker down, it's GONE!

That's it folks.

ENJOY!

Winter Projects

Well folks, I'm about to do something I rarely do.....  BAKE! Actually, I don't know if this has any baking involved, but it does involve dessert and I NEVER make dessert! I start to feel all "craftsy" at the end of the year and like to give out stuff to my friends.

After MUCH research and deliberation, I've settled on making 3 types of alcohol infused truffles and some orange/peanut bark. Won't you tune in with me while I start out cooking with love and finish full of anxiety and exhaustion?  Okay, that was strong, but I guarantee you it won't go smoothly!

Maybe one of these days I will learn and make something that I've MADE BEFORE so I know what to expect!!

Here's an example of things I've made in times past:

My 1st year I started out without baking and just made color coordinated wine baskets. That was pretty fun!

One time I made chocolate peanut butter mallow bars. Those were a hit :)

One year I made white chocolate dipped cranberry oatmeal cookies:

Here was a fun year. Ever made a candy apple? Yeah, me either. WHOA - That was A LOT of work! But look how cute they turned out:

What things have you made?

VINO 100 - An education and overall good time

This past Sunday I stopped by Vino 100. This place is just a few blocks from my house and everyone knows I LOVE WINE! It's a wonder I hadn't been yet!

Actually, I'll tell you why. As much as I love wine, I'm NOT AN EXPERT. I try to learn as much as I can, but this is one thing I just haven't mastered yet. I sort of feel like you're either a member of some secret Illuminati club with the code words and special movements or you sit in an alley way and drink your wine from a spigot out of a box.

Yeah, this review isn't going where I wanted it to! Hang in there, I have a point!!

Often times I don't go into wine specialty stores because I fear having to interact with wine experts. They can be wordy and condescending, and as much as I try to say and do the right thing, I feel like I come up short. Fortunately for me, I put those feelings aside and took a chance.

What a great store!

I was greeted by a nice younger man. He was knowledgeable about their products without one ounce of condescension. I stayed for nearly 20 minutes asking questions, sampling wines, and BUYING stuff!

I even got a cool new gadget. Since I only have one glass at a time, this leaves about 3/4 of the bottle open. After a couple days of being open and letting air into the bottle, things just aren't as great as when I 1st uncorked it. So, now I have the Vacu Vin Wine Pump Set which keeps wine fresh for up to 14 days! It's a hand-operated pump that extracts oxygen and creates a vacuum, which slows the deteriorization of your wine.

COOL!!

Vino 100 has wine clubs, daily tastings, and events all the time. I'm rallying the troops and SO WANT TO HANG OUT THERE! They've got this cute little tasting room in the back with barstools and a big flat screen TV.

Can you tell I'm thoroughly enamored with them? Check them out and tell me if you love them too!

Pasta Frittata

If you're like me, the idea of eating the same thing over and over isn't that appealing. What's extra hard is trying to make a meal for just one person. When I made my penne pasta with a two tomato sauce, that fed four of us and we STILL had leftovers!

I just love this recipe because it allows me to use my leftovers in a different way. Hopefully you enjoy this as much as I did!



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Parmesan Potato Bites

Funny thing about cooking... You kind of have to be a scrapper. If you're afraid you're going to mess something up and you follow instructions or a recipe too rigidly, boy is cooking gonna be UNfun for you! This may be brought on by my recent experience with needing a melon baller only to find mine had disappeared! Okay, so I did have a *mini* meltdown, but I recovered and found a tiny spoon to use. You could use one of those measuring teaspoons (which I also didn't have!) if you wanted.

I like to think I cook with love, but some days, my cooking skills are leaned upon a bit too heavily for my liking. Like when you work til after dark, go to the gym, barely come home and have time to make dinner for yourself, when you realize you've committed to the office potluck TOMORROW! This is how I always wind up cooking at midnight, I swear!

Today I whipped up a quick recipe to suit our "Finger Foods" theme - and also because I've been forced to only make potato dishes (my specialty) and bring one of the few vegetarian things. I made Parmesan Potato Bites.

Yum! I LOVE POTATOES!

I posted the recipe on Taste Fresno. You can check it out HERE!

Olive Oil Obsessions

I recently made a trip down to We Olive in Fig Garden Village. We Olive is great because they have most of their products out on display to try. For those of you who know me, I'm an antipasto plate LOVER and We Olive holds all the little delicacies I need to display quite a spread!

I'm all about bread and dipping oil and drizzling olive oil over my tomatoes and avocados, etc.

My favorite every day olive oil is a garlic infused olive oil from Consorzio. (You can get a giant bottle at Costco for under $10!!)

For dipping I just tried (and might I add, already finished!!) a bottle of Made In Napa Valley Parmesan and Garlic dipping oil. I actually only used it for dipping bread into it, but you could totally pour this on stuff to! ALL THUMBS UP!

The other olive oil I tried is a lime infused olive oil from Pasolivo. The possibilities are endless for this one! I drizzle it on avocado, add it to guacamole, and add a tad to my tortilla soup. It's just about the most heavenly thing ever. This one is a little pricey at $20 a bottle, but you don't need much and it will go far AND IT'S WORTH IT!