- In large bowl, gently toss together olive oil, watermelon, cucumber, mint, basil, salt and pepper.
- Transfer to shallow serving dish; sprinkle feta over top. Drizzle with balsamic glaze; serve immediately.
Tip: Add 1 cup thinly sliced fennel to the salad for a fresh flavor – similar to black licorice. Serve with grilled chicken, shrimp or salmon.
- Preheat oven to broil; position rack to highest level. Brush olive oil over both sides of each slice of bread; broil, turning once, for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Rub cut side of garlic clove over bread while still hot.
- Mash together avocados, lemon juice, and half of the basil, salt and pepper; spread over one side of each slice of bread. Top with tomato slices; season with remaining salt and pepper. Top with mozzarella slices; sprinkle with hot pepper flakes.
- Drizzle each slice of bread with balsamic glaze. Sprinkle with remaining basil; serve immediately.
Tip: Serve with sliced dry cured salami or prosciutto for a side of protein.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Brush both sides of mushrooms with 2 tbsp of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange mushrooms, stem side up, on baking sheet. Roast for about 10 minutes or until slightly tender. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat; crumble in sausage and cook for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add onion and garlic; cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened.
- Stir in pesto and tomatoes until well combined. Add Swiss chard; cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until wilted. Stir well and remove from heat. Divide mixture evenly among mushroom caps, mounding if necessary. Sprinkle with cheese.
- Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil before serving.
Tip: Use the sausage mixture to stuff hollowed-out zucchini or eggplants, or serve over cooked spaghetti squash.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 12-cup muffin pan with large paper liners.
- In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. In separate bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup pesto, olive oil, milk, sugar and egg; stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Fold in zucchini and green onions.
- Divide half of the batter evenly among muffin cups; place cube of Fontina on top of batter. Top each with 1 tsp remaining pesto; top with remaining batter.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and top of muffin springs back when pressed lightly. Let cool slightly; serve warm.
Tip: Add 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon to make these muffins extra savory and over-the-top delicious.
- Preheat oven to 425°F; line baking sheet with parchment paper. In large bowl, whisk together pesto, 2 tbsp olive oil, honey and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper; add cauliflower, tossing to coat.
- Arrange in even layer on prepared pan; roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Scatter olives over cauliflower during last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in skillet set over medium heat; cook garlic for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in breadcrumbs, and remaining salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 to 7 minutes or until toasted and golden brown. Stir in parsley.
- Transfer cauliflower mixture to shallow serving platter; sprinkle breadcrumbs over top just before serving.
Tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs, pulse chunks of day-old fresh bread in a food processor until pea-size crumbs are achieved. Breadcrumbs can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line baking tray with parchment paper; set aside.
- Place potatoes in saucepan; pour in enough cold water to cover. Bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-high to maintain light boil. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water; dry well.
- Toss together potatoes, 2 tbsp pesto, olive oil, salt and pepper; spread evenly on prepared pan. Smash each potato with heavy-bottom saucepan. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp on the bottom.
- Top each potato with dollop of remaining pesto and arrange on platter. Top with Parmesan and pine nuts. Serve with lemon wedges.
Tip: Make these potatoes extra special by also topping with creamy ricotta and pan-crisped pancetta.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with foil; set aside.
- Make deep, diagonal cuts (about 1 inch apart) in diamond pattern into Italian loaf, making sure loaf stays intact at the base. Whisk together olive oil, Italian seasoning blend and garlic; brush all over loaf and in between cuts.
- Toss together tomatoes, 1 cup cheese and pesto; press mixture in between cuts of the loaf. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
- Cover with foil; bake for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove foil; bake for about 10 minutes or until loaf is heated through, golden brown and crispy. Let cool slightly before serving.
Tip: Use a pre-shredded blend of Italian cheeses, or make your own with a combination of mozzarella, provolone, Emmental, Asiago and Parmesan cheese.
Parsnips add a little sweet and earthy spice to mashed potatoes.
- Put the potatoes and parsnips in a 6- to 8-quart pot, cover by about 3 inches with cold water, add 1 Tbs. salt, bring to a boil, and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes after the water begins to boil.
- Drain the potatoes and parsnips, put them back into the pot with the oil, and coarsely mash with a potato masher. Fold in the broth, crème fraîche, nutmeg, 2 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper. (If you prefer a smoother texture, whip with a hand mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.)
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
TIP: To add a burst of flavor to this mashed potato, serve with your favorite Filippo Berio Pesto!
Hearty bread stuffing is a highlight of Thanksgiving dinner. It’s made a little more heart-healthy with the addition of olive oil. If you use a Pyrex dish, as opposed to a ceramic one, the bottom of the stuffing will brown better.
- Tear or cut the bread into ¾-inch pieces until you have 8 to 10 cups. If working a day ahead, lay the pieces out on a rack and leave them uncovered on the counter to dry overnight. Otherwise, spread the bread out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 275°F oven, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until it is crisp and mostly dry; it will continue to dry a bit as it cools. Depending on how moist the bread is to begin with, oven-drying takes 15 to 45 minutes.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low. Add the leeks, celery, carrots, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened. Add the chestnuts and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the parsley, thyme, and sage to the stuffing mixture and toss well. Add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Add the broth and wine to the mixture. If the liquid isn’t immediately absorbed and pools at the bottom of the bowl, that should be enough; just toss the mixture occasionally for a few minutes and the liquid will be absorbed. At first, the bread cubes may feel wet on the outside and still be dry on the inside, but they’ll even out as the stuffing cooks.
- Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper as needed. Add the ¼ cup oil. Stir in the eggs. Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with oil. Spread the stuffing in the dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the top is lightly browned and crisp, another 20 to 30 minutes.
This slightly tangy balsamic side is a perfect accompaniment to the steak.
- In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, marjoram, salt and pepper.
- In 9x 13-inch baking dish, toss the vegetables; drizzle with the olive oil marinade. Toss to coat; cover and marinate for 2 hours or overnight, turning the vegetables occasionally.
- Prepare a medium-high gas or charcoal grill fire. Transfer the vegetables to a grill pan, reserving leftover marinade. Grill the vegetables, turning occasionally and brushing frequently with the reserved marinade, for 12 minutes or until tender.
