Orzo with Pecorino Cheese

  • In large pot of boiling salted water; cook orzo for about 6 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse; set aside.
  • Return pot to burner; heat oil over medium-high heat. Stir in flour; whisk until smooth. Pour in milk in slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high heat for 4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in orzo.

 

Recipe provided by Chef Sharon Sanders

Orange and Anise Olive Oil Sugar Cookies

  • Stir together flour, anise, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In separate bowl, stir sugar with olive oil. Stir in eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Stir in milk, orange zest and vanilla until blended; stir in flour mixture until combined. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Roll scant tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
  • Bake in center of oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until bottoms and edges are pale golden and tops are set. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheets; transfer to racks and let cool completely.
  • Orange Icing Sugar Glaze: Stir together icing sugar, orange juice and olive oil until smooth. Dip tops of cookies into glaze, letting excess drip off; place on rack.

Topping: Toss sugar with orange zest; sprinkle over cookies while glaze is still wet. Let stand for 30 minutes or until set.

 

Tip: For a decorative finish, use colored sugar if desired.

Open-Face Provolone Cheese Melt

  • Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add bread slices; fry fir 1 to 2 minutes per side or until golden brown, adding more oil if needed. Transfer bread to serving dish.
  • In same skillet, working in batches if necessary, briefly fry provolone; when cheese begins to melt, transfer to bread slices. Sprinkle with red wine vinegar, then thyme; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Olive Oil Cream Puffs with Vanilla

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In saucepan, bring 1 cup water, olive oil, sugar and salt to boil over medium heat.
  • Remove from heat. Add flour all at once; with wooden spoon, stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball and leaves side of pan. Return to medium heat; continue stirring vigorously for 1 or 2 minutes or until a thin dry film forms on bottom of pan. Remove from heat. Transfer to bowl.
    Using a wooden spoon, beat in eggs one at a time, incorporating well after each addition until dough is smooth, shiny and thickened. Using large spoon and rubber spatula, drop 16 mounds onto prepared pan, spacing 3 inches apart. (Alternatively, fill pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch tip or snip 1/2-inch corner from resealable bag and pipe mixture into mounds onto prepared pan.)
  • Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until light golden brown and puffed. Cut a slit into each puff and return to oven. Reduce heat to 350°F; bake for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let puffs dry in oven for 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool completely.

Vanilla Bourbon Whipped Cream:

    • Using electric mixer, whip cream until soft peaks start to form. Beat in icing sugar and scraped vanilla bean seeds until stiff peaks start to form. Fold in bourbon.
    • Split cream puffs. Remove any strands of soft dough with fingertips. Fill puffs with whipped cream mixture. Dust tops with icing sugar.

Lobster Risotto with Bell Peppers

  • In large pot of boiling water, cook lobsters for 2 minutes; remove and let cool slightly. Twist to remove tail and set aside. Twist to remove the knuckles and claws and return to boiling water; cook for 1½ minutes. Remove and let cool slightly. Remove all lobster meat from the shells and cut into bite-size pieces; reserve shells.
  • Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in saucepan; add lobster shells, stirring frequently. Add broth; bring to simmer. Season to taste with salt and set aside. Keep warm.
  • Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in Dutch oven set over medium heat; cook onion and peppers, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until very soft. Add rice; cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat with oil. Add wine; increase heat to medium-high; cook for 5 minutes or until wine evaporates.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low; add broth mixture, ½ cup at a time and stirring after each addition until most of the liquid is absorbed before adding more. After 15 minutes of cooking, start testing the rice. Just before rice is finished cooking, add lobster to warm through and finish cooking. (Rice should be loose and creamy but not mushy, and still slightly firm in center.) Remove from heat. Stir in remaining olive oil, butter, parsley and tarragon.

 

Tip:Keep an eye on the rice, you may not need all of the broth mixture: you need just enough to ensure a loose and creamy consistency.

Lattice-Topped Peach and Berry Tart

  • Grease 10-inch springform pan with extra-light olive oil spray. Prepare dough; cut away one-third of the dough. Pat into disk; refrigerate for 10 minutes. Pat remaining dough over bottom and 1 1/4-inches up side of prepared pan. Prick all over with fork; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Roll out reserved refrigerated dough between 2 sheets of floured waxed paper into 10-inch circle. Using pizza wheel or serrated ravioli cutter, cut into 8 strips. Slide the waxed paper onto baking sheet; refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 425°F. In bowl, mix together preserves and cornstarch; gently stir in peaches and blueberries. Place dough-lined pan on heavy baking sheet; spoon fruit mixture into pan. Carefully lay 4 strips of dough over top of fruit. Place remaining strips over top crosswise, pressing strips to sides of bottom crust to join.
  • Beat egg white with 1 tbsp water; brush over lattice top. Sprinkle entire surface with sugar. Bake for 20 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for about 40 minutes or until juices are bubbling clear in the center and lattice is browned. Transfer to rack; let cool.

Italian Herb Chicken Tenders

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour olive oil into 13- x 9-inch casserole dish; stir in basil, rosemary, oregano, garlic and red pepper flakes. Season with salt, and pepper to taste. Add chicken, turning to coat well.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve hot.

 

Recipe provided by Chef Mary Ann Esposito

Individual Lemon Olive Oil Cakes with Berry Sauce

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Grease oversize muffin cups with olive oil. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
  • Using electric mixer, beat egg whites until fluffy; set aside. In separate bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar for 2 or 3 minutes or until ribbons form when beaters are lifted; stir in flour mixture, sour cream and olive oil. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Fold in egg whites in three additions, until a few white streaks are still remaining (do not overmix).
  • Pour batter into muffin cups; bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes; remove from pan.
  • Meanwhile, in blender or food processor, combine berries with icing sugar; purée until smooth. Drizzle over warm cakes.

Hummus Vegetable Dip

  • In blender or food processor, place chickpeas, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, tahini, olive oil, garlic and cumin; process until mixture is thick and creamy.
  • Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce (if using). Adjust consistency with additional lemon juice or water if desired.
  • Transfer to serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with vegetables and pita bread; garnish with olives (if using), and drizzle with additional olive oil if desired.

Grilled Sausage-Stuffed Zucchini

  • Prepare charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking, firing briquettes or lighting gas on one side of grid only.
  • Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; using spoon, scoop out seeds and discard. Rub zucchini lightly with olive oil; set aside.
  • Remove casings from sausage; using fork or your hands, mix together sausage, tomatoes, bread crumbs, garlic and 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon sausage mixture into zucchini, patting down evenly to ends; sprinkle with remaining cheese, patting down to help cheese adhere.
  • Place zucchini directly on greased grill, on side away from hot briquettes or burner; close lid and grill for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned. Let stand for 10 minutes.

 

Tip: To bake Sausage-Stuffed Zucchini in the oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange zucchini on large greased baking sheet; cover and bake for 30 minutes or until nicely browned. Let stand for 10 minutes.

 

Recipe Provided by Chef Sharon Sanders