Olive oil. There is nothing quite like a fruity, complexly flavored olive oil – teeming with antioxidants, polyphenols and vitamin E. It’s sacred, mystical – weaving its way in and out of Mediterranean
folklore and myth. Homer referred to it as “liquid gold,” and rightly so – it imparts a beauty to foods and supports wellness with its wholesome serving of m
onounsaturated fats paired with other micronutrients and antioxidants. Too often, though, olive oil is never given the opportunity to shine in its own right – to revel in its own unique beauty and litany of subtle and unique flavors.
This month, the Clean Your Plate Challenge is back and we’re focusing on unrefined olive oil. So, Chaffin Family Orchards and Nourished Kitchen have teamed up on this months challenge – asking you to create a unique, wholesome recipe that lets olive oil shine in its own right. Your original recipe should feature olive oil in a way that truly highlights its beauty – not just including this sacred food as an afterthought; rather, olive oil should be the very highlight of the dish.
Clean Your Plate: Details & Participating
- Our special ingredient for February’s Clean Your Plate Challenge is Unrefined, Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Create an original recipe that highlights and showcases Unrefined, Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Blog your entry and link here to the challenge, or if you don’t have a blog contact me with the details of your entry, and once you’ve blogged your entry add it to the Simply-Linked widget below no later than Friday, February 19th at noon, mountain time.
- Your entry should be wholesome and healthy. That means you need to avoid: refined ingredients including white flours, white sugars, soy-based meat and milk replacements.
- Chris from Chaffin Family Orchards and I will select three finalists and the voting will begin on Saturday, February 20th. We’ll notify participants of the finalists no later than Monday, February 22nd by email and you’re free to lobby for your entry as much as suits you.
- Voting will end on Friday, February 26th at noon, mountain time and we’ll announce the winner!
- The winner will receive 1 Gallon Unrefined, Extra Virgin Olive Oil – a $52.50 value – shipped to their door so they can make more wonderful olive oil recipes.
The Prize and a Little about Chaffin Family Orchards:
A 5-generation farm located in Oroville in Butte County, California, Chaffin Family Orchards has been grown, harvesting and producing olives and olive oil for 75 years. They also produce meat, citrus (including incredible mandarins), avocados and stone fruit. They practice organic, natural and biodynamic farming methods.
Chaffin Family Orchards is awarding the winner of the recipe contest with what else but olive oil! The winner will receive 1 Gallon Late Harvest Extra Virgin Mission Olive Oil. On a personal level, this is my favorite olive oil: it’s rich, buttery with fruity overtones that shine like no other olive oil I’ve tasted. It is a remarkably special oil. They’re also running a fantastic special right now of their late harvest mission olive oil:
Spread the Word:
- Don’t forget to spread the word by blogging this contest, tweeting it and adding it to facebook!
- Want to participate? Pick up a Clean Your Plate Challenge button:
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Post Your Recipe
If you blog, add your olive oil recipe below. If not, contact me.
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I shared my secret roasted tomato & goat cheese spelt brushcetta recipe!
Anyone can join or only in the United States?
hey Jennie, i entered the clean your plate coconut challenge but never found out who won. anyone?
well, i am entering this one too! my recipe can be found here, its for an egg-less ceasar salad dressing recipe! thank you for this chance!
http://www.mplsrealfoodlover.com/2010/01/ceasar-salad-esque-dressing-using-real.html
Slice a ripe, juicy heirloom tomato into thick slices. Sprinkle with celtic sea salt and freshly grated pepper, a little minced fresh basil and then drizzle generously with organic extra virgin olive oil.
Be sure to have some fresh sprouted wheat bread to soak up the olive oil and tomato juice combination left on the plate after you eat the tomato!
Does it get better than that?
We don’t like to actually cook the olive oil, but enjoy it fresh and raw on all sorts of veggies and other foods.
Fresh herb dip or pesto
( the 2nd best use of olive oil!)
One bunch of fresh parsley, washed and trimmed ( about 1 cup loosely minced)
One bunch fresh cilantro washed and trimmed (about 1/2-3/4 cup loosely minced)
1/4 cup diced organic red onion
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
1/4-1/2 cup organic olive oil
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
1 tsp freshly grated black pepper
Other fresh herbs- marjoram, savory, rosemary oregano to taste.
Put parsley, cilantro, red onion,other fresh herbs if desired and garlic in food processor, add sea salt and black pepper. Blend quickly until combined, then add apple cider vinegar and olive oil and blend to desired consistency.
You can add sprouted dehydrated sunflower seeds to make a pesto like consistency, or add more olive oil and apple cider vinegar to use as a salad dressing or soup topping, as a topping on eggs, stews, meats, fish etc.
2 cups dry red Quinoa
1 cup diced cucumber
1 head of butter leaf lettuce chopped
1 bunch of spinach chopped
1 medium tomato diced (if in season)
1 medium carrot shredded
dressing
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)
2 tbls. fresh ginger minced
about 5-6 cloves fresh garlic minced
Directions:
Wash quinoa very well, rising at least 3 times. Bring to boil 4 cups of filtered water and add rinsed quinoa cook for about 20 mins on medium or until tender. Let quinoa cool for 10-20 mins. add veggies and dressing (mix dressing ingredients seperately then add to quinoa and veggies) refrigerate for 1 hour before eating.
s is a vinaigrette that I developed after finding out that the balsamic vinaigrette we loved and used almost daily was a source of lead. I like that it gives us a daily source of a raw, fermented food as well.
Better Than Balsamic Vinaigrette
8oz extra virgin olive oil
4oz raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 – 1tbs finely minced shallot or onion, to taste
3/4 tsp dried italian herb blend
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
4 tbs black cherry concentrate
whisk all ingredients together. Tastes best when you let flavors blend & mellow for several hours before serving.
Very tasty not only on fresh greens but for seasoning other dishes such as sauteed veggies, and as a dressing for cold grain or pasta salads.
makes one and half cups, approx. 12 – 14 servings
Olive Oil Ice Cream
1 1/3 cup raw whole milk (Claravale works wonderfully for this recipe)
1/4 cup erythritol (or evaporated cane juice)
1/8 tsp natural sea salt
1 vanilla bean, sliced open and scraped
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk (Native Forest is a good canned brand that is BPA free I believe)
6 egg yolks (from pasture raised chickens preferably)
1/2 cup olive oil (I have used Chaffin’s olive oil and it is quite yummy in this recipe)
Directions:
Warm the milk, erythritol, salt, vanilla bean (with scrapings) and the vanilla extract in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir to incorporate ingredients while heating.
Pour the coconut milk in a separate medium/large bowl over an ice bath and set aside (can save in the refrigerator to ensure that your ice bath doesn’t warm too quickly).
Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl separately. When the milk mixture is warmed to the touch slowly drizzle the mixture into the egg yolks while whisking together constantly to temper the eggs so they don’t curdle. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium/low heat. Continue stirring continually with a heatsafe spatula, scraping the edges and bottom. Heat until the mixture has thickened slightly and coats the spatula.
Place a strainer over the bowl with the coconut milk in it (over the ice bath). Pour in the milk/egg mixture through the strainer, removing the vanilla beans. Set aside the strainer and whisk the milk/egg mixture with the coconut milk until incorporated. After incorporated continue whisking vigorously while drizzling in the olive oil over the ice bath until blended together really well. Place in the refrigerator until chilled through (with or without the ice bath, the ice bath will help to speed up the process).
When chilled place mixture in your ice cream maker of choice and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Enjoy! This recipe is really highlighted with a sprinkling of coarse natural sea salt on top and/or a berry or fruit compote.
Meyer Lemon Salmon
Heat Oven to 375.
Ingredients
Salmon Fillet Skin On is best
Olive Oil
2 Meyers Lemons
Grey Salt (Celtic Sea Salt)
Directions.
Heat Oven to 375
Lightly Grease bottom of pan with liberal splash of olive oil.
Place rinsed Fillet skin side down.
Grate Lemon Skin from one lemon and dice, sprinkle on top of fish.
Squeeze Juice from that Lemon on top of fish.
Drizzle a fair amount of Olive Oil on top of fish.
Add small sprinkle of sea salt.
Rub in.
Take second Lemon slice it and layer on top.
Bake till top is is browned and flesh is cooked through.
Serve with remaining Olive Oil and Juice from dish drizzled on top.
Greek Salad California Style
2 Cucumbers
4 Roma Tomatoes or 2 large round tomatoes
Large fistful of Pitted Kalamata
8-12 oz of Feta, preferably a raw milk goats Feta if you can get it.
1 Table spoon of fresh Oregano
Olive Oil
Meyer’s Lemon
Celtic Sea Salt
Fresh ground pepper.
Peel and Chop Cucumbers and tomatoes to bite size pieces about 1/2 and inch. Place in bowl.
Add Olives.
Cut Cheese into fairly large cubes or crumble in.
In Separate Bowl, add finely chopped Oregano, grated lemon rind, Juice from one Lemon, about 1/2 a cup of Olive Oil. Add Salt and a fresh ground pepper to taste. Mix together. Depending on the sweetness of the Lemon you may need to add more Lemon Juice, Olive Oil or Salt.
Add dressing to salad, toss lightly so as not to break up the cheese chunks.
It’s great when freshly made but even better the next day when all flavors have blended.
Side Note if you have roasted Eggplant, Grilled Red Peppers,grilled Chicken or steak these can also be chopped and added for additional Mediterranean Flavor.
There are 2 reasons I wasn’t going to enter this recipe for the contest – I never measure (except when baking… sometimes) and it’s extremely simple. But it’s shockingly delicious, appeals to vegans, and my meat-loving husband even begged for it once for *breakfast*!
Simple Sauteed Asparagus & Red Potatoes
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. sea salt (I used Eden, because it’s not refined. I think it’s “French”)
2 Tbsp. black pepper (use less if you like!)
1.5 lb. small, red potatoes (fresher the better, less spuds)
2 lbs. green asparagus (fresh)
Instructions:
Rinse and chop the potatoes into quarters. Set aside in a colander to dry a bit.
Rinse and chop the asparagus, but discard the bottom 1-2 inches (compost it or something) – that part is too tough and chewy.
In a skillet, frying pan or a wok, heat the olive oil on medium-low.
Add the potatoes and stir to coat in oil. Cover and let them get soft, about 15-20 minutes on low heat.
Remove the cover and add the asparagus. Turn the heat up to Medium (I have a gas burner so I’m really guesstimating on the Low, Medium, High heat settings).
With the spatula, mix things loosely and add salt and pepper. Let it saute for about 2 minutes.
Cover it again with the lid, and turn the heat down to low. Leave it for 3 or 4 minutes.
Remove the lid, turn the heat up to Medium-High and let the moisture cook off while you turn things over with the spatula. After a couple of minutes, remove from heat and serve immediately.
It’s nothing fancy, it probably won’t win, but it was fun to actually type up one of my “recipes”!
I wanted to clarify… by spuds, I meant those little sprouty things…
Jenny, I posted this recipe on my blog several months ago. You can bet if i win, i will repost it! My family adapted this recipe from our middle eastern heritage.
Old World Hummus
2 cups garbanzo beans
1 cup “juice” from garbanzo beans
1/2 lemon
1 1/2 T. Tahini
1-2 Cloves Garlic
3 T. Unrefined, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (save 1 T. for topping)
1/4 tsp. Coriander
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Unrefined Sea Salt
Roasted Pine Nuts (optional)
Slightly brown pine nuts in oven and set aside for topping.
In blender or food processor, add garbanzo beans, garbanzo “juice” from garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, 2 tablespoons EVOO, coriander, cumin, and sea salt. Blend until consistency is smooth throughout and there are no chunks (1-2 minutes). If mixture is not smooth and creamy, you may need to add more juice and/or EVOO.
With spatula, remove mixture from blender/food processor, top with pine nuts, and a drizzle of EVOO on top.
Hint: we usually go through this pretty quickly, so I will often double the recipe. Enjoy!
I entered my Olive Oil Gelato recipe:
http://gfredericks.com/CollectedQuotidian/2010/02/19/olive-oil-gelato/
Dark chocolate-covered apricot and EVOO truffles (makes approx. 15)
1 cup dried unsulphured Turkish apricots, rehydrated in boiling water to cover, about 20-30 min.
1/2 cup EVOO, plus 1/4 cup
1 bag of chocolate chips sweetened with cane sugar
Process drained, rehydrated apricots with 1/2 cup of the EVOO in a food processor until a thick, slightly chunky paste is formed. Scrape the mixture into a small mixing bowl and add the remaining 1/4 cup of EVOO, mixing well. You want pockets of oil scattered throughout. Freeze the mixture until completely solid. Move to the fridge to “thaw” – you want it to unfreeze, but because of the freezing your EVOO/apricot mixture should NOT be “oily” or liquid-looking, but should have a thick whipped, almost icing-like consistency, so you can run your finger through the bowl and you leave a trail that doesn’t fill up with liquid. While mixture is “thawing” in the fridge, over a double boiler melt 1 bag of dark chocolate chips sweetened with cane sugar (you can find these in most Whole Foods or health food stores), and let chocolate COMPLETELY cool – no warmth allowed. While that’s cooling, have a wax paper-lined tray or plate ready to be popped flat into the freezer. Using a cookie dough/melon baller scoop, scoop out rounded balls of the apricot/EVOO mixture, working very quickly so they do not melt, placing on the tray. Pop the tray into the freezer for another 1 or 2 to harden. When you’re ready to coat them, line another tray with wax paper (preferably one that you have kept cold in the freezer as well), and with 2 cold spoons, dunk each truffle into the cooled chocolate and place on new cold, lined tray, again working very quickly. Pop into the freezer for at least 30-60 minutes, then move to the fridge to keep cold but slightly thawed for at least an hour before serving.
The fruity EVOO pairs well with the mild, subtly sweet, fruity apricots without either being overwhelmed. Enjoy!
I love this pesto – back when I was still eating dairy, it was a favorite! It is an amazing way to use garlic scapes when they are in season and highlight a high quality olive oil. It makes a ton, so I always froze leftovers for later.
BASIL AND GARLIC SCAPE PESTO
yield: about 2 1/2 cups
3 c packed fresh basil leaves
1 c chopped garlic scapes
1 1/2-2 c olive oil
1/2 c grated pecorino romano
1 tsp salt
fresh cracked black pepper
Wash and dry basil leaves. I use a salad spinner to dry them in a flash!
Wash and chop the garlic scapes.
Place basil and scapes in a blender, along with half of the olive oil and the grated pecorino romano. (If you bought your cheese in a chunk – like I did – pulse chunks of it in a food processor until finely grated).
Pulse a few times, then blend. Gradually add remaining olive to reach desired consistency. Add salt and pepper, and blend a few more times.
Serve immediately, or place in a jar to store. To keep it from turning brown in the jar, pour a little olive oil on top – it protects it from the air!
Jenny,
if we get picked as a finalist, and you say we can lobby all we want (smile), are we able to submit a tasty-looking picture of our entry to be posted on here to help sway the voters? LOL
PICTURES OF MY TRUFFLES! Enjoy
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=47391&id=1074827749&l=3d5b2dfce6