Tag Archives: olive recipes

New Year’s Eve Easy Party Snacks

Here’s a couple of my favorite party recipes , easy to use for New Year’s Eve or any party!

From my the bay wishing you Happy New Year’s Eve memories!

Maryann

blog olives 1

Marinated Olives with Orange and Cranberries

Ingredients

1/2 pound green pitted olives, such as manzanilla
1 shallot, minced
1/4 fresh orange cut into 1 inch pieces, with rind
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon rosemary leaves
Directions

Bring 1 cup water to boil in small sauce pan. Remove from heat and add cranberries. Let sit 15 minutes and drain and cool in mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

blog bacon date

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Provolone
24 pieces

Ingredients
24 pitted Medjool dates
12 slices bacon
2 ounces provolone cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the bacon slices in half with a scissor. Cut the provolone cheese into 24 small sticks approximately 1” x 1 ¼”. Place cheese into the date. Wrap date with a ½ slice of bacon and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes and turn the dates over and bake for 15 more minutes until the bacon is crispy. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Variations
You can make these with other sharp cheeses such as Manchego, Parmesan or Soft Gorgonzola.

blog pickle grapes

Pickled Grapes with Rosemary and Chiles

Ingredients

6 cups stemmed mixed red and green seedless grapes (about 2 pounds)
2 cups distilled white vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
Leaves from 1 four-inch sprig rosemary
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red chile flakes

Directions

Pack the grapes into 3 pint-size glass containers with lids. Pour the vinegar and 1 cup water into a saucepan, set it over medium-high heat, and add the salt, sugar, garlic, rosemary, and chile flakes. When the mixture starts to simmer, remove the pan from the heat and divide the hot brine among the pints of grapes. Cover loosely and let cool to room temperature. Cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before serving. The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.

Reprinted from The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor by Matt and Ted Lee. Copyright © 2009 Published by Clarkson Potter

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 1 1/2 quarts

blog curry cashews

Curried Cashews
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
¾ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups raw whole cashews
Additional coarse sea salt to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Heat olive oil in pan add curry powder, salt, cayenne pepper and cook until fragrant – approximately 1 min.
Add cashews and coat nuts for one to two minutes. Remove from heat and place on baking sheet in one layer. Bake for 12-15 minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven, sprinkle with additional sea salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

blog shrimp cocktail

Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce

Ingredients
3/4 cup organic low sodium ketchup
3 tablespoons grated horseradish
1/4 teaspoon tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon vodka, optional

Directions
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill until ready to use. Serve with shrimp, crab or lobster.

Olive Flatbread

I discovered this easy no knead flatbread recipe while on the King Arthur Flour website. It’s a perfect summer bread recipe since it requires no kneading –  it’s simple, easy and tasty. So when my sister Diane phoned one Saturday afternoon saying she was stopping by, I didn’t have to go much further than my pantry and herb garden to come up with a delicious and playful topping for my flatbread. I mixed two types of olives, slicing them into little rounds to create the base of my topping. To that I added some fresh mixed chopped herbs from my garden, using my favorites rosemary and thyme and along with that some anchovy paste for some saltiness and depth of flavor. I keep a tube of anchovy paste in the fridge to use when I want to add an unexpected flavor to a dish, it’s especially great for salad dressings. The end result was a savory and beautiful flatbread that looked as if it was covered with a confetti of olives! The bread is perfect as a little snack or the centerpiece for a cocktail party surrounded with a cheese or two. It was just the right thing for our afternoon visit.
From by the bay wishing you some playful food memories!
Maryann

blog olives

Olive Flatbread

Ingredients
1 recipe flatbread dough ( recipe follows)
1/2 cup green olives, sliced in rounds
1/2 cup black olives, sliced in rounds
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus olive for pan
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease a 9″x 13″ with olive oil. Take the flatbread dough and spread out on the pan, it should cover about 2/3 of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour. While the dough is rising place all the ingredients into bowl, except the sea salt and mix. Once the dough has risen place the topping over the dough. Press topping gently into the dough and then sprinkle with sea salt. Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.
No Knead Flatbread 
Adapted from King Arthur’s Flour 
Ingredients
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon instant yeast
Directions
Place all ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer. At a low speed first combine the ingredients, slowly increase the speed to high and mix for about 1 minute. Grease a 9″x 13″ with olive oil. Take the flatbread dough and spread out on to the pan, it should cover about 2/3 of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour. Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/no-knead-garlic-cheese-flatbread-recipe

blog olive bread