olives Archives -

September 3, 2015

Greek Quinoa Patties

Of the many cookbooks on my shelf, there are a few standouts that I’m able to read and reread over and over and always feel newly inspired. Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day is one of those books. Heidi’s writing is warm and inviting and her approach to healthy cooking is simple yet interesting and full of flavor. Here I’ve taken the quinoa patties from her book and put a little Greek spin on them. I swapped the parmesan for crumbled feta and added fresh oregano, bits of kalamata olives, and some finely chopped red onion. As the patties cook, a crisp and chewy crust forms which makes these especially wonderful. Serve along with some whole grain pita and a generous dollop of tzatziki.

[Read more…] about Greek Quinoa Patties

February 18, 2015

Chicken and Green Olive Taquitos

It was large batch taquito making this past weekend with turkey spinach taquitos and also these chicken and green olive taquitos. Taquitos make great freezer meals and I try hard to always keep a supply handy for busy days when there’s no time for cooking or for when I need a quick last minute meal. Unlike casseroles, it’s easy to take out just what you need, whether it’s just a few or the whole batch. Every so often I’ll make a meal I know my husband and I will really enjoy, but not necessarily the kids and while I always encourage the kids to try whatever is being served, sometimes I’ll take a couple taquitos out for them as back-up. These particular taquitos are inspired by some green olive enchiladas that I used to frequently make years ago, but had somehow forgotten about more recently. Enchiladas are great, but taquitos are a bit less messy and more kid-friendly so I made a taquito version of those enchiladas with all of the same great flavors. Lots of warm spices in these- chili, cumin, oregano, and a hint of cinnamon. Secret ingredient here is a little dark chocolate that is melted into the sauce at the very end to give it some complexity and depth. In the past, I’ve always struggled with natural corn tortillas falling apart and crumbling any time I tried to work with them. I finally discovered these corn tortillas at Whole Foods however and they are much more pliable and easy to work with. If you can’t find a good corn tortilla, any flour or multi-grain tortilla would be a good substitute. Happy taquito-making!

Chicken and Green Olive Taquitos

Serves: makes 24 taquitos

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoons ground black pepper
4 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
½ ounce dark chocolate, chopped
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts, about 3 breasts
1 cup green olives, sliced
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
24 6-inch corn tortillas
olive oil for finishing
coarse salt for sprinkling

Instructions

In a large saucepan or heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Sauté until onions soften and start to become translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add chili powder and flour and stir constantly for another 2-3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the broth. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil. Continue to boil for 30 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 3 cups, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 400. Lightly oil a large baking sheet.
In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, olives, shredded cheese, and 1½ cups of the cooled sauce.
Spoon about 3 tablespoons of filling onto the middle of a tortilla. Roll up taquito and place seam side down on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Use a pastry brush to brush a light coating of olive oil onto each taquito. Sprinkle with coarse salt to finish.
Bake at 400 for about 25 minutes, until taquitos are lightly golden brown. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side for dipping.

Notes

To freeze, place each taquito on a baking sheet, making sure that taquitos are not touching one another. Freeze the whole tray for a few hours and then transfer the taquitos to a gallon-sized ziploc bag for storage.

inspired by Green Olive Enchiladas from Colorado Colore

December 1, 2014

Six Layer Mediterranean Dip

We all need simple appetizer food around this time of year, right? My small group from church is having a Christmas party next week and I’m planning on bringing this Six Layer Mediterranean Dip. Colorful, healthy, and tasty! I occasionally make hummus “pizza” for lunch- basically pita bread with a layer of hummus topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, and feta. I used this same combination of ingredients to create this six layer dip and served it with whole wheat pita wedges on the side. I love that this can be assembled ahead of time and it’s a fairly portable appetizer to bring along to gatherings. Although it’s best eaten on the same day it’s assembled (the cucumbers and tomatoes release a fair amount of water), the leftovers still made great packable lunch food for Ryan and the kids. So glad to have a new way to enjoy some of my favorite Mediterranean flavors.

Six Layer Mediterranean Dip

Ingredients

Hummus

⅔ cup dried garbanzo beans (chick-peas), soaked at least 6 hours
juice of ½ lemon, plus extra lemon juice to taste
¼ cup tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon- 1 teaspoon sea salt

For assembly:

½ cup diced English cucumber
1 roma tomato, diced
10 pitted kalamata olives, sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
¼ cup crumbled feta
whole wheat pita wedges for serving

Instructions

For the hummus:

Drain the garbanzo beans and place in a saucepan with enough water to cover the garbanzo beans by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and drain, reserving the cooking liquid for later use.
In a blender or food processor, add the garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt, and ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cooking liquid. Blend or process on high speed until hummus is smooth and creamy. Season to taste with additional salt and lemon juice.

To assemble:

Spread the hummus in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Next layer the cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onion, and feta. Serve with pita wedges.

Notes

hummus slightly adapted from Williams-Sonoma Vegetarian