THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods


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TIP OF THE DAY: Garlic Oil

February 20, 2014 at 8:23 am · Filed under Cooking & Baking, Oil-Vinegar-Dressing, Recipes, Tip Of The Day

Boyajian was a pioneer in infused oils and vinegars, introducing its delicious condiments to the marketplace some 25 years ago. From the beginning, their basil oil, chile oil, garlic oil, oregano oil and rosemary oil added zing to our everyday cooking—pure olive oil infused with fresh herbs.

Moving with the times, Boyajian has added chipotle, habanero, jalapeño, roasted chili and scallion oils. (Alas, our beloved wasabi oil, the easiest way to make wasabi mashed potatoes, has been discontinued.)

Not everyone has an ongoing need for oregano oil or chipotle oil, but one that you can count on using every day is garlic oil. For some people, it’s a pantry essential.
 
Appetizers & Snacks

  • Bread: Add herbs to create a dipping oil for baguette or pita slices or crudités
  • Dips: Add a dash to guacamole, hummus, or yogurt dip
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    garlic-oil-beauty-kingarthurflour-230

    You can use garlic oil in just about every savory dish. Photo courtesy King Arthur Flour.
     
    Mains

  • Fish & Seafood: As a seasoning, cooking oil or garnishing oil, garlic oil goes great with grilled salmon, swordfish, shrimp and other favorites.
  • Meats: Rub on beef, lamb, pork or poultry before roasting or grilling.
  • Main Salads: Top a salad of raw and roasted veggies and lean protein with an egg fried in garlic oil.
  • Pizza: Drizzle on pizza, hot from the oven.
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    garlic-rosemary-mashed-potatoes-mccormick-230
    For simply smashing mashed potatoes, mash
    with garlic oil, then add minced chives or
    rosemary. Photo courtesy McCormick.    		  

    Sides

  • Flatbread & Garlic Bread: Drizzle or brush on
  • Grains: Use garlic oil as a dressing for whole grains, like farro or quinoa
  • Starches: Use garlic oil in place of butter in mashed potatoes or drizzle over rice instead of a pat of butter
  • Vegetables: Drizzle over roasted cauliflower, sauteed kale or other veggies

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    Find many more recipes at Boyajian.com.
     

      

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    RECIPE: Caesar Salad With A Twist

    February 19, 2014 at 8:43 am · Filed under Recipes, Vegetables-Salads-Herbs

    This idea from Posana Café in Asheville, North Carolina can turn what is typically a side salad into a main course salad. Hard boiled eggs and crispy prosciutto or bacon are added for protein.

    The romaine, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and dressing remain, except that the lettuce is not torn, the raw egg in the dressing becomes a hard-boiled egg, and the Parmigiano is shaved instead of grated.

    If you love citrus, add lemon or lime zest to the Caesar dressing.
     
    HOW TO MAKE CRISPY PROSCIUTTO

    1. PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

    2. DIVIDE 12 slices prosciutto (about 6 ounces) between baking sheets, laying them flat. Bake until fat turns golden and meat is darker, about 15 minutes (rotating baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking time).

    3. TRANSFER prosciutto using tongs to paper towels to drain. It will crisp as it cools. Serve in whole pieces or crumbled.

    		  caesar-salad-posanacafe
    Caesar salad with a twist. Serve a large portion as a main course with your favorite soup. Photo courtesy Posana Café | Asheville.
     

    HAIL, CAESAR SALAD!

  • Caesar Salad History
  • The Original Caesar Salad Recipe
  • Creamy Caesar Dressing (not the original, but a contemporary favorite)
  • Caesar Salad Pizza Recipe
  • Caesar Salad Stuffed Cheese
  • Deconstructed Caesar Salad
  • Grilled Caesar Salad
  • Lobster Caesar Salad

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Fun Ways To Use Healthy Foods

    February 19, 2014 at 8:20 am · Filed under Cooking & Baking, Healthier Options, Recipes, Vegetables-Salads-Herbs


    Mmmm…a fun way to eat more veggies.
    Photo courtesy Nature Box.    		   Trying to turn over a new leaf, eating more kale and other good-for-you veggies, without giving up flavor and fun?

    One of the major paths to better eating is to eat less meat and more vegetables. Yet many of us are veg-averse. Even if we like them, there’s always something we’d rather have (think pasta, pizza or a burger and fries, where the only veggies might be slices of tomato and onion and a piece of lettuce).

    The secret is to serve recipes where the veggies can be “disguised” (see our favorite ideas below). Bright colors also work. What doesn’t seem to work with many people today is Mom’s approach: putting a protein on the plate with a side of string beans and a side of broccoli. So get creative on how to serve the beans and broccoli.

    We picked up this idea from NatureBox.com, an e-tailer that delivers wholesome snacks and blogs on tasty, better-for-you foods. The fun and tasty spring rolls were developed by Lori Yates, a Detroit-area recipe developer, food writer and cooking instructor. She contributes healthier recipes with lots of visual appeal to the NatureBox blog, such as Thai Tofu Pizza and Salmon & Crispy Chickpea Salad and on her own blog, Foxes Love Lemons.
     
    These spring rolls are a better-for-you snack or first course. Crunchy veggies are rolled in rice paper wrappers and served with a spicy creamy dipping sauce. The sweet potatoes are raw and sliced thin, for a texture like jicama but with more flavor and nutrients. Prep time is 25 minutes.
     
    RECIPE: KALE & SWEET POTATO SPRING ROLLS

    Ingredients For 6 Servings (18 Rolls)

    For The Spring Rolls

  • 18 rice paper wrappers
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn into large pieces
  • 1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • Kernels from 2 ears of corn (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

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    For The Dipping Sauce

  • 1/2 cup light sour scream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons hot sauce
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    Preparation

    1. MAKE the dipping sauce: Stir together sour cream or yogurt and hot sauce. Set aside.

    2. WORKING one at a time, wet wrappers for 15 seconds and transfer to damp towel. Place kale in center of each wrapper and top with some beans, corn, sweet potato and onion.

    3. BRING the bottom edge of the wrapper tightly over the filling, rolling from bottom to top until the top of the sheet is reached, being careful not to tear the wrapper. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Serve immediately.
     
    MORE WAYS TO EAT BETTER: FAMILY CONTEST

    Get everyone into the act, thinking about how to “healthify” family favorites. Provide “healthy cookbooks” for reference: Cooking Light, Giada’s Feel-Good Food and the Eating Well Healthy In A Hurry Cookbook. Give a monthly prize to the best idea.

    		 

    Another better-for-you dish: chili that’s heavy on the veggies. Photo courtesy Swanson.
     

    Some of our most popular switches:

  • Chili that is more veggie than beef or beans. Here’s a tasty recipe from Swanson that “disguises” the veggies among the bean.
  • Mashed cauliflower with olive oil and Greek yogurt instead of mashed potatoes with butter and sour cream. Many people just assume the mashed cauliflower is potatoes.
  • Pasta primavera, with at least 50% veggies (aim for whole wheat pasta).
  • “Salad pizza,” piled high with six or more of your favorite veggies (and a whole wheat crust!).
  • Stir frys—check out the Everything Stir Fry Cookbook with 300 recipes!

    • Also see:

  • Sneak More Veggies Into The Pasta
  • 5 Ways To Sneak More Veggies Into Your Diet

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