Tag: olive oil

Homemade Olive Oil Mayonnaise

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s time to start planning the fate of your leftovers.  Personally, I love a great turkey sandwich after a busy morning of shopping (online, of course) for Black Friday deals.  But what’s a turkey sandwich without mayo?  In this recipe, we use a very olive-y oil to give our mayo a wonderful, rich flavor – something our day-old turkey would appreciate.

Makes: about 2.5 cups
Total kitchen time: 10 minutes

Shopping list:

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp. of water
  • 2 tbsp. of fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. of plain white vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt
  • 2/3 of a cup of extra virgin olive oil
  1. Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor or blender.  Pulse a few times until combined.
  2. Using the “drizzle holes” on the top of your food processor, or by pouring slowly into your blender, incorporate the olive oil while mixing on low speed.  Depending on the size of your egg yolks, you may not need to use all of the olive oil.  If the mayo is too thin, add more oil.  If it is too thick, add a little water. 

That’s it!  Now you’ve got a delicious spread for your Thanksgiving leftovers, or a dip for your crudités!  

Rosemary, Olive Oil and Sea Salt Sundae

rosemary ice cream 
If you’ve never had a savory ice cream before, you’re missing out on one of life’s greatest surprise pleasures. The unexpected, tongue-tingling hint of rosemary adds a bright freshness to the ice cream, and the salt and olive oil make the natural sweet notes sing.  It’s important to choose a good olive oil: not too heavy, not too syrupy, not too bright.  I chose Villa Manodori ($24 at DeLaurentis, also available online) , which is mild and thin, but has a distinctly fresh olive taste and a spicy bite as it finishes.  Luckily, any olive oil that goes well on ice cream will also be killer for finishing hot dishes too.

Makes: 1 1/2 savory quarts
Total kitchen time: 30 mins. plus freezing time

Shopping list:

  • 1 cup heavy cream (go ahead, choose organic. it tastes better)
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 1 cup minus 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
  • 2 six inch sprigs fresh rosemary, plus extra to garnish
  • high-quality extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • flake sea salt or sel gris

Special equipment: ice cream maker, instant-read thermometer

  1. Combine the cream, half and half, sugars and scraped vanilla bean and rosemary sprigs in a medium saucepan.  Attach a thermometer and bring the cream mixture to 160°F over medium-low heat, stirring often.
  2. Once the temperature hits 160°F, immediately transfer the mixture to the freezer to cool.  Once it is cold (but before ice crystals form) pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  3. To serve, drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt over a scoop of ice cream.  Top with a short sprig of rosemary (optional). 

I Dare You To Eat Bottled Salad Dressing Again

roasted garlic salad dressing 
In no other dish does the condiment take center stage as it does in salad.  With a billion varieties of dressings out there, it’s easy to be tempted by a bottle of Hidden Valley (or Annie’s, if you drive a Volkswagen).  But, most of that bottled junk is full of calories and fat so it will have a long shelf life.  This recipe is the base for most of the salad dressings I make.  It takes all of 90 seconds, and it beats the pantaloons of anything I’ve had from a store. 

Makes: 1/4 cup, enough for 2 dinner salads, or 4 side salads
Total kitchen time: 90 seconds

Shopping list:

  • 1/4 cup roasted garlic olive oil (homemade, or premade.  I’m currently loving my bottle from the Temecula Olive Oil Company, $17)
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. lemon juice
  1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or cup and whisk with a fork until emulsified. 

Done!  What makes this dressing really shine is starting with a great olive oil.  Oh, and if you’re curious about the salad in the picture, it’s field greens, goat’s cheese, candied walnuts and dried cranberries.