Tag Archives: olives

mexican martini

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two of the most awesome cocktails ever got together, made a boozy baby and it’s name is the mexican martini.

a cross between a martini – thanks to the olives –  and a margarita, this drink is nothing short of spectacular!

if you’ve never had one, you must take the necessary steps to rectify this immediately.

  • 2 ounces silver tequila
  • 1.5 ounces Cointreau
  • 1.5 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 ounce sour mix
  • 1.5 ounces orange juice  
  • 1/2 ounce olive juice
  • 3 pimento-stuffed green olives

put everything except the olives in a cocktail shaker with ice.  give it a good shake and strain into a chilled martini glass with olives. 

Lazy Empanadas

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  • one package of reduced fat crescent dough
  • 1 white onion, chopped
  • 1 package of sliced baby bellas
  • 4 tbs sliced green olives with pimento
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • 2 tbs Au Jus Sauce (or your liquid of choice – see below)
  • reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
  • salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Start by heating a large skillet over medium – high heat.  Once heated, coat it generously with non-stick cooking spray and add your onions.  Let them break down a good bit and once they’re beginning to brown, deglaze your pan.  We used an au jus sauce by Johnny’s for it’s intense flavor.  However, if you prefer to keep the dish vegetarian, just use veggie stock or even leftover wine (red or white would work).  Using a wooden spoon, scrape up all the yummy bits off the pan.  Then add your garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Saute a minute more and transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Coat the same skillet again with non-stick spray and add your mushrooms.  Let them go for about 8 -10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Once they begin to break down they’re going to release a bit of liquid, at that time, add your raisins and olives.  Saute for about 5 minutes more and then transfer the mixture to your bowl to combine with your onions and garlic.  Set aside to cool.   This will be your filling for your empanadas.

Unroll your crescent dough and using the little perforated triangles, add about a tablespoon of cheese to the center of each, next add about a tablespoon of filling.  Be careful not to overfill or they won’t fold well.  Then fold the triangle over on itself to form another, smaller triangle.  Place on a foil lined cookie sheet.  Once you’ve made prepared all of your empanadas, spray the top of each with non-stick cooking spray.  This will ensure a nice, brown crust.  Bake them for about 20 minutes or until they’re nicely browned and no longer doughy.

We scarfed ours down with a store bought chimichurri dipping sauce but you can eat them plain or with your dipping sauce of choice;  sour cream, salsa, etc.

As a side note, I do realize that traditional empanadas are little half moons shapes so if you’re up to it, you could roll your dough out and use a round cookie cutter to create circles and then fold them into little half moons but I wasn’t so this is the lazy empanada version.

Roasted Zucchini Quinoa

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  • 2 zucchini
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 1/4 cup green olives with pimentos, chopped
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 Tbs honey
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric roasted fennel seeds*
  • 2 cups chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400.  Halve your zucchinis length wise, sprinkle them with roasted fennel seed and roast for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare quinoa using chicken broth in lieu of water.

In a separate pan, saute your onion and garlic over medium heat with a bit of salt and pepper for about 10 minutes.

Once your zucchini are done, remove from oven and allow to cool a few minutes, just enough to chop them into bite sized pieces.

Add olives, apricots, zucchini, onion mixture, honey, salt and pepper to your quinoa and toss to combine.

*A yummy fennel seed that’s seasoned with salt and turmeric that we got at a local Indian market.  If you can’t find it, substitute with plain fennel seed, salt and turmeric.

Cuban Black Bean Dip

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Although the black beans got top billing, the olives are really key here.  They add a surprising pop of saltiness that pairs well with the richness of the beans.

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Moroccan Chicken

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mchix

  • 1 lb pack of chicken tenderloins cut into 2″ chunks
  • 2 tbs flour
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 white onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbs minced ginger
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 3 tbs apricot preserves
  • 1/2 cup green olives, chopped
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • juice of half a lemon
  • salt and pepper
  • slivered almonds for garnish

Place chicken in a bowl with flour, salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Heat a large skillet over high heat and add in olive oil.  Allow oil to heat up a minute and add in your chicken.  Brown chicken on both sides to form a crust.  This only takes about a minute on each side since since the tenderloins are so thin.  Remove the chicken and set aside. (It won’t be cooked through yet but you’ll finish cooking it later.)

Reduce heat to medium and add in onion, garlic and ginger.  Saute for about 3 minutes.

Stir in coriander, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and paprika and saute until aromatic, about 30 seconds or so. 

Add your chicken back in along with the lemon zest, lemon juice, apricot preserves, chicken broth and olives.  Cook down a few minutes until the chicken is cooked through, all the flavors marry, and the sauce begins to thicken.

To serve, top with slivered almonds.