Cooking Techniques With Olive Oil (8 page)

teaspoon lemon pepper

4 slices of lemon

8 asparagus stalks

1 small shallot, sliced

1 tablespoon capers

½ teaspoon fresh chives

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF.

2. Rinse salmon fillets in water and pat dry with paper towels. Place each salmon fillet in the center of a 16" x 12" piece of parchment paper.

3. Brush salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Divide the slices of lemon and place on top of each fillet. Next, add asparagus, shallots, capers, and chives to each fillet.

4. Pull the two long ends of parchment paper straight up, fold ends together, and continue to roll and crimp until tightly sealed. Roll and crimp the smaller ends of the parchment paper until your package is wrapped.

5. Place fish packets onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow packets to rest for 5 minutes before opening.

6. Place packet on your plate and open slowly and carefully to avoid burning your hands from the hot steam.

Chapter Six:

Baking with Olive Oil

Olive oil is a terrific choice for lowering saturated fats in your baked goods. Because of the multiple choices of flavors and intensities of olive oil, you must find one that will match well with whatever you’re baking. This is best done by tasting the olive oil on its own. This choice is typically a personal preference.

Olive oil is not just for baking muffins. You can also make breads, cakes, scones and cookies. For recipes that include a vegetable oil, replace it with the same amount of olive oil. The ratio here is 1:1. When substituting butter in baked recipes, however, a better ratio is 4:3. So, for every cup of butter used, replace with ¾ cup of olive oil.

Not all baking recipes will result in success when you substitute olive oil for butter. For example, any recipes that must stay solid at room temperature, such as cake frosting, will not work with olive oil.

Remember, when baking with olive oil, you want the oil you choose to enhance the flavor of your creation. A low-quality oil can leave an unpleasant aftertaste, so choose an oil that you would enjoy drizzled on your salad or your bread. If you do not like the taste of the oil in its raw form, do not add it to your recipe.

Whole Wheat Scones with Blueberries and Lavender

Typically, scones are made with cold butter and white flour. These whole wheat scones are both moist, crumbly, and bursting with flavor from fresh blueberries and lavender. They are perfect to enjoy with your morning tea or for an afternoon snack.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

cup fresh lavender, loosely packed

1 tablespoon baking powder

teaspoon salt

¼ cup raw sugar, reserving ½ teaspoon to top scones

cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup nonfat Greek yogurt, plain

¼ cup low-fat milk

1 large egg

1 tablespoon wheat bran

4 ounces fresh blueberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.

2. In a food processor, pulse to combine flour, lavender, baking powder, and salt. Reserve ½ teaspoon of the raw sugar and pulse the rest of the sugar with the flour mixture.

3. Pulse and pour the olive oil into the mixture until crumbly.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, and eggs. Pulse and combine egg mixture with the rest of the ingredients.

5. Turn the crumbly dough onto a lightly floured surface or silicone baking mat and press dough together to form a circle or rectangle ½-inch thick, pressing the wheat bran onto the surface of the dough.

6. Spread most of the blueberries onto half of the dough and fold the empty half over it.

7. Press any runaway and remaining blueberries onto the top of the dough.

8. Cut into 6 equal pieces, garnish the tops with reserved raw sugar and transfer scones onto the prepared baking sheet.

9. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden. Allow scones to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Serve warm or place on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Note
: If you do not have fresh lavender, substitute with culinary lavender, available in specialty food stores.

Kalamata Olive Bread with Rosemary

The smell of freshly baked bread will call everyone to the table. This olive bread will be quickly devoured, whether you are eating it plain or decide to dip it in your favorite olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Yield: 10-inch round loaf

Ingredients:

¾ cup warm water (100ºF)

½ teaspoon quick active dry yeast

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus approximately ¼ cup more for kneading

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon to brush on the top

cup coarsely chopped kalamata olives, pitted

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup mix together the yeast and warm water. Let it rest for 5-7 minutes, until yeast is foamy.