Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 dozen jumbo shrimp, with shells
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea Salt
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
10 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon lime juice
Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish

 Method:

Preheat the broiler. Butterfly the shrimp, with shells on, by cutting along inside the curve and them pressing flat. Brush all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Broil, shells up, for 4 minutes.
Make the sauce by melting butter with olive oil in small pan over low
Heat. Add garlic and salt and gently cook, swirling pan occasionally, until garlic is golden, about 7 minutes. Swirl in lime juice and remove from heat.
Arrange shrimp, split side up, on serving plates. Spoon on garlic sauce, garnish with cilantro, serve hot. spicy shrimp recipe, mexican shrimp recipe, shrimp recipe, garlic and shrimp recipe 

Technorati Tags: spicy shrimp recipe, mexican shrimp recipe, shrimp recipe, garlic and shrimp recipe

Try to imagine authentic Italian cooking and recipes without olive oil.
What would a pasta sauce be without olive oil? Olive oil is used in numerous culinary creations. Olive oil is used in drizzling, baking, deep frying, and sautéing. It is also used as a marinade or dressing over salads. Drizzled olive oil goes over cooked vegetables, meats, and seafood. A fine quality olive oil is often used as a finish to soups and bean dishes.For general purpose cooking almost any olive oil will do. Reserve a fine quality extra virgin olive oil for drizzling over salads and finished dishes. This works especially well over fish and vegetables. Remember, the better the olive oil that you use, the better tasting your prepared food will be. Keep your olive oil in a cool dark pantry, and always in a glass decanter for preservation.Each olive oil has its own individual taste, indicative of the variety of olive and place of growing origin. Many of the finest olive oils originate from the Mediterranean countries. Spain is considered one of the finest olive oil producers. You may desire to search out your preferred taste in olive oil. Today there are numerous varieties to choose from, and can be easily found at a gourmet market or online gourmet shop.

Technorati Tags: olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, olive oil cooking

Ingredients:

8 sun dried tomato halves, soaked in water
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic peeled
sea salt
6 leaves of basil washed and patted dry
2 small dried or fresh chilies

Method:

Soak dry tomatoes in water for and hour to soften them. Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend on medium speed until thoroughly pureed.
Spoon into a serving bowl and serve as a relish.

sundried tomato pesto, pesto sauce recipe

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Makes 4-6 servings This pasta salad is ideal for picnics because it has no immediate perishable ingredients. It also works well on a salad or buffet table with cold cuts and other salads. As an addition, cold poached salmon, smoked salmon, or tuna can be added1 lb dried pasta, use fusilli or farfalle pasta
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove pressed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon Modena balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup Sicilian-style green olives, pitted and finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped roasted red bell pepper. (*see note)
2 green onions, cut into thin slices about one inch long
¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 pinch of fresh oregano, marjoram, or thyme
Sea Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh

Technorati Tags: pasta salad, picnic pasta salad, healthy salad recipe

Makes about 2 cups

Pesto, or pesto sauce, is a simple puree of fresh basil, garlic, cheese, and fine olive oil. It is vitally important when making pesto that you use a fine quality olive oil in your recipe. If you must rinse the basil, be sure to dry it thoroughly before beginning. Also if you must store your pesto after making it, drizzle just enough olive oil over the surface to thinly cover and prevent discoloration.

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh basil leaves
10 cloves of garlic peeled
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons soft butter
¾ fresh grated gourmet Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons fresh grated Romano cheese
½ cup pine nuts

Method:

Put basil leaves in a blender or food processor.
Add garlic cloves and blend at the medium speed setting.
Slowly pour in ½ cup olive oil while running.
Stop and scrape off basil from sides occasionally.
After basil is finely pureed, spoon the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Fold the softened butter into the basil mixture. Now add the grated cheeses and blend well. Add the remaining olive oil to the blend, and stir in pine nuts. When serving pesto over pasta or fish, you can thin it with one or two tablespoons of hot water. Pesto is not meant to be cooked.

Technorati Tags: pesto sauce, pesto recipe, Italian pesto

Makes 4 servings

True Italian bruschetta is grilled over a wood fire. As this may be impractical for many, a stove top grill works fine, and even a ridged cast iron skillet or toaster oven will work as well.

Ingredients:

½ loaf Italian sourdough bread, (you can substitute any crusty bread)
4 large garlic cloves peeled and pressed through a garlic press
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Black pepper fresh ground

Method:

Cut the bread diagonally into ¾ inch slices.
Grill the bread until it is brown on both sides.
Remove the bread from the grill and spread pressed garlic on each of the bread slices.
Place the bread on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with a little coarse Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve immediately, and always offer additional olive oil on the side.
You can also offer olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a dipping bowl on the side.

Bruschetta, Bruschetta recipe, traditional Italian Bruschetta

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Makes about 3 cups

1 lb fresh vine ripe tomatoes
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ lemon squeezed
2 tablespoons fresh herbs i.e. fresh basil oregano, chives, Italian parsley, marjoram, and thyme (you can substitute cilantro for mixed herbs)
Sea salt and ground pepper

Method: Peel tomatoes in this manner: Carefully place whole tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove, drain, and immediately place them in ice water. Drain tomatoes and peel skins. Core tomatoes and discard seeds. Chop tomatoes and set aside.

Technorati Tags: warm tomato vinaigrette, tomato vinaigrette sauce, vinaigrette

All oils are best kept (or stored) away from heat and light. This is especially so for unrefined oils such as extra virgin olive oil. A cool dark pantry or cupboard is the best location for olive oil when it is not on the prep counter being used as an ingredient.Glass, porcelain, and stainless steel make the best decanters or containers. Glass drizzle cruets are an ideal decanter. Never store olive oil in a plastic or reactive metal container. There are certain gourmet oils that are unstable and should be refrigerated, i.e. walnut and hazelnut oils. Fine gourmet olive oil is not an oil to store in the frig.

Glass oil and vinegar cruets are a perfect gourmet gift selection for any occasion. olive oil storage, olive oil decanter, drizzle cruets

Technorati Tags: olive oil storage, olive oil decanter, drizzle cruets