Roasted Veggies with Chicken Tenders (Renaissance Blend Olive Oil)

This multi-step process of roasting root veggies and then immersing them in a deglazed broth with wine produces the most tender and flavor filled side to chicken tenders. The renaissance herb blend complements poultry well and adds English garden essence to the vegetables.

What you will need (dinner for four)

1. enfuso Renaissance Blend Infused Olive Oil

2. Two large chicken breasts

3. 1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper

4. 1/2 cup vegetable broth

5. 1/2 cup dry white wine

6. A selection of root vegetables (carrots or parsnips, red or golden beets, rose or purple potatoes, radishes, onions). Note, if you elect to use red beets (as we did) your vegetables will all have a reddish tint. To avoid this use only golden beets.

7. Additional salt and pepper “to taste”. We like kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.

8. Italian parsley finely chopped for garnish

Instructions:

Roast Root Vegetables

• Preheat oven to 365 degrees.

• Peel parsnips, carrots, and/or beets. Cut all vegetables into large bite sized pieces. Toss vegetables liberally in Renaissance Blend Infused Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper.

• Spread vegetables in a roasting pan and place in the oven. Roast until just barely fork tender, about 30 minutes. Stir vegetables 2-3 times for even roasting.

Cook Chicken Tenders

• Start this step when the root vegetables are almost done.

• Cut chicken breasts in 1/2 the long way and then cut each long piece in 1/2. Please each piece between two pieces of Saran wrap and pound until about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick.

• Preheat a heavy duty skillet (cast iron or All-Clad or something similar) over medium heat.

• Cover the bottom with a thin layer of Renaissance Blend Infused Olive Oil.

• Dust chicken tenders in seasoned flour and lay in the heavy pan. You can cook in batches. Cook on both sides until crispy and golden brown adding oil as needed. When chicken is cooked place in a warm oven to hold.

Simmer Root Vegetables

• After removing the last batch of chicken, turn down the heat on the pan and add 1/2 cup of broth to deglaze the pan, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan.

• Bring liquid to a low simmer and add 1/2 cup of wine.

• As the sauce begins to thicken, add the root vegetables and simmer on low for about 5 minutes until sauce is viscous and reduced.

Plate

• Place two chicken tenders on a plate with vegetables.

• Drizzle with more Renaissance Blend Infused Olive Oil.

• Top with chopped Italian parsley

Take a bite!

Mix chicken and veggies for the best flavor.

Herbaceous oniony latkes (Renaissance Blend Olive Oil)

Adding our olive oil with the blend of English herbs and a liberal amount of shallot to a traditional latke adds character for a satisfying snack or side.

What you will need (makes about 9 -10 latkes)

1. enfuso Renaissance Blend Olive Oil

2. Three medium sized russet potatoes

3. One large shallot-sliced thin

4. Two eggs-beaten

5. salt (kosher) and pepper (fresh ground) to taste

6. 1/3 cup Greek yogurt

7. 1/3 cup sour cream

8. One tablespoon white wine vinegar (enfuso Champagne vinegar works great)

9. Two green onions chopped for garnish

Instructions:

Prepare Potato Mixture

1. Peel and grate potatoes. Rinse thoroughly in cool water using a colander and drain excess water.

2. Place several layers of paper towels on a plate. Lay the potatoes on the towels. place another plate on top and then something heavy on the plate.

3. Allow the potatoes to sit for 15-20 minutes until liquid drains into paper towels and potatoes are dry.

4. Put the following into a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly. Dried grated potato, shallot, eggs. salt and pepper to taste.

Cook Latkes

1. Preheat a large heavy duty non-stick skillet or well seasoned iron pan (like cast iron or All-Clad) over medium to low heat. Pan should be hot enough for oil to just sizzle but low enough to allow latkes to cook through without burning.

2. Add a thin layer of enfuso Renaissance Blend Olive Oil to the bottom of the pan.

3. Press latke mixture into a 1/3 measuring cup and place onto pan. Repeat until you have 3-4 in the pan. Press down with spatula while cooking and scoop the bottom to prevent sticking. Flip when potatoes are browned with some slightly crispy edges and cook other side to same level.

4. Place cooked latkes on a paper towel and continue with the next batch until all of the mixture is gone.

Make sauce

Mix Greek Yogurt, Sour Cream, White Wine Vinegar, 1 Tablespoon of enfuso Renaissance Blend Olive Oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Plate

Place 2-3 latkes on a plate, dollop with sauce, sprinkle with green onion.

Serve enfuso Renaissance Blend Olive Oil on the side for extra drizzling.

Mushroom and rice soup with English herbs (Renaissance Blend Olive Oil)

This soup was so delicate and satisfying it is deceiving how easy it is to make. You can whip this up quickly once you have the base ingredients ready to go.

What you will need:

1. enfuso Renaissance Blend Olive Oil

2. one pound of mushrooms, any will do but we selected Cremini

3. one large zucchini squash, grated

4. one cup of brown rice, pre-cooked and set aside

5. six cups of vegetable broth (low salt is recommended)

6. three green onions, chopped

7. salt and pepper to taste

8. Optional: sour cream

Instructions:

Prep Mushrooms: Set aside 3-4 mushrooms you can sauté later for topping. Slice the remaining mushrooms. Use a large 3-4 quart sauce pan to make your soup. Cover the bottom with a thin layer of enfuso Renaissance Blend olive Oil. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook over medium/low heat until the mushrooms release most of their liquid, are softened and slightly brown.

Soup: Add the following to the cooked mushrooms in the sauce pan.

• vegetable broth

• brown rice

• grated zucchini

• about 2/3 of the chopped green onion

• 2 tablespoons of enfuso Renaissance Blend Olive Oil

• Several turns of fresh cracked pepper and a few pinches of salt

Cover and allow the soup to simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serve:

While the soup is simmering, coarsely chop the mushrooms you set aside and sauté in a non-stick pan over medium low heat until brown and crispy. Set aside for topping.

To serve, place soup in a bowl. Top with some of the crispy mushroom and the left over green onion. Drizzle with more enfuso Renaissance Blend Olive Oil. Optionally, add a dollop of sour cream.

This is delicious with crusty bread or crispy crostini. A light salad on the side and your meal is complete.

Creamy Tomato Cheese Pie (Renaissance Blend Olive Oil)

Tomato pie is an old Southern recipe used as solution to the glut of tomatoes that result from a good harvest. I found quite a few versions and variations allowing the opportunity to take a classic and make it your own.

What you will need:

1. enfuso Renaissance Blend Olive Oil

2. A baked pie crust. I used a pre-made crust. This recipe does not include the recipe for the crust. Choose your favorite or take a shortcut. You can buy ready to make crusts that are pretty flaky and good.

3. Ripe tomatoes. I think any will do but make sure they have lots of flavor. If you do not grow your own, choose store bought hot house for better flavor. And if you can find a variety of color, it makes for a prettier pie. It will take about 4-5 medium sized tomatoes to make the pie.

4. One large shallot finely diced

5. One 8 oz box of cream cheese - softened

6. Grated sharp cheddar cheese, about 1/2 cup

7. Cooked crumbled bacon bits, about 1/4 cup

8. Salt

9. Fresh ground pepper

10. Diced green onion, one large or two small

Instructions:

Prep the Tomatoes: Pre-salting the tomatoes helps to remove some of the liquid and produces a less mushy pie. Layer a large surface (like a cutting board) with paper towels. Slice the tomatoes and lay them out on the paper towels. Lightly salt them and allow them to sit about 45 minutes.

Pie Crust: If you are making your own or baking a pre-made crust, you can do this while the tomatoes are sitting.

Filling: While tomatoes are sitting, it would be good to put your cream cheese out on the counter so it is softer when you start to make the filling. Once the crust is made and tomatoes are done sitting, you can start the filling and start pre-heating your oven to 365 degrees.

Place the package of cream cheese in a mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons of enfuso Renaissance Blend Olive Oil. Beat the mixture until creamy and fully blended. Then fold in the diced shallot, cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Note: The shallot, cheddar cheese and bacon bits were all options added from the traditional recipe.

Pie:

• Dab the tomatoes with a paper towel to remove an excess moisture.

• Place a layer of tomatoes on the bottom of the baked pie crust.

• Spread the cream cheese mixture over the tomatoes.

• Top the cream cheese mixture with the remainder of the tomatoes layering them as you like for a decorative look.

• Drizzle on more enfuso Renaissance Blend Olive Oil

• Bake the pie at 365 degrees for 40 minutes.

• Remove the pie and turn up the heat to 385 degrees.

• Top the pie with fresh cracked pepper and the green onion.

• Return the pie to the oven for a few extra minutes to slightly crispen the top layer.

Eat: Allow the pie to cool slightly to firm up. It is delicious warm or cold! It works as a main dish or a yummy side with some Southern ham or sausage.

Mango Gallo Pinto with Fried Egg and Avocado (Mango Habanero Balsamic)

Gallo Pinto is a classic staple in Nicaragua. Made with leftover rice and pinto beans, it serves as a side dish to any protein. This is a twist on the classic recipe using ingredients common to Central America, avocado and mango and adding egg as the protein making a satisfying dish for any meal.
The recipe below will produce enough for two hearty meals if you divide the rice in half and add two eggs to each serving. For a light meal, divide the rice in quarters and add one egg to each serving.

What you will need:

• 1/2 medium sized onion - diced

• 1/2 bell pepper any color - diced

• salt

• mango habanero balsamic vinegar

• extra virgin olive oil

• one cup cooked leftover rice (we made ours with brown rice)

• one cup of drained canned pinto beans

• one small bunch cilantro with large stems removed - lightly chopped.

• one ripe Ataulfo mango - cut into chunks

• 4 eggs

• 1 ripe avocado sliced or a cup of guacamole

• sour cream or queso fresco (optional)

Sauté onion and bell pepper on medium low heat in extra virgin olive oil and a dash of salt until translucent and soft.
Drizzle on mango habanero balsamic vinegar and continue cooking until veggies are coated and sticky.
Add more extra virgin olive oil and the the rice and beans. Cook together until rice is slightly crispy. Remove heat and stir in mango and cilantro. 
Place rice mixture on a plate. Add sliced avocado or guacamole on the side. 
Fry eggs keeping the center soft and runny and place on the rice. Drizzle with mango habanero balsamic vinegar and serve.

And, the best part is breaking the egg and mixing in the warm yolk!
Optional Touches:
To cool it off, add a dollop of sour cream.
To richen it up, crumble on queso fresco.

Spicy Thai Mango Salad (Mango Habanero Balsamic, Persian Lime Olive Oil)

When you can't wait for your mango to get ripe, don't! This recipe calls for ripe-ish mango, a little bit soft and sort of sweet sour.

What you will need:

• one slightly ripe Ataulfo mango, peeled and removed from the seed.

• one medium size red or orange bell pepper, halved with seeds and stem removed.

• one medium size carrot, peeled and cut in half

• two medium size Persian style cucumbers, cut in quarters long way and seeds sliced out.

• small bunch of cilantro de-stemmed and chopped (can substitute Italian parsley or fresh spinach)

• 8-10 cherry tomatoes cut in half

• 1/4 cup chopped raw nuts (peanuts or cashews)

• 3 Tablespoons mango habanero balsamic vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce (low salt preferred)

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and juice from one lime (or 3 Tablespoons Persian Lime olive oil)

The mango, bell pepper carrot and cucumbers need to be cut julienne style (the thinner the better). Then place them in a salad bowl with the tomatoes and cilantro.

Whisk the mango habanero balsamic vinegar, soy sauce extra virgin olive oil, and lime juice together to make a dressing. Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing.

Serve topped with chopped nuts. We had this salad as a side to salmon. With extra nuts and noodles on the side, it can stand alone.

Apple Cinnamon Seasonal Slaw (Apple Cinnamon Balsamic)

Start with tart sweet apples, crunchy carrots, colorful cabbage and chewy golden raisins. Then add creamy apple cinnamon dressing to make a perfect side for Fall and Winter plating.

But it’s commonly said, “what’s the apple without the cheese, it’s like a kiss without a squeeze”! So we added some grated sharp cheddar and that make this recipe complete.

Place the following into a salad bowl.

• 2-3 large carrots grated

• 1 large crispy apple thinly sliced

• 1/4 small purple cabbage thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup golden raisins

• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Whisk the following together until creaming to make a dressing.

• 1/3 cup Apple Cinnamon Balsamic Vinegar

• 1/3 cup EVOO

• 1/3 cup olive oil mayonnaise to make a dressing.

Pour dressing on salad ingredients and toss thoroughly to combine ingredients and dressing. Can be served immediately or kept cold and served later.

Festive Cranberry Pear Whipped Feta Dip (Cranberry Pear Balsamic)

Seasonal flavors make this dip just right for Fall and Winter. Pears, cranberries, and delicious feta cheese pull it all together.

What you will need:

• one large ripe pear (any variety)

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

• extra virgin olive oil

• one block of Feta cheese

• 3/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt

• 3 tablespoons of blood orange olive oil

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• cranberry pear balsamic vinegar

Place thin slices of a pear on a cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil. Roast at 415 degrees until slightly caramelized. Set aside.

Sauté almond slivers in olive oil until lightly browned. Set aside on a paper towel.
Process the following in a food processor until creamy

• one block of Feta cheese

• 3/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt

• 3 tablespoons of blood orange olive oil

Stir 1/4 cup dried cranberries into the creamy cheese mixture.

Prepare the dip in the center of a large serving dish as follows"

• Lay out the roasted pears holding a few back

• Plop on the creamy cheese mixture

• Top with toasted almond slivers

• Drizzle liberally with cranberry pear balsamic vinegar

• Place remaining pears on top

Serve with crostini or toasted pita chips.