Can a single ingredient be the star of a Christmas menu?
Our answer is yes, and it's called extra virgin olive oil.
An ingredient that is not just a condiment, because it enhances every dish from appetizers to dessert.
The success of the recipes we're offering you today is based on our selection of the finest extra virgin olive oil available in our shop.
Try it and believe it, you won't regret it.
1. Appetizer for Christmas dinner: bruschetta with creamed courgettes and swordfish cubes
You'll amaze your guests. Lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil is the perfect choice for this recipe. It will enhance the fish's bold flavor in a soft and light way, perfectly complementing the delicate zucchini cream and toasted bread. So, let's see how to prepare the recipe and what ingredients make this appetizer.
Ingredients:
150 g of fresh swordfish
6 slices of Altamura bread
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon-flavored oil
2 courgettes
Garlic
Salt to taste
Almond flakes
Preparation:
Toast the bread slices: they should be roasted on a cast iron griddle or in a nonstick pan. Meanwhile, sear the swordfish in a pan, cut it into cubes, and drizzle with lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil. The cream is made by blending the zucchini, previously cooked with a clove of garlic and extra virgin olive oil. Season the resulting cream with salt and proceed to fill the bruschetta with the swordfish and almond flakes.
2. Traditional Apulian first course
The combination of legumes and seafood may seem unusual, but the blend of land and sea flavors actually creates a dish with an amazing flavor.
Impress your guests with refinement and originality without straying from tradition. Here are the ingredients and preparation instructions:
Ingredients:
500 g Cavatelli
2 kg of mussels
300 g datterino tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
300 g cooked borlotti beans
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Chili pepper flavored oil
Salt to taste
Preparation:
Clean the mussels thoroughly, place them in a pan with oil and garlic, and let them open. In another pan, add a drizzle of oil and crushed garlic, and sauté until flavorful. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes, then add the borlotti beans and some of the mussel water. Cook the Perniola cavatelli in plenty of salted water. Drain the cavatelli halfway through cooking and add them to the pan with the tomatoes and beans. Once cooked, add the mussels, a drizzle of chili-flavored oil, and stir.
Second course of fish
We'd like to suggest a second course that can also be a salad, the base for original bruschetta, or even a condiment for a good plate of spaghetti.
What will you need to cook this delicious treat?
Ingredients:
1kg of octopus
3 cloves of garlic
½ liter of red wine
Bay leaf to taste
6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Preparation:
Rinse the octopus under running water and cut it into pieces. Place extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and onion in a saucepan. Once the mixture is browned, add the octopus: it will release its liquid, which you will then cook it in. Add two glasses of red wine and, if necessary, water, then cook for an hour (give or take a minute, depending on the size of the octopus). Remove from the heat when the sauce has reduced and add a drizzle of oil to enhance the flavors.
If everything is clear so far, hit an octopus!
A healthy and tasty dessert: Aranciotti with extra virgin olive oil
Did you know that you can replace butter with extra virgin olive oil in desserts?
Today we recommend this delicious recipe for delicate and crumbly orange-flavored cookies. They'll be the perfect end to a meal after the typical holiday binge. Here are the ingredients and instructions:
Ingredients:
500 g of 00 flour
3 tablespoons of orange-flavored extra virgin olive oil
200 g of granulated sugar
50 ml of fresh whole milk
2 eggs and 1 yolk
A sachet of baking powder
Preparation:
Take a bowl and combine all the ingredients until a dough forms. Roll out the dough on a pastry board and begin shaping the cookies into your favorite Christmas shapes. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes at 180°C (350°F).
Dear friends, we hope you enjoyed our article and especially the recipes. All that's left to do is get cooking and let us know how it goes.
