Broccoli Parmesan "Pasta"

The Devo Olive Oil Company flavors of the month are Wild Mushroom and Sage Olive Oil and Sicilian Lemon Balsamic Vinegar!

 Here was my first recipe:

Broccoli Parmesan "Pasta"

You need: 
Devo Wild Mushroom and Sage Olive Oil
1 medium spaghetti squash
1 bag of fresh broccoli florets
Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

1. Wash your squash and poke holes in it. Then bake it whole (it's easier this way!) on 375* for 1 hour.
2. During the last 20-25 minutes of bake time, pour your broccoli florets into an oven safe dish and toss with olive oil and salt + pepper. Add to the oven with the spaghetti squash.
 3. When you remove your squash, let it cool for a few minutes before cutting in lengthwise, removing the seeds, and shredding the "pasta" inside with a fork.
4. Place all the squash in a large bowl. Add Devo Wild Mushroom and Sage Olive Oil and salt + pepper.
5. Now add your roasted broccoli to the same bowl.
6. Shred fresh Parmesan (from a block) on top and serve!


I actually bought shrimp to go in this dish. But I think I waited one day too long before cooking them. They were stinky. :/ And I wasn't brave enough to eat them. I felt especially bad because Billie peeled them all for me while I was at the gym (I was so proud!) But it wasn't worth possible food poisoning! Plus this dish turned out great even without the stinky shrimp!

Poached Pears with Balsamic Reduction

 Total Time: 30 mins
Serves: 4

1 bottle white wine (such as pinot grigio)
1 quart water
2-4 T honey
4-5 firm Bosc pears, peeled and cut in half, seeds and stems removed
1/4 cup Devo Cinnamon Pear Balsamic Vinegar

1. Bring the white wine and water to a gentle boil in a large pot
2. Stir in the honey
3. Bring the water down to a simmer and spoon in pears
4. Gently boil/simmer for about 15-25 minutes, until pears are pierced easily with a fork
5. Remove from heat and allow pears to cool in their own liquid 
6. Meanwhile, reduce the balsamic vinegar for just a few minutes in a pan, whisking often
7. Remove pears from liquid and place in a bowl
8. Drizzle pears with the balsamic reduction
9. Store the poached pears in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. Serve cold, room temperature, or warm!

 * When you remove the pears from heat and the liquid is still warm, feel free to add dried cranberries or raisins and allow them to plump. You could also top the pears with heavy cream or whipped cream!

Easy Pesto!

One of this month's Devo Olive Oil flavors is French Walnut! And it is so tasty! As soon as a I tried it, I knew I wanted to make pesto.

Here is the pesto recipe:

1 cup walnuts 

2-3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 cup basil leaves 

Devo French walnut olive oil 

1/4 tsp salt

*This makes about 1 cup. If you want thinner, creamier pesto, blend in some vegetable broth! You can also add sundried tomatoes (packed in olive oil) for really good flavor.

1. In a food processor, blend all ingredients but the olive oil.
2. With the blender still on, drizzle in the French Walnut olive oil until your pesto reaches the desired consistency.

I steamed zucchini and asparagus in vegetable broth and cooked Sun-dried tomato meatballs to go with our pesto!

Roasted Mixed Veggies

My other Devo Olive Oil sample for September was "Cilantro and Roasted Onion EVOO."

We used it to roast zucchini, squash, onion, and bell pepper in the oven!

I also spiced it up with salt, pepper, and cumin.

Click here to see what I made with the Devo jalapeno white balsamic... pork carnitas with avocado salsa!

Click here to get $6 off if you buy both flavors of the month: jalapeno white balsamic and cilantro and roasted onion EVOO!

Pork Carnitas and Avocado Salsa

Look what I got in the mail!!

(Click here to read about how I am a "Devo Diva"!)

Devo Olive Oil Co. September Flavors!!  

As soon as I tasted them, I knew exactly what I wanted to make!

#1: Avocado salsa

You need:
2 avocados, diced
1/4 purple onion, finely chopped
2 T. jalapeno white balsamic vinegar (This stuff is amazing)
salt
pepper

That's it!! Mix it in a bowl. The flavor is pretty amazing! Not spicy... just flavorful and a tad bit sweet.

We ate pork carnitas at Heather and Tony's house in Anaheim a few weeks ago, and I have been thinking about them since! Heather graciously shared the recipe with me. :) It's originally from "The Clothes Make the Girl" blog, but click here for a tutorial from another blog. Perfect dish to top with my avocado salsa! (The avocado salsa would be great on chicken or just to dip with chips!)

Here is the recipe:
(Copied from The Clothes Make the Girl) 

Stovetop Pork Carnitas

Ingredients:
3-4 lbs. pork shoulder, boneless or bone-in
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 heaping (!) tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
1. Cut the pork shoulder into a few large chunks. You don’t want them bite-sized; I make mine about 3-4 inches.
2. Mix cumin, garlic powder, salt, coriander, black pepper, and cayenne together in a small bowl. Place the pork chunks in a plastic container with a lid or a Ziploc bag. Pour in the spice blend, then toss the bag vigorously until the chunks are completely coated on all sides.
3. Place the pork in a large, deep pan. Pour the lime and lemon juice into the bottom, then add water to just cover the meat.
4. Turn heat to high and bring the water to a rip-roaring boil. You want big bubbles! When it’s rolling, turn the heat to a simmer. Keep the pan uncovered. You want it bubble a fair amount, but not be a roiling boil.  While it’s cooking, it will look like uninspired soup. Do not be discouraged! Essentially, you’re waiting for the water to evaporate from the pan, but while the water is evaporating, the powerful acidic qualities of the lime and lemon juice are tenderizing the meat. Yay, science!
5. At about the 2-hour mark, check the pot. The water should be much lower and maybe even almost gone. Now things get interesting… allow all the water to cook out of the pan and watch as the meat magically fries and carmelizes. It is a thing of beauty. But seriously, you need to watch it at this point.
6. Carefully turn the hunks of meat – without shredding them – to brown all sides, then remove the hunks  to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes before eating. If you’re into this sort of thing, you can save the pork fat from the bottom of the pan in a glass jar and use it for other cooking projects.

What to do with pork carnitas…

• Eat it like an animal.
• Serve on a plate with avocado slices, pineapple chunks, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
• Cut into cubes and use in paleo egg foo yung.
• Shred, wrap in butter lettuce leaves, and drizzle with Sunshine Sauce.
• Eat alongside creamy cucumber salad made with homemade mayo.
• Shred and saute in coconut oil with shredded cabbage, onion, and a sprinkle of caraway seeds.

Stay tuned to see what I make with the cilantro and roasted onion olive oil from Devo! And check out Devo's website to look at their products, either for you or as a gift! 

Apple Balsamic Pork Loin

I used my Devo Red Apple Balsamic for this marinade. Apple and pork and rosemary go SO well together!

Here is the recipe:

 2 lb. pork loin roast

salt and pepper 

1-2 tsp. dried rosemary (minced, if it is in leaf form)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Devo red apple balsamic vinegar

1 T. honey 

2 cloves of garlic, minced 

1. Trim the visible fat from your pork loin. Mix together the final 5 ingredients listed above and marinate the pork in this mixture for several hours. 

2. When it's "go time," take the pork out of the marinade and season with salt and pepper.

3. Heat a little oil in the skillet (on high) and brown your pork on all sides

4. Transfer the skillet (if oven safe) to the oven.

5. Baste with the pork loin with your leftover marinade throughout the cooking time. 

6. Bake on 350* for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

*I HIGHLY recommend a meat thermometer. Pork is so, so easy to overcook. And who wants dry pork? Not this girl. New standards say that an internal temp. of 145 is sufficient for pork. (The cooking experts used to say 160.) After the internal temp is reached, take the pork out of the oven and let it rest for several minutes before cutting. I have a meat thermometer that has a cord connecting the thermometer and the screen with the reading (that part sits on the counter.) The cord can be shut up in the oven and just stay there while your meat is cooking. I love it! 

 *served with oven roasted squash and zucchini seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper*

Tropical salad and coconut dressing

I loved this salad and dressing. With the coconut and pineapple flavors, I felt like I should be sitting on the beach, tropical drink in hand (complete with the little umbrella). :) Perfect, sweet, and light for summer.

The dressing was made with my Devo coconut white balsamic vinegar. And what goes better with coconut than pineapple?? I think this balsamic vinegar would also be great on grilled chicken... Jamaican style! Maybe even skewers of chicken, bell pepper, pineapple, onion... mmmm.... I'll try that next time.

And I can't take all the credit. My Uncle Richard is the owner and chef at Cafe Vicino in Boise, Idaho. He gave me the idea for these salad ingredients... pineapple, red bell pepper, and jicama.

I played around with the dressing, got Billie to taste-test after each added ingredient, and viola!

Salad dressing:
1/4 C. LIGHT olive oil (do not use extra virgin- it's too strong)
2 T. Devo coconut balsamic vinegar
1 T. honey
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Salad:
mixed greens
red bell pepper, julienned
fresh pineapple, cut in chunks or slices
jicama, cut in slices

Berry Patriotic Parfait

"Berry Patriotic Parfait" was easier than "Layers of fresh berries topped with honey ginger cream, blueberry balsamic reduction, and toasted almonds." :) But there ya have it. As soon as I taste-tested this Devo blueberry balsamic vinegar, I thought of making this parfait. The blueberry balsamic is so deliciously sweet. I loved the idea of adding other berries, a hint of honey and ginger, and making a sweet treat perfect for July 4th!

 

For 2 parfaits,  you will need:

- 1 carton strawberries, sliced

- 1 carton of blackberries

- 3/4 C. heavy whipping cream

- 1- 1.5 T. honey

- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon (for the pretty speckled look in the cream)

- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

- 1/4 c. Devo Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar

- 1/4 c. almonds, chopped or slivered (or another nut)

Pour the cream, honey, cinnamon, and ginger into a mixing bowl. Using the mixer attachment or an immersion blender, blend the ingredients on med-high speed for a couple minutes, or until thick and creamy. (Think cool whip texture).

(This next step is optional) Meanwhile, place your nuts on a cookie sheet. Put the oven on broil and broil your nuts for a few minutes, until they are fragrant and LIGHTLY browned. 

Next, alternate layers of berries and whipped cream in a pretty glass or parfait dish. Sprinkle the almonds on top.

Over medium heat in a small pot or skillet, whisk your blueberry balsamic vinegar gently for about 1-2 minutes, until it thickens slightly. You don't want it to boil or to thicken much... just a little. Or else it will harden like candy. Then drizzle it over your parfait and enjoy!

I spy...

Anyone notice anything new about my blog?? (Well, I think you can only see it if you are on a computer or an I-pad...)

I am now a "Devo Diva!" Are you wondering what that means? Don't worry... I'm gonna tell ya!

Devo Olive Oil Company  has locations in Branson, Missouri and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They sell fantastic flavored olive oils, balsamic vinegars, pastas, sauces, seasonings, and more. My family has not only used their products, but we've given them as gifts for hostesses, birthdays, etc.
A couple of our favorites are the Tuscan Herb Seasoning blend (we add olive oil to the blend and use it for bread dipping!) and the Fig Balsamic Vinegar.

Being a Devo Diva means that I get a package in the mail each month with Devo's flavored oils and vinegars for that month. I get to develop new, unique recipes using their products and then share them with YOU!

First flavors I've received... red apple balsamic vinegar, coconut white balsamic vinegar, and blueberry balsamic vinegar.

I can't wait to show you what I have in mind! As you can see, I've already used some of my blueberry balsamic... :) Recipe coming soon!