Tag: olive oil

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Sweet

Olive Oil Brownies

one and a half slices chocolate cacao bean to bar bean-to-bar beantobar local recipe
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Olive Oil Brownies

one and a half slices chocolate cacao bean to bar bean-to-bar beantobar local recipe

I don’t really like brownies. But once a year, I’ve got to have them. 

I’ve made these twice so far this year and, I’ve got to say, the recipe is narrowing in on perfect. Chewy but not gooey. Crispy on the edges. Not too oily. Not too buttery. Maybe just slightly too sweet. And, ofc, no seed oils.

It’s got olive oil for skin and health, and tahini for the luteal phase. Texture 10/10

I mean, just look at that crumb.

For those chocolate-y days, you can have this in 45 minutes (you know, the days where your mother buys you a chocolate book for Christmas that makes you crave chocolate things every time you pick it up and you’re the slowest reader ever so it takes you four months to finish it and by the time you’re finished you’ve eaten more chocolate in those four months than you typically do in a year but hey at least it’s better quality chocolate)?

Book recommendation below. Then, the recipe.

one and a half slices chocolate cacao bean to bar bean-to-bar beantobar local recipe

what you need

*note: for baking chocolate and cacao powder,  my go-tos are Guittard and Navitas

2 large eggs, at room temp

1/2 cup (75oz) dark or semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 cup coconut sugar (can sub brown sugar)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons almond flour

1/2 cup cacao powder 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup tahini

1/4 cup good olive oil (that you would eat)

(optional) flaky sea salt, fresh nutmeg, and whipping cream

how to make it

Method: stovetop

Heat oven to 350.

In a saucepan, combine your tahini, olive oil, and chocolate over medium heat. Stir until smooth and glossy (do not let it get too hot), and remove from heat.

In separate bowl, mix cacao powder, almond flour, and salt together. Set aside. 

In yet another separate bowl, beat both sugars, vanilla, and eggs together with a hand mixer for 5 minutes until very fluffy. Pour in the cooled chocolate mixture and stir until combined. Fold in the dry mixture until just combined.

Do not overmix.

Pour into a parchment-lined baking dish of choice (an 8×8 works great. mine was a little smaller, so the brownies a little thicker, so the cooking time +5 mins).

Top with flaky sea salt. Cook in a warm oven for ~24 minutes or until top is cracking. Let cool for 30 minutes before cutting. 

pro tip: like this needs leveling up but do it anyway. take some heavy whipping cream and whip it with some coconut sugar or maple syrup until soft peaks form. spoon it over your brownie and, HERE’S THE HOT TAKE, grate some fresh nutmeg on top. this is a game changer. a flavor changer. an all around good idea.

after all, few things are made worse by freshly grated nutmeg. 

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Veggie

Maroulosalata

one and a half slices greek greek salata salad recipe
one and a half slices recipes local delicious food

Maroulosalata

one and a half slices greek greek salata salad recipe

Most people think of Greek salad as tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, and plenty of olive oil. Maroulosalata, however, is a salad frequently served in Greek homes. It is a simple salad. An every day salad. An everybody salad. And it is here to stay in my kitchen. 

what you need

1/2 head romaine lettuce, sliced into strips

1 small cucumber, diced

1/3 block fresh feta cheese, crumbled

4 green onions, diced

1 bunch of dill, coarsely chopped

juice from half a lemon 

1/3 cup good olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

how to make it

Add your romaine lettuce, diced cucumber, feta cheese, green onions, and dill to a large solid bowl.

Mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper together together well.

Pour over vegetables, toss to combine, and enjoy fresh!

 

🥗🥒🥬
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Veggie

Lemon Chickpea Stew

stew soup recipe fall One and a Half Slices lemon chickpea vegan dish
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Lemon Chickpea Stew

stew soup recipe fall One and a Half Slices lemon chickpea vegan dish

If you didn’t catch my Mushroom Lentil Stew of last week, this vegan beauty came right on its heels. Welcoming Fall in vegan/vegetarian style, the theme of this October is lentils and other legumes. The chickpea is a protein-packed, fiber saturated, hearty meal staple. This soup recipe boasts a super unique flavor comprised of lemon zest, really good olive oil, red chili flakes, and the lowly potato. Just one more example of how fresh, local, in-season produce carries all the flavor you’ll ever need. This stew is filling yet humble. It is bold; it isn’t fancy. It doesn’t require an exotic cocktail pairing… it’s just a simple stew for a simple weeknight to remind you to be thankful for a warm stomach, an engaged palette, and a full plate … (or bowl, in this instance).

Looking for more ways to use chickpeas? Try my Moroccan Tagine.   

what you need

1 1/2 cups chickpeas (if canned, rinsed and drained; if fresh, soaked and boiled)

4 small white potatoes, diced small

1 large carrot, diced small

1 large celery stalk, diced small

1 medium yellow onion, diced small

4 cups vegetable broth

Lemon juice from half a lemon

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 chili pepper, minced (or chili pepper flakes)

Olive oil

Fresh thyme

Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste 

4 cups thinly sliced swiss chard or baby spinach

how to make it

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, ~5 minutes.  Add garlic and chili pepper, and cook ~1 minute more. Add carrots and celery, and cook ~7 minutes more. Add thyme, salt, pepper, and lemon zest, and stir until combined. 

Add potatoes, chickpeas, and vegetable broth, and simmer on low, covered, for ~30-45 minutes. Uncover and check stew for taste, adding more spices as needed. Ladle about half the stew into a blender and puree until smooth. Add the pureed stew back to the pot. Add lemon juice and chard/spinach, stir, and cook, uncovered, ~15 minutes more. 

Ladle into bowls and serve with toasted naan or crusty bread. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on top (don’t skip this! adds to flavor, especially if you have good olive oil) and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Other Stews
rabbit chicken cassoulet recipe simple one pot one and a half slices

Rabbit Cassoulet

Here we are with Protein #2 in our Protein Trio and it’s a bit of a non-standard one. We don’t often cook rabbit but… we totally should! It is more delicate than chicken with more flavor, but still not too gamey. Cassoulets are bean-based stews with a protein that can stew all day or come together quite quickly. They are hearty and Fall-ish, and I am thrilled to have this one on my table. You can make this with roasted chicken or a sausage if the rabbit is a stretch for you.

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September 22, 2023 No Comments

Broccoli Soup

This is a lighter but still very hearty take on broccoli cheddar soup, with a hint of extra cheese and crunch added in a floating cheesy crouton, like the sourdough hat on French Onion soup. If you’re skeptical that a bowl of broccoli soup can suffice for a full meal, give this one a try.  

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March 21, 2021 No Comments
lentil sausage stew soup recipe oneandahalfslices

Viking Lentil Stew

If there is crisp in the air, you want this. You want two bowls of this. And you want it with parmesan cheese on top. It is the most flavor-rich, complex soup I have probably ever tasted. It leaves you full, warm, and longing to make another pot. The secret is in the quality of the sausage.

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October 21, 2020 1 Comment
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Omni

Essential Bolognese Sauce

spaghetti Bolognese recipe pasta oneandahalfslices
one and a half slices recipes local delicious food

The Essential Bolognese

spaghetti Bolognese recipe pasta oneandahalfslices

From Rome to Buenos Aires, pasta – specifically, spaghetti and meat sauce – hits different in other countries. This Bolognese sauce is as authentic as they come, with a counterintuitive yet elegantly simple sauce-making process that will ensure you never touch another jar of Classico. It is meaty, salty, and carries richness made possible only through the simplest yet most flavorful of vegetables – carrot and celery. 

For absolute best flavor possible, serve over fresh egg-based pasta (Virginia local shoutout to Dal Grano in Mclean, VA for the absolute best handmade pasta). It is better the next day and freezes incredibly well, so make a double batch and throw some in the freezer for later. Adapted from Marcella Hazan at NY Times.

what you need

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 celery stalks, finely diced

2 medium carrots, finely diced

1 pound ground beef (or bison, or half beef half pork)

1 cup milk 

1 cup white wine

2 small cans diced Italian plum tomatoes

fresh egg noodle pasta

salt, black pepper, fennel, oregano, nutmeg

1 parmesan cheese rind

parmesan cheese, finely grated

how to make it

Place oil, butter, and diced onion in Dutch oven or large sauté pan and sauté until onions are translucent. Add carrots, celery, and garlic, and sauté another 2 minutes. 

Add meat, salt, pepper, and herbs. Chip up the meat and cook until brown. Add milk and a dash of nutmeg, cover, and simmer on lowest possible heat until the milk has disappeared (~30 minutes). After the milk has been absorbed, add the white wine and simmer until it disappears (another 30 minutes). 

Lastly, add the tomatoes and the cheese rind, and cook on lowest heat for at least an hour – long enough for the meat to break down thoroughly. Add splashes of water as required to keep the sauce from burning but at the end, all of the liquid should be gone. Taste and adjust for salt.

Spoon sauce over cooked and drained pasta, and top with finely grated parmesan cheese. Or use in my Authoritative Lasagna recipe!

Cooking Note: the method here may seem strange, but what you are going for is to cook flavor into the meat and completely break down the vegetables. First, you are asking the meat to absorb milk. Then, white wine. And then you make the sauce by adding the tomatoes. The sauce gets flavored with additional seasoning from this point and the cheese rind. 

While we’re on the subject of Italian food, let’s talk about olive oil. Last year, my mom and I went to Greece. That same year, a friend and I toured Rome and middle Italy (the inspiration, honestly, for finally getting this recipe right). In both places, I sampled olives in large quantity and came to the same conclusion: I do not like them (despite their prominence in the food of my inherited heritage: empanadas). Olive oil, on the other hand, is nectar of the Gods. Olive oil plus salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, fresh baguette, and a bottle of Brunello are makings for my favorite evening. 

Okay, but olive oil.

In Greece, we toured an olive farm and olive oil manufacturer and learned all the WRONG ways we had been purchasing and consuming olive oil. I think there is this general notion that we should all buy “extra virgin” olive oil for daily consumption but, beyond that, we don’t have any real knowledge of what makes one olive oil better than another. Turns out there is another phrase, in addition to “extra virgin” we should look for on our olive oil labels: “obtained exclusively from mechanical processes.” 

‘What an odd phrase,’ you might think. And you’d be right. But it turns out that 99% of the world’s olive oil is derived from primarily chemical processes (ick). If the olive oil is derived from nothing more than a mechanical press (which is what we would all think, right?), it will say so, explicitly, on the label. 

Finally, the last form of certification that your olive oil is legit is the International Olive Council’s (IOC) official seal (pictured below). Since most of the good olive oil in the US is imported (save perhaps in California), you can also look for the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO/DPO) seal for the country of origin, e.g. Spain, Italy, Greece. 

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