Olive Tapenade with Rosemary & Basil. A simply addicting appetizer!

YUM! This olive tapenade makes me want to dance. It’s so freaking good! I just can’t deal. This is DELISH served on Baked Parmesan Crisps, alongside a cheese platter, slathered on crusty bread or on slices of cucumber for a healthier approach. I made this the other night to have with a cheese platter and it was just as good as I remembered.

It’s important to use mostly black pitted olives and only a small amount of kalamatas, because kalamata olives are high in sodium. Also, the regular black olives tend to be less expensive, so thats always a bonus!

The hot mustard and garlic give this tapenade a nice little kick, but the anchovy paste is truly my secret weapon. When used properly, anchovy paste really adds something extra special to a dish. It’s often that one ingredient you just can’t put your finger on. The biggest mistake people make, is of course using too much of it. This stuff is POTENT, so use a little bit at a time when cooking. It’s possible to cook with anchovy paste and not have fishy tasting food; just chill on the tube dude.

THIS SAVORY TAPENADE WILL BE A FAVORITE AT YOUR NEXT GIRLS NIGHT!

This is a great make ahead option for a party or appetizer and it is super easy to make. There is actually no real cooking involved in making this tapenade. All you have to do is add the ingredients together in a food processor and voila!

Hope you like it! xx

Olive Tapenade with Rosemary & Basil

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: Peony

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Serves: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 small can black olives, drained
• ½ cup kalamata olives
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp dry roasted pine nuts
• 2 tsp hot mustard, such as dijon
• ½ tsp anchovy paste
• 1 tsp rosemary, minced
• 2 tbsp basil, loosely chopped

Instructions

1. Pulse garlic, pine nuts and 1 tbsp olive oil for 30 seconds
2. Add black olives, ½ of the kalamatas, hot mustard, anchovy paste, rosemary & basil and pulse until smooth, adding EVOO slowly.
3. Add remaining half of kalamatas and quickly pulse
4. Serve with crackers or bread

Notes

Make sure you mince the rosemary before adding it to the food processor

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REFRESHING SALAD YOU CAN ENJOY IN THE HEAT!

If you were to open my fridge at any given time, you could pretty much guarantee there would be watermelon inside. It’s definitely my favorite fruit; I often snack on it when I’m blogging. Sounds messy right? Nah! Watermelon is simply misunderstood.

I texted my mom the other day asking her why we didn’t have watermelon when I was growing up. I remember eating it at my friends houses but never at home. I thought maybe it was really expensive and my mom was just being economical(totally something she would do). She responded, explaining it was too high maintenance; it wasn’t about price.

Watermelons are heavy and super annoying to carry home (if you walk to the grocery store like me), but I wouldn’t say they’re high maintenance. What works really well for me is cutting the watermelon right away into larger pieces and storing them in a big tupperware in the fridge. This takes max 10 minutes and you have a healthy & accessible snack, available all week.

CUT WHOLE WATERMELON INTO PIECES AND STORE IN THE FRIDGE FOR A HEALTHY AND ACCESSIBLE SNACK.

When it’s hot out, I don’t have much of an appetite and really try to avoid using the oven. I usually make salads or cold soups during heats waves; using the oven makes our apartment unbearable. I feel like our bodies normally crave foods like that in the summertime anyway. Am I right? It’s such a refreshing fruit and it helps to keep you hydrated, because it’s made up of mostly water and is rich in electrolytes.

SAMPLE SOME OF THE 18 TYPES OF WATERMELON THIS SUMMER!

You want to look for a watermelon that is firm and free of major bruises. This may sound silly but a ripe watermelon should be heavy for it’s size. All watermelons have a creamy yellow ‘ground spot’ where they sat in the ground, soaking up the sun. Watermelons can keep out of the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Once cut, store in a container and keep in the fridge.

I hope you enjoy this Sinfully Simple Watermelon Salad as much as I do!

Sinfully Simple Watermelon Salad

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: Peony

Recipe type: Salad

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 3 cups watermelon, largely diced
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled and largely diced
• ⅛ cup feta cheese
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
• ½ cup mint leaves, finely chopped
• garnish with lime wedge

Instructions

1. Combine watermelon, cucumber, feta cheese in a large bowl. Pour lime juice over mixture and sprinkle with mint. Top salad with toasted sliced almonds or black sesame seeds.

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