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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THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE WOULD CALL A ‘PANTRY PASTA’

Wondering what to do with that day old baguette? This pasta totally transpired on a whim because I was absolutely sick of throwing things away!!! I feel like every week I’m throwing out veggies or leftovers we thought we would eat. It really irritates me. This year I’m really trying to use what I have, with efforts to reduce the amount of waste I produce on a daily basis. I’m making a conscious effort to think of ways to use whatever produce or ingredients I have at home before heading to the market. It’s been such a fun challenge and definitely something I will continue to adopt into my everyday routine.  I really enjoy how it challenges me to get creative and be resourceful with what I have on hand.

The first thing I saw in my kitchen were two half-loaves of bread that I had made a few days prior. I would have to use them or toss them, so I opted to make my own herbed croutons and add them to a simple & slightly spicy pasta. I knew Rez would love it so much that it may be his new favorite dish of mine. I tease Rez that he could survive on salami & olives alone, but its actually true. I’ve never seen someone love something so much, that eat it every single day, often twice. That’s commitment.

As I write this post I can’t help but think, this would be something you would crave after a bad hangover. Just hear me out! We’ve all had those nights and if you’re like me, they will ruin your entire day. I can’t do it like I used to, that’s for sure.

This is what a hangover looks like when you’re 29: You wake up after a vivid dream of chugging a massive bottle of water, pop 2 Advils, drink more water, announce to whoever is around that ‘YOU’RE DYING’ and ‘you’re never ever drinking again, no matter how many times you’ve said it before’. Then you’ll probably take a nap, drink more water, stare at yourself in the mirror for far too long, willing it to stop. Fall asleep again somewhere else in your house (like the couch), maybe leave your apartment to grab something to eat (the struggle is real) and watch some netflix. Eff it, just start a freaking marathon because who are you kidding the day is over. After you’ve successfully lost the entire day to your hangover, you suddenly get this burst of energy and are famished.  What to make? What do you want? THIS pasta is what you want!

It’s also good for any other day but this will cure your adult hangover just nicely!

Rustic Pasta with fresh Bread Crumbs

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

A nice and hearty dish. It's very simple and delicious. Great way to use leftover or stale bread.

Author: Peony

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 cups of bread, cut into small cubes
• 3 tbsp olive oil or butter
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, torn
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 pound dry spagetti
• 3 ounces spicy salami(like Hungarian or Genoa), diced
• 1 red pepper, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• ⅓ cup black kalamata olives
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
• kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
• olive oil for drizzling
• parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix melted butter/olive oil, garlic powder, rosemary, thyme and salt until garlic powder is dissolved.
3. Toss butter mixture with cubed bread in a medium bowl until cubes are evenly coated.
4. Spread coated bread cubes on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Stir the croutons and return to the oven for 10 more minutes.
6. Remove when they are crisp & golden brown.
7. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat
8. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil+red pepper flakes in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the pepper flakes are sizzling, about 5 minutes.
9. Turn the heat up to medium, add the salami+pepper and sautee for about 3-5 minutes.
10. Add the breadcrumbs+olives+garlic and stir for 1 minute to combine.
11. Remove from the heat.
12. Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to package directions until al dente.
13. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta. Immediately return the pasta to the pot over medium-low heat.
14. Add the grated parmesan+1/2 the breadcrumb mixture and toss to combine. If necessary, add some of the reserved cooking water to moisten.
15. Season to taste with salt & freshly ground pepper. Serve sprinkled with the remaining breadcrumbs+parsley.

Notes

Be careful not to burn the croutons. Use my timeline simply as a suggestion because every oven is different.

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