Mediterranean Olive Oils & Vinegars at Gourmet Fusion

The Gourmet Fusion store is now offering specialty olive oils and vinegars through its online store. These delicious oils and vinegars are perfect for summer salads, pasta, and grilling (the lemon oil is especially good with fish).

We have three types of Spanish extra virgin olive oil - mandarin orange, Spanish lemon, and rosemary, as well as a natural extra virgin olive oil.

Our two vinegars are a rich, dark Vindaro Rioja Balsamic vinegar, and a 12-year reserve Moscatel semi-sweet vinegar.

If you are looking for a simple salad that is a little different, this mixed spring greens salad takes minutes to make, and is sure to be a hit at any dinner party or barbecue.

To make the salad we used Mallafre Catalonian extra virgin olive oil pressed with mandarin oranges and the Sotaroni white Moscatel vinegar.

To make this delicious salad, all you need is:

1 packet of mixed green salad

1/2 can of small mandarin oranges

2 tablespoons Mallafre mandarin oil

1 tablespoon Sotaroni white Moscatel vinegar

Rinse and pat dry the mixed salad, and place in a salad bowl. Mix together the oil and vinegar and pour over the greens. Toss together to distribute the dressing, and place the mandarins on the top. Serve as a light main course, or as a side dish with crusty bread.

Pear Season

Although pears are available all year round, they are a fruit that ripens and is collected in the autumn months, and they conjure up all the colors of the season. Now is the time to use them liberally in mouthwatering desserts, serve them sliced with tangy cheese following a meal, or munch on them as a healthy snack.

There are many varieties of pear available (see some varieties below), but whichever type you choose always select smooth fruit that is free from cuts or bruises. Pears ripen off the tree and are ready to eat when the flesh near the stem has some give. If you store them in a fruit bowl at room temperature, they make an elegant, fall decoration, but they can also be stored in the crisper of the refrigerator until ripe. Pears can be poached, baked or roasted in both sweet and savory dishes, and simply sliced in salads.

A few of the most common pears:

Bartlett
The Bartlett is the most commonly grown pear in the US. This pear comes in green flesh and red flesh variety. The fully ripe Bartlett may be yellow, but the Red Bartlett pear develops its red skin prior to being fully ripe. As with the Anjou pear, it can be either red or yellow, or a mixture of both. It is very versatile, and is good in salads, or baked in desserts.

Williams
This green-skinned versatile pear is great for poaching, baking or in salads. Ideal for crumbles, cakes and tarts.

Sensation
Often known as Red Sensation, as when they ripen they become a deep crimson color. This medium sized pear has a buttery texture that is ideal for desserts and fruit salads.

Red Anjou
This red, medium-sized pear has a white, fine-textured flesh. This is a great pear to use in salads, and goes especially well with walnuts.

Corella
These small green and red pears have a mild flavor and are good to eat alone, and hold their shape well when roasted.

Bosc
This is a medium to large brown pear, and is sweet and juicy. It is one of the best all-round pears for cooking and holds up well when poached, pan-fried or baked. It has a cream colored flesh, and slightly grainy texture.

Comice
This large roundish pear has a green-yellow skin, with red blush. It has a fine textured, juicy flesh making it perfect in desserts and great on its own.

Pears can be poached, baked or roasted, or added to salads or tarts. Below is a super simple recipe for Baked Pear Custards that turns an everyday meal into something special. This recipe was featured in the Donna Hay magazine.


Baked Pear Custards (serves 4)
Ingredients

• 2 cups pouring cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup caster (extra fine) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pear, thinly sliced
• freshly grated nutmeg for sprinkling

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
   
2. Place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to the boil.
3. Place the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and whisk until well combined.
4. Gradually add the hot cream mixture, whisking well to combine.
5. Pour into 4 x 1 1/2 cup-capacity ovenproof dishes and top with pear slices.
6. Place on a baking tray and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until just set.
7. Sprinkle with nutmeg to serve.
   

Simple Grilled King Crab Legs

If you are looking for something easy to make, and are tired of the usual steak or salmon on the grill, try these King Crab Legs which are plentiful at the moment, and often on sale, as these were at my local Vons store.

Serve with pita bread, and a simple green salad tossed in oil and vinegar, and you have a great meal in minutes.

Ingredients (serves 2)

Approx. 1 lb King Crab Legs
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2-3 scallions
Lemon Pepper
Olive Oil
1/2 ounce Butter
English Parsley to garnish

Method

1. Rinse the Crab Legs and cut into pieces approximately 2-3 inches long.
2. Place in a foil tray, or make a tray from double folded tin foil and scrunching up the edges.
3. Brush with olive oil and lemon juice.
4. Cut the scallions into pieces approximately 2 inches long and place on top of crab.
5. Sprinkle with lemon pepper.
6. Dot butter on top of crab and cover with foil.
7. Grill outdoors over medium heat for 8-10 minutes
8. Remove from grill and place in serving dish. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

A Mediterranean salad served with pita bread, or crunchy French bread makes a great side dish with this meal.

To make the salad, simply chop cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, spring greens (or any vegetable you like). Mix all ingredients together in a salad bowl, and toss with light olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a dash of sea salt.

Shrimp and Eggplant Salad

I am not sure if anyone will be barbecuing this holiday weekend. Here is San Diego we have had heavy rain this morning, but I think the weather forecast for the rest of the weekend indicates better weather through Monday.

If you want to do something a little different to the usual hamburgers and hot dogs, this is a salad that combines many different flavors that go extremely well with the grilled shrimp. It does require a fair amount of chopping beforehand, but once you've got the ingredients together, the cooking is relatively simple.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 1 red chili, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 24 medium shrimp, peeled, cleaned, tails intact
• 20 bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes
• 1/2 small, pineapple, peeled, finely chopped
  
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Method

1. Cut the eggplants diagonally into thin slices, toss in a bowl with the turmeric and 1 teaspoon sea salt, and set aside for 1 hour.
2. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Drain the eggplants, transfer to a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of oil. Grill for 10 minutes, turning halfway, or until golden, then transfer to a bowl.
3. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a saucepan over medium heat (this can be done indoors, or outdoors on your grill), add onion, garlic, spices, ginger and chili. Cook, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes.
   
4. Add vinegar, sugar and tomatoes, and stir until tomatoes are just softened. Cool, then combine with eggplants.
5. Thread the shrimp onto the soaked skewers and drizzle with remaining oil. Season with sea salt and pepper, then grill for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through.
6. To serve, spoon eggplant salad into the middle of plates and place skewers to the side.
   
7. Combine pineapple, cilantro and lime juice, and scatter over the plate.

Tasty Chicken Salad with Asian Flavors

With salads on everyone's mind this week, due to the really hot weather we have been having here in Southern California, I remembered this great recipe which is essentially grilled chicken brushed with a soy-spice mixture, then served on bed of spinach and drizzled with a soy vinaigrette.

At only 478 calories per serving, and easy to make, why not give it a try?

Ingredients (serves 6)

Soy Vinaigrette:

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
  

Chicken/Salad:

• 9 cups torn fresh spinach
• 1 11-ounce can mandarin orange sections, drained
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 avocados, peeled and sliced

Recipe

1. First make the soy vinaigrette. In a small bowl, combine the red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. Whisk in the olive oil, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, oranges, and onion; toss to mix.
3. Rinse the chicken in cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
4. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, oil, honey, five-spice-powder, garlic and ginger. Brush the chicken with the soy-spice mixture.
5. Grill the chicken in an uncovered grill directly over medium coals or 6 to 7 minutes. Turn and brush with the soy-spice mixture and cook for 6 to 7 minutes more.
6. Divide the spinach mixture among 6 individual plates. Slice each chicken breast into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place the chicken on the spinach. Arrange the avocado slices around the chicken.
7. Drizzle each salad with some of the vinaigrette.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

478 calories; 27 g protein; 20 g carbohydrate; 34 g total fat (5 g saturated); 60 m cholesterol; 989 mg sodium; 1,185 mg potassium.

Gnocchi, Zucchini, Tomatoes & Olives Salad

I saw this recipe recently in an Australian magazine, Vogue Travel and Entertaining, and thought it was an ideal recipe for Spring or Summer, as it uses lots of colorful vegetables, and is great as a side dish with barbecued fish or meat. It is a recipe by Australian chef, Daud Kendall, and served at his Byron Beach Cafe in Byron Bay, New South Wales, which looks like it would be just as at home right here in Southern California.

The recipe below gives the ingredients and instructions for making your own potato and goat's cheese gnocchi, but if you don't want to do that, or you simply don't have the time, you can buy potato gnocchi in the pasta and frozen food section of most specialty food markets. It is also available online at stores such as Gourmet Pasta and Cheese.

Goat's Cheese Gnocchi with Zucchini, Tomatoes, Olives and Pesto
(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients
To make the Gnocchi:

• 4 large potatoes, scrubbed
• 3 1/2 oz soft goat's cheese, crumbled
• 1 1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons olive oil for frying

To make the Salad:

• 3 1/2 oz soft goat's cheese, crumbled
• handful zucchini flowers, if available
  
• 7 oz green zucchini, thinly sliced
• 7 oz yellow zucchini, thinly sliced
• 7 oz red cherry tomatoes
• 7 oz yellow cherry tomatoes
• 2 oz pitted kalamata olives
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• pesto for drizzling

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees centigrade, and bake potatoes for 1 hour or until tender. Cool slightly, halve and scoop out the flesh, then press through a potato ricer or mash them.
2. Add the goat's cheese, Parmesan, flour and egg yolk to the potato and, using your hands, knead to form a dough (you may prefer to use a food processor for this).
3. On a floured surface, divide dough into 6, roll portions into 1-inch wide, long sausage shapes, then cut into 1" pieces with a floured knife.
4. Bring a large saucepan of water to a gentle simmer and cook the gnocchi in 2 batches, for 5-7 minutes.
   
5. Using a slotted spoon, place gnocchi in a bowl of iced water to cool, then transfer to a baking paper-lined tray.
6. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and saute gnocchi, in 3 batches, for 5 minutes, turning, or until browned on both sides. Transfer to a tray and keep warm in the oven.
7. Heat the remaining oil in the same frying pan over medium heat.
8. Add zucchini and cook for 2 minutes or until lightly browned.
   
9. Add zucchini flowers, if using, tomatoes and olives, and cook for another minute.
10. Gently toss vegetables with the gnocchi.

To serve, divide gnocchi mixture among bowls, scatter with remaining goat's cheese and drizzle with a little pesto.

Moroccan Black Olive and Orange Salad

Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food is becoming more and more popular, not only as a main course, but as a side dish, or appetizer.

A typical example of this is hummus, which as little as five years ago, was unheard of by many people and is now offered as an appetizer in at least two of the pizza chain restaurants here in Southern California.


With this in mind, and looking for something to pair with the heartier-style meals that are typical of this time of year, this Moroccan Black Olive and Orange salad makes an ideal accompaniment to many meals. It is light and refreshing and can be either an appetizer or a side dish.

Serve it in our elegant white serving tagines to add an elegant and exotic touch to your meal.

Moroccan Black Olive Orange Salad Ingredients

• 4 Navel Oranges
• 1 Cup Pitted Oil-Cured Black Olives
• 1/4 Cup Red Onion, Thinly Sliced
• 1 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds, Crushed
• Sea Salt
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Torn Mint Leave

Method

1. Peel the oranges and with a paring knife, carefully scrape off as much of the white pith as possible, without tearing the fruit.
2. Slice each orange crosswise into 3/8th-inch thick slices.
3. Arrange the slices on a platter, slightly overlapping each one.
4. Scatter the olives and the onions over the oranges.
5. Season everything with the fennel seeds and salt.
6. Splash the vinegar and drizzle olive oil over the salad.
7. Place the mint on top.
   

Asian Pears

When I was in the supermarket recently, they were promoting Asian Pears, sometimes known as Apple Pears, and letting people try samples in the store. In case, like me, you have not tried this fruit before, the Apple Pear is a relatively new fruit to many people, although they have been grown in California since the Gold Rush days, when Chinese miners planted them in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

They are very light and crisp in texture, and when ripe, very sweet and juicy. They reminded me of a ripe melon but with a crisp texture like an apple. I was advised that they could be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks and would not lose their flavor or texture. They are great to eat by themselves or paired with cheese and crackers, or in a winter salad like the recipe below, where the crisp textures and full flavors make a superb accompaniment to roast meats and poultry.

Winter Salad with Roquefort and Asian Pears
Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 cup walnut oil
• 1/4 cup crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese
• Leaves from 2 small heads romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 3 ripe Asian pears (or other firm pear such as Bosc or Red Crimson), halved, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Method

1. In the bottom of a large salad bowl, stir the red wine vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper together.
2. Gradually whisk in the walnut oil.
3. Add the cheese and stir to combine.
4. Add the lettuce, pears, red onion, and bell pepper to the bowl.
5. Just before serving, toss gently to coat with the dressing.
6. Sprinkle with the nuts and serve.

Caprese Salad with Balsamic Vinegar and Black Olives

This has got to be one of the best salads in the world. It tastes amazing, looks beautiful and is simple to make. What could be better than that? You can see why caprese salad is one of the most popular salads in Italian restaurants as an appetizer or as part of an antipasto plate.

Insalata Caprese (which means salad in the style of Capri) is a very simple dish made with sliced mozzarella, plum tomatoes and basil, seasoned with salt, black pepper and olive oil. In this variation, we use small cherry tomatoes and add balsamic vinegar and black olives and there is no need to season with salt. This gives the dish a very colorful and festive look and adds a zing to an already wonderful meal.

Ingredients (this will make 4 small plates or 1 large plate)

• 1 lb mozzarella cheese (ideally buffalo mozzarella, but you can use any)
• 1 lb cherry tomatoes cut into quarters
  
• 1 Bunch of Basil
• Virgin Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 15 - 20 Pitted Black Olives
  

Method

1. Slice the mozzarella into slices about 1/4" thick
2. Arrange the cheese and halved tomatoes on one large or four small appetizer plates
3. Arrange basil leaves randomly between the cheese and tomatoes
4. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
5. Place the black olives decoratively on the top
6. Grind the black pepper over the salad
7. Garnish with basil leaf
   

Serve immediately with fresh crusty bread, or pizza dough balls for mopping the oil and vinegar.