Divine Pumpkin Olive Oil Bars with Rum Frosting

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year, and one of the things I love about it is the Fall pumpkin harvest!  Love making pumpkin bars, cookies, soups, and pancakes.  Here are a couple of recipes that I really enjoy.......

Divine Pumpkin Olive Oil Bars with Rum Frosting

Ingredients:

Bars:

1 tsp salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon Delizia Cinnamon Pear Balsamic

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups white whole wheat flour ( I like King Arthur)

1 cup Brown Sugar (I use Splenda Brown Sugar Blend) If using regular brown sugar, use 1 2/3  cup.

2/3  cup Delizia Roasted Walnut Oil

1/3 cup Delizia Chemlali or Sweet Barnea olive oil

16oz  fresh or canned pumpkin

4 eggs

Frosting:

Large bar of cream cheese, softened at room temperature

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

½ cup butter

4 tablespoons dark spiced rum or bourbon whiskey (I use Capt. Morgan’s)

2 ½ cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Shavings

Chopped Pecans

Grease and flour a 10 x 13 jelly roll pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in bowl.  Set aside. Mix the brown sugar, pumpkin, walnut oil and olive oil until well blended.  Add eggs one at a time, then ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.  Add the Cinnamon Pear Balsamic and mix for 3 minutes at medium speed.  Scrape sides of bowl and begin to add the flour mixture in small amounts at low speed, until all has been well incorporated into the batter.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Try not to over bake.  Cool bars completely before frosting.

Mix the cream cheese, vanilla extract, butter and rum on high speed until creamy and light.  Add powdered sugar in small amounts until the frosting has the desired consistency.  Frost the cooled bars and sprinkle chocolate shavings and pecans over all.  Enjoy these amazing bars for dessert, breakfast, or just because....

Pumpkin Pancakes

Hearty Breakfast for a crisp, Fall Morning

2 ½  cups of your favorite pancake mix (I love Sturdiwheat, and you can order it online)

1 egg

½ cup milk

1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin

2 tablespoons Delizia Chemlali extra virgin olive oil

Mix liquid ingredients into the pancake mix and blend well.  Add the pumpkin and stir. Heat the oil on the griddle. Drop by ¼ cupfuls onto a hot griddle.  Serve with Maple syrup, honey, or your favorite jam! 

Are you ready for two totally exciting, new events from Oh Olive? On October 20, we kick off our innovative and exceptionally fun Rev-OIL-utionary Recipe Challenge in conjunction with the debut of the newest cocktail in Chicago: the "Tangier Toddy", created by mixologist Dante Lopresti, (made with our world famous Tiesta Tea). Dante's original recipe for this cocktail will be available for customers to take home and make for their own holiday gatherings! Here's the best part; these events are absolutely free to our customers! Come on down to our Lincoln Park location and celebrate with us on Saturday, October 20, from 11:00- 4:00 PM. Meet Dante and our tea boys; sample the new cocktail and also our Peach Bellini, as in the photo below. In addition, you will taste appetizers and desserts made with our oils & vinegars, and get the recipes! You can also submit your own recipe, and receive a free 60 ml. bottle of olive oil. So what are you waiting for?  http://www.facebook.com/OhOliveStore

Oh, my! Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  It is my favorite holiday with all of those delicious, holiday aromas in the kitchen.  I have a killer recipe for a different stuffing for your Thanksgiving turkey.  It always gets rave reviews, and there's never any leftovers.  Here it is, but prepare yourself to make a double batch, if you want some for the next day.

Oh Olive Rye Bread Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 lb. loaf of rye bread with seeds, cut into 1 inch chunks

2 cups chicken or turkey stock (can be made with vegetable stock)

11/2 teaspoons of caraway seeds

6 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups celery chopped

2 Golden delicious (or other) apples, peeled and chopped

1 large sweet onion, chopped

¼ cup Delizia Wild Mushroom & Sage Olive Oil

¼ cup Delizia Butter Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Galena Garlic Stuffing & Dressing Seasoning

½ teaspoon Sonoma Gourmet Sea Salt

Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place bread chunks on cookie sheet and drizzle with the Wild Mushroom & Sage oil.  Toast until lightly browned and crispy.

Cook caraway seeds in Butter olive oil in sauté pan over medium heat for about two minutes.  Next, add celery, chopped apples, garlic and onions.  Stir veggies and sauté until veggies are softened slightly.  Add seasoning, salt and pepper.  When all are browned (10 minutes or so), add the chicken stock and scrape up any of the browned bits to add to the stuffing mix.  Pour mixture over the toasted bread cubes, and toss until coated well.

Transfer mixture to a 3 quart casserole dish.  Drizzle top with Mushroom & Sage oil. 

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until stuffing is crisp on top.

Note: You can make this a day ahead and refrigerate.  Reheat at 300 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. You can also do individual stuffing servings in a muffin pan!

Crockpot Stuffed Peppers......Amazing Fall Dish!

Want to fire up that crockpot with an amazingly delicious recipe for stuffed peppers?  Here it is.....

Crockpot Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

6-8 multi-colored Bell peppers

2 lbs. ground round (ground turkey will also work)

4 tablespoons Delizia Chipotle olive oil

4 cans tomato soup

1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 teaspoon Oh Olive Garlic Blend Gourmet seasoning

¾ cup Minute rice

½ cup diced onions

1 cup water

Directions:

Wash peppers and slice off the top so that it will provide a nice cover for the pepper when stuffed. Mix the tomato soup, diced tomatoes, Oh Olive Garlic seasoning, and one cup of water in the Crockpot.  Add one tablespoon of the Chipotle oil (I usually do a little more for flavor) to the tomato sauce mixture. Brown the ground round in three tablespoons of Chipotle oil, and set aside in a bowl.  Cook the diced onions for a few minutes and add to the meat mixture. Make the rice according to directions on package. Mix with the ground round and stuff the peppers. Once stuffed, put the lid on the peppers and place in the Crockpot. Spoon some of the tomato sauce over each pepper.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Want a bit of "South of the Border" flair in your breakfast? Try Oh Olive's "Ole Omelet"!

Ole Omelet

Ingredients

3 eggs beaten (or egg substitute)
2 tablespoons green, red, or yellow pepper (chopped)
2 tablespoons sweet onion (chopped)
3 tablespoons Delizia Chipotle Olive Oil (more for drizzle)
3 tablespoons chopped ham, bacon, or crumbled sausage (optional)
1/2 cup homemade salsa
sliced tomatoes
sliced lemon or lime (optional)
Basil
Habanero Jack Cheese (you can also use Cheddar or American)


Directions

Chop veggies.
Scramble eggs in small bowl.
Pour Chipotle oil in skillet and heat.  Add veggies and ham, etc.  Saute for a minute or two until slightly crisp.  Pour eggs over all and cook until edges start to brown in skillet.  Add cheese.  Flip half of omelet to one side in pan. Cook until slightly firm.  Flip again.  Add salsa and spread over omelet. Plate with a garnish of basil and lemon and a slice of tomato on top.  Drizzle a few drops of Chipotle olive oil over all, and you are ready to eat!

Note: You can also use a slice of lime instead of the lemon.  Either way, it gives a great flavor when squeezed over the omelet.