Black Olive Tapenade

A few weeks ago I bought a tub of hummus that came with a few toppings that you add in yourself. I don’t normally buy that kind of stuff but it was on sale and you know, had to try it. Turns out the hummus was good on it’s own so the toppings never got mixed in. They did get eaten though, just as sandwich spreads. One of the toppings that it came with was olive tapenade and let me tell you, the mr ate the shit out of it. Yes we love olives in this house (I hated olives unit one magical day a few years ago and now I freaking love them) but it has been so long since I have done much more then throw a few on a pizza or into a salad or just eat then straight. Now, well now we have to have olive tapenade on hand at all times. Spreadable, blop-able olives. Good on us.

This olive tapenade is the simplest as simple can get. Basic canned black olives, a little garlic, a splash of oil to make it a little more spreadable, and some lemon juice. I know that some tapenades call for fresh herbs, maybe nuts, or some other stuff, and by all means that is good too, but there is no shade in going simple. Simple taste damn good.

Now to the olive tapenade.

The stuff. A can of pitted black olives, a couple cloves of garlic (raw or roasted) a little olive oi, and a lemon.

Place olives (make sure there are no surprise pits), chopped up garlic, about half a lemons worth or juice, and oil into a food processor or a jar (if using a hand blender) and blend until combined. Keep as chunky or go as smooth as you like. We like smooth with a few little chunks.

And that is it. You now eat it, any way you want. The mr really likes his olive bread toast situations, as for me, I like it on salads, used as veggie dip, or eaten straight from jar with a finger. Just living my truth.

-C

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Black Olive Tapenade

makes a hefty cup of tapenade

• 1 can pitted black olives

• 2 cloves garlic (raw or roasted)

• 1 teaspoon-1 tablespoon olive oil

• a lemon (optional)

Stain olives from liquid, check for any stray pits, and place in a food processor or jar (if using a hand blender) along with the garlic, the lesser amount of oil, and a squeeze of lemon. Pulse or blend until spreadable and leave as chunky or go as smooth as you would like. Taste and add more lemon juice and or olive oil to your liking.

Eat it up with chips, bread, on salads or pastas. And yea spoonfuls to the mouth. Any left over store in a airtight jar in fridge for a week or so.

Pico de Gallo… Super Freshy Salsa

 Happy Cinco de Mayo! And what better day to share my version of  my oh so fantastic pico de gallo, or as I call it, super freshy salsa.

I love me some freshy salsa, It makes me oh so happy. 

 I make this stuff all the time, especially during the warmer months and tomato season. I usually make a batch right before a meal, just enough to eat right away, but sometimes I 'll make a big batched of it, thinking I'll save some for the next day.   It never makes it past the second day in the fridge because it's just one of those things that when you see it, you want to eat it. Weird but true. And it's totally ok to do so cause it's basically eating a big bowl of healthy goodness, so eat on!

It takes no time to prepare, tastes super refreshing, goes on everything, and it's just so freaking tasty. You can eat it with tacos and chips (the mister) or like me, I like to add it to everything; salads, popcorn, or directly in my mouth. 

Make one batch, make 4, it doesn't matter cause you will eat it all, and need to make more.

The stuff. Chopped Roma tomatoes, chopped red onion, a diced jalapeño, lemon, a bunch of cilantro, and salt.

Stick all the chopped stuff into a jar and add in the juice of the lemon. Roughly chop the cilantro and add that on in with a sprinkle of salt. 

Mix it up….And thats it. Now eat… with something or without.

A spoon out of the jar is one of my favorite ways to go at it.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, Happy Tuesday!

-C

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Pico de Gallo… Freshy Salsa

• 4-5 Roma Tomatoes
• 1 small red onion
• 1-2 jalapeños (Depending on heat preference)
• 1 lemon or lime
• salt
• 1 bunch of cilantro (don't use it if you don't like it)

Chop tomatoes and onion and toss into a bowl or jar.  Cut seeds from jalapeño(s) and dice up into little bitty pieces and add that to the tomato and onion. Roughly chop the cilantro and toss that in as well with the juice of the lemon or lime. Sprinkle with salt. Stir, let sit for a minutes, taste and then add more salt if needed. 

Eat right away or make ahead and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Goes great with corn chips, tacos, toss onto salads or eat as is standing in front of the fridge. If someone is judging you, they are stupid.

Pomegranate Guacamole

Pomeamole!!  That's what I want to call it, so that's what it is. Guacamole with the addition of tiny little pearls of sweet and tangy juice.. I mean, come one, it can't get much better. This is what happens when avocados are on super sale, I buy a lot…and then eat a lot….and then eat some more.  I start to get a little crafty and, wa la.. add pomegranate seeds. I also inflict anyone eating around me with avocado, even if they believe that they don't like it because that's not possible. I know this because there was a time where I believed that I didn't like avocados… and that's just crazy. I remember the very moment I realized I was wrong. It was the first food Nick ever made for me. I was working at a pottery studio and wasn't able to leave because of a raku firing  and I was starving. My love saved me with a sandwich, and it was the best I had ever eaten.  A sandwich that contained hummus, greens, sun-dried tomatoes, and yup, big slices of avocado. That sandwich change my life. I knew from that moment on….  I loved avocados……oh and that I loved Nick too. I know, we are so cute that you want to barf. Well go ahead, just do it before you eat the pomeamole.

It's all pretty simple...One very tasty ripe avocado, about 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds,  a little chopped onion, a bit of chopped tomato,  a lemon, a few cloves of garlic and a pinch of salt.  It's what dreams are made of.

Mash it all together minus the pomegranate seeds… As smooth or as chunky as you like it….

Fold in 1/2 the seeds

And top with the rest! And another squeeze of lemon… just like that. You can eat this magic with anything you want;  chippers, rice cakes, tacos, toast, or even top a kale salad with a big scoop. …..we at it with carrots and broccoli. SO GOOD!

Pomeamole! (Pomegranate Guacamole)

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 a small red or sweet onion
• 1/2 a small tomato
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• salt
•  a lemon or lime

Pit and scoop avocado into a medium bowl and smash until desired consistency. Finely chop onion, garlic and tomato and mix together with avocado and half the juice of the lemon. Fold in most the pomegranate seed. Top with the rest and the squeeze the other half of lemon on top.

Serve with food, or just eat with a spoon.

Hooray for on-sale avocados!! 

-C