Soups & Salads

1 lb of large or Jumbo shrimp

1/2 cup of orzo

 3 Tbsp Coconut white balsamic

 1 Tbsp of Persian Lime Olive Oil

1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes halved

2 cups of baby spinach

1/2 cup of Feta cheese

1Tbsp of pine nuts

Mix Coconut balsamic with Persian Lime Olive Oil and toss in peeled and deveined shrimp with the mixture...marinade shrimp for about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the orzo according to the package...drain and toss together in a large bowl with tomatoes, baby spinach, and pine nuts orzo and set aside while you cook the shrimp.

Heat a large skillet on high. Add marinating shrimp and all the coconut balsamic and Persian Lime olive oil marinade to the skillet in one even layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until the shrimp is just opaque; remove the shrimp and all the cooked marinade and toss in with the orzo mixture. Top with Feta cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.

4 boneless chicken breast

2 Pocketless pita bread

1 ear of corn (or 1/3 c. frozen corn thawed)

4 Tbsp of Herb de Provence Olive Oil

3 Tbsp Of Cara Cara Orange Vanilla White Balsamic

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp. Seasonello Italian Sea Salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 cups of sliced romaine lettuce

1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes

1 seedless cucumber

2 shallots sliced

1/2 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush Pita bread with 1 Tbsp of Herb de Provence and cut into 16 wedges. Arrange Pita bread wedges on one side of the cookie sheet with the ear of corn (or a single layer of the frozen corn), and bake for 6 minutes on each side until the corn and pita bread have browned. Remove from oven and let corn and pita wedges cool; once the corn is cooled, cut corn off the cob.

Meanwhile, reduce oven to 350 degrees and mix remaining 3 Tbsp. Herb de Provence olive oil with 3 Tbsp. Cara Cara Orange Vanilla White balsamic in a large bowl with a lid. Take 2 Tbsp of olive oil and balsamic mixture and drizzle over the chicken breast and season chicken with 1/4 tsp of sea salt and 1/8 tsp of ground pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes before flipping and baking for another 15 minutes on the opposite side.

With the remaining 4 Tbsp of Olive oil and balsamic mixture, add romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, shallots, parsley, remaining salt and pepper, and the cooled corn. Shake or mix to coat all vegetables and lettuce with olive oil and balsamic dressing. Plate herb salad and top with Pita wedges and serve with Roasted Chicken or on its own. Serves 4.

2 Honey Crisp apples sliced (or your favorite variety)

1 Tbsp of lemon juice

zest of lemon

3 Tbsp of Basil Olive Oil

3 Tbsp of Cranberry Pear Balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp of Stone Ground Mustard

1/4 Cup of light sour cream

1/8 Cup water

2 slices of turkey bacon chopped (bacon bit size)

2 shallots, sliced thin

5 oz. Of Spring Mix baby greens

4 Tbsp of Parmesan Cheese

Seasonello Italian Sea Salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large bowl with a lid, add apple slices and lemon juice and shake to coat. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil and sauté shallots and bacon in a saucepan for about 8 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and take out half of the shallot and bacon to top the salad with later. Add in the remaining olive oil, Cranberry pear balsamic, and mustard, and whisk in sour cream, lemon zest, and 1/8 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add baby greens and dressing to apples in the large bowl; cover with the lid and shake until lettuce is coated with dressing. Divide onto four plates and top salad with Parmesan cheese and the remaining sautéed shallots and bacon.

1/4 cup Strawberry Red Balsamic

1 pint of strawberries halved

1/4 cup of sliced Almonds

In a small saucepan, bring balsamic to a boil. Once it begins to boil, reduce it to a simmer and let it cool down to half, about 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Once reduced to half, let cool for about 15 minutes. Drizzle over strawberries once cooled and top with sliced almonds.

Additional Ideas for Balsamic Reductions: These reductions are great over sliced cheeses (Gouda, Swiss, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Parmesan, etc.). I will use either the Black Cherry, Traditional, or Espresso balsamic for the cheese platters. This makes for a gorgeous presentation for any entertainment. Any of the balsamic reductions (White & Red) are amazing over ice cream!

*These reductions are great over sliced cheeses (Gouda, Swiss, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Parmesan, etc.).

(Courtesy of Rachel Bradley-Gomez Exc. Chef for Veronica Foods)

1/2 pound smoked spicy sausage, such as Andouille sausage, cut into 1/2" slices

1/2 pound peeled, deveined shrimp

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 large celery rib, finely diced

1 green pepper, finely diced

1 red pepper, finely diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, finely diced

2 green onions finely sliced

1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley

1 dried bay leaf

4 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 large tomato diced

2 cups sliced okra (optional)

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Baklouti Fused Chili Olive Oil

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Rice to serve

In a large, heavy pot, heat the Baklouti chili oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown on both sides. Set the chicken aside and add the sausage to the pot. Sauté the sausage slices until browned and set aside.

In the same pot, set over medium heat, add the flour to the oil and pan drippings, stirring and scraping to incorporate. Cook the flour over medium heat, constantly stirring for about 10 minutes until it turns a deep rich brown. Be careful not to go overboard and cook it until it burns!

Add the remaining two tablespoons of Baklouti chili oil to the flour mixture, along with the garlic, peppers, onion, celery, and okra. Sauté over medium-low heat until the vegetables start to become tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the stock, tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot and stir to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook until the gumbo thickens. Add the chicken and sausage back to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. Add the shrimp during the last two minutes and cook through.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle the gumbo over rice and top with the sliced green onion and chopped parsley.

Serves 6-8.