Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives and Lemon

354.  Do you ever have the desire to take the most basic ingredient and create something so completely different, out of your comfort zone.  This is what happened with my chicken tonight.  We all make rote recipes over and over that are our go-to and we don't need to follow directions any more.  But this recipe was so delightful and delicious and I paired it with lentils.

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I paired the Moroccan Chicken with a side of Lentils.

Basically, I followed the package directions but used chicken stock, finely chopped onion and garlic for flavor and salt and pepper.  

This was a delicious meal and a great detour from our usual palate pleasers.

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.  And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. 

 If you haven't found it yet, keep looking.  Don't Settle

As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.   ~ Steve Jobs

Nosh Snack Bar

329.  Nosh - noun;  early 20th century Yiddish; denoting a snack bar.   This post is my celebration of the "Nosh" display that is to me the perfect meal in itself.  What more could you need than cheese, nuts, great bread, fruit and veg.   It could be in any form, any type of cheese (Although brie to me is always a must) any type or grain of bread, whole loaf torn or cut to smaller pieces.  

The mix of salty, sweet, cheesy, brine-y, crunchy, soft, smooth and flavorful.  It is a perfect combination.  Your imagination, personal choices and creativity are the tools needed.

Start with fruit: grapes, figs, blueberry, strawberry, apples or pears, a walk down the special cheese & meat aisle in a deli or your local grocer.  Then stop in your local bakery and pick up a crusty bread freshly baked.  Many grocers have beautiful bread that is rustic and varied as well as a variety of olives and marinated veggies.  I love shopping at Fairway  or Wegmans Markets.  They have a beautiful selection of all of the above.  Add mustards, nuts, honey, jam, raisins, dates, crackers, bread sticks, wafers,  peanut or almond butter, mushrooms, infused olive oils, salsas and tapenade...and the list trails on.  You are only limited by the items you are able to obtain or items you've never experienced before.  Take risks, experiment new cheeses, breads, olives and other delicacies.  Lucero Olive Co. is a must: link Here.    You could go for a theme or ethnic slant such as Italian or Greek with cheeses, breads and meats or a sweet nosh as a dessert with fruit, honey, whipped cream and a variety of cake slices and tarts, fruit sauces and chocolate fudge sauce or caramel.

Then lay everything out on a large tray, multiple wooden slices or directly in the center of your table. All you need are your guests to pick, dip, spread and sample in a variety of creations.  Now this is noshing to me.  Add whatever music, movie or beverage you prefer that tops off this culinary experience.  It transports you from just eating to a satisfying adventure.

Make tonight a "nosh" night and enjoy!

"My whole artistic life has always been about change,

change, change, move on, move on.

It's the only thing I find interesting."

-Paul Simon

Lucero Olive Oil

277.  Our trip to California took us along back roads and out of the way places.  While driving off-highway, we came to a town called Corning.  Signs all around advertised this town as the heart of Olive Oil production.  Billboards calling it the "Olive City" and the "Home of the Queen Olive".

We love olives and olive oil, using it in many recipes, so we stopped off to "taste" olive oil and ultimately bring home various bottles of the lovely golden liquid.

The company we chose to visit was called Lucero Olive Manufacturers.  What a gem of a place!

We were taken on a tour of their Olive Mill filled with large vats of olives and olive oil in various stages.  

We were then invited into their show room to "experience" their olive oils. 

 A tasting room...how delightful!  Our guide explained how to taste olive oil correctly:

Fill a small paper cup with oil.

Set the cup in the palm of your hand and slowly roll it around your palm.  This will warm up the oil to your body temperature.  The warmth releases the aromas.

Next, smell the oil to take in the scents.

Then, slurp the oil; this is done by sipping a small amount of oil into your mouth while “sipping” some air as well. (When done correctly, you will make that impolite noise that would cause you to be scolded when you were a child!) Slurping emulsifies the oil with air that helps to spread it throughout your mouth - giving you the chance to savor every nuance of flavor with just a small sip of oil.

Finally, swallow.  You will experience stinging in the back of your throat and the flavor will explode.

This was such an enlightening and rewarding experience.  We were encouraged to try them all...each one was so uniquely lovely.
Our guide began to explain about the flavored oils with mandarin orange, lemon and meyer lemon, basil, garlic and yes...chocolate!!  She also told us about the wonderful balsamic vinegars all imported from Italy.

Then, she said, "Would you like to try the balsamic and oil on ice cream?  It was delightful tasting vanilla ice cream drizzled with cherry balsamic and chocolate olive oil, and ice cream with mandarin orange olive oil which tasted like a creamsicle.

Their showroom was surrounded with a variety of oils, balsamic, bottled olives and bottled condiments such as tapenads, spreads and mustards.  Everything was set out in samples to taste...and everything was delicious!

We purchased their Gold Medal Winning Lemon Olive Oil, Sevillano Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Chocolate Olive Oil.  It was hard to decide...we wanted everything!  But we had to be able to fly home with all our treasures.

Outside the showroom was an olive tree, in the courtyard over 100 years old

We drove along the olive groves passing thousands of trees covered with olives.

This expedition was one I won't forget.  Wishing I could live closer to this olive wonderland!

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~MILLER'S TASTING NOTES of the Sevillano Certified Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This olive oil is mild, with "earthy" flavors and a fruity finish, like apricots and bananas. Even with a softer finish, it will stand out among other oils due to it's unique flavor.