The holidays are here, and what better way to celebrate by throwing a holiday cocktail party with friends and family? I’ve teamed up with Colavita this season to celebrate with all of you, by creating some delicious Holiday Appetizer recipes using their World Selection and Private Selection Extra Virgin Olive Oils and Flavored Cooking Oil blends.
Colavita Olive Oil Giveaway!
*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED – Congratulations to Manda Kay, the winner of our Colavita holiday giveaway! Hope you cook up lots of goodies with your EVOO & Balsamic Glace! Happy Holidays 🙂
I’ve teamed up with Colavita this holiday season and giving away some of their delicious olive oils and balsamic vinegars so you can celebrate the season by cooking up some holiday goodies of your own! The winner will receive: one (1) 3/4 liter of Colavita Private Selection Fruttato EVOO, one (1) 32 oz Roasted Garlic EVOO plus one (1) 29.5 oz bottle of their Balsamic Glace.
All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment at the end of this post telling me what your favorite Holiday Appetizer to make with olive oil is.
*For extra entries, just follow me on twitter, facebook, pinterest, google+, tumblr or sign up for my newsletter (at the top right hand side of this page) and tell me you did so in the comments section. **As an added bonus, Colavita is also offering a 25% discount to all of my readers on any purchase in their online store. Simply enter the code ‘AG25’ to receive the discount upon checkout!
**This giveaway begins on Sunday, Dec 9th and ends Sunday Dec 23rd at midnight EST, where one person will be selected by random from the comments section below.**
Colavita World Selection Olive Oils are a new collection of extra virgin olive oils exploring the tradition in countries outside of italy from estates and farms in Australia, Argentina, California, Greece, Spain and Portugal as well as other prime olive oil growing nations. Read more about a few of my favorites that I used in my recipes below!
Colavita 100% Californian EVOO
The warm climate in the “Golden State” of California fosters both grape and olive cultivation perfect for wines and olive oils. The Colavita 100% Californian EVOO is pressed from olives grown in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys of California. The mild flavor makes this oil perfect for all culinary applications. Enrich your favorite meal with a drizzle of EVOO and a glass of wine.
Colavita Roasted Garlic EVOO
Colavita Roasted Garlic EVOO is a product originally created exclusively for BJ’s Wholesale Stores. To many it has become the “gateway product” that exposes customers to the entire Colavita family of products. It is raved about on their online store so we wanted to share it with all of you! It’s the perfect finishing oil and wonderful for enhancing garlic already present in your dish. Try it on Garlic Bread or my Homemade Pita Chips (recipe below).
Colavita 100% Argentina EVOO
The Argentina EVOO was a hands-down favorite at this year’s New York Wine and Food Festival. Arbequino, Coratina and Manzanilla olive cultivars grown in the Catamarca and Mendoza regions of Argentina give this EVOO and intense, fruity aroma and taste. Pair this EVOO with soups, roasted fish, grilled vegetables and red meat for an unbeatable duo.
Colavita Private Selection Fruttato EVOO
Colavita’s Fruttato Oil has recently been inducted into the Colavita “Private Selection” line. This line was created to highlight the products which have received the honor of being marked a Colavita family favorite. It is made by cold pressing new harvest olives just before their peak ripeness. The result is a full bodied EVOO which is slightly pungent with peppery flavor notes.
Colavita Roasted Garlic Oil Blend
This Colavita Premium Blend is an all-purpose cooking, frying, and salad dressing oil which combines the delicate hint of roasted garlic in a light Canola Oil and Virgin Olive Oil Blend. It is a versatile oil that is naturally low in saturated fats and has no trans fats.
Holiday Appetizer Recipes
These yummy sweet and spicy Asian Chicken bites combine honey, soy sauce, orange and Sriracha to make a fun bite-sized appetizer with a delicious glaze.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice, plus 1 tsp zest
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Colavita Roasted Garlic EVOO
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon Colavita Roasted Garlic EVOO
- Fresh ground white pepper
- Dash of red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 tablespoon black and white sesame seeds, toasted (for garnish)
- 1 green onion, sliced thin (for garnish)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients from honey through minced garlic and place inside a large plastic freezer bag.
- Cut up chicken into bite-sized pieces and trim visible fat, place in bag and marinate in refrigerator for at least an hour to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Remove chicken from freezer bag, reserving marinade, and place on a greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes, turning one time until chicken is browned nicely.
- Strain marinade and discard solids, and pour into a saucepan bringing to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Combine water and cornstarch and slowly pour into glace in saucepan. Add fresh cracked white pepper and red pepper flakes, stirring well.
- Turn oven up to 500 degrees.
- Toss chicken bites with the glaze and broil for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toast sesame seeds for a few minutes in a pan over medium heat and chop green onion.
- Serve chicken bites garnished with sesame seeds and green onions with cocktail toothpicks on a small platter or small plates.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light March 2003
This is a lovely tart recipe that combines sweet and savory flavors. The caramelized onions give it a sweet flavor with a hint of fig balsamic vinegar, balanced out by creamy ricotta, nutty Gruyere cheese, fresh herbs and crispy pancetta.
Ingredients
- 1 package pancetta (8 thin slices)
- 3 tablespoons Colavita Fruttato EVOO
- 2 sweet Vidalia onions, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 1-1 1/2 tablespoons Fig balsamic vinegar (Tavern Direct brand)
- 1 cup fresh ricotta
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoons dried Fines Herbes (or 2 tablespoons fresh herbs)
- 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1 frozen pie shell, defrosted, or homemade tart dough
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a saute pan over medium heat and cook pancetta until browned but not fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Drain fat from pan and place pancetta on paper towels to drain to the side. Once cooled, chop pancetta into small pieces.
- Peel onions, remove top and bottom stems and cut in half lengthwise.
- Slice onions thin (about 1/8" thick or desired thickness).
- In the same saute pan, add 3 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium high heat.
- Add onions and cook over medium high for about 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle brown sugar, salt and pepper over onions and stir well, cook another 10-20 minutes, reducing heat to medium low if onions start to brown too quickly.
- Continue cooking and stirring onions over medium low for another 15 minutes, add a few teaspoons of water if desired.
- Add the fig balsamic vinegar to the onions, turn heat down to low and let cook until they are caramelized, soft and sweet, up to an hour total.
- Combine the ricotta, egg yolk and Fines Herbes together in small mixing bowl.
- Spread the ricotta mixture over the pie shell in a 9" tart pan with removeable bottom.
- Sprinkle Gruyere cheese over ricotta.
- Top with caramelized onions and pancetta.
- Bake the tart in the oven for approximately 30-45 minutes until pastry and filling are golden brown, and pancetta is crispy.
- Let tart cool on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Serve tart cut into wedges.
Notes
If you prefer to make your own tart dough rather than using a frozen pie crust, Martha Stewart has a great recipe for Flaky Tart Dough on her website at http://www.marthastewart.com/319448/flaky-tart-dough
Hot Artichoke dip is one of my all time favorite holiday dip recipes, and this one is extra special, using Colavita's California EVOO, lemon zest and minced garlic with lots of gooey cheese. Instead of using mayonnaise, I substitute a light sour cream to cut some of the fat and calories. Serve with my homemade baked pita chips or crackers.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Colavita California extra virgin olive oil
- 1 package frozen artichokes, defrosted
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- zest and juice from 1/2 lemon
- Garlic salt with parsley (to taste)
- Fresh cracked black pepper (to taste)
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded light monterey jack cheese, plus 1/2 cup for topping
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- dash of cayenne (optional)
- dash of paprika (for garnish)
- 1 green onion, sliced thin (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add artichokes and minced garlic, saute about 5-7 minutes until heated through.
- Add lemon juice, zest, garlic salt and pepper, mix well and cook another few minutes, set aside.
- Meanwhile, add shredded cheeses and sour cream together in a mixing bowl.
- Add sauteed artichokes, garlic and lemon to cheese and sour cream.
- Sprinkle with a dash of cayenne (if desired), mix well and transfer to a casserole dish.
- Sprinkle additional monterey jack cheese over the top and bake in the oven for about 20-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted on top.
- Let cool a few minutes, sprinkle with paprika and green onions. Serve with homemade baked pita chips (recipe follows), crackers or crudites.
Making homemade pita chips is super easy and way better than buying the storebought kind for your holiday party. Mine are made with whole wheat pita bread, drizzled with EVOO, and sprinkled with garlic salt and cumin for some extra flavor. So delicious and crispy straight out of the oven and so addicting you'll never buy them again! Serve with Hot Parmesan Garlic Artichoke Dip or any of your other favorite party dips.
Ingredients
- 6 whole wheat pita rounds
- 2 tablespoons Colavita California EVOO
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut pita rounds into triangles (6 wedges per pita).
- Lay out pita wedges on a baking sheet and brush each wedge with olive oil.
- Sprinkle garlic salt and cumin on top.
- Flip over pita wedges, repeat coating with oil, salt and cumin.
- Place baking sheet(s) in oven and cook pita wedges for about 15 minutes (checking to make sure they don't burn!)
- Let cool, and serve with Hot Parmesan Garlic Artichoke Dip.
Everyone loves cocktail meatballs at holiday parties! These lovelies have a hint of lemon and sage and are light and fluffy, made with ground pork or chicken. They are first browned on the stovetop and then finished in the oven until golden brown. They're delicious alone, or dipped in a hot pepper jelly (Williams-Sonoma brand is great), balsamic pear jam (there's one by Academia Barilla that is to die for) or simply dipped in balsamic vinegar glace.
Ingredients
- 3 slices of bread, crusts removed
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 pound ground pork or chicken
- 1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup onion, minced
- zest and juice from half a lemon
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon Colavita Argentina EVOO
- 1 tablespoon Colavita Roasted Garlic Cooking Oil Blend
- Red Pepper jelly, for dipping (Williams Sonoma brand)
- Balsamic Pear jam, for dipping (Academia Barilla brand)
- Colavita Balsamic Glace, for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Remove crusts from bread and tear into small pieces in a large mixing bowl, add milk and let soak for 10-15 minutes.
- Mix in ground pork or chicken, sage, garlic, onion, lemon juice and zest, cheese, pepper flakes, egg, salt and pepper with soaked bread crumbs with your hands in a claw-like motion to keep meatballs light and fluffy.
- Roll meat mixture into small to medium size meatballs (small makes approximately 36, medium makes approximately 18).
- Heat olive oils in a large saute pan over medium heat (if not using cooking oil blend, mix EVOO with a tablespoon of butter to avoid temperature from getting too high and splattering).
- Cook meatballs in batches in the oil for about 5 minutes each batch until meatballs are browned on all sides, drain on paper towels.
- Once all meatballs are browned, place them on a large rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray to avoid sticking.
- Bake in the oven for approximately another 15 minutes until cooked through and to keep warm.
- Top with additional garlic salt (if desired), fresh chopped sage, and serve with red pepper jelly and balsamic pear jam, and Colavita Balsamic Glace for dipping.
These zucchini sticks are a great appetizer for any holiday party. They have a light crunchy coating of Japanese Panko seasoned bread crumbs and are finished with a splash of lemon and sprinkling of sea salt. They go perfect with the cool and creamy yogurt dill sauce or even a ranch dressing for dipping.
Ingredients
- CRUNCHY ZUCCHINI STICKS
- Colavita Roasted Garlic Cooking Oil Blend
- 4 medium zucchini, cut into half, into long strips
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cups Panko Japanese-style seasoned breadcrumbs
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- 2 large eggs
- Sea salt, for sprinkling, to taste
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
- Fresh minced dill, for garnish
- YOGURT DILL SAUCE
- 1 cup of Greek yogurt
- 2-3 tablespoon minced dill
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- CRUNCHY ZUCCHINI STICKS
- Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large deep saute pan, about 2 inches high.
- Trim ends off zucchini, cut in half and then in half again lengthwise.
- Cut zucchini into large strips about 1/2 an inch thick.
- Pour the flour and Panko breadcrumbs into one large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- Beat eggs in a separate bowl.
- Dip zucchini sticks in egg, shaking off excess, then dip in bowl to coat with flour and breadcrumbs.
- Place coated zucchini on a baking sheet.
- Fry in batches until golden brown, draining excess oil on another baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top of zucchini and sprinkle with fresh dill and additional sea salt to taste.
- YOGURT DILL SAUCE
- In a medium bowl, mix together greek yogurt, dill, salt and pepper to taste.
*This is a sponsored post by Colavita, but as usual, all opinions expressed are my own. I received 5 bottles of Colavita olive oil samples to create the recipes for this article and holiday promotion. Winners of the giveaway will receive the prizes directly from Colavita by mail and should expect 2-3 weeks delivery time due to the holidays.
**All photographs, recipes and copy are copyrighted by Kristen Hess/The Artful Gourmet 2012 and cannot be republished without my permission or credit on the reposted original material from this article or website.
