Main Dishes

• 1 rack of pork baby back ribs
• 1 ½ cups Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar
• ¼ cup Baklouti Green Chili Olive Oil
• 2 tsp. sea salt

Coat ribs on both sides with the olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Place ribs meat side down and pour the balsamic into a large ziplock bag.  Make sure that the balsamic covers the meat to the bone, add more balsamic if needed to cover.  Marinate for 8-12 hours in the refrigerator.  Bake at 225 degrees for an hour.  When grill is hot, but not flaming, place ribs onto grill and heat through.  As the ribs are grilling, heat the marinate for about 5-10 minutes, this makes a nice sauce to top the ribs or side sauce.

• 2-4 bone in beef rib-eye
• 3 tbsp. Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
• black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• bleu cheese for garnish

Preheat your grill to about 400 degrees.  Set out steaks and brush with the olive oil, then season with fresh ground black pepper to taste.  Place on grill and cook to desired doneness.  Meanwhile, add more olive oil to a small sauce pan on low heat.  Add in rosemary, parsley, and garlic.  Gently warm for about 5 minutes.  Pour the warm herbs and oil into a baking dish.  Immediately transfer your steaks into this mixture once

• 2-2 ½ lb. boneless pork shoulder roast
• ½ large sweet onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup Espresso Balsamic Vinegar (or any other desired balsamic)
• ⅓ cup honey
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce

Place onion and garlic in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Trim excess fat off the pork, season with salt and pepper and place on top of the onion and garlic.  Add the remaining ingredients into the slow cooker and set it at 8 hours on low.  After the 8 hours, shred the pork, and put it back into the slow cooker to marinade in the sauce until you are ready to serve.  Can be served as a sandwich, or on a baguette  topped with greens as an appetizer.

• 2 lbs. bottom round roast or flank steak cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 tbsp. Chipotle Olive Oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 large yellow pepper
• 2-4 tsp. salt (to taste)
• 15 oz. can light kidney beans
• 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
• 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed
• 2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 3 tbsp. MN Nice Spice Totally Taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 4 tbsp. Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
• cheddar cheese to garnish

Heat 3 tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet, add beef and cook, stirring frequently, until brown (about 4 minutes).  You may have to divide the beef into two to even brown all beef.  Transfer to a 5-6 quart slow cooker.  Add the onion, peppers, and mushrooms to the skillet and saute until onions are transparent, transfer mixture to the slow cooker.  Mix all ingredients and let stew on low for 8-10 hours or on medium for 4-6 hours.  Once chili is cooked through add the balsamic and stir until incorporated completely.  Top with cheddar cheese and a small dollop of sour cream and drizzle with the remaining olive oil for a more intense flavor.

• ¼ cup Herbs de Provence Olive Oil
• 4 whole boneless rainbow trout
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 thin lemon slices
• 1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 cups watercress leaves
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
• ¼ cp creme fraiche

Preheat oven to 500 degrees with rack set in upper third of oven.  Place trout on parchment paper, skin side down.  Season cavity of trout generously with olive oil, salt, and pepper, the place 2-4 sprigs of thyme and 3 lemon slices in cavity.  Fold over to enclose trout, and season skin with salt and pepper.  Brush lightly with more olive oil, transfer to over and cook 4-5 minutes.  Rotate pan and continue cooking until skin is crispy and golden brown and flesh is just opaque throughout, about 4-5 more minutes.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss watercress, radishes, feta, and walnuts with your  favorite vinaigrette, then divide salad between 4 plates.  Transfer trout to plates and serve immediately with a dollop of creme fraiche.

• 4 ½ lbs. pork tenderloins
• 4 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar (of your choice)
• 4 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (of your choice)
• 8 cloves garlic, cracked
• steak seasoning blend
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Trim silver skin or connective tissue off tenderloins with a very sharp, thin knife.  Place tenderloins on a nonstick cookie sheet with a rim.  Coat tenderloins in a few tablespoons of your balsamic vinegar, rubbing vinegar into the meat.  Drizzle tenderloins with your olive oil, just enough to coat.  Cut small slits into meat and disperse chunks of cracked garlic into meat.  Combine steak seasoning blend with rosemary and thyme and rub meat with blend.  Roast in oven for 20 minutes.  Let meat rest, transfer to a carving board, slice and serve.

• 12 chicken thighs
• ⅓ cup dijon mustard
• ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. Blood Orange Olive Oil
• 3 tbsp. Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tbsp. italian seasoning
• 1-2 cups chicken stock

Place chicken in single layer in a 9x13 inch baking dish.  In bowl, whisk mustard, soy sauce, lemon juice, and oil.  Pour over chicken; turn to coat evenly.  Sprinkle on mixed herbs.  Cover with foil.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Remove foil; baste with juices.  Add stock as needed so tops of chicken remain exposed; stir to turn up any bits that have formed on bottom of dish.  Baste again.  Roast one hour.  Tops of thighs will turn caramel color.  Transfer chicken to platter. Transfer liquid to gravy boat to pass separately.

• 1 small eggplant, cut into ¾ inch cubes
• 8 tbsp. Extra Virgin or your favorite Flavored Olive Oil
• 2 large red bell peppers, cut into ¾ inch pieces
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 12 oz. small zucchini, cut into ¾ inch thick rounds
• 1 lb. tomatoes, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar (optional)
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil

Place eggplant in colander, sprinkle with salt, let strand for 30 minutes, and pat eggplant dry with paper towels.  Heat 4 tbsp. olive oil in heavy non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add eggplant and saute until brown and cooked through, about 6 minutes.  Transfer eggplant to large bowl.  Heat one tbsp. olive oil in same skillet over medium-high heat and add bell peppers, saute until light brown, about 5 minutes.  Then add bell peppers to eggplant.  Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to same skillet and add chopped onion, saute until brown, about 4 minutes.  Then add onion to eggplant.  Heat  tbsp. olive oil in same pan and add zucchini and brown lightly, about 3 minutes.  Then add to rest of the vegetables.  Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat, add tomatoes, garlic, bayleaf, and thyme and saute mixture 3 minutes.  Return all vegetables to skillet and reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until vegetables are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.  Season ratatouille to taste with salt and pepper.  Mix in 2 tsp. red wine vinegar, if desired.  Discard bay leaf.  Mix basil into ratatouille and serve.