70 THE QUEENS COURIER • HOLIDAY GUIDE • DECEMBER 20, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
holiday guide
Savor Simplicity
Holiday recipes worth sharing
Most great holiday gatherings start with
great food and end with quality time spent
with loved ones. Th is holiday season, rely on
simple recipes that let you spend less time in
the kitchen and more time celebrating special
moments with family and friends.
As a holiday host, it may be tempting
to explore complicated new recipes to
lend a festive air to your seasonal celebrations.
However, with the right ingredients,
a simple recipe can be equally impressive.
Delicious holiday dishes start with premium
ingredients like Bertolli Olive Oils, which
off er enough versatility to be a must-have
kitchen accessory throughout the holiday
season and onward. From soups to main
dishes to desserts, the rich, quality fl avor
works for nearly every culinary occasion.
Aft er a long day of checking items off
your holiday shopping list, there’s almost
nothing better than a warm bowl of quick
and easy Rustic Minestrone. Th is vegetarian
classic is the perfect mix of marinara
blended with aged cheeses, kale, zucchini
and beans. One of the best parts: It can be
on the table in 10 minutes, meaning less
time cooking and more time spent stringing
up holiday lights with family.
If you’re looking for a simple way to put
a new twist on your turkey, take it to the
next level with a seasonal brine made with
sweet Riesling, garlic cloves, thyme, fresh
cranberries and olive oil. It’s a hands-off
way to make a tried-and-true dish a little
more special.
Finally, when it’s time to wind down the
evening, delight guests by bringing back a
classic dessert: chocolate chip banana bread.
Served slightly warm with a side of fresh
whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream,
it’s a sweet fi nish to any gathering that family
and friends are sure to love.
Find more simple recipes to enjoy during
the holidays at Bertolli.com.
Rustic Minestrone
• 3 tablespoons Bertolli Extra Virgin
Olive Oil, divided
• 1 small zucchini, sliced in 1/2-inch half
moons
• 2 cups tightly packed, thinly sliced
Tuscan kale leaves
• 1 jar (23 ounces) Bertolli Rustic Cut
Th ree Cheese with Aged Asiago,
Romano and Parmesan Sauce
• 1 carton (32 ounces) vegetable broth
• 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans,
rinsed
• 1/3 cup shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
cheese
In 6-quart pot over medium-high heat,
heat 2 teaspoons oil. Add zucchini and
kale; cook, stirring frequently, about 1-2
minutes, or until kale begins to wilt.
Reduce heat to medium; add sauce, broth
and beans. Simmer 5-7 minutes, or until
heated. Top with shaved cheese before
serving.
Tips: Substitute garbanzo beans, kidney
beans, pinto beans or tri-bean blend
for cannellini beans. For heartier soup,
add 3 cups (9 ounces) refrigerated tortellini
pasta with broth and beans. Simmer
soup 8-10 minutes more, or until pasta is
cooked through.
Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread
Recipe courtesy of Justin Schuble on
behalf of Bertolli Olive Oil
• 3/4 cup Bertolli Olive Oil, plus additional
for coating pan
• 3 ripe medium bananas, divided
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose fl our
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
or chips
• 1/4 cup nut spread
Heat oven to 350 F.
Coat 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with olive oil.
In mixing bowl, mash 2 bananas. Add
applesauce, egg, egg white and vanilla to
bananas and whisk.
In separate bowl, combine fl our, sugar,
baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Slowly
add wet ingredients to dry ingredients
and mix. Add olive oil slowly and mix
until combined.
Fold in chocolate chunks. Pour batter
into loaf pan.
Heat nut spread in microwave until
it reaches pourable consistency. Swirl
spread into top of batter. Th inly slice long,
fl at strips of banana. Add slices to top of
batter for decoration.
Place loaf pan in oven and bake 1 hour.
Remove bread and cool before slicing.
Cranberry Riesling
Brined Turkey
• 1 quart water
• 6 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
• 1 bottle (750 milliliters) Riesling wine
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced, divided
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed but left in skins
• 1 bunch fresh thyme, divided
• 2 cups fresh cranberries, slightly
crushed, divided
• 1 turkey (16 pounds), giblet package
and neck removed
• ice water, for covering turkey
• 1/2 cup Bertolli Mild Olive Oil
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
In pot, bring water, bay leaves, peppercorns,
mustard seeds and kosher salt
to boil. Stir until salt is dissolved. Cool
to room temperature.
Pour brine into 5-gallon stock pot or
container. Pour in wine then add one
shallot, garlic, thyme (reserving some
for stuffi ng turkey) and 1 cup cranberries.
Slowly lower in turkey.
Pour ice water into pot to cover turkey.
Place lid on pot and refrigerate at
least 24 hours.
Heat oven to 500 F. Remove turkey
from brine, pat dry and stuff with
reserved shallot, thyme and cranberries.
Place turkey in roasting pan.
Generously massage olive oil into skin
of turkey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper,
to taste. Use kitchen twine to tie legs
together so turkey will keep its shape.
Place in roasting pan and roast 20 minutes.
Lightly brush skin again with olive
oil, reduce heat to 350 F and roast until
internal temperature reaches 155-160 F
on meat thermometer.
Allow turkey to rest, loosely covered
with foil, 30 minutes before carving.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images Courtesy Family Features