Fennel Stuffed With Cream Cheese And Kalamata Olives Recipes

STUFFED OLIVES

Steps:

• Using a butter knife, simply fill each olive with the desired amount of cream cheese. Serve on a decorative plate!

KALAMATA OLIVES WITH FENNEL AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Using a stripper or vegetable peeler, remove orange zest in long strips, avoiding pith. With a sharp stainless-steel knife, remove pith. Cut between membranes into sections and cut sections into thirds.
• Toss orange zest and pieces with remaining ingredients, and serve.

BAKED OLIVES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a saute pan heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add fennel and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until fennel is tender.
• In a small baking dish combine olives, red wine, garlic and Sauteed fennel. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining olive oil.
• Bake, uncovered, until olives and fennel are heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve warm with chunks of peasant bread

FENNEL STUFFED WITH CREAM CHEESE AND KALAMATA OLIVES

Steps:

• Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb, reserving fronds, and cut outer 2 layers loose at base, removing them carefully and reserving rest of bulb for another use. Chop reserved fronds. In a small bowl cream together cream cheese, olives, and chopped fronds. Spread inside of larger fennel layer with cream cheese mixture and press back of other layer onto filling firmly. Chill fennel, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Unwrap fennel and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Cut slices crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-wide sections.

RIGATONI STUFFED WITH CHICKEN AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Cook rigatoni in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander, shaking vigorously. Cool on an oiled cookie sheet or clean countertop until nearly dry and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Reserve.
• Puree chicken, fennel, and egg white in a food processor until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl nested inside a larger bowl half-filled with iced water. Stir until evenly chilled.
• Add cream, a 1/4 cup at a time, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon after each addition, until all is added. Stir in salt, pepper, and hot sauce. (At this stage, the stuffing can be stored in refrigerator up to 24 hours.)
• To stuff rigatoni, fill a pastry bag fitted with a #4 plain tip with chicken mixture and stuff rigatoni from both ends. Reserve.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• To make sauce, combine cream, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in a medium ovenproof skillet. Bring to a boil. Add stuffed rigatoni, return to a boil, then transfer to oven. Bake until sauce is thick and bubbly, and rigatoni is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Spoon into serving bowls or plates, sprinkle with chives, and serve hot.

BABY SHELL PASTA SALAD WITH KALAMATA OLIVES AND ROASTED FENNEL

Steps:

• Cook the pasta until eldente (don't over cook); drain, and rinse with cold water; set aside.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Toss the 3-4 cloves (or more if desired) of whole unpeeled garlic with the fennel and the sliced onions with the 3 Tbsp olive oil OR vegetable oil; spread on a small greased cookie sheet or baking pan, and roast in the oven until lightly browned and tender (approx 20-30 minutes).
• Remove from oven; set aside the fennel and onion.
• In a bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, barbecue sauce and lime juice with salt and pepper to taste.
• Squeeze the baked garlic out of it's peel, and add whisk into the dressing.
• Dice the baked onions, fennel and the tomatoes; add to the cooked pasta shells.
• Add the olives, fresh herbs and the dressing mix; toss everything well to coat.
• Cover and chill for 1 or more hours to blend the flavors.
• Before serving, sprinkle with the Romano or Parmesan cheese, and the crushed chili peppers.
• ***NOTE:if desired 2-3 Tbsp grated Romano or Parmesan cheese may be mixed into the salad.

CHEESE STUFFED OLIVES

Steps:

• Place cream cheese, goat cheese, Parmesan, basil, roasted garlic, and salt and pepper into a food processor; pulse until smooth and well blended. Spoon filling into a cookie press or pastry bag (a plastic baggie with the corner cut out will also work), and fill olives.