Olive Tapenade Toast
This one is for all of you olive lovers out there! Here is my take on a tapenade with many flavorful components. Enjoy on toast or crackers as an appetizer, or keep in your fridge for a versatile condiment.
If you have a food processor, this recipe is about as easy as it gets. Simply pulse garlic and shallot until roughly chopped. Add the rest of the tapenade ingredients and continue to pulse to desired texture. I prefer a finer texture for my tapenade that spreads easily on toast or crackers or as a condiment for meals.
Kitchen Tip!
My kitchen tip today is, invest in a food processor. If you find annoyance in chopping or shredding things like vegetables or cheese for recipes, a food processor is for you! The pulse function with the basic blade makes chopping vegetable a cinch. Another one of my favorite functions is the ability to shred vegetables or cheese with ease. My rheumatoid arthritis does make certain kitchen functions, like shredding massive blocks of cheese or a huge zucchini, by hand a painful chore. My food processor has two blade options for shredding so you can choose how fine you want your food, and it saves so much time! You are also able to slice vegetables or make smooth sauces and condiments such as hummus, homemade nut butters, or tapenade!
Nutrition Tip!
The Mediterranean diet is one of the most heavily researched health-promoting dietary patterns. Some of the health benefits of this eating style include prevention and management of chronic disease such as heart disease, diabetes, chronic inflammation, and brain health.[1] The American Heart Association lists the Mediterranean diet as a healthy dietary pattern for heart health. Stand out components of the Mediterranean diet include olive oil, olives, whole grains, wine, leafy greens, capers, legumes, lemons, garlic, herbs, nuts, seeds, fish, poultry, dairy, and fruits and veggies. As you can see, olive tapenade is a very Mediterranean style condiment including many ingredients commonly eaten in the region. Other lifestyle components beyond dietary factors of individuals living in this reason very likely also play a role in these health benefits such a preparing more food at home and eating meals in a social setting. My hope through recipe development is always to be an inspiration to spend more time in the kitchen, and enjoy food with friends and family. So at your next small gathering within your COVID bubble, prep this tapenade as an easy, tasty, and health promoting appetizer!
Olive Tapenade Toast
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small shallot
- 1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, drained
- 1 cup kalamata olives, drained
- 2 Tbsp capers, drained
- 1 Tbsp fresh oregano
- 3 Tbsp fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- bread
Instructions
- To make olive tapenade, first place garlic cloves and shallot in a food processor, and pulse until they are roughly chopped.
- Add olives, capers, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, and olive oil in the food process along with the chopped garlic and shallot. Pulse until tapenade is chopped into the consistency you prefer. You may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula.
- Slice bread and brush with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and broil on high for 5-7 minutes, or until edges are just starting to toast.
- Remove from oven and top with olive tapenade. Enjoy!
Notes:
Olive tapenade is also delicious to eat with crackers.
References
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/mediterranean-diet
