Olivella's: A Taste of Napoli in Dallas

Tucked on a little side street across from SMU is a lovely little pizzeria named Olivella's. The first time Robert and I attempted to dine here was on a Saturday night shortly after the college students had returned from Christmas break and the place was packed with a line of people waiting out the door for a table. That night we decided to eat elsewhere, but the quant little spot remained on my mind.

This week I had the privilege of participating in campus interviews at SMU for my employer, Sendero Business Services. During one of our lunch breaks between interviews my coworkers, Susanne and Trey, and I decided to try Olivella's. We were pleased to find the restaurant was quiet and the decor quite lovely for the tiny space.

I decided to try their Ham & Cheese sandwich served with a small side salad and a balsamic pesto dipping sauce on the side. The sandwich was more like a panini with bread that was light and fluffy like pizza crust and filled with prosciutto, tomatoes, and house made mozzarella. It was delicious and flavorful and the dipping sauce was divine. I never would have thought to add balsamic vinegar to pesto, but I'm now convinced it's a great idea. I may even try making my own here pretty soon.

Trey ordered their Mezzaluna, a pizza that's half calzone and half margherita pizza. It looked delicious, and perfectly browned on the calzone side. Susanne ordered their pear and gorgonzola salad with walnuts and she too was pleased with her choice. We all agreed that Olivella's was a place worth remembering for future outings.

When I got home and told Robert of our lunch, he was ready to try their menu himself. Needing some distance between meals, I was able to hold him off until tonight when we ordered a Caesar salad and their Pulcino e Porco (aka The Dream) pizza for take out. The dressing on the salad left much to be desired as it was overly thick and tasted like anchovy spiked mayonnaise. Fortunately we ordered the dressing on the side and I was able to taste it before pouring it on our salads. I replaced it with a simple balsamic vinaigrette for a quick save.

Finally, there was the pizza. Oh my goodness. I dare say this was the best pizza I have tasted in quite some time. The pizza includes chicken, thinly shaved pancetta, house made mozzarella, gorgonzola, and sliced jalapenos with tomato sauce. The peppers were just spicy enough to enhance the flavor and not so spicy as to overwhelm the palate. The balance of flavors between the bacon, cheeses and peppers was delightful, so much so that Robert and I each ate our full half which is considerably more than we normally would have eaten.

One last comment, Olivella's claims to be a Napolitana style pizzeria and they remain true to their name. When I studied abroad in Italy, I spent a day in Naples and had pizza while there. The thing that makes Napolitana pizza distinct from other Italian regions is it's thin crust and drizzle of olive oil on top. The pizzas I had in Naples were a little too heavy handed on the oil for my taste, but Olivella's is able to utilize the concept without drowning the pizza in oil. The finished product is delicious and unlike any other pizza offered in Dallas. Next time you're craving authentic Italian pizza, give this spot a try but you might want to avoid weekend nights as it's small dining room can fill up fast.

Southwestern Risotto

As I mentioned yesterday, earlier last week I picked up a few pints of roasted hatch chile peppers intent on making two creative recipes with them. The first was the Hatch Chile Chicken Salad, and the second was this Southwestern Risotto. I have never before thought to use peppers of any variety in a risotto, having previously associated the dish with subtler flavor profiles such as mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, and the like. Thursday, however, as I was walking around the produce section at Central Market, Hatch peppers in hand I knew I wanted to see how it would taste in risotto.

So I picked up some corn and cherry tomatoes that I knew would complement the peppers well and picked up a chicken breast to bake and I was ready to give it a whirl. I decided to grill the corn to give a smokiness to the kernels and to go along with the roasted flavor of the peppers. Additionally, I roasted the tomatoes, largely because I much prefer the taste of tomatoes when they are cooked as opposed to raw. I baked a chicken breast half to add, but you could easily use meat from a rotisserie chicken or leftover baked chicken from the night before to simplify the process.

The result was absolutely delicious! The sweetness of the corn and tomatoes was the perfect contrast to the slight heat of the peppers. The chicken added a nice bit of protein, an essential component for any meal for my husband!

One quick note before the recipe. I recently purchased a jar of chicken bouillon for a recipe and it saved me from disaster on this meal! You see, I was well into the risotto process when I discovered I only had half of the chicken broth I needed for the recipe. When I remembered I had chicken bouillon on hand I mixed some up with water, heated it in the microwave and I was ready to go! Crisis averted! So all that to say, it's a good idea to keep some chicken bouillon on hand just in case you find yourself in need of chicken broth at the last minute!

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Southwestern Risotto


Ingredients
1 cup arborio rice
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Chardonnay
4 cups chicken broth, heated
1/2 cup chopped Hatch peppers, roasted and peeled
2 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
Salt and Pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
You will want to have the corn, chicken, tomatoes and peppers ready when you start the risotto process. Start with grilling the corn, I used my grill pan on the stove top to stay out of the heat. Heat the grill or grill pan over medium high heat and place the cobs directly on the grill.

Cook, turning every 2 minutes, for about 8-10 minutes until fully cooked.

Remove from the grill and cut the kernels from the cob. Place in a bowl and set aside.

While the corn is on the grill, cut the tomatoes in half and drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

If you purchase your hatch chile peppers already roasted, simply remove the skin and stem, chop and set aside. If you need to roast them yourself here's some great instructions.

Now that all the star ingredients are prepped, it's on to the risotto!
Melt a tablespoon of butter in a heavy bottomed large pot over medium- high heat.

Add the onions and saute until softened and browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 more minutes.

Season with a little salt and pepper then add the cup of arborio rice and stir to coat with the oil.

Pour in the cup of Chardonnay and stir until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.

 Add a 1/2 cup of warmed chicken broth at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding the next 1/2 cup. Repeat until the rice has reached the desired texture, not mushy but with a little bite like al dente pasta.

Add in the corn,

 hatch peppers,

 chicken,

 and tomatoes,  Stir to combine.

Serve in a bowl and enjoy with a glass of Chardonnay.

Healthy Sunday Supper for Two: Breaded Cod, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Spinach Salad with Apples

Bunker travels every week for work, and so we try to make the most of the few dinners that we get to share with each other. Sunday night is my favorite night to stay home and cook something new and hopefully delicious. Bunker loves fish, I have never been such a big fan. I also am incredibly intimidated by the whole process of cooking fish: choosing which type of fish, choosing the right amount, choosing the best looking fillet, and then you get home with it, and yikes, you actually have to figure out what to do with it in the kitchen!! It has always struck me as being so delicate and temperamental, I have always just avoided the whole idea and let Bunker enjoy his fish dinners at restaurants.

Well, as you know by now, it is hot in Dallas, exceptionally hot. And for some odd reason, fresh fish really sounded like just the right thing for dinner this past Sunday. Something fresh, light, summery, healthy, and indeed, something my husband would love to eat at home. So I dove right into the deep end and made fish! Cod to be exact. It has a very subtle flavor and is very light and flaky. Turns out, choosing fish is not so hard, just ask the fishmonger at the grocery store. Mine pointed me in the perfect direction and chose how much we needed for two people (a little less than 7 ounces), which fish to choose based on my aversion to fishiness, and made certain that we were getting the freshest of fillets.

I then came home to tackle the fish in the kitchen. And honestly, this was one of the easiest dinners to prepare! Few ingredients and little hands on time! I accompanied the breaded cod with roasted sweet potatoes, a crusty loaf of bread, and a fresh spinach salad with sliced apples, almonds and cranberries. I cannot say that it helped with the heat, but it certainly was a delicious dinner that left us feeling satisfied but not uncomfortably full.  

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Ingredients:
1/4 cup of Italian bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon of cornmeal
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasonings
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 or 7 ounce fillet of cod (I left mine whole, but you can cut yours into two pieces)
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Gather all of your ingredients.

3. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, cornmeal, oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper. Stir together until mixed.

4. Spray the bottom of your baking dish with non-stick spray.
5. Place the cod fillet in the baking dish, and fold under any of the thinner pieces so that everything will cook evenly.

6. Brush the cod with he egg white.

7. Sprinkle the breading onto the cod.

8. Bake the cod for 10 to 12 minutes. You will know that the fish is finished cooking when the fish flakes easily with a fork.

9. Enjoy with roasted sweet potatoes, a crusty loaf of bread, and a fresh spinach salad with apples, cranberries and almonds!

Classico Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

There are many things I love about summer, and no I am not talking about the Texas heat! What I am talking about are the wide array of fresh vegetables that are in season during the summer months. Many of these vegetables are my favorites and I crave them year round and purchase them at the grocery store whenever they are available. While I may be able to enjoy fresh spinach, bell peppers and tomatoes year round, their flavor is unparalleled when they are enjoyed in their proper season.

I love pasta that includes fresh vegetables, a little oil and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and no sauce. This is especially true with in this pasta dish. The bell peppers and spinach really shine while the cheese adds just a touch of creaminess to round out the palette. Next time you're craving a nice bowl of pasta this summer, you should give this recipe a try, I think you'll find it to taste like summer.

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Classico Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup sliced shallots

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 yellow bell pepper, julienned

2 cups raw spinach, thinly sliced

1/4 cup basil, chiffonade

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

3 1/2 cups water

1/2 pound angel hair pasta

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Salt and pepper the chicken breast halves and place in the oil.

Cook until the chicken is browned, about 3 minutes each side.

Place in a prepared baking dish and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the shallots, bell peppers and spinach and set aside.



Pour the chicken broth and water into a large pot and bring to a boil.

Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, I cooked mine for 5 minutes for al dente.

Drain and reserve some of the pasta liquid.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and add the pine nuts.

 Cook until golden brown and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the bell peppers and shallots for about 3 minutes.

 Add the spinach and basil and cook until wilted.

 Add the sun dried tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes.

 Remove from the heat and add the chopped chicken, pasta and Parmesan cheese to the skillet.

Toss and mix well until the cheese is melted and incorporated in the pasta. Top with additional Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

 Source: Neiman Marcus Pure and Simple Cookbook