KALAMATA OLIVE AND ROSEMARY BREAD, Kalamata Olive Tofu Spread

most crazy-good tofu scramble made with a balsamic vinaigrette, kalamata olives, portabella mushrooms, and other veggies. It's served with tasty garlic home fries and whole wheat toast with all-natural strawberry fruit spread!

Kalamata Olive Tofu Spread

This recipe started with a loaf of bread. I had a locally baked loaf of rosemary olive bread, and wanted a tofu spread as a base for making fresh vegetable sandwiches. After making the spread, I liked it so much that I thought it would be delicious as part of an appetizer platter as well. You see it here stuffed in cherry tomatoes and waiting to be scooped up with bread slices. The kalamata olive flavor is pronounced but not overpowering, and there's a hint of garlic, of course.


Kalamata Olive Tofu Spread

1 12.3 ounce package organic firm silken tofu
1 large clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon tahini
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half

Combine all in a food processor. Serve as a sandwich spread or dip.

kalamata olive bread

KALAMATA OLIVE AND ROSEMARY BREAD

KALAMATA OLIVE AND ROSEMARY BREAD

Ingredients:
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup garbanzo flour
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp white rice flour
5 Tbsp teff flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
2 Tbsp flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)
3 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped roughly
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
2 whole eggs
2 eggs, whites separated from yolks
3/4 cup water, room temperature
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Optional: Coarse sea salt crystals for crust

Preheat the oven to 200°F.

Sift the flours, yeast and all other dry ingredients (except coarse sea salt) into a medium bowl. Stir in flax meal and rosemary, and combine.

Directions:
Combine wet ingredients, including the two whole eggs and the two separated egg whites in a large bowl, using a hand-mixer on low or medium speed. [The two separated egg yolks should be set aside in a small bowl for later use as a glaze]. When fully combined, add kalamata olives. Slowly add dry ingredient mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until fully blended, with no lumps. Scrape the sides regularly.

Grease a 9x5" bread pan, and pour the dough into the pan. Use a spatula or knife to evenly shape the top of the loaf. Cut two diagonal slashes in the top of the loaf. Beat the two separated egg yolks that have been set aside and brush the top of the loaf very lightly with them. Optional: Sprinkle coarse sea salt crystals very sparsely to embellish the loaf.

Great Food for Enjoy Time

Planning a picnic usually means slapping together some sandwiches or frying up some chicken. But if you use a little imagination, it's easy to put together a picnic basket full of perfect food for a romantic picnic for two.

• Antipasto: A selection of fine meats and little salads is a wonderful picnic basket food idea to enjoy a variety of tastes and textures. Italian salami, marinated artichokes, bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping, prosciutto, and cornichons all make great finger-foods that make it easy for a lazy afternoon of food grazing. You also have the added bonus of enjoying the intimacy of feeding each other.
• Cheese - Always a favorite picnic food, a selection of fine cheese can create the perfect atmosphere for a romantic picnic. In addition to your favorites like sharp cheddar and brie, look for some unusual, new varieties like Spanish machengo or cabrales. Instead of Swiss cheese, try Jarlsberg. A great little cheese board and cheese knife make for a great serving platter, too.
• Wine - What romantic picnic wouldn't include wine? Red wine is certainly popular for romance, but a picnic often includes lighter picnic food ideas that may be better suited to a white wine. A romantic picnic at a warm outdoor location makes white or rose wine a logical choice. Looking for real romance and a way to impress your partner? Try champagne. To avoid possibly breaking your fine wine glasses, can easily find nice looking and very serviceable plastic wine glasses, bringing that special element of elegance to your picnic.
• Chocolate - Not only delicious, but research is growing that chocolate has actual aphrodisiac qualities. Don't just think of the standards like chocolate-covered cherries or a bar of Ghirardelli. Look for freshly made chocolate-covered strawberries, dark chocolate truffles dusted with high-quality cocoa powder, or even red velvet or Devil's food cake.
• Fruit - Healthy and delicious, fresh fruit can be a great way to end a romantic picnic. Precut bite-sized portions of pineapple or fresh berries are great for sharing. Try some of the exotic fruits like star fruit, Asian pear or passion fruit that you can taste and experience for the first time together during your picnic.

Be a little unconventional and skip the standard cole slaw and potato salad in your picnic basket. Selecting your food items for a romantic picnic can be almost as much fun as the picnic itself.

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