olives Archives - My Capital Plate

Easy pearl couscous salad

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on December 12, 2016 | 1 Comment

The tree is up, presents are wrapped, and the girls are well and truly in festive mode.

Yes, Christmas is coming, and I must say – I’m pretty excited.

Sure – our social schedule looks a little crazy (actually, the kids’ social schedule looks a lot crazy), and little J thinks its pretty fun to remove all the baubles from the lower half of the Christmas tree on a daily basis, but we are heading into the holiday break with gusto.

And while there has been a lot of eating out (and takeaway on the way home from various events), there have also been some home-cooked meals. One such meal featured this rather tasty salad – when I had a particular craving for this almost pearl couscous.

And boy was it simple and quick to throw together.

Pearl couscous, cooked for 8 minutes or so, to which I added cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil – to give the dish a little Mediterranean vibe.

No recipe needed, lovely people. Just add the lemon juice and olive oil to taste, with a little cracked pepper for good measure. And feel free to throw in any other fresh herbs you might have on hand too.

Stir, and serve (in a little Christmas bowl if you are feeling so inclined!).

We dished this salad up with some baby spinach and grilled chicken. And it made for a wonderful lunch the next day, when the flavours had developed even more.

A lovely little Summer salad indeed.

Olive and sundried tomato focaccia

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on July 13, 2014 | 4 Comments

Happy Monday lovely people. I trust that you all had a wonderful weekend. Truthfully, ours was not quite as expected. For the little Miss was unwell for most of it, so a lot of time was spent dozing on the couch – hopefully fighting off whatever bug has been present. We did, however, have a pretty busy week last week. We had guests for dinner not once, but twice, and even went out for dinner another night. And while my pants are perhaps a little tighter for it, we certainly enjoyed quite a few tasty meals. One such evening – it was roast lamb. With all the trimmings – roasted vegetables, a cauliflower bake, greens, gravy….. But besides all that – I couldn’t resist creating a little bread dish to start. Olive and sundried tomato focaccia to be precise. I followed this recipe, basically, but added some sundried tomato as well as the olives. And while the end result was rather tasty – it perhaps lacked a little ‘rise’ but I’m blaming that on a shortness of proving time on what was a cold Canberra day. We sliced and served the focaccia as a starter – still warm as it was fresh from the oven. And it was just as yummy the following day – when I used it to make a toasted sandwich for lunch. This was definitely an apt reminder at how lovely home-baked bread is – and a nudge to get my ‘bread-bake’ on more often! For it really is very simple – even if it does take a bit of prep work… What about you? Do you like making your own bread?

Bring a plate #1

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on December 11, 2013 | 5 Comments

Parties with friends, more than often, leads to that age-old request to “bring a plate”. Something to nibble on – perhaps a starter or even a sweet treat to end the evening. This last weekend, was no different. A cocktail party for some recent birthdays, where good food and good company is never in short supply. And my “bring a plate” was pretty straight forward, but possibly one of my favourites. A lovely little antipasto platter – using the best ingredients I could find at the markets. Savoury, no need to heat, and can be prepared in advance = winner! From left to right…. garlic and herb cheese log, sourdough breadsticks, pastrami, truffle salami (!!), smoked prosciutto, gherkins, marinated feta and some kalamata olives. The ‘hit’ at the party was definitely the truffle salami, which is no surprise because its pretty damn good As for me, I will always be a cheese girl, so tucked into the garlic and herb cheese log without hesitation. Definitely a winner when it comes to bringing a plate – all thanks to our local market! What about you? Any savoury ‘bring a plate’ ideas?

Bring a plate – tomato, olive and boccocini bites

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on April 14, 2013 | 4 Comments

We were invited to a cocktail party recently and asked to “bring a plate”. Something savoury to share, and soak up the effects of tequila-laden margaritas. And I think these little bites fit the bill just perfectly. Pitted kalamata olives, baby boccocini and serrano tomatoes (halved), threaded onto skewers (aka.. toothpicks). For a ‘dip’, I cheated and spooned some store-bought basil pesto into a small bowl in the middle of the plate. For we all know that tomatoes + basil are a match made in heaven! Although these take a little time to put together, they are super easy and rather cute! A lovely little retro ‘bring a plate’ contribution. What about you? What do you bring when asked to ‘bring a plate’?

Training and….tapenade

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on November 27, 2010 | 20 Comments

Training: Swim(s) As I have a bike ride and run planned for tomorrow, today was all about the ‘other’ leg of triathlon….the swim! I started by hitting the local pool for a morning 2km swim. Then, after a few hours babysitting our friend’s two children, I returned to nature’s pool… If temperatures are low on race day, wetsuits may be allowed for the swim. After hearing great things about swimming with a wetsuit (buoyancy etc), but not wanting to purchase a new one (due to $$$), I asked around and found someone who wanted to sell theirs. They also kindly let me take it out for a swim to see whether I liked it! My oh my – getting this thing on was quite the task! Particularly with Mr BBB “helpfully” giggling at my efforts…and capturing them on camera. Still going…. Success! With Mr BBB kayaking alongside me, I completed around 700m in the lake. I was worried that swimming in a wetsuit would be restrictive, but it was actually quite comfortable….not to mention the added buoyancy bonus! I think with a few extra wetsuit swims between now and race day, I might just get the hang of it (and getting the wetsuit on!). Mystery Box While it may have seemed like I spent most of the day in the water, I did actually get to spend a little time in the kitchen also. Inspired by a Mystery Box ingredient… Olives! Did you know? The olive tree is the oldest cultivated tree in existence and can live for thousands of years. Olives are in a class of fruits called drupes (characterised by a large seed surrounded by fleshy meat) along with apricots, peaches, cherries and plums. One of my all time favourite way to use olives is to make olive tapenade. It takes less than 5 minutes to make, but lasts for weeks. And, not only is it tasty, it is also super versatile. Speaking of which, you will just have to check back tomorrow to see how I plan on using this tapenade. I am most excited about it already! Olive tapenade

2 cups pitted kalamata olives
1tbs capers
1 clove garlic, chopped
1-2 tbs olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced

Process olives, capers and garlic in a food processor until smooth.
With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a slow continuous stream until well combined.
Stir through lemon juice.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Cover the surface with a little more olive oil to keep fresh.

What about you? Do you have any tips for getting a wetsuit with some sense of dignity? I used ‘plastic bags’ on my feet to help the wetsuit slide on, but pulling it up my legs was quite the effort! Happy Baking 🙂