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As we’re sure you all know, it’s Girl Scout cookie season! And what better to whip up than a homemade, healthier version of one of the favorites: Tagalongs! Featuring a shortbread style crust, a peanut butter layer, and a dark chocolate layer with sea salt, these Heathier Tagalong Bars will satisfy any sweet (or salty) craving.

Healthier Tagalong Cookie Bar Recipe:

• 1 cup almond flour    
• 2 tbsp Wild Groves Kitchen Blend Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or agave 
• Pinch of salt 
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 
• 1.5 3oz dark chocolate bars, melted (We used 80%)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions:

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rectangular loaf pan with parchment paper. Next, in a small bowl, combine almond flour, olive oil, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Mix until there are no loose bits of almond flour and a soft dough is made. Press this mixture onto the parchment-lined pan and bake until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. While your crust is baking, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler or in a microwave safe bowl. If using the microwave, melt in 1.5 minute increments and stir frequently. Once the crust has finished baking, let it cool for about 10 minutes. Once the crust is cooled, spread the peanut butter on top of the crust. Next, pour over the melted chocolate and make sure it reaches all of the edges of the pan. Top with sea salt or maldon salt if desired, and place in the refrigerator or freezer to firm before serving. Enjoy!

Product Links:

Wild Groves Kitchen Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Wondering how to use our artichoke spreads besides using them as a spread for crackers or with crudités? Our Artichoke Spread and our Artichoke Green Olive Spread are packed with so much flavor and are the perfect accompaniment to a variety of dishes. This blog post is going to give you 5 new and creative ways to use our delicious tapenades! 

1. Use it on garlic bread for a savory side. 

For a fun take on traditional garlic bread, add a layer of one of our artichoke spreads to baguette or french bread slices. Then, make a mixture of our Double Garlic Olive Oil, grated parmesan cheese, roasted or minced garlic, and spread on top. Bake at 425 degrees F for 8-10 minutes (or until golden brown) and you've got a garlic bread packed with flavor to accompany pasta, soup, or whatever you'd like! 

2. Toss it with pasta, hot or cold! 

Did you know you could use our tapenades instead of pesto, red sauce, or alfredo on pasta? Because the spread is packed in a delicious olive oil, they are perfect for pasta salads or hot pasta dishes. Simply toss any type of cooked pasta with as much spread to cover, and add in your choice of protein, and any other veggies such as roasted peppers, eggplant, broccoli, or spinach! 

3. Add it to your avocado toast in the morning, or for a quick snack!

Paired with the creamy avocado, a crusty slice of bread, and a squeeze of lemon, these tapenades will shine on an avocado toast! The Artichoke Green Olive spread will pair especially well in this application, as the green olives add the perfect amount of briny, savory flavor. 

4. Use as a spread in a wrap, panini, sandwich, or a burger.

To add rich flavor to a wrap, panini, sandwich, or burger, look no further than our artichoke spreads. We would suggest a caprese panini stuffed with fresh mozarella, tomatoes, basil leaves, artichoke spread, and a little balsamic. Alternatively, either spread would pair beautifully with a greek style burger or wrap with feta cheese, thinly sliced red onion, and juicy tomatoes. 

5. Spread on top of your homemade pizzas!

Either of our delicious tapenades are perfect for pizza night at home. Substitute the tapenade for the red sauce, or dollop it on top of the red sauce for added flavor, especially if you are low on pizza toppings that night. To dress up your pizza crust, add the tapenade in a thin layer and then sprinkle cheese overtop for a decadent crust. 

These 5 ways to use our artichoke spreads are our absolute favorite! Especially when you're in a pinch, these spreads are a fantastic way to add flavor to even the simplest dishes. Let us know your favorite way in the comments below! 

Product Links:

Artichoke Green Olive Tapenade 

Artichoke Tapenade 

This Easy Bruschetta recipe is perfect for entertaining, for a weeknight appetizer, or even for a light lunch! Featuring our Foxy Extra Virgin Olive Oil (our highest polyphenol count oil yet), two types fresh tomatoes, the Wild Groves Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, minced garlic, salt, and pepper, and a bread of your choice, this recipe is simple, delicious, and healthy to boot. All of these ingredients are likely in your kitchen right now, and if you have fresh basil, this recipe will be even better. To add even more flavor to this bruschetta, try adding in our Garlic Stuffed Olives or a couple tablespoons of our Artichoke Spread!

Easy Bruschetta Recipe:

Serves 4

• 2 tbsp Foxy Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• 4 medium tomatoes, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 tbsp Wild Groves Traditional Balsamic Vinegar 
• 1 tsp dried basil or 1/4 thinly sliced fresh basil 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 slices of bread (French bread or from a crusty loaf) 

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, toss together the tomatoes, garlic, basil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Let marinate for 10-15 minutes. While the tomato mixture is marinating, toast or grill your slices of bread until they are golden brown. When the slices have cooled slightly, top with the tomato mixture and extra basil or balsamic vinegar if needed for garnish. Serve immediately! 

Product Links:

Foxy Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar 

Muffins are the perfect on-the-go breakfast, especially if they contain healthy ingredients like almond flour, blueberries, and Wild Groves Olive oil to fuel your morning. These Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins are stuffed with fresh blueberries and are not too sweet, making them a great choice to start your day. Check out the link in our bio for the recipe!

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins:

Recipe adapted from Beaming Baker 

• 2 cups gluten free flour (we used 1 cup almond flour and one cup Trader Joe's gluten free flour) 
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons milk of choice 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar 
• 3 tablespoons Kitchen Blend Olive Oil 
• 1/2 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 6 or 12 cup muffin pan with muffin liners or spray with nonstick spray. 
2. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients: gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients: milk, lemon juice or ACV, olive oil, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until well incorporated.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until incorporated. Fold in blueberries.
5. Pour batter evenly into prepared the muffin pan and bake for 22-30 minutes. For bakery-size muffins, bake for around 26 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick or a knife and if it comes out clean, they're done. 
6. Cool muffins for 20 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 1-2 hours before placing in a container to store. 

Product Links:

Kitchen Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Easy Focaccia Recipe:

Adopted from Gimme Some Oven

• 1 1/3 cup warm water, about 110 degrees F
• 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
• 1 (0.25 ounce) package active-dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Wild Groves Kitchen Blend Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 teaspoons sea salt 
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• flaked sea salt

Instructions:

1. Add warm water (about 110°F) and sugar to a bowl and stir to combine. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. Give the yeast a quick stir to mix it in with the water. Then let it sit for 5-10 minute until the yeast is foamy.
2. In the same bowl, gradually add flour, olive oil and salt. Continue mixing the dough until it isn't too sticky and you can form a ball, about 4 minutes. 
3. Remove dough from the mixing bowl, and use your hands to shape it into a ball. Grease the mixing bowl (or a separate bowl) with olive oil or cooking spray, then place the dough ball back in the bowl and cover it with a damp towel.  Place in a warm location (a warm oven or by a window) and let it rise for 45-60 minutes, or until the dough has nearly doubled in size.
4. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and roll it out into a large circle or rectangle until that the dough is about 1/2-inch thick*.  Cover the dough with a greased piece of plastic wrap, and let the dough continue to rise for another 20 minutes.
5. Remove the plastic wrap, and transfer the dough to a large baking sheet. Use your fingers to poke deep dents (seriously, poke all the way down to the baking sheet!) all over the surface of the dough.  Then drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil evenly all over the top of the dough, and sprinkle evenly with the fresh rosemary needles and sea salt.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is slightly golden and cooked through.  Remove from the oven, and drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired.
7. Slice and and serve warm.

Product Links: 

Wild Groves Kitchen Blend Olive Oil

You may be thinking: pasta isn't high-protein, right? Well, it can be! In this recipe we used a chickpea pasta (14g/serving), which contains double the amount of protein per serving compared to a normal wheat pasta (7g/serving). Chickpea pasta tastes slightly of chickpeas but overall has a very pleasant flavor and cooks up beautifully (it doesn't fall apart, either). When the chickpea pasta is paired with this robust kale pesto, you have a delicious, quick, and easy pasta dish that can also be served cold or at room temperature like we have here. 

Protein Pasta Salad with Kale Pesto Recipe:

• 1 box High-Protein pasta (We used Banza)
• 1 large bunch Tuscan kale, ribs and stems removed
• 1/3 cup raw cashews 
• ¼ cup Wild Groves Robust Blend or Olio Nuovo
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups baby spinach 
• Red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese for serving, optional  

Instructions:

Place a large pot on the stove and set it to boil. In the meantime, make the kale pesto by blending the kale, cashews, olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese, kosher salt, and black pepper in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, adding a small amount of water if needed along the way. Once your water is boiling, add the protein pasta and cooked for the recommended amount of time. Drain the pasta and toss with the kale pesto. Serve over a bed of spinach and add chili flakes and more parmesan cheese on top if desired.

Product Links:

Robust Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Well, we can hardly call this one a recipe...but it sure is delicious! Roasted sweet potatoes are an easy side, snack, or addition to a soup, stew, or salad. They are also a great item to meal prep for the week alongside a protein and a vegetable of your choice. Simply toss them in Wild Groves Olive Oil and your favorite seasonings and bake until they are golden brown... it's as easy as that. 

Simple Roasted Sweet Potatoes Recipe:

• 2 sweet potatoes, chopped into 1 inch cubes 
• 3 tbsp Wild Groves Kitchen Blend Olive Oil 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Other spices if desired (cumin, paprika, rosemary, garlic powder) 

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 415 degrees F. Toss the sweet potato cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any additional spices in a medium-sized bowl. When all the cubes are evenly coated, place them on a lined baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes, until they are golden brown. 

Product Links:

Kitchen Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil

We can’t get enough of the Crushed Mandarin Olive Oil....can’t stop, won’t stop. Besides using this flavorful citrus oil in vinaigrettes and sauces, it is also fabulous for baking! We used it in these Cranberry Orange Biscotti, which feature the Crushed Mandarin Olive Oil and the zest of a whole navel orange. These are on another level of deliciousness! 

Cranberry Orange Biscotti Recipe:

• 1/2 cup Crushed Mandarin Olive Oil
• 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Zest from 1 orange  
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Mix olive oil and cane sugar in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add in the pumpkin puree and vanilla and whisk until completely combined.
4. Next, add flour, baking powder, salt, and orange zest. Stir until combined, but try not to over-mix.
5. Add cranberries and stir once more until the cranberries are evenly dispersed throughout the batter.

6. Divide the dough into two even sections. Then, using damp hands, form the two portions into long, semi-skinny logs. 

7. Bake the loaves for 25-30 minutes, or until just slightly brown on the edges. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, then use a serrated knife to gently slice into 3/4-inch pieces. There will be a few crumbs, but this is ok. 
8. Gently turn the biscotti on their sides and return to the oven to bake for another 20 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point (10 minutes). 
9. Let cool briefly before enjoying. 
10. Store covered at room temperature for 3-4 days in a large container or glass jar. 

Product Links:

Crushed Mandarin Olive Oil

Just when you thought banana bread couldn't get any better, we added a generous amount of chocolate chips and our Chocolate Olive Oil. This loaf is perfectly sweet with three ripe bananas and only a 1/3 cup of brown sugar! It is also easily customizable; the chocolate chips can be substituted for crushed walnuts, almonds, or even pecans. The most difficult part of this recipe is simply waiting the 50 minutes while the bread is in the oven!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe:

• 3 medium overripe bananas
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup Wild Groves Chocolate Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup milk of choice (only if your batter is too thick) 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350° and lightly oil a 9-inch loaf pan. Next, peel the bananas and place them into a large mixing bowl. Mash them well with a fork. Add the brown sugar, chocolate olive oil, and vanilla to the bowl. Stir until well-mixed. Add the flour to the bowl, then sprinkle the baking soda, cinnamon and salt on top of the flour. Then, stir everything together just until mixed (the batter will be thick). If your batter is way too thick depending on the size of your bananas, add in up to 1/4 cup of a milk of your choice. Fold in the chocolate chips, and then spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Product Links:

Chocolate Olive Oil 

This easy Mandarin Vinaigrette is the perfect addition to any winter salad! With a rich hue and bright citrus flavor, this vinaigrette features two of our seasonal products – the Crushed Mandarin Olive Oil and the Mikan Mandarin White Balsamic Vinegar. To make this simple salad dressing, simply whisk or blend the olive oil, vinegar, juice of half a lemon, honey, and add salt and pepper to taste! Before you know it, you have a delicious dressing to make you forget that it's wintertime! 

Easy Mandarin Vinaigrette Recipe:

• 1/4 cup Crushed Mandarin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Mikan Mandarin White Balsamic Vinegar
• Juice of half a lemon 
• 2 tsp honey or agave 
• Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper 

Instructions:

To make this vinaigrette, simply blend or whisk all ingredients together, and taste for seasoning. Store in a container in the refrigerator to preserve any leftovers.

Product Links:

Crushed Mandarin Olive Oil

Mikan Mandarin White Balsamic Vinegar 

Want to know the secret to the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies? Our Chocolate Olive Oil, of course! This flavored oil is the perfect substitute for butter in your chocolatey muffins, cakes, and breads, and of course, cookies. It adds a rich depth of flavor and we can’t get enough! 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe: 

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Next, add in the olive oil and milk to the dry ingredients and mix well. Form the dough into balls with your hands or an ice cream scoop, making them as large or small as you like. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten them with the palm of your hand. Bake for 15- 20 minutes, or until they no longer appear wet on top and the bottoms are beginning to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan. Enjoy!

Product Links:

Wild Groves Chocolate Olive Oil

Name a better combination than truffle salt, Wild Groves Olio Nuovo, and crispy golden fries....we’ll wait! We think this is the golden trio of ingredients to make the perfect Baked Truffle Fries right in your own kitchen. This is the perfect side dish alongside your favorite protein, and might even make a good snack as leftovers. That is, if there are any leftovers!

Baked Truffle Fries Recipe:

• 2 large Russet potatoes, cut intro fry shapes
• 1/4 cup Wild Groves Olive Oil (We suggest using the Kitchen Blend for coating before baking, and Olio Nuovo to toss the fries in after they come out of the oven), plus more for tossing 
• Wild Groves Double Truffle Sea Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
• Grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for garnish, optional 

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 410 degrees F. Toss your cut potatoes in 1/4 cup of Wild Groves Olive Oil, truffle sea salt to taste, and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crispy, about 30-40 minutes. Once the fries have cooled slightly, toss in a couple tablespoons of Olio Nuovo and additional truffle salt if needed. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Product Links: 

Olio Nuovo 

Double Truffle Sea Salt