Green olives, with or without the pimiento, make a tasty tapenade.
Olive tapenade is a briny spread made from black or green olives. The green olive tapenade is made in a blender or food processor using green olives, garlic, capers and olive oil. Sometimes anchovies are added. Often used in snack foods and appetizers, it is also tasty when incorporated in meals. Green olive tapenade brings a fresh, zesty flavor to many different kinds of foods.
Appetizers
Green olive tapenade is most frequently used in a topping for hors d'oeuvres. Use the spread on crackers or put it on appetizer-sized slices of a toasted bread such as bruschetta, pita wedges or focaccia. It can be used alone or paired with other ingredients like finely diced red bell peppers, bits of salmon or cheese. Mix tapenade with cream cheese and then spread it on a flour tortilla. Roll tightly and chill. Slice this roll into rounds for tapenade pinwheels.
Sandwich Fillings
Tapenade is versatile and will dress up sandwich fillings. It is particularly good stirred into egg salad and served on a soft wheat roll with lettuce. Tuna salad is also improved with a little tapenade added. Mix tapenade with mayonnaise and extra minced garlic and spread on any sandwich bread, then stack on sliced ham, chicken or turkey. Add lettuce and tomatoes and a slice of cheese if desired. To your tapenade and mayonnaise combination add a little horseradish and spread on a roast beef sandwich.
Main Dish
Tapenade isn't just for light fare. Try it with main dishes, too. Add flavor to a boneless, skinless chicken breast by pounding it flat, marinating it in Italian dressing, then spreading it with tapenade before rolling up and cooking. Thin the tapenade with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice and brush it on chicken or turkey before roasting. Put a bit of tapenade on pizza dough before making a white pizza or one topped with salami, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese.
Sides and Extras
Potato and pasta salads are built around a bland base, and need other flavors added. Create a personality for these by perking them up with a bit of tapenade. This works well if you have included chopped, hard-boiled egg in either type of salad. Put a little tapenade in your Italian dressing for antipasto and perhaps a shake of cayenne to give it a bit of zing, and add it to a savory risotto along with garlic and some chopped artichoke. Create a dip with mayonnaise or sour cream and spinach, and use it with any type of chip or dipping vegetable, or add to hummus for a little lift in flavor.
Tags: tapenade with, chicken turkey, , Italian dressing, little tapenade, olive tapenade, with mayonnaise