Did you know raw foods can also be sweet? Chef Sunita explains how to make delicious chocolate truffles.

 To learn more about Chef Sunita's culinary programs & wellness events visit http://www.rawfoodcentre.com/

Chef Sunita Vira discusses her book-RAW for LIFE - The Modern Guide to Raw, Plant-based, Gluten-free Recipes for Busy Lives. Delicious, Easy & Healthy recipes for breakfast, lunch & dinner! To learn more visit http://www.rawfoodcentre.com/

Need to fix dinner but don’t want to heat up the kitchen? Look no further! Easy grilled shrimp!

We skipped the butter & used Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lemon & fresh parsley for these flavorful skewers. Marinate for 30 minutes so the shrimp does not become too soft. Serve with seasonal veggies, orzo & enjoy for lunch the next day in a salad. Serves 2 to 4.

Easy Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh, medium sized, deveined shrimp
• 1/4 cup Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Add your choice of fresh herbs; basil, marjoram, sage, rosemary, oregano or thyme 

Simple Directions

1. Soak wooden bamboo skewers in cold water
2. Peel shrimp & refrigerate
3. In a large bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, minced garlic, salt & pepper
4. Add shrimp to the bowl, toss to coat, cover & marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
5. Preheat grill to 160°F
6. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail & once near the head.
7. Discard remaining marinade
8. Lightly oil grill grate.
9. Grill 2-3 minutes per side, or until opaque
10. Remove from the grill, let rest for 3 minutes, serve & enjoy!

Quick, Easy & Delicious! Chef Sunita Vitra shares her must haves when preparing raw food!

We’re celebrating National Blueberry Day with muffins! Made with anti-oxidant rich Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, healthy Greek yogurt & vitamin packed fresh blueberries, we tweaked a recipe, skipping the sugary streusel topping, replacing it with poppy seeds. Make ahead & freeze for a leisure weekend breakfast or enjoy as an on the go healthy snack. Yields approx. 12 muffins. 

Simple Ingredients: 

• 1 cup Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 3 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour 
• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 ½ cup organic sugar 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• ½ teaspoon baking soda 
• ½ teaspoon sea salt 

Easy Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 425F◦ degrees, arrange rack in the oven to the center. 
2. Toss fresh blueberries in 1 table spoon of flour until evenly coated, set aside.  
3. In a bowl, combine eggs, olive oil & sugar, use an electric mixer, set on medium & mix until smooth. 
4. Add yogurt & lemon juice to the bowl, mix until smooth. 
5. Add flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda & poppy seeds to the bowl, mix until smooth. 
6. Add blueberries to the batter, slowly fold into mixture on a low speed. 
7. Using a soup spoon or ice-cream scoop, fill muffin liners until almost full. 
8. Bake for 5 minutes. 
9. Reduce heat to 350F◦, bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown or if a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
10. Remove from the oven, cool, serve & enjoy! 

Talented chef & culinary artist Katie O’Reilly’s Food Carnival takes a tour with Italian favorites. 
From Bruschetta con pomodoro, to Zuppa di Verdure, Insalata Mista, to Pasta con Pesto & Biscotti al Limone for dessert. Join Katie here! Buon Appetito!

We had the privilege of participating in a New Year’s reboot with the very talented raw food chef, culinary author & wellness guide Sunita Vira. She served patés created not from meat but nuts & seeds! We tried Chef Sunita’s recipe in our kitchen using Gabriella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil & soaked walnuts. Prepare ahead, this easy to make, healthy spread goes with butter or Romain lettuce, fresh raw veggies, sprouted or stone wheat crackers. A delicious, crowd pleasing appetizer, it makes 1 cup, but you’ll want more after tasting, so double up on the ingredients! 

From RAW for LIFE, a Modern Guide to Raw, Plant-based, Gluten-free Recipes for Busy Lives. www.rawfoodcentre.com

Simple Ingredients

• 1 cup, soaked walnuts for 1-hour, rinsed & drained 
• 1 tablespoon Villa Gabriella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra to flavor
• 1 tablespoon tamari-a Japanese soy sauce made of soy & wheat, available at grocery stores 
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced parsley or fresh herb of choice   
• 1 pinch of Himalayan salt

Easy Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except olive oil, onion & herbs in a food processor with the S-blade  
2. Process making sure to scrape sides of processor with a rubber spatula
3. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add olive oil, onion & parsley
4. Mix thoroughly
5. Serve on lettuce cups, crackers or crusty French bread
6. Enjoy with Villa Graziella Rosso Toscano IGT made from organic grapes
7. Transfer remaining paté to a sealed glass jar for 5 days in the refrigerator, 3 months in the freezer.   

Since Spring hasn't quite sprung everywhere yet, we are celebrating the end of National Noodle Month with this healthy homemade chicken noodle soup. Make a big batch and have it for the rest of the week, or stick it in the freezer for when you are fighting a cold!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Villa Gabriella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• ½ cup sliced celery
• ½ cup diced onion
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 3 cups egg noodles
• ½ teaspoon dry basil
• ½ teaspoon dry oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Add olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth, shredded chicken, noodles, basil, oregano, salt, garlic powder, and pepper and stir to combine.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes before serving.

Tried, Tasted & True!

At Villa Gabriella Organic our team tries & tastes every recipe we feature.  While we love to share our family recipes & those of talented home cooks & chefs, sometimes we adapt them so they are even easier to make. As with our products, our goal is for you to have a healthy & delicious experience using Villa Gabriella recipes. So try them out in your kitchen, feel free to tweak them & please tell us what you think. We welcome your comments & feedback!

Grazie da Team VILLA GABRIELLA

clientservice@villagabriellallc.com

Did you know the tomato is a fruit native to Mexico & Central America? European explorers brought back the versatile food in the 16th century, it was widely adopted in Italy & Spain. Our version of Jon Ashton’s 3-tomato soup uses plenty of fresh, vitamin c packed, diced, sun-dried tomatoes & sauce. Less cream and more Villa Gabriella organic extra virgin olive oil & 8-year aged balsamic vinegar for a delicious meatless Monday. Enjoy with a grilled cheese sandwich & take the remainder for lunch the next day!  Makes 6-8 servings.

Easy Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Villa Gabriella Organic extra virgin olive oil + extra 2 tablespoons for drizzling
• 2 tablespoons Villa Gabriella Organic balsamic vinegar di Modena + 1 extra tablespoon for drizzling
• 3 cups organic chicken or vegetable broth
• ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 5.25 cups fresh, organic cherry tomatoes quartered or 3 (14-oz) cans organic diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 8-oz can organic tomato sauce without meat or added ingredients
• ½ cup half & half or whipping cream
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Simple Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat
2. Add onion & celery; sauté 5-7 minutes or when onion is transparent, celery is tender
3. Add broth, sun-dried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce & thyme 
4. Simmer over low heat, uncovered 20-45 minutes minutes
5. Discard the thyme sprigs
6. Transfer soup to a blender, or use an immersion blender in pan, puree until smooth
7. Return soup to saucepan, stir in half-and-half, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper
8. Cook 15 minutes over low heat uncovered
9. Garnish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar & olive oil
10. Serve & enjoy with Villa Graziella artisan crafted Rosso Toscano made with organic grapes.

Freeze the remainder in an airtight glass container or jar up to 1 month.

Tried, Tasted & True!

At Villa Gabriella Organic our team tries & tastes every recipe we feature.  While we love to share our family recipes & those of talented home cooks & chefs, sometimes we adapt them so they are even easier to make. As with our products, our goal is for you to have a healthy & delicious experience using Villa Gabriella recipes. So try them out in your kitchen, feel free to tweak them & please tell us what you think. We welcome your comments & feedback!

Grazie da Team VILLA GABRIELLA

clientservice@villagabriellallc.com