The holidays are all about whipping up delicious meals for the whole family, so it’s always a challenge if you want to serve something that’s special but low-maintenance in terms of the cooking and preparation. This, while making sure your family and guests enjoy the food you made. Luckily, Doña Elena Olive Oil’s Chef Ambassador Series is back just in time for this season. Locavore’s Executive Chef Mikel Zaguirre and Raintree Group of Restaurants’ Corporate Chef Kalel Chan have recipes to share using Doña Elena Olive Oil and Al Dente Pasta that will keep your Christmas dishes healthy, without sacrificing flavor.

Doña Elena Olive Oil wants to encourage Filipinos not to get intimidated by this versatile oil. “Filipinos often see Olive Oil as ‘pang sosyal lang’”, Fly Ace Corporation’s Group Product Manager for Edible Oils Zen Prudentino said. “However, we want to get their trust by showing how dishes they enjoy in restaurants that are prepared by professional chefs can easily be recreated at home using Doña Elena Olive Oil.”

Olive oil is one of the healthiest types of oil in the market. It contains good fat and antioxidants. Doña Elena Olive Oil comes from olives grown in Andalucia, Spain, which is known to be the global leader in terms of olive oil. Doña Elena uses two varieties of olives – hojiblanca and picual. These two varieties are delicately blended, producing a mild and fruity taste that is perfect for the Filipino palate.

“We’re definitely honored to have Chef Kalel and Chef Mikel back for our Doña Elena Chef Ambassador Series 2 to share recipes using our famed Doña Elena Olive Oil,” Prudentino said. “We’re so proud of their accomplishments that has put the Philippines in the world’s culinary map.”

“We hope this initiative, now on its second year, will continue to connect us with our consumers by letting us introduce our very own local chefs and dishes that they can relate to,” she added.

This time around, Chef Kalel and Chef Mikel are putting their focus not just on the Doña Elena Olive Oil but with the Al Dente Pasta Lines as well. Pasta is always a good call for holiday meals as it’s something that you can easily dress up for a festive meal without stressing yourself out.

Al Dente Fettucine with Seared Beef and Sour Cream
Yield: 3-4 persons, Time it takes to prepare: 30 minutes

                                             Ingredients:

                                              3 Tbsp Doña Elena Olive Oil

                                             150 g Al Dente Fettucine

                                            1 Tbsp Doña Elena Capers

                                           2 Tbsp Doña Elena Red Wine

                                          200g Marinated Beef Tenderloin, Cleaned

                                         2 Tbsp White Onion, Finely Chopped

                                         1 Tbsp Garlic, Peeled and Finely Chopped

                                        2 Tbsp Worcestershire

                                        3 Tbsp Sour Cream

                                     Beef Dry Rub

                                    1 tsp Pimenton, Sweet

                                   1 tsp Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened

                                  1/2 tsp Cumin Powder

                                  1/4 tsp All Spice Powder

1. desired doneness is achieved and let the meat rest.
2. In a pot, boil 2L of water and add salt. Cook Al Dente Fettucine for 7-8 minutes and set aside.
3. Using Doña Elena Pomace Olive Oil from the seared meat, saute the onion and garlic briefly.
4. Add the capers and deglaze with red wine.
5. Add the cooked Al Dente Fettucine and season with worcestershire.
6. Slice the beef tenderloin.
7. Plate the pasta and add the slices of beef tenderloin
8. Add the sour cream and serve.

Chocolate Penne Rigate with Dried Fruits and Walnuts

 Yield: 2 persons

                                    Ingredients:

                                     ½ Cup Al Dente Penne Rigate

                                    1 Cup Belgian Chocolate, melted

                                    1 Tbsp Dried Apricot, chopped

                                    1 Tbsp Dried Cranberries, chopped

                                    1 Tbsp Walnuts, chopped

Procedure:

1. Cook the Al Dente Penne Rigate. Set aside until cool.
2. Line up the cooked Al Dente Penne Rigate in a foil or mesh then pour in the melted chocolate.

3. Sprinkle the apricot, cranberries, and walnuts.
4. Let it cool for 30 minutes then ready to serve.

Fly Ace Corporation is one of the leading food and beverage consumer goods companies in the country today. Propelling limitless multiple-category growth by bringing the best of the world closer to Filipino consumers, Fly Ace Corporation’s portfolio of food and beverage products includes house brands and exclusively distributed brands. To learn more about Fly Ace, visit www.flyacecorp.com.

Doña Elena Olive Oil is exclusively distributed by Fly Ace Corporation in the Philippines. It is the consistent no. 1 Olive Oil brand according to A.C. Nielsen. Available in three (3) variants, extra virgin, pure and pomace which comes in 250 ml, 500 ml, 1 L glass bottles and 5L PET bottle sizes. For more tips, recipes, and promos visit @donaelenacuisineraclub on Facebook and Instagram.