Feast di Olivia

Providence HATES olives and uses her Automatic Dinner Reducer to hide them. Robert's readers tried to find a recipe that would convince Providence that olives are not so bad.

Feisty Macaroni and Cheese (Inspired by a Betty Crocker Recipe)
- Teryl Sawosik

1 c uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 c butter or margarine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 c flour
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cup milk
8 oz cubed cheese (American, Swiss, or Cheddar)
1/2 c sliced pimiento-stuffed olives OR 1/2 c black olives
1 tsp tabasco sauce
Fresh Cilantro
Dash of Paprika

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta. Set aside. Melt butter, salt and pepper. Stir in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add milk. Place back on stovetop. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add cheese, half of the olives, and tabasco. Stir until sauce is smooth.

Combine cheese sauce and pasta in ungreased casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with dash of paprika, fresh cilantro and remaining sliced olives.

Olive Casserole
- William Dickinson

6 black olives,
1 box of bowtie noodles,
6 slices of swiss cheese,
and 1 box of store bought pizza dough.

Get out a 8x8 square pan. Put the crust in the pan and pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F. then, pour bowtie noodles onto crust. Next, put cheese in a bowl in the microwave on high for one minute or until the cheese is melted. After that, pour melted cheese over bowtie noodles. Finally, put cassorole in oven until the outer crust is brown.

Drink
- Charles Duke

Dry gin with a twist and a single green olive!

Oil a large baking dish.
Line bottom with 10 pieces of sliced French bread (cut off crust).
Layer bread with shredded cheddar, then a layer of chopped green & black olives, pimentos, onion creating your own Italian salsa (save 10 tablespoons of mixture for garnish).

Sprinkle garlic powder & Italian herb seasoning on top. Optional add chopped Italian Salami, or ham or bacon. Cover with 10 pieces of French bread (cut off crust). Add a light cheese layer on top bread, jack or Parmesan work well. Beat 1 dozen eggs with 3 cups of light milk, & pour around the bread.

Press each individual Tuscan layer down with a spatula, enough to cover with the egg mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, until souffle'd and bubbly. Cut and loosen from baking dish and neatly place serving on center of each plate. Place a tablespoon of reserve olive mixture upon each serving. Drizzle a sharp Tuscan oil over the top. Dust borders of plates with chopped Italian parsley & serve.

Vermicelli Salad
Becky McDonald

1 (16-ounce) package vermicelli, cooked and drained
2 Tablespoons Lawry’s seasoned salt (or, to taste)
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (4-ounce) jar of diced pimiento
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion (or less)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped ripe olives
2 cups diced celery
1 cup mayonnaise

Combine pasta with salt, lemon juice, vegetable oil, cover and refrigerate overnight. Refrigerate with other ingredients added for best flavor (prepare the day before serving).

1 1/2 pounds scrod fillets or other firm-fleshed white fish fillets, cooked, drained well, and flaked
1/2 cup pitted black olives, chopped
1 cup seeded and chopped tomatoes (about 1/2 pound)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 fresh or pickled jalapeno chiles
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 taco shells or 12 flour tortillas (your preference)
3 cups roughly chopped watercress
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red onion

In a bowl, toss together the scrod, olives, tomatoes, scallions, chiles, lime juice, vinegar, oil, coriander, and salt and pepper and chill the filling, covered, for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Serve in taco shells or tortillas, and top with onions and watercress.

Quick Pasta
- Kathy Hertzog

Providence, this is such a tasty and quick recipe:

Cook some pasta, any kind. Slice some fresh tomatoes OR use sun dried tomatoes. Put some olive oil in a wok and lightly stir fry the tomatoes. Add some crumbled feta cheese and sliced calamati olives (yummmm) and stir really quickly, about two or three stirs. Pour over the waiting pasta and sprinkle some chopped rosemary on top.

A pasta favourite
- Elle Mackey

1 or 2 boxes of pasta - Rotini works well
1 to 2 jars sausage spagetti sauce
1 medium green pepper
sliced black olives (to taste)
1/2 package pre-cooked chicken strips
dash of onion & garlic powder
splash of red wine
salt & pepper to taste

Heat sauce slowly. Add other ingredients to the sauce. When sauce is simmering- add to cooked pasta and mix together well. Top off with grated Parmesan cheese.

For a nice meal, serve with a tossed salad, garlic toast & a nice glass of Chianti or your favourite red wine. Enjoy!