Tuscan Olive Butter

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This compound butter has a wonderful flavor that would equally enhance beef, pork, chicken, fish or shrimp.  I did not run this mixture through the food processor/blender, but I may next time as I believe the olives would be nicer minced even finer than I was able to achieve with a knife.  For this particular batch, I used imported sun-dried tomato pesto from a jar.  But I have also used sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil for a slightly sweeter end flavor.  I am very fond of all the compound butters I have made before as they are so versatile and they can totally change up the flavor of a fairly plain piece of meat.  Some are even good atop roasted or broiled fresh vegetables.  Lemon-parsley-garlic butter is perhaps my favorite.  The sky is the limit as to what herbs and spices you can put into compound butters.  This butter recipe is Induction friendly.

INGREDIENTS:

1 stick unsalted butter (4 oz.)

2 T. finely minced sun-dried tomatoes (drained of oil) or commercial sun-dried tomato pesto

3 T. finely chopped green onion

1 clove garlic, minced

8 black olives (or calamata olives), finely minced or run through blender/processor

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:    Soften butter and add all listed ingredients.  Mix well and set on counter (or in refrigerator) for at least 1 hour for flavors to mingle.  If you prefer for entertaining, you can make individual servings using a melon ball scooper or butter or candy molds and chill the shapes before serving.   Place 1 T. on each portion of meat (or whatever you are serving it on).

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes about 12 T. total.  One tablespoon contains:

71.75 calories

7.94 g  fat

.41 g  carbs, .14 g  fiber, .27 g  NET CARBS

.16 g  protein

37.75 mg sodium