Warm Olives with Wild Herbs

Once the olives are prepared, reserve the oil mixture and toss it with the whole wheat pasta of your choice. Add slices of baguette to sop up any leftover oil and you've got a complete meal!

For the olives, combine 3/4 cup nicoise olives and 3/4 cup picholine olives in a saucepan. Nicoise are small and purplish-black; picholine are green, and a larger torpedo-shape. You can substitute kalamata for the former and regular green olives for the latter.

Add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 tsp. grated lemon rind, a dash of crushed red pepper, 2 fresh thyme sprigs, 2 fresh savory sprigs, and 1 fresh rosemary sprig. (I couldn't find fresh savory so substituted a 1/4 tsp. of dried). Cook the mixture over medium-low heat for five minutes.

Transfer to a bowl and let stand at room temperature for 6 hours, then drain over a colander, reserving the oil. Serve 1/4 cup of the olives for 100 calories, and, as I mentioned, toss the leftover oil-and-herb mixture with pasta for an easy dinner - add in the veggies of your choice too!

Cost:
nicoise $3.40
picholine $4.00
thyme $2.49
rosemary $1.99