Italian Tapas
I had dinner tonight with another group of friends I hadn’t met yet; a couple who had bid on me (and won) at a silent auction to raise money for the Foundation Fighting Blindness and their pals. I went to their house and cooked (but really spent most of my time agonizing over her collection of CP silver) – it was their 44th anniversary, and we decided on Italian tapas. Prosciutto wrapped prawns with pesto for dipping, arancini, grilled portobello mushroom pizzas, panini made with slow-roasted tomato and garlic pesto and melty cheese, grilled zucchini, eggplant, asparagus and red peppers, and maple-rosemary pork loin satay. For dessert, mascarpone panna cotta topped with strawberry-mango salsa, and chocolate panini. Phew, sounds like a lot when I type it all out.
The grilled portobello pizzas went over particularly well – it’s something I made last year and then promptly forgot about until a week or so ago when I was challenged to come up with some interesting vegetarian eats for the barbecue. Portobello mushrooms are always a good bet, but if you brush them with a little oil (I crush a clove of garlic into the oil first) and grill them until they lose some of their moisture and turn a bit leathery, they are great as a burger, set atop a burger, or filled on the cupped side with any number of pizza-esque fillings and topped with cheese. The easiest way to do this, I’ve found, is to spoon on some chunky jarred bruschetta – Classico Extra Garlic is my favourite, and they don’t even give me free jars to say that. Fresh bruschetta (made with fresh tomatoes) tends to be a little too watery – the jarred kind is kind of cooked down, saucier, and more intense. Top with grated cheese and then close the lid of the barbecue to create an oven environment and melt the cheese. I made some for lunch last week and Mike declared a) his love for them, and b) his intention to load an entire one, bruschetta, cheese and all, on top of a burger next time. Can’t wait to see him try to eat it.
Sorry to be brief, but I seem to be coming down with something, and have 4 banana loaves to bake for an event tomorrow morning. I also need to do a little fixing upping around here, with a new header and a bit of index tweaking, so I’m going to get on that. I have dug through my tickle trunk though, and for Free Stuff Friday came up with… drumroll please… a brand spanking new, hot off the presses, new and improved, extreme-makeovered copy of Grazing! Yes, it’s here. It’s about time. (Congrats to Donna and Ellen, who are on the receiving end of a pound of Pike Place coffee and a $25 Starbucks card – thanks Starbucks! See you in the morning!)
So, in keeping with the theme, for one of the very first copies (I don’t think they have trickled into stores yet, but are on their way) – what do you like to graze on? (It’s not just for cows anymore!)
One Year Ago: Pesto Salmon and Israeli Couscous with Tomatoes, Garlic and Feta
May 22 2009 | appetizers and on the grill and veg | 70 Comments »
