Tapas No. 1


Grilled Little Skewers
Patatas Bravas
The word Tapas is Espanish. Just a little joke for you guys: from what I understand the Spanish do not have any words beginning with the letter S. They have to put an E before it. I found that out when a Spanish firm I represented in Greece made some calling cards for me and since my name is Stelio, or Stelios whatever, they printed my name Estelio. That was really funny giving my calling card to Greeks. Ha! Ha!

So tapas is the Spanish word for Meze,  hors d'oeuvre, appetizers. It all started when people stopped by bars to have a drink during their lunch break.  As Mediterranean countries have it not to drink on an empty stomach, they ordered something to nibble at during the drink.  As time went by, the bars prepared more complex appetizers to the point people stopped having lunch as such and ended up eating a variety of Tapas for lunch or dinner or in between lunch and dinner.  I would like to share with you three I have in mind.
Patatas Bravas:  Brave Potatoes:
Serves 6
-  700 gr potatoes peeled and roughly cut in small pieces in a bowl with water and tsp. salt.
-  3 Tbsp. already prepared tomato sauce (left over from spaghetti sauce).
-  100 gr of goat cheese cut in small cubes.
-  1 hot green chili or Jalapeño sliced.
Method:
-  Drain the potatoes from the water, and pat dry.
-  Deep fry the potatoes till they are golden.
-  Add the tomato sauce over the top.
-  Sprinkle the chili slices.
-  Sprinkle the cheese cubes.
-  Put under the grill of the oven for 3½ minutes.
Serve.  Does not need to be hot when served.

Little Grilled Skewers: 
You will need:
Serves 6
-  24 whole button mushrooms
-  5 circles of canned pineapple cut in pieces.
-  12 small cocktail sausages.
-  12 cubes of goat cheese.
-  12 seedless dried prunes.
-  12 short skewers.
Method:
-  Thread whole button mushroom head first onto skewer.
-  Thread two pieces of pineapple.
-  Thread one cocktail sausage.
-  Thread one cube of goat cheese which has been stuffed into the dried prunes.
-  Top with a whole button mushroom threaded stem first.
-  Brush with some olive oil.
-  Grill on stove for a few minutes to cook the cocktail sausage.
-  Serve hot or cold.
Braised Pleurotus mushrooms on toast:
You will need: 

Serves 6 -  24 whole button mushrooms
-  5 circles of canned pineapple cut in pieces.
-  12 small cocktail sausages.
-  12 cubes of goat cheese.
-  12 seedless dried prunes.
-  12 short skewers.

Method:-  Thread whole button mushroom head first onto skewer.
-  Thread two pieces of pineapple.
-  Thread one cocktail sausage.
-  Thread one cube of goat cheese which has been stuffed into the dried prunes.
-  Top with a whole button mushroom threaded stem first.
-  Brush with some olive oil.
-  Grill on stove for a few minutes to cook the cocktail sausage.
-  Serve hot or cold.
-  200 gr of pleurotus mushrooms well washed, stems cut off.
-  2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil.
-  2 dashes of Lea  & Perrins Worcestershire sauce.
-  1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard.
-  1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar.
-  1 tsp. honey.
-  1 crushed clove of garlic.
-  Salt and pepper to taste.
Method:
-  Heat oil on a medium flame in a non stick pan adding the crushed clove of garlic.
-  Once the garlic aroma fills the air, fry the mushrooms on both sides till they are soft.
-  Add Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, pepper and mix well.
-  Spoon sauce over mushrooms and reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 minutes.
-  Serve on toasted French baguette with two strips of roasted bell peppers.
Enjoy!
Stelio

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