Since you cannot just make one tapa and then leave it there, we invited three friends over for some tapas and homemade passion fruit mojitos. Growing up in Europe we had a lot of these Mediterranean-inspired snacking evenings. While that was usually served with loads of cava or prosecco, living in the tropics has made these evening a little different.
Thanks, @surfermarly for reminding me of these evenings. It’s been far too long since we had one and it was fantastic.
Here are the tapas we served
#1 Buckwheat basil cheese crackers
Ingredients
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
Pinch of salt
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup cheddar cheese
Directions
- In a blender or food processor, add buckwheat flour, rolled oats, salt, and basil. Add the wet ingredients on top (water, olive oil, and cheese). Pulse in the blender or food processor until the dough comes together in a ball. Add more water or oil if needed.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough out as thin as possible and cut out shapes using a knife or cookie cutter. Or anything else available in the kitchen. I used the top of the cocktail shaker.
- Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet (or silicone mat or parchment paper) Bake at 350F or 175C until slightly browned. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes.
#2 Zucchini fries and
Ingredients
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup parsley
2 zucchini, cut into fries
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large eggs, beaten
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425F or 220C. Coat a cooling rack with a little oil and place on a baking sheet; set aside.
Combine Panko, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside. Working in batches, dip the zucchini in flour, dip into eggs, then coat with the Panko mixture. Make sure all sides are coated evenly.
Place zucchini on prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown. This will take about 20 to 22 minutes.
#3 Veggie fritters
Ingredients
0.5 cup carrot, grated
¾ cup zucchini, grated
¾ cup sweet potato grated
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
2 tsp flour
Olive oil for frying
directions
Mix the grated veggies, flour, and egg in a large bowl.
Heat olive oil in a pan and place dollops of the mixture into the hot pan. Flatten using a spatula.
Cook for a few minutes until golden and crispy, Flip and cook on the other side, then drain on a paper towel.
#4 Spicy Samosas
Ingredients
Spices:
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
11/2 tsp garam masala
Pinch smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
chili powder to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
½ tsp coriander powder
Salt to taste
filling
½ cup onion, chopped fine
½ cup carrot, chopped fine
1 medium potato, peeled and finely diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 or more red or green chili peppers to taste, seeded and chopped fine (optional)
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger, grated (or 1 tsp dried ground ginger)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup water
3/4 cups green peas, fresh or frozen and thawed
5-6 spring roll wrappers
Directions
- Heat cooking oil over medium-low heat and stir spices around until fragrant. Add the onion, potato, bell pepper, carrot, and chili pepper if using. Increase the heat to medium and stir-fry for about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the ginger, garlic powder, and water. Stir well, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water or turn the heat down if needed.
- Stir in the peas and cook until heated through.
- Remove from heat and cool down to room temperature.
- Wrap the samosas and cover with beaten egg yolk for extra browning effect. For nonegg version coat with cooking spray.
&. Fry samosas in coconut oil in a pan.
#5 Moringa-infused Meatballs
Ingredients
1 cup moringa leaves
14 ounce minced meat
½ cup panko
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Mix all ingredients in a bowl
Roll small balls and fry in coconut oil.
#6 Dips
Guacamole
1 avocado
¼ cup onion
3 clove garlic
1 tomato
Drizzle of oil
½ lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Chili paste to taste
In a small blender or food processor, process all ingredients until desired consistency.
Yogurt dip
3/4 cup plain unsweetened yogurt
½ lime, juice only
1 cup parsley, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until combined.
BON APPETITE!
ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL!