Apra La Bocca!

Apra la bocca means open your mouth or open wide in Italian! Because there’s some good things coming in…

If you want to impress your friends with some Mediterranean cooking skills, make a super delicious Italian antipasto dish!

I see people order this at some nice Italian restaurants, and they are always wowed by the taste and the presentation too. Well you can do this at home—at a much lesser price. So today I’m going to show you the veggie version of this appetizer. No cold cuts here.

Depending on how many you’re feeding, you can definitely vary the ingredients. For instance, you can add sliced or cubed cheese, salami, sopresatta, button mushrooms—whatever your heart desires.

Italian Antipasto
Serves: 5-10 people

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini
1 large eggplant
3 bell peppers (orange, yellow and red make for a color display)
½ cup kalamata olives
½ cup buffalo mozzarella balls
3 large garlic cloves
Basil
olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
Wash eggplant, and cut of the stem. Hold the eggplant standing up, and make thin slices down the eggplant. Repeat with zucchini.

Wash bell peppers, and cut in half. Remove stems and seeds.

Heat broiler. Cover and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place vegetable slices on the cookie sheet (bell peppers face down).

Spray the top of the vegetables. Broiler for about 10-15 minutes or until slightly charred. Remove from heat and let cool.

Once cool, remove skin and slice the bell peppers.

In another large bowl, add about 1-1/2 cups of olive oil, chopped basil leave, minced garlic, and a dash of salt and pepper. Place all the vegetables in the bowl. Make sure they are drenched in the oil—add more oil if necessary. Add the mozzarella balls. Taste to see if it needs more salt. Then cover and place in the refrigerator. At minimum let it marinate for 2-3 hours. Or you can even do this overnight.

Prior to serving, remove the vegetables from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature. Arrange on a pretty tray—looks great over large leaves of lettuce, cabbage, or any other large leafed vegetable. Garnish with mint.

Hope you enjoy your antipasto!

Share what you like to add to your antipasto dishes!!

Cheers,
Sabrina

The Italian Way: Meat-a-ball-a

I used to be intimidated of meatballs. Not eating them of course, just making them. It was one of these holy foods I was always scared to attempt. I mean really, how many times have you heard someone say “Oh my mom’s meatballs are the best”, or “No one makes meatballs like my grandmother”. A lot I’m sure–I say it all the time! But I had enough! I want someone to speak that way about my meatballs!

I’ve made a bunch of batches with the recipe below, and they’ve come out different every time. My last batch makes me think I have finally got the hang of it. The secret is not in the ingredients, but in your touch. Hopefully my tips will help you create the meatballs worth praising about. NOTE: If you like very meaty and hard meatballs, skip this recipe.

Meatballs
Servings: About 15 medium-sized meatballs

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs of ground beef
2 eggs
1.5 cups breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
3-4 cloves of pressed garlic

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. Consistency should be sticky and wet, enough to hold its shape, but not dry.

Heat skillet on medium heat. Add some olive oil.

Take a cup of water and dip your fingers in it. Grab about 1/2 cup of meat and form ball shape. Do NOT roll a hard ball. Be gentle and keep some room in there so they remain soft.

Dip your hands in water each time you form the ball. Add to pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side. They should be browned, but not cooked all the way through.

Tell us how you like your meatballs? Hard, meaty, or soft and bready?

Cheers,
Sabrina