Warm weather means dining al fresco, backyard barbecues and entertaining family and friends. For easy summer dining and entertaining, try experimenting with tapas, an inexpensive and fun way to embrace the flavors of the season.
Little dishes or small plates
Throughout the world, tapas have become a popular and healthy addition to menus. Of Spanish origin, tapas are "little dishes," or snack-size foods eaten between meals. Now however, you will find tapas eaten as a full meal.
It’s simple!
Tapas can be as simple as small plates of store-bought olives, anchovies, fried almonds, chorizo slices and quartered roasted red peppers passed around with pre-dinner drinks or they can make up a colorful buffet of small dishes. When presented as a buffet, try a varied menu that combines something fried and something baked; something briny and something mild; something saucy and something dry.
Simple AND fun!
Any tapas gathering should begin with a trip to the market for Spanish cheeses, olives, olive oil, almonds, anchovies and dry-cured chorizo or salami. With these basic ingredients in your pantry, you'll always be prepared for impromptu get-togethers.
Here are ten mouth-watering tapas so simple they don't need recipes:
- Rock shrimp sautéed with garlic and crushed pepper
- Thinly sliced Serrano ham wrapped around Manchego cheese wedges
- Fresh-picked salad greens dressed with a simple sherry vinaigrette
- Dates stuffed with Marcona almonds and Cabrales cheese
- Thinly sliced dry chorizo on a grilled baguette round
- Pan-fried almonds seasoned with Spanish paprika, sea salt and the smallest pinch of ground cumin
- Roasted beets with a fine olive oil, ricotta salata cheese and freshly cracked black pepper
- Grilled baguette slice topped with bittersweet chocolate, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. (Try it! You’ll like it!)
- Sweet Piquillo peppers drizzled with just a little Spanish olive oil
- Fried or marinated olives
Bring the warmth of Spain to your next summer dining experience with a wonderful array of easy-to-make and pleasing to the palate little dishes. Be sure to include my version of Pinchitos Morunos, the Moroccan influenced dish typical of the Spanish community of Andalusia.
It consists of small cubes of meat threaded onto skewers and traditionally cooked over charcoal. Similar dishes in Morocco or other Muslim countries are lamb based, but pork and chicken are the most popular meats for this dish in Spain.
Pinchitos Morunos
Cooked at Andalusian barbecues during the summer months, the spicy kebabs are usually served with bread and a wedge of lemon, but this fresh vegetable “sauce” is colorful and delicious as an accompaniment.
- 1 pound boneless pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
- For the Marinade
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed with
- About 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon roughly ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet Spanish paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 10 6-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
- Chopped Vegetable Sauce (recipe follows)
In a medium-sized bowl combine all marinade ingredients. Add pork cubes and coat well. Place 3 cubes on each skewer turning so meat is well coated. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Let the meat come to room temperature before grilling.) Grill over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes on each side.
Chopped Vegetable Sauce
- 1 small tomato
- 2 small gherkins
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 1/2 white onion
- 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded
- 1/4 red bell pepper, seeded
- 1/4 orange bell pepper, seeded
- 2 tablespoons finely minced Italian parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut all vegetables in a 1/4-inch dice. In a bowl whisk together vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Fold in vegetables and parsley.
Accompany your tapas spread with pitchers of sangria with sliced summer fruits. Have fun and remember, Flamenco music is a must!
