I love a tapas night or a snack dinner. (I refuse to call it “girl dinner”.) But somehow in our house, it turns into starting with an idea for an easy tapas spread, but morphs into something more like tapas for appetizers and then a full on dinner after that anyway, and before you know it, we’ve all eaten too much. I don’t know why I feel the need to add on when those perfect small plates and a glass of wine on the patio is the best way to spend a pretty evening.
About this time last year (must be when the weather shifts), I posted tapas ideas such as baked olives, a caprese burrata salad, and an eggplant dip (along with a not funny at the time but hilarious now misunderstanding where I thought my husband had been frequenting a topless bar - don’t worry, he had not). And this week, I’m back with a few more ideas for small plates or appetizers or snacks meant for sharing.
First up is Patatas Bravas - or potatoes fried until crispy served with a red “bravas” sauce and usually an aioli. Such a good dish with the contrast in crispy and creamy textures and the spicy versus cooling sauces! My recipe crisps the potatoes in the oven (because I don’t love deep frying here at home) using a technique that softens the potatoes with a par boil, then “roughs up” the outsides with a good stir including oil and salt, and finally has them taking a trip through the hot, hot oven to get all those craggly edges nice and crispy. I serve mine with a romesco sauce (another tomato and pepper, smoky Spanish style sauce) because I like the addition of the almonds and a “cheater” aioli stirring together mayo, lemon, garlic, and lots of herbs.
Next, we have Marinated Olives and Mozzarella -because I will always have olives on my appetizer list. Whisk together a simple vinaigrette, toss in a variety of olives and some cheese, and voila! you’ve made an impressive little snack! The vinegary bite is the perfect palate cleanser from the usual array of richer, heavier appetizers and dips. Plus, bonus - you make it ahead!
And last, a Za’atar Yogurt Dip. This dip is what I created when Costco stopped carrying the one they got me addicted to. Greek yogurt, za’atar seasoning (a Middle Eastern mix of herbs and spices, more readily accessible in the grocery store spice aisle these days than it used to be), garlic, lemon, and oil are whisked together until smooth and served with chips or pretzels or pita or veggie sticks or…the list goes on. If we’re not careful, we can easily eat a whole bowl, but then again it’s made with yogurt so it’s healthy right? (We also use it for a sauce for gyro sandwiches, and I’ve drizzled it over roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas for lunch.)
I could happily sit outside with a cold beverage and these three dishes nibbling the evening away. If I wanted to add a little more, I might do a plate of sliced Italian or Spanish sausages or marinated and grilled vegetables or a green salad. (Or check out the appetizer section of the In This Kitchen recipe index page for some more ideas.)
As always, back next week! Until then I’m enjoying the weather before the mosquitos swarm, tending the garden, and fighting a particularly persistent robin who wants to build a nest in my pergola.
MONDAY - BBQ Chicken, Mac ‘n Cheese, Green Beans
BBQ chicken thighs with Grandaddy’s homemade sauce are easy to throw in the oven. Mac ‘n cheese can be made earlier in the day or at meal time, and frozen green beans round it out!
TUESDAY - Night out in Nashville!
We’re heading to a concert in Nashville! Yaya’s absolute favorite is Santana, and he happens to be in town on her birthday! We’ll find something yummy to eat in the area. (I don’t know what possessed me to sign up for a concert in Nashville that starts at 8:00 on a weeknight, but I’ll try to rally!)
WEDNESDAY - Arayes, Hummus and Veggies, Fried Cheese, Tabouleh
Arayes are a Lebanese dish with a spiced meat mixture pressed into a pita pocket and cooked in a skillet, and something that I’ve been wanting to try for a while now. I found this recipe that looks good, so we’ll see how they come out. Since we’re talking about tapas this week, I think we’ll go the Mediterranean route - mezza - and include hummus, halloumi cheese, and a tabouleh salad. I can throw on some tater tots if the boys think they’ll need more..
THURSDAY - Salad Bar Night
A while back (could be a long while…) there was a viral story about a woman who had a literal salad bar set up in her house for her family, and while I’m not going all-in like that, I thought it would be fun to lay out a bunch of salad things on our counter, salad bar style, and let us all build a bowl. I’ll do my air fryer chicken as the main protein.
FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!
SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws)!
Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin on the smoker and baked potatoes.
SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!
I’m thinking a chicken piccata sounds good! Pan fried chicken cutlets with a wine and butter sauce and extra capers. Served with angel hair pasta and a tomato salad. Maybe broccoli if we need something green.
LUNCHES for this week -
Smashed chickpea salad (there are a ton of variations online) on toast for a couple of days, then I may make a quinoa and veggie soup.
EXTRAS for this week
I’ve already done a yellow cake with chocolate frosting for Yaya’s birthday this week. Then I got a wild hair and decided to test a loaf style carrot cake, but it’s not perfect so I want to try again. And I want to work on a loaf cinnamon coffee cake… How much cake is too much cake?
Patatas Bravas with Romesco Sauce and Herbed Mayo
About 6 servings as part of an appetizer spread
Romesco Sauce
· One 12 ounce jar Roasted Red Peppers, drained
· 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
· ½ cup Almonds, lightly toasted
· 1 slice White Sandwich Bread, lightly toasted
· 2-3 cloves Garlic, smashed or roughly chopped
· 1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· 1/8 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
· Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
· ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Crispy Potatoes
· 2 pounds Russet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
· 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher Salt
· 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Herbed Mayo
· ½ cup Mayonnaise
· 1 clove Garlic, minced or grated
· 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
· 1 tablespoon minced fresh Herbs (Parsley, Oregano, Dill, Chives, Tarragon, etc)
Make the romesco sauce – in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse drained peppers, tomato paste, almonds, bread, garlic, vinegar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until finely chopped and thick. With machine running, drizzle in the olive oil and process until desired consistency is reached, scraping down sides as necessary. Romesco can be made ahead and stored in refrigerator.
Make the potatoes – Preheat the oven to 450 with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large pot, cover the chopped potatoes by 1 inch of water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Add the olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt and stir gently until the potatoes have a “slurry” coating them. (It may take a couple minutes of stirring.) Spread the potatoes on the parchment lined pan in a single layer, and cook for 25 minutes. Stir and flip the potatoes, then cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until crispy and golden brown.
While the potatoes are cooking, make the herbed mayo – In a small to medium sized bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and herbs. Mix well. (Herbed mayo can also be made ahead and stored in fridge.)
To serve – Spread about half of the romesco sauce on a large plate, top with the warm potatoes. Serve the herbed mayo in a small bowl on the side, or thin with a little bit of water and drizzle over the top.
NOTES – You will have extra romesco sauce. It is wonderful as a dip for crudites or spread on a sandwich.
Marinated Olives and Mozzarella
Makes about 3 cups
· ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
· ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
· 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
· 1 teaspoon Honey
· 1 clove Garlic, minced
· 1/8 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
· 1 ½ teaspoon Herbs de Provence (or Italian Seasoning)
· Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
· Zest strips from half of one Lemon (use a vegetable peeler to make strips)
· ½ cup each of three kinds of Olives, drained (Kalamata, Castelvetrano, Garlic Stuffed, etc)
· 8 ounce block Mozzarella Cheese, cut into small cubes
In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, mustard, honey, garlic, black pepper, herbs de provence, and red pepper flakes until well combined.
Stir in lemon zest strips, olives, and cubed cheese. Cover bowl, or move entire mixture to a quart jar with a tight fitting lid, and let marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours, stirring or shaking jar every once in a while.
Remove from fridge 30 minutes before serving. Keep leftovers in refrigerator up to one week, the marinated flavor will increase the longer it’s stored.
NOTES – If you store the olives in the refrigerator more than one day, the olive oil may separate and solidify. Just remove the bowl or jar from the fridge and let it come back to room temperature, stir and serve. You can also use 8 ounces of mini mozzarella balls in place of cubed mozz, however because of the softness of the cheese, it will not keep as long.
Za’atar Yogurt Dip
Makes a little over 1 cup
· 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
· 1 clove Garlic, finely minced or grated
· 1 ½ tablespoons Za’atar
· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
· ½ teaspoon – 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest (personal preference)
· 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Combine all ingredients and whisk until well combined. Dip will keep, covered in fridge, for several days.
Serving Suggestions – As a dip with veggie sticks, pretzels, or pita chips. Thin it with a tablespoon or two of water to make a dressing. Smear a little on a plate as a bed for roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas.
That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!
(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)
All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!