This salty, sweet and delightfully refreshing finger food is perfect for southern hemisphere holiday season! Choose a watermelon that’s as dark in colour as possible – it will be nice and sweet. Simply cut the watermelon into cubes, top with some creamy Danish style feta cheese and place a fresh mint leaf on top of…… Continue reading watermelon and feta bites
Category: small bites
montadito
Montadito is Spanish for bread or toast with toppings, basically tapas on toast. These are excellent as pre-dinner nibbles or as a delectable lunch. Using fresh produce from the garden and served on lightly toasted sourdough rye bread, these four are from or inspired by the cookbook MORO easy by Sam and Sam Clarke. Pepper,…… Continue reading montadito
empanadas
Empanadas are the ubiquitous South American or Spanish pie – a pastry turnover with a filling of meat or cheese which is either baked or fried. Ours were baked with 2 different fillings: a corn and cheese filling and because we’re in Australia a lamb filling. Our Chilean friend Inês supplied Jane with the pastry…… Continue reading empanadas
ceviche 2.0
Ceviche is a dish of fresh fish cured in citrus. Traditionally Peruvian, many versions of ceviche are found in Central and South America. In Mexico tomato and avocado are often included and the ceviche is served with tostadas. This dish cannot be made ahead of time as the fish will overcook. Make sure the fish…… Continue reading ceviche 2.0
ikan bilis
Ikan bilis is the Malay name for small dried anchovies. For this wonderfully tasty and moreish snack they are fried with chillies, peanuts and onions. Try it with ice cold beer. You will need a 300g (10.5 oz) packet of ikan bilis and 200g (7 oz) of raw peanuts with their skins. Dry fry the…… Continue reading ikan bilis
bolinhos de bacalhau
Bacalhau is the Portuguese word for cod, specifically dried and salted cod. In Portugal some say there are more than 365 ways to cook bacalhau, one for every day of the year; others say there are 1,001 ways. However you look at it, bacalhau is an iconic and ubiquitous ingredient of Portuguese cuisine. It was once a cheap ingredient…… Continue reading bolinhos de bacalhau
garlic zucchini
Here’s an easy to make, delicious dish to serve as a tapa or side dish for your next Spanish meal. Cut 2 washed and dried zucchinis into 1.25cm (½”) thick rounds. Put the slices in a colander, season with sea salt on both sides and let them rest for 30 minutes. Roughly chop 6 cloves…… Continue reading garlic zucchini
halloumi chips + grilled asparagus
Halloumi (haloumi) is a traditional Cypriot cheese usually made from goat’s and sheep’s milk or sometimes cow’s milk. Because it has a high melting point, it can easily be fried or grilled. In this recipe, from Donna Hay, the cheese is coated with polenta and baked resulting in deliciously crunchy chips. Cindy served ours with aioli and sweet…… Continue reading halloumi chips + grilled asparagus
oyster mushroom satay
I love this idea for a vegan dish from a recipe by Simone Wimmer of Kitchen Stories. Substantial and tasty, it looks fabulous too. And we enhanced the flavour even further by cooking over coals. First, soak some bamboo skewers in warm water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the satay dipping sauce. In a small…… Continue reading oyster mushroom satay
mushroom ceviche
Ceviche (cebiche, seviche) is a popular South American dish which hails from Peru. It is generally made by curing fresh raw fish in citrus juice and spices, but here is a delightful vegetarian version from The South American Table by Maria Baez Kijac. Serve it with tostadas (tortilla chips). Bring a large saucepan of water to…… Continue reading mushroom ceviche
michelle picker cooks 