Tapas night

Last night was Justin and my one month wedding anniversary :) I know, not a HUGE milestone, but I am sentimental and ridiculous so I had to make a special dinner to commemorate this significant event. When Justin and I first started dating, our first dinner date was to an incredible Spanish Tapas place in the West Village called Alta.  They have a menu of over 30 small tapas-sized plates that are beyond incredible....so in reminiscing about the start of Justin and my relationship, I decided to take my inspiration from Alta and create my own little Tapas Dinner.  I did 4 different dishes, 3 of which I will show here (the fourth I have already blogged about here - Baked Brussel Sprouts at the bottom of the page).  I happened to like each of these tapas very much - my favorite was the Bruschetta and Justin's favorite was the Shrimp & Chorizo.

Tapas #1

Spanish Style Bruschette

1 Baguette

Frozen Spinach De-Thawed

Mascarpone Cheese

Figs (I got dried since I couldn't find fresh figs)

Chopped up Almonds

Parmesan Cheese

Pepper 

Slice up your baguette into 1/2 inch slices, toast so they're golden brown.  Mix together equal parts Mascarpone Cheese and Spinach so that its a creamy, spreadable consistency - add in pepper to taste.  Top the baguette with a generous helping of that mixture, then add your fig to the top.  Top that with crushed Almonds (I just ran whole almonds through my food processor until they were smaller sized - not powder).  Top that with a sprinkling of Parmesan Cheese.  And that's it! The combination of the sweet and salty and the soft and crunchy makes this dish addictive.  It's simple to make, and is a great starter to a meal.  It also pairs fantastically with a dry red wine!

Tapas #2
Grilled Shrimp & Chorizo with an Avocado Cream

Uncooked, De-shelled Shrimp
Chorizo Sausage
1/2 Avocado
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 Lime juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh Cilantro

In a bowl mix your avocado, sour cream, lime and cilantro into a smooth spreadable consistency.  On your serving plate, spread a layer of this mixture across the entire length of the plate.  Meanwhile, on a griddle or grill, cook your shrimp and chorizo until the shrimp is cooked through, and the chorizo is warmed up. Lay the shrimp and chorizo on top.  To make it easier for serving, you can skewer the shrimps and chorizo.  The whole point is to have a bite that has all the elements in it at once - the avocado cream, shrimp and the chorizo.  The spiciness of the chorizo mixed with the sweet and citrus nature of the avocado cream is an awesome combination.  Another super easy dish to create and looks impressive! 

Tapas #3
Salmon Ceviche over an Avocado Salad
 

(this recipe with yield 2 servings)

1/3 lb Salmon (raw) - get a good Sushi grade Salmon

1/2 tbsp Siracha

1/4 tbsp Mirin

1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce

1/4 tsp Sugar

1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil

1/2 Avocado

1/2 lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped Onion

In a bowl mix the Siracha, Mirin, Soy Sauce, Sugar and Sesame Oil.  With your Salmon, cut it into small 1/4 inch cubes.  Places the Salmon cubes in the marinade mixture and mix well -- cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  Ceviche refers to the process in which raw fish "cooks" in citrus or spiced mixtures and is then served.  While your fish is marinating, mix together your avocado, lemon and chopped onion (guacamole style).  Serve with the guacamole as a base, and the fish on top.  I liked this dish a lot - it's got beautiful colors, and is extremely impressive.

I love tapas because you can really experiment with all sorts of flavors and serving techniques.  Also, if one dish doesn't turn out all that great, at least you're serving a bunch of others alongside it!

Enjoy! :)