Tapas Dinner

Tonight I made a dinner of 3 different tapas: panzanella salad, tomato pie and Swedish meatballs.

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Panzanella Salad

5 plum tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
3 Tbsps capers
10-20 green Spanish olives
1/2 ciabatta loaf
2 Tbsps red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
fresh basil leaves
salt
lemon pepper
2 large bowls

1) Skin the tomatoes (first make an "x" with a knife on the bottom, then boil the tomatoes for 30 seconds, then transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water - the skin will fall right off!). Cut the tomatoes into quarters. Squeeze the seeds/juice of each quarter tomato into bowl #1, then put the quarters into bowl #2. Add red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper (to taste) to bowl #1.

2) Cut the peppers in half. Bake in a Pyrex dish (face down) for 20-30 minutes or until the skin begins to crinkle and the edges start to turn black. Remove the peppers from the oven and submerge in ice water. Again, the skin will fall right off. Slice the cooked skinned peppers into thin strips and add to bowl #2.

3) Tear the bread into large chunks and put in bowl #1. Mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

4) Add contents of bowl #2 to bowl #1. Add olives and capers to the mixture. Garnish with basil leaves.

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Tomato Pie

1 frozen pie crust (check your local grocery - many are made with vegetable shortening rather than butter)
7 plum tomatoes
2 Tbsps melted soy margarine
2 Tbsps white sugar
arugula
balsamic glaze (I like Blaze's strawberry balsamic glaze)

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Peel tomatoes (using same directions in Panzanella recipe). Cut into thin slices and layer (with slight overlap) inside the pie crust. Brush the tomato slices with melted soy margarine and sprinkle with sugar.

3) Bake for 25-35 minutes (until the crust browns and the tomatoes start to caramelize).


4) (Optional) Melt high-quality vegan mozarella (I like to use Teese) in a sauce pan with 2 Tbsps soy margarine, then pour over the tomato pie after it comes out of the oven. Garnish with fresh argula and balsamic glaze.

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Swedish Meatballs

1 Tube Gimme Lean Ground "Beef"
1 vegetarian "beef" bouillon cube
1 1/2 Tbsps All Spice
1/2 cup almond milk
3-5 slices white bread
1/4 cup flour
1 jar Swedish lingonberry jam

Combine ingredients (except lingonberry jam) in a large bowl. Form into small balls. Bake for 10-15 minutes (or until the meatballs start to brown). Serve with lingonberry jam.