Vegetarian Antipasto
If you haven’t noticed we have been on an international kick the last few posts. First, we did the aebleskiver, then the cilantro lime quinoa, now this antipasto! We knew we wanted to do something in the Italian family, so instead of doing a heavy pasta dish, I went with this fresh antipasto.
I decided to do a vegetarian version because those cured meats often have nitrates and other harsh ingredients in them. This antipasto plate is so easy and you won’t miss the meats! The Mario Snack Pack olives make the perfect addition because they are minimally packaged and don’t contain any added oils or water. Plus, they are fresh and delicious.
I know the Oscars are tonight. If you haven’t planned your snack food for the night, give this a try. You probably have everything you need on hand and you’ll feel fancy when you eat it while watching the decadence of Hollywood. That’s definitely my plan. Plus its quick, so you could have to done in time to watch the red carpet with Ryan Seacrest. A bonus, when roasting the peppers, your house will smell amazing. My 4 year old came inside from playing and asked me “what is that delicious smell?” She’s so funny.
Enjoy this quick and fancy appetizer recipe. It’s a clean way to enjoy something you usually feel guilty about.
Local Ingredient: mushrooms from a local mushroom farm.
Ingredients
8 oz mushrooms, sliced (I used white mushrooms, but any mushroom would be fine.)
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 sprig of thyme, leaves removed
2 bay leaves
Sea salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
3 bell peppers, various colors
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 basil leaves, chopped
2 sprigs flat leaf parsley, chopped
Sea salt, to taste
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
6 packages Mario Snack Olives, various flavors and colors
Instructions
- In a medium skillet heat 1/4 of the olive oil. Add sliced mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Transfer mushrooms to a glass bowl. Add the zest from the lemon and the juice from half. Add remaining ingredients. Mix together.
- Allow mushrooms to cool on a countertop and serve at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Place three bell peppers directly on the oven rack in preheated oven. Tip: Place a cooking sheet on the rack underneath so liquid that drops from the peppers doesn't burn or get your oven dirty.) Turn occasionally. About 20 minutes. But, keep an eye on it.
- Once the skin of the peppers begins to char, carefully remove them from the oven and place in a paper bag. Tightly close the bag. (You could also use a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap.)
- Once the peppers have cooled enough to handle, carefully peel the skin away and discard.
- Rinse, remove the seeds and stem and then cut into strips.
- Add peppers to a bowl and add remaining ingredients.
- Allow to marinate for up to 30 minutes.
- Mix olives together and place in a small serving bowl or arrange on the plate.
- Carefully spoon the mushrooms and peppers onto the plate using a fork or slotted spoon so the juices don't make the plate messy.
- Garnish with a sprig of parsley and add toothpicks for easy self serving. Enjoy!
