Happy World Tapas Day

Happy World Tapas Day! This June Ireland is one of 20 countries embracing tapas as the Spanish Embassy organises a great celebration of small plates. To celebrate in true Gill Books style we are sharing 3 recipes with a twist from our amazing authors. What’s the twist? These may not be traditional tapas dishes but they work really well as small sharing plates.

Eat Like an Italian: Scallops with Prosciutto and Balsamic Glaze

By Catherine Fulvio

Every time you make this dish you will hear "Wow” around the table, followed by silence, and that, my fellow cooks, is the sound of everyone enjoying this dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

200ml balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
8 thin slices prosciutto
16 large scallops
16 small rosemary sprigs
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over a moderate heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mixture has reduced by one-third. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, slice each piece of prosciutto in half lengthwise and wrap around the scallops, securing each with a sprig of rosemary. Brush with olive oil and season.

Cook the scallops in a griddle pan over a medium heat, turning once, until they are firm to the touch and opaque in the centre. Transfer to a serving plate and drizzle with the balsamic glaze.

Keeping it local: Use dry-cured Gubbeen bacon to wrap around Kilmore Quay scallops, or you may prefer to use prawns.

Eat Like An Italian is available on our website and in all good book stores.

Eat Yourself Beautiful: Vegan Basil Pesto

By Rosanna Davison

Pesto works so well with a wide range of salads, wraps and main dishes but I tend to make it most to accompany my Raw Courgetti and Rainbow Glow Bowl as it complements the simple veggies so well. To make a lower fat version, I replaced some of the quantities of olive oil traditionally used, with almond milk.

Ingredients

45g fresh basil leaves, rinsed well
135g pine nuts
2 tbsp cold-pressed virgin olive oil
2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
4 heaped tbsp nutritional yeast
Pinch of Himalayan pink rock salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 cloves of garlic

Directions

Mix all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until nuts are ground down but ensure some texture remains and the pesto isn’t entirely smooth. Taste and add more garlic, lemon juice or seasoning if required. Find more recipes like this in Eat Yourself Beautiful, available in our online bookstore and all good bookstores.

Natural Born Feeder: Chicken Satay Skewers

By Rozanna Purcell

If a dish has peanut butter in it, I’m in! I used to order satay a lot when I was out for dinner or getting a cheeky take-away. My version of the sauce is much healthier, so you can drizzle lots on. The take-away never gives you enough sauce anyway! There is more delicious recipes like this in Natural Born Feeder, available on our website and in all good bookstores.

Makes 4 skewers

Ingredients

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped, plus extra to garnish
1 garlic clove, minced
2.5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
160g raw peanuts
½ tbsp curry powder
½ x 400ml tin of full-fat coconut milk
1 tbsp tamari
1–2 tbsp maple syrup
pinch of sea salt
2 chicken fillets, cut into strips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 220°C.

Heat the toasted sesame oil in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the chilli, garlic and ginger and cook for just 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the peanuts and curry powder and cook for 2–3 minutes before pouring in the coconut milk and tamari and giving it a good stir. Stir in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt then taste it to see if you want to add 1 more tablespoon of maple syrup if you’d like it to be a bit sweeter. Pour into a blender or use a hand-held blender and blitz until it’s a smooth sauce. Thread the chicken strips onto four metal skewers and place on a baking tray or in a baking dish. Pour half of the satay sauce over the chicken and cook in the oven for 25 minutes, until golden all over and cooked through. Meanwhile, put the remaining satay sauce into a small saucepan and gently heat it through. When the skewers come out of the oven, pour the sauce over as a dressing and serve with a little finely chopped chilli scattered on top.

We hope you enjoy World Tapas Day no matter where you are in the world! Head over to TheTaste.ie who have all the details you need to celebrate World Tapas Day in style.

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