Tapas party for four people

[IndyGirl]

OK... here are the deets. I do not eat meat (including poultry, pork, red meat); while I have no problem making it for other people, I don't like to, simply because I can't taste it and assure quality control.

One of my guests is on a no-seafood diet due to severe allergies.

So, I guess I am looking for a (mostly) no-seafood and meat-free tapas menu. I don't mind using meat I don't have to cook (like prosciutto-wrapped melon balls or something like that).

Thoughts?

[jenniebnyc]

potato croquettes for sure

[morebubbles]

pdelano, what you mean is pimientos de padron (delightful & delicious!)
Here's a recipe plus may contain some hints are to where to find them:
http://spain.othercountries.com/other...

[anita_cocktail]

-a large disk of goat cheese nested in a thin layer of tangy tomato sauce and broiled. serve with baguette.

-dates stuffed with marcona almonds. (in a perfect world, you would then wrap it in bacon that you raised, killed, and smoked yourself. and broil.)

[pdelano]

there are small spanish peppers, padronas...podria,,,,having trouble with the name... green almost a small habanero look-alike, however when grilled, oiled and salted.. your guest will finish them before all else! anybody familiar with these?...I've only had them in Barcelona but I know people are importing them, maybe even growing them in the states.

[coolbean98]

I am addicted to pimientos de Padron! They are now out of season, but you can buy them online, and at Spanish Table in Berkeley, CA or the Ferry Building in SF, when in season. However, they are not nearly as affordable in the states as in Barcelona, unfortunately.

Previous post on pimientos de Padron: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/321002

I also am a big fan of a simple snack of manchego and membrillo (quince paste), as well as slices of great choizo or lomo (which you wouldn't have to cook).

[singleguychef]

IndyGirl, I saw something on "Take Home Chef" where he made a simple tapas dish with roasted peppers stuffed with cheese. So I would suggest getting some small sweet peppers, roast them in the oven, peel off the skins, and then stuff them with a soft cheese like goat cheese. Then drizzle them with some olive oil and you have a nice tapas dish. That's one! How many more to go? ;-)

[IndyGirl]

LOL, thanks! (I personally despise the Take Home Chef, but his food may not be bad!). I think the roasted peppers stuffed with goat cheese sounds nice actually. And to clarify, I am trying to make it as Spanish as possible. I have plenty of other appetizer-type things I can create but would like something specifically tapas-related.....like the tortilla espanola, which is already on my list. I've done some googling but I am really looking for tested recipes and ideas here. Thanks!

[rcsimm]

You might try piquillo peppers instead of regular old bell peppers. I've only seen them in jars, but they're pretty tasty nonetheless.

[singleguychef]

If you're trying to do a real authentic Spanish dish, then one appetizer/tapas like dish I had often in Barcelona was deep-fried small fish. It was so simple and reflects the fresh seafood of the areas. They'd just get fresh small fish of the day (sometimes sardines or anchovies) and just deep-fry them and sprinkle with sea salt. So you might do something similar.

[IndyGirl]

I love fresh fried sardines. I wonder where I could buy some? Any thoughts?

[julietg]

have you checked out www.latienda.com ?

Also- so easy but so good is pan con tomate

slice a crusty baguette on the bias
rub one side with tomato and a sliced garlic clove
top with a slice of manchego

You could probably get more fancy a la some bruschetta recipes, but the tomato part is key

[IndyGirl]

Excellent, thank you. I will check this out and am bookmarking this thread so I can come back to it later.

[singleguychef]

sorry, not sure what fresh seafood markets you might have in your area, and I don't think you want to have them shipped in. (too costly) You might just ask your local fishmonger what kind of "small fish" they might have in season. The whole idea with fried small fish is that they're quick to fry up and the size make them a nice snack for a tapas dish.

[j2brady]

Is it Spanish tapas or tapas inspired food?

Most cultures have tapas like dishes...antipasto, mezze etc. So you might try looking outside of Spanish cuisine.

If you are going Spanish...get some manchego for sure.

I just made a tapas dinner and did some Italian style veggie dishes like marinated eggplant, some roasted veggies, fennel and raw veggies with pinzimonio (sp) (just olive oil -the good stuff- with a little s&p).

Jenna

[rcsimm]

tortilla espanola, for sure. Patatas bravas. Some marcona almonds, and warmed olives (add a sprig of rosemary and some orange peel to infuse the olives). Mix some cabrales with a tiny bit of brandy, serve with baguette slices. crepes stuffed with spinach and red pepper, rolled and sliced, served with a saffron sauce.

[IndyGirl]

Definitely tortilla espanola, patatas bravas with garlic aioli, and olives.

I will have to look into the crepes and practice those first :)

Cabrales/brandy/baguette sounds divine if i can get my hands on some cabrales.