Antipastos for Holiday Season

Otto Say’s

Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore

Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

Some Christmas Antipastos

Bruschetta alla melanzane (eggplant bruschetta )

Ingredients

60ml olive oil

 1 large eggplant, cut into 5 mm – thick slices

75 ml. Shredded fresh mint

60 ml extra virgin olive oil

15 ml red wine vinegar

1  garlic crushed

        2 Ciabatta bread char grilled to serve

 

Method

1. Heat 60 ml.olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

2. Cook eggplants for 4 to 5 minutes each side or until golden brown and tender.

3. Tranfer to a plate lined with paper towel and season.

4. Meanwhile combine the mint, olive oil, red vinegar and garlic in a dish.

5. Add the grilled eggplants and toss to combine.

6. Set aside for 1 hour to marinate then serve with  sliced char grilledCiabatta bread

Marinated Greek feta

Ingredients

500 gr. Greek Feta Cheese

300 ml. Olive oil

3 ml. Fresh ground pepper

3 ml. crushed oregano leaves

1 bay leave

500 gr marinated Greek kalamata olives

Crusty bread to serve

Method

1. Cut the feta into 2 cm cubed. Place in a dish or bowl. Combine oil, pepper, oregano and bay leave in container Mix well.

2. Pour over the feta cheese .Cover and refrigerate overnight or longer

3. Serve with crusty bread or hard crackers

Basil and smoked trout crostini

Ingredients

1/2 day-old French bread stick (baguette) cut into 20 thin slices

Olive oil

110 g pkt goats cheese

30 ml thick cream

75 ml chopped fresh basil

500 gr. sliced smoked trout

Small fresh basil leaves, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Place the bread on the trays. Sprinkle with oil. Bake, turning once, for 15 minutes or until crisp. Set aside to cool completely.

2. Meanwhile, combine goat’s cheese, cream and chopped basil in a bowl

3. Spread the crostini with goats cheese mixture. Top with trout and basil leaves.

 

Ttruly Canadian Antipasto Recipe

This has to be one of my best antipasto recipes ever.(  for a large party )

500 gr. Olives, ripe, sliced

500 gr Olives, green, sliced

2 heads cauliflower florets, small
500 gr.small picked opinions
110 ml olive oil
500 gr sliced mushroom
2 green peppers, chopped
500 gr. green beans cooked, chopped
500 ml. ketchup

750 gr, cooked small shrimps tails removed

300 gr. tuna in water

500 gr dill pickles chopped

150 ml vinegar

Method

1. Mix first 5 ingredients in large pot. Boil 3 minutes.
2. Add next 4 ingredients, boil 5 minutes.
3. Add balance of ingredients. Try not to break up shrimp and tuna too much. Bring to just boiling.

Marinate for a few hours or until cold and ready to serve

 

Grilled Antipasto Platter

 

Ingredients

 

GARLIC AND HERB OIL:

225 ml. Olive oil

6 cloves garlic chopped

4 spring’s fresh rosemary chopped

4 spring’s thyme chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper 10 baby artichokes

2 lemon halves

225 ml extra virgin olive oil more if needed

2 medium eggplants sliced thick

4 medium zucchini sliced

4 red peppers halved and cored

1 bunch scallions or green onions

5 tomatoes halves

225 gr. Green olives pitted sliced for garnish

150 gr ricotta for garnish

Fresh basil for garnish

 

Method

1. To make the Garlic and Herb Oil, put all the ingredients into a small saucepan and put it over low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, just until it becomes aromatic. Set aside and allow the oil to cool.

2. Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon and throw the lemon halves in as well. Trim and halve the artichokes and remove the chokes. Put them into the pot and cook them until they are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Heat the grill to low. Have a large shallow dish filled with 225 ml olive oil. Coat the eggplant, zucchini, peppers, artichokes, scallions, and tomatoes separately with the oil. Grill the vegetables, basting generously with the Garlic and Herb Oil, until tender and soft: about 10 minutes for the eggplant, 8 minutes for the zucchini, 15 minutes for the peppers, 10 minutes for the artichokes, and 5 minutes for the scallions and tomatoes. Arrange them on a large platter and garnish with the olives, cheese, and herbs. Squeeze over the remaining lemon juice and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.

 

Smile and Be Sweet

“The best way to win a friend is to listen and

Smile it only takes a minute” – Otto

Sanitation Practices

Otto Say’s

Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore

Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

Don’t let your food turn nasty!

Food poisoning is a serious health problem. It can cause severe illness and even death.

Food poisoning can seriously damage the reputation of a business, damage the reputation of the food industry, and damage the jobs of many workers.

As a person who handles food – whether you are a kitchen hand, a food process worker, a shop assistant or a waiter – you have an important responsibility to handle food safely. So:

• protect other people from getting sick

• protect your reputation in the food industry

• protect your business, and

• protect your job.

Food safety laws are designed to ensure that food that is sold is safe to eat and free of any contamination.

• Follow the food safety program

• Follow the advice given by the food safety

Prevent food poisoning by practicing good personal hygiene

Thoroughly wash and dry your hands before handling food, and wash and dry them again frequently during work.

Dry your hands with clean towels, disposable paper towels or under an air dryer.

Never smoke, chew gum, spit, change a baby’s nappy or eat in a food handling or food storage area.

Never cough or sneeze over food or where food is prepared or stored.

Wear clean protective clothing, such as an apron.

Keep your spare clothes and other personal items away from where food is stored and prepared.

If you have long hair, tie it back or cover it.

Keep your nails short so they are easy to clean, and don’t wear nail polish as it can chip into the food.

Avoid wearing jewellery, or only wear plain banded rings and sleeper earrings.

If you have cuts or wounds, make sure they are completely covered by a waterproof wound strip                                      or a bandage. Use brightly coloured wound strips, so they can be seen easily if they fall off.

Wear disposable gloves over the top of the wound strip if you have wounds on your hands.

Change disposable gloves regularly. Smile and Be Sweet “The best way to win a friend is to listen and Smile it only takes a minute” – Otto

Fall Menu

 

 Otto Say’s

Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore

Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

 

Fall Menu

Hearty Vegetable Soup (serves 6)

Ingredients

15 ml. butter

1 medium onion diced

1 garlic clove minced

1 medium winter squash peeled and diced

1 medium zucchini diced

1medium sweet potato, peeled and diced

150 gr. orzo

500 gr. fresh chopped tomato or can diced tomatoes

5 ml. dried thyme leaves

5 ml dried   rosemary

1 liter chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the butter medium heat.

2. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until golden brown.

3. Add the winter squash, zucchini, sweet potato, orzo, canned tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and stock 4.Simmer until the vegetables are soft and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

4. Season the soup with salt, and black pepper, to taste. Serve with sliced crusty POP’ S garlic bread.

5. Sprinkle with POP’S Spice

 

Herbed chicken breast

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

Tenderize the boneless chicken breast halves by flattening them as you would for a chicken cutlet, then marinating in lemon juice.

6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

100 ml. fresh lemon juice

75 ml. butter

50 ml olive oil

400 gr. plain dry breadcrumbs

75 ml chopped fresh basil

50 ml chopped fresh parsley

20 ml. chopped fresh rosemary

5 ml salt

3ml ground black pepper OR (POP’S Spices)

Lemon wedges

Method

1. Pour lemon juice over. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Remove chicken from dish and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Preheat oven to 220 c Melt butter with oil in small saucepan over medium heat cool slightly. Mix breadcrumbs, basil, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper in pie dish.

3. Brush chicken breasts on both sides with melted butter mixture. Coat chicken on both sides with breadcrumb mixture. Place chicken on baking sheet.

4. Bake until chicken is cooked through and breadcrumbs are golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to plates. Serve, passing lemon wedges alongside. And HERBED GARLIC MASH AND brown sugar mashed turnips

 

Chocolate Pumpkin Chiffon Pudding

Serves 6                                                                                                                       

150 gr pumpkin puree

150 gr coconut milk

2 eggs

150 gr coconut sugar

250 gr chocolate chunks or chips melted

2 ml salt

1 ml vanilla

250 ml whipped cream

1. In a blender combine pumpkin, coconut milk, and eggs

2. Pulse in coconut sugar, melted chocolate, salt,

3. Transfer into serving glass and place in fridge for 2 hours to set

4. Serve with whipping cream

Smile and Be Sweet

“The best way to win a friend is to listen and

Smile it only takes a minute” – Otto