Grumpypasto - Antipasto

Tired of the same old dips and appetizers? Try this hearty antipasto.

Grumpypasto with anchovy wrapped capers

This antipasto got it's name from my brother in-law's father, who was known by friends and family by the nickname 'Grumpy'. He was known for his cooking skill - this is his recipe, which is a family favorite. We lost Grumpy in 2008 but his memory lives on. I've kept the original recipe intact, just rearranged the list of ingredients to reflect the order of use - I've added my notes at the end. Enjoy!

1/8 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Carrot, peeled and sliced about 1/8 inch
1/2 medium onion, rough chopped
2 Celery Stalks, chopped
1/4 head Cauliflower Broken into small pieces
5 raw mushrooms, sliced into 4 pieces
1 small garlic clove, crushed and minced
6oz Chili Sauce (Del Monte/ Huntz)
1 tsp. salt
1tsp. Accent
1 (6oz) can solid pack white albacore tuna
3 oz marinated artichoke hearts and juice
Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
12 Black olives, sliced in half
10 Green Olives, sliced in half (Spanish Style)
Capers and/or anchovies (few, optional)
7 oz ketchup



Put oil in 3 quart microwavable pot, add sliced carrots, stir; cover and cook on HIGH heat for 3 minutes.
Add chopped onions and celery, stir; cover and cook on HIGH heat for 2 minutes.
Add cauliflower, stir; cover and cook on HIGH heat for 2 minutes.
Add mushrooms, stir; cover and cook on HIGH heat for 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, add ketchup, chili sauce, lemon juice, salt, Accent, and garlic, and mix well.
Add cooked vegetables, Mix; add well drained tuna, broken into pieces, olives, artichoke hearts (with juice), cocktail onions, and carefully mix again.
Can be eaten immediately but reaches full flavor after being refrigerated 1 to 2 days or more.

For Taste Sale
Being a Mediterranean dish - consider adding 2 or 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped Flat Leaf (Italian) Parsley.
Another Mediterranean addition - Feta cheese.
He mentions adding anchovies and/or capers - I found canned, anchovy wrapped capers. They are WONDERFUL - I place them on top of the mix after I've put it in the serving bowl.
A sign of our times - he calls for a 6oz can of solid Albacore tuna - all I could find in the store these days are 5oz cans - it's up to you weather to go with 5oz or buy a second can and use 1/5 of it in the recipe.
I don't add the Accent
Serve with a sturdy cracker, sliced toasted chunks of bread.

Steamed Italian Lima Beans and Peas

This is a simple yet tasty recipe that can be made in 5 minutes. A great side dish for incorporating a variety of vegetables into your diet. This recipe is very flexible, increasing it's size would only increase the cooking time slightly, change the proportions (ex. 60% peas/ 40% Lima Beans) vary the onion (Green Onion, Shallots, Leaks).

1 cup frozen Baby Lima Beans
1 cup frozen Peas
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dried Italian Herb mix
1/2 Medium Onion rough chopped, separate the layers
Salt & Pepper

Place your steamer basket in a medium pot and add water to just below the basket bottom. place Peas, Lima Beans and onion in the basket, cover and boil for approximately 5 minutes. Onion should be translucent, taste a Lima Bean to make sure it's warm enough to eat. Once vegetables are done, remove basket and place vegetables in a bowl. Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the vegetables, add  salt, pepper and dried Italian Herbs to taste, mix well and serve.

Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts - the mere mention of which can send people screaming off into the night!
I believe this stems from a bad childhood experience. When I was a child I was told

they were baby cabbages. Now what kid wouldn't enjoy eating kid sized cabbages?
If you're not a fan of Brussel Sprouts - approach this recipe with an open mind - it took me three years before I could convince my wife to let me bring them into the house and now this recipe is one of her favorite vegetable recipes! If you like Brussel Sprouts, here's a twist on most traditional methods of preparing them.

Fresh Brussel Sprouts - depending on size about 6 per person
1 Medium Shallot, pealed & minced
1/2 Carrot pealed and shredded
2-3 Tablespoons or more of Chopped Italian (flat leaf) Parsley
1/4 - 1/2 cup of chicken Broth
Butter & Olive Oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan.
Salt & pepper to taste - typically you don't need additional seasoning.

Start by 'cleaning the brussel sprouts - cut the stem end a bit shorter and remove the loose leaves, resulting from the cut and removing any discolored leaves.
Cut the brussel sprout in half lengthwise through the stem - aim for cutting one of the attached leaves in half through it's stem, accuracy isn't important but it helps keep the leaves intact through the cooking process,

In a large shallow fry pan, have enough Olive Oil & Butter (50/50 mix) to generously coat the bottom of the pan, medium-high heat. Once the Oil and Butter mixture is hot, place the 1/2 sprouts cut side down in the pan. A good method is to place them in a circle starting at the outer edge of the pan and work your way towards the center. This helps you keep track of how long the halves have been in the pan. When the sprout's cut side becomes browned, flip them over. They should brown in the approximate order that you placed them in the pan.

When all of the halves have been flipped over, add the rest of the ingredients (Parsley, Shallot, Carrot, and Chicken Broth) place the lid on the pan and let them cook until tender.
Enjoy!

For Taste Sake
A julienne peeler is a handy tool to shred the carrot, if you don't have one, you can use a conventional vegetable peeler. Use the peeler to produce long thin strips. Lay the strips on top of each other, cut the strips in half lengthwise then cut those halves lengthwise into as many strips as you can.

Chicken Broth can be replaced with a Chicken Bouillon and water mixture.

If you're not familiar with shallot, it's in the onion family, they are a small member of the onion family with a nutty flavor. Shallots are a bit more expensive than an onion. Onion can be substituted but the flavor will be a bit different.

I've tried to keep this recipe healthy. My brother in-law takes my recipe and puts a cube of butter in - how could you go wrong?

Better Than Garlic Bread

Better than Garlic Bread. There's just SOME meals I have to have a good bread with - such as seafood. I used to reach for Garlic Bread on those occasions - homemade or store bought it was all good...... UNTIL I discovered this way of preparing, serving bread. Almost any bread will do but for the best results, pick a rustic artisan bread, one with small holes works best, my favorite is Puglasese made at a grocery store that we frequent. Next you want the very best Extra Virgin Olive Oil that you can find, a specialty salt like Pink Salt or Grey Salt, and a pealed clove of garlic.

Cut the bread in half lengthwise.


Toast the bread thoroughly (either in an oven, toaster oven or on a BBQ grill) I think toasted on a BBQ grill with grill marks is the most impressive with a little added kick of smoky flavor but it does require some extra skill to keep from burning the bread.

As soon as the bread is well toasted, take the garlic clove an rub it all over the exposed toasted inside of the bread. The toasted bread acts as sandpaper and the garlic will rub off onto the bread. Take special note of your and your guest's taste for garlic - don't over do it.

Next use a Silicone Brush to spread the Extra Virgin Olive Oil generously over the exposed toasted inside of the bread.

Sprinkle a pinch of Pink Salt or Grey Saltover the bread, slice and serve.





For Taste Sake
Pink Salt and Grey Salt aren't as salty as table salt - they have a 'mineral' taste to them - enhancing the flavor.

When you slice the bread in half, lengthwise, pay close attention to the edges of the bread, especially if you're going to grill it. Often times the bottom half is well proportioned but the top half's edge may be quite thin and subject to burning - it's a good practice to trim the thin edges back before toasting.

A Silicone Brush is best at spreading the Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the bread - the silicone will not leave any bristles on your food, will withstand high cooking temperatures, and cleans easily because the bristles will not absorb food.