More Toppings for Bruschetta and Don't Waste That Cabbage

Two more toppings for Bruschetta
Friday we ate Italian at our local, Portofino, which is our favourite
Eatery in Parnell.
I had Spaghettie alle Vongole with some yummy garlic pizza bread.
Dale had pizza.
So dinner was just a light salad.

Saturday dawned and out for lunch again.
This time Prego in Ponsonby… another excellent Italian restaurant.
Lasagne for me
Snapper on Risotto for Dale.
So we didn’t get our Bruschetta for lunch.
But that’s OK.
I was really keen on this Shrimp recipe from my friend Mario.
(Sorry I don’t mean to be pretentious, but I feel I know him)
He ate this in a seafood trattoria in Atrani called da Zaccaria
It was a topping for Bruschetta but we had had enough bread for the day.
Instead I served it on potato slices, sitting on a green salad.
Succulent and really tasty. Loved the addition of Limoncello.
Sweet and tangy at the same time.
For two people
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
As many shrimp as you can eat peeled and deveined
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
50 mls Limoncello
1/2 cup white wine

2 medium potato boiled and cut into 1/4 slices
1 spring onion sliced thinly or chives
Salad greens
Zest of lemon for garnish

In a sauté pan heat olive oil over medium heat until just smoking
Add garlic toss quickly cook until it turns light brown
Add shrimp and cook without turning for 2-3 minutes until pink
Turn shrimp over and cook for 1 minute

Transfer the shrimp to a plate
Add lemon juice, zest, Limoncello and wine to the pan and bring to boil

Boil sauce about 3-4 minutes

To serve lay salad greens on plate
Layer potatoes then
Shrimp
Pour over juices
And garnish with zest and spring onion or chives

Sunday
Now this is a signature dish from Mario’s restaurant in New York, Po
White Bean Bruschetta
Couldn’t be easier and really tasty

1 cup cooked Cannellini Beans (I used canned, rinsed and drained)
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
2 tablespoon fresh basil leaves cut in thin strips
1 clove garlic think sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 inch slices of country bread toasted
Slices prosciutto for garnish

In a mixing bowl gently stir together
Beans, Extra virgin olive oil Olive oil
Balsamic, Chili flakes basil and garlic.
Season to taste

Leave to sit about an hour for the flavours to meld
Spoon over toasted bread place a slice of prosciutto and devour.
It is still really good the next day (in fact, finished it off today.)
I was reading the excellent blog Chocolate and Zucchini
Written by Clotilde
Like Clotilde, (check out this post) I too had a cabbage in the fridge, it had been there for a while.
I have to cook this… so I removed the outer leaves and of course underneath was lovely moist crisp cabbage. Those outer leaves are a great protector.

I also had a butternut squash so emptying the fridge was a good option.
I made an interesting Honeyed Squash and Goat’s Cheese Salad
a while ago and took my inspiration from that
Didn’t have any grapes, so I used mango and I also added a lovely little red chili from my friend Debbie’s garden

2 cups sliced cabbage
Vinaigrette
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 large teaspoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

With a fork whip mustard and vinegar and then stir in olive oil, season to taste

Blanch cabbage just a minute or two,
cool and dress with vinaigrette


1 x Butternut Squash
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 chili finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1

1/2 mango
2 tablespoons pine nuts lightly toasted
Knob butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 tomato seeded and sliced
75 gms feta crumbled
Parsley finely chopped



Peel and cube butternut squash
Toss with olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper and chili
Bake in 180C oven for about 20 minutes until soft

Add butter, honey, tomato and pine nuts
Toss lightly

To plate
Add cabbage salad
Top with butternut mix and crumble feta on top
Sprinkle parsley to finish.