Peach, Prosciutto and Parmesan

It’s peach season and I wanted to make a dish that is reminiscent of Croatia.  As many of you know I love buying food products as souvenirs, and this Dalmatinski Pršut is the gift that keeps on giving.

My new creation is a take on a TikTok trend.  Remember the parmesan-crusted roasted potatoes?  Well, instead of the potatoes I added cauliflower and prosciutto.  I  grated parmesan cheese and spread it evenly on a baking sheet and then added cauliflower slices.  This allows the cheese to get crispy!

Step 1: Grate the parmesan cheese and add fresh slices of basil.  Spread the cheese evenly on the baking sheet.

Step 2 Take the cauliflower slices and place them on the cheese.  Brush each cauliflower steak with olive oil.

Step3:: Bake for 20 minutes at 400 F then remove from oven and add prosciutto around the bread.  Placing it back in the oven for 10 minutes until it gets crispy.

Step 4: Layer the ingredients.  Take out the cauliflower and add prosciutto, peaches and fresh basil leaves

Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower cut into 1-inch thick slices

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon fresh basil

5 prosciutto slices

1 peach sliced

warm honey (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F

On a baking sheet mix the parmesan cheese and basil.  Spread evenly on the baking sheet.  Put cauliflower on top of the grated cheese, and brush a little bit of olive oil on each cauliflower.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and add slices of prosciutto around the cauliflower steaks. Place back in the oven and back for 10 minutes longer

Using the spatula remove the cheesy cauliflower from the baking sheet and add to a plate, arrange the prosciutto on top and then add peach slices with basil, and drizzle warm honey if using.

Croatian Appetizer-Tuna Pate

Take your boring canned tuna and transform it into something decadent and delicious in less than 10 minutes.  Pate or Pasteta in Croatian is a true delicacy, but of course I didn’t know that growing up.  It was in second grade when I remember my first taste of liver pate. I wondered why all my friends didn’t have the same sandwich in their lunchbox. Everyday, my Mother schmeared a generous portion of pate on rye bread.   I have fond memories of going to our Croatian delicatessen and hearing my Mother tell the owner she wanted a little piece of pasteta.  

I eventually stopped eating pate, when I found out it was made of liver.  The food suddenly lost its appeal.  Decades later, when I returned to Croatia I became re-united with my childhood love.  One caveat, it was Tuna pate that pulled at my heart strings and taste buds.  Tuna pate seemed to be on every restaurant menu in the Adriatic coast. When it came time to prepare a dish for this World Cup soccer match, I closed my eyes and tried to remember all the foods that brought me joy this past summer in Croatia, and tuna pate was top of mind.

Pasteta is traditionally served with bread, crackers, or vegetables.  I enjoy eating mine with gluten free pretzels and cauliflower crackers. Tuna pasteta is served cold pro tip chilling it for a couple days will enrich its flavours.  It’s amazing to serve as an appetizer or for Tea party.  Here are the ingredients that I used in my tuna pate:

Ingredients

1 Canned tuna in water

1/4 cup cream cheese

1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

2 small Spring scallions- chop the scallions into small pieces

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

Paprika seasoning

Capers on the side

Directions

1. Drain tuna and place in food processor along with cream cheese.  Pulse until well combined. Add remaining ingredients and pulse a couple times until combined and creamy.

2. Serve on a plate with your favourite gluten free crackers, or pretzels alongside capers.  Don’t forget to add a sprinkle of paprika on top on each dollop of pate.

Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

With the cooler temperatures I find myself gravitating to spicy foods.  I decided to combine my two favorite things “spicy and cauliflower” to come with a vegetarian take on a favorite appetizer.   This is a low carb option and something I am sure you will be making over and over again.  Also, these baked buffalo bites would be delicious in a taco.

Here is what you will need.

Ingredients 

-1/ 2 cup Almond Flour - I use this brand.

-2 tablespoons Buffalo seasoning - I like it spicy. I used the one from primal kitchen  

-2 eggs

- 1 teaspoon salt 

1 head of cauliflower

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Clean and cut the cauliflower in bite size pieces

3. In a shallow bowl add almond flour, buffalo seasoning, salt, pepper THIS IS YOUR DRY Ingredients bowl.

4. In a separate bowl whisk the two eggs.

5. Add cauliflower to eggs, and coat all the cauliflower- you may want to do this in batches.

6. Immediately add to dry ingredients bowl

7. Arrange cauliflower in a single layer on baking sheet- roast in oven for 30 minutes

8. OPTIONAL- at the end I did turn on the broiler for 2 minutes to get them a little crispier- but totally up to you.