Lightened up Tuna Panini

Lightened up Tuna Panini

L'il Burnt Toast comes to lunch fairly often. Last week I invited her for what turned out to be "tuna day", where almost everything gracing the table seemed to contain tuna. There is my Tuna, White Bean Salad with Herb-Caper Pesto taking up the rear.

Many people feel that it is healthier to eat tuna packed in water instead of tuna packed in oil, yet it is generally agreed that tuna packed in oil has a better flavor and texture. However, it has been shown that tuna packed in oil mixed with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise is actually lower in fat than tuna packed in spring water and mixed with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Starting with tuna packed in oil allows people to use less mayonnaise to achieve the desired consistency and taste, thereby cutting down on fat and calories and providing a better tasting salad. Another fat-reducing option is rinsing tuna packed in oil with a small stream of water in a strainer to remove excess oil as I did here. This tuna salad uses balsamic vinegar for added flavour and no mayonnaise at all. Perfect for picnics and beach barbecues too!!!

North Americans eat canned tuna more than any other type of fish, but, it doesn't compare to the wonderfully firm, dense and meaty flavor and texture of fresh tuna. Both canned and fresh tuna are available throughout the year. December is the time to get fresh Hawaiian tuna. Tuna is found in the warm water areas of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans as well as the Mediterranean Sea.
Even if it gets a bad "rap" I do love a homey tuna casserole once in a while and a lightened up version of a tuna salad can always be found on my table during the week!!!

** Lightened-Up Tuna Panini**

Printable Version

Two 6-ounce cans chunk tuna
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon minced basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 ciabatta rolls, split
Dijon mustard and mayonnaise, for spreading
Eight 1/4-inch-thick slices of Swiss or cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
Sixteen 1/8-inch-thick lengthwise slices of kosher dill pickles (optional)

In a medium bowl, mix the tuna with the onion, olive oil, vinegar, basil and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper.Heat a panini press or griddle. Spread the cut sides of the rolls with mustard and mayonnaise and top each roll half with a slice of cheese. Spread the tuna salad on the bottoms and cover with the pickles.

Close the sandwiches and brush the outsides of the rolls lightly with olive oil.Add the sandwiches to the press and cook over moderate heat until the cheese is melted, about 6 minutes.

Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.

Serves 4

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.

Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta

Roasted pepper and Goat Cheese Pasts

The other day we took a trip to a small southern Okanagan Valley community surrounded by fruit orchards, fruit stands, local wineries, farmlands and rolling desert hills. The community of Oliver neighbours the Sonora Desert (Canada's only desert) thus enjoying an arid climate producing vineyards and orchards of apples, plums, cherries, pears and peaches.

The main purpose of our trip was to volunteer at the Okanagan Gleaners.

This society takes vegetables that would normally have been wasted and turn them into soup mixes. They also process and dry apples and pears. The Okanagan Gleaners is run solely on volunteer power and donations. Volunteers are always welcome to come help for a day, a week, or a month! The society produces mainly dried soup mix packaged into "100-serving" sealed plastic bags. Seventy of these bags are sealed into drums and shipped to various agencies around the world for the hungry and needy children of the world. Of course since we were in prime southern wine country we also had our arms twisted and visited several wineries along the way and had an afternoon at the beach.

Vegetable growing season is in full swing so what better way to highlight the season by making a delicious pasta dish !!! Pureeing the roasted peppers into a sauce is an easy way to add a generous vegetable serving to a meal. Peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C, and when roasted they still retain substantial amounts of this important vitamin. To make this a vegetarian dish, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth. Also I added a mixture of my favourite heirloom tomatoes on top for a delicious garnish and a boost of flavour.

This is my pasta dish for this weeks Presto Pasta Nights for Ruth over at Once Upon a Feast .

**Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta**

Printable Version 

3 large red bell peppers (about 1 1/2 pounds)

5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
4 cups hot cooked bow tie pasta (8 ounces uncooked)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Preheat broiler.

Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 8 minutes or until blackened. Place peppers in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 20 minutes. Peel; place peppers in a blender.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Add garlic mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, broth, and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper) to blender with peppers; process until smooth. Combine bell pepper mixture and basil with pasta. Sprinkle with goat cheese.

Serves 4

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.

Feast of Fields Okanagan

On Sunday I was fortunate enough to attend Feast of Fields held at Valentine Farms in the Okanagan Valley.

The feast can best be described as “a gourmet wandering picnic harvest festival,” and has been held at different venues across Canada such as Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Ottawa for nearly 20 years, helping to cultivate an increased appreciation for local and organic food production. The event is the joint creation of Michael Standlandter and Jamie Kennedy, and it was originally created as a way to connect urban consumers to the food they eat.

Feast of Fields acts as a catalyst for bringing a region’s food and agricultural communities together while raising awareness of the importance and enjoyment of eating locally. The idea for the very first Okanagan Feast of Fields was spearheaded by Cabana Grille Chef and Co-owner Ned Bell. Bell remained a part of the board and organizing team that comprised of passionate local volunteers who were excited and committed to shine a spotlight on the many producers, creators and artisans in the area. Ned Bell was at his booth for Cabana Grill and served guests homemade honey icecream with raspberries and chocolate sauce.

The variety, abundance and quality of British Columbia’s bounty ranks with some of the best agricultural regions in the world and the Okanagan is no exception. Feast of Fields provides the public with an up-close-and-personal opportunity to sample and swirl local products while supporting a not-for-profit organization FarmFolk/CityFolk’s that has been committed to food security projects in British Columbia since 1993.

British Columbia’s best known region for vines and orchards, hot summers and beachy family getaways got ready to stage its very first Feast of Fields. Here in the Okanagan Valley twenty-five of the top chefs of the Okanagan-Similkameen paired with local farmers, wineries and breweries to create this celebration of local food. On arrival, guests were handed a linen napkin and a wine glass. Then, everyone was free to roam and discover the great food and beverages of the region at their leisure. The Feast of Fields experience takes guests on a delicious journey through the area’s many faces and flavours. Wandering throughout the farm, patrons are able to meet the chefs and farmers, the vintners, brewers and food artisans, to taste their products, ask questions, and learn more about where their food comes from. Feast of Fields was set in the beautiful fields of Valentine Farm in Summerland, surrounded by hillside vineyards, gardens and orchards. It was a dream come true for food lovers who wanted to experience the best of the Okanagan culinary scene and meet the producers and chefs that create it together.

Everyone from local butchers and grocery stores to the top chefs in the best restaurants seemed to be a part of this event. I stopped by Passa Tempo’s booth to sample fare created by Brad Lazarenko, one of last year’s Maverick Chefs in Tidings Magazine (October 2008). They served Riverside Farms Summer Squash Terrine with Goat Cheese alongside Riverside Heirloom Tomato Chutney. I wandered over to the Bonfire Restaurant & Bar booth where I was offered Apple Wood Smoked Okanagan River Sockeye Salmon with Falcon Ridge Organic Honey-Jalapeno Glaze with Jicama Slaw. This gives you an idea of gastronomic adventure that awaited us during this event. If the event is held again here in the Okanagan in 2010 I would love to be a volunteer who were treated to a pig roast after the event and schmooze to my hearts content.

Tuna, White Bean Pasta Salad with Herb Caper Pesto

Tuna, White Bean Pasta Salad with Herb Caper Pesto

Susan of the The Well Seasoned Cook has announced, I believe, the 14th edition of her My Legume Love Affair event. The popular bean-centric event is now in its second year, and this month is stopping by at The Well-Seasoned Cook where it all began. Hosting her own event will be a special treat for her. For those new to the event, your choice of recipes is very broad. All courses and cuisines are welcome, as long as legumes are the dominant ingredient.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pikelet/Crumpets

Blueberry Buttermilk Pikelets

Sundays are days worth dreaming about. It is probably the only day of the week that I am "allowed" to sleep in if I care to, have a leisurely breakfast and just do as I darn well please!! It is a time to catch up with the family and then make plans for the rest of the week. I have been on a pikelet kick lately. You can read about my pikelets in my previous post here. I grew up with savory versions but have recently been introduced to sweet. What better way to begin my inititiation than to utilize the freshly picked berries of the season!!! Blueberries are a favourite of mine and pack an anti-oxidant punch as well. I get to kill two birds with one stone with my addiction to melted butter which will ooze from every nook and cranny and I am able to consume something relatively healthy as well.

Roasted Pepper Salad with Filo & Goat Cheese Croutons

Roasted Pepper Salad with Filo and Goat Cheese Croutons

It has been a little while since I attended the vegetarian blogging event No Croutons Required despite my best of intentions . The founders of this event are the talented duo Holler of Tinned Tomatoes and fellow Canadian Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen. Each month they are looking for our vegetarian soups or salads with the theme for this month being PEPPERS. Both of these ladies follow a vegetarian and healthy lifestyle which is evident in each of their feature stories. They have heard me say this before but they are both such sweeties that I have to participate in their event as often as I can...and I will say it again!!

This colourful salad makes a tasty accompaniment to seafood, chicken or lamb. Peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C, and when roasted they still retain substantial amounts of this important vitamin. There are many variations of roasted pepper salad, from many different countries. This one can be serve as a salad, a side dish, added to cooked pasta or served as a crostini topping.If you love the taste of peppers, try this roasted pepper salad recipe.

Spaghetti with Heirloom Tomatoes, Feta and Basil

As time goes on I find myself grilling less and less. Meat seems to be disappearing from my daily diet and being replaced by delicious sun-ripened tomatoes and every other conceivable vegetable known to man. Well that may be a slight exaggeration but I am working my way through the farmers market step by step, all the while complaining of the lack of zucchini flowers....wink...wink...As mentioned in my previous post I got my hands on some delicious Heirloom tomatoes over the weekend that have been making their way into my meal planning. While the wild world of global trading means that we now have access to many fruits and vegetables year round, somehow sun-ripened fruits and vegetables just taste better when you they are in season. That is a no brainer.

With my bounty of heirlooms I decided I had to prepare my all time favourite pasta dish for this weeks Presto Pasta Nights. They are so sweet and delicious and every colour of the rainbow. The rich tapestry of colours, the diversity and depth of their flavour, and the general beauty of these tomatoes provide an experience that your average grocery store tomato just can't match!!! I am therefore submitting this dish to Ruth over at Once Upon a Feast . This week the event is being hosted by Helen from Fuss Free Flavors



** Spaghetti with Heirloom Tomatoes, Feta and Basil**

8 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for tossing the pasta
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound heirloom tomatoes, chopped (all colours and varieties)
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaved parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained (optional, but good) ( I substituted finely chopped red onion)
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
15 basil leaves, thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about I cup)

***************************
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in spaghetti and cook until al dente, 8 to 9 minutes. Reserve a cupful of the pasta cooking water, then drain the spaghetti, drizzle lightly with olive oil, toss to coat. Set aside.

In a bowl combine heirloom tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes , parsley, capers (or red onions), vinegar,basil, and season with salt and pepper. Place a skillet over medium-high heat; add enough of the reserved pasta water to make the pasta slippery, and cook for about 2 minutes, tossing the spaghetti to combine all the ingredients, until slightly warmed through. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with the crumbled feta cheese.

Serves 4 - 6

Layered Heirloom Tomatoes with Feta & Basil Oil

Layered Heirloom Tomatoes with Feta and Basil Oil

In recent years, heirloom tomatoes have caught the fancy of an increasing number of gardeners and local growers. Heirloom varieties which are at least 50 years old are plants that have been grown year after year for generations, handed down from gardener to gardener. These are the tomatoes that people have fallen in love with, and have deemed worthy of keeping.

Corn Pikelets with Fresh Tomato Salsa

Corn Pikelets with Fresh Tomato Salsa

There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding what Pikelets are. According to Wikipedia a Pikelet is a small thick pancake, generally known in Australia, New Zealand and parts of Britain. Also known in parts of Britain as a drop-scone or Scotch pancake; or a British regional dialect word variously denoting a flatter variant on crumpet or an English muffin. Everything you read about crumpets or Pikelets seems to be contradictory. But hey, 'gotta love them!!!!

Pesto Pasta Salad for Presto Pasta Nights

Pesto Pasta Pasta

Say that a few times quickly ..."pesto pasta salad for presto pasta nights...pesto pasta salad for presto pasta nights:D Even if it is a bit of a tongue twister it is one of the most delicious pasta salads I have had in quite some time. As always I neglect pasta far too often, but, I do try and join in on the fun whenever I do over at Presto Pasta Nights. I am therefore submitting this dish to Ruth over at Once Upon a Feast . This weeks event is being hosted by Pyschgrad, who teams up with the other half of the dynamic duo, her mom Giz over at Equal Opportunity Kitchen.

Last Chance to Win

Jamie of Mom's Cooking Club

Helene of La cuisine d'Helene

Congratulations to the winners of this weeks giveaway!!!!!

The last 6 weeks have been a lot of fun for Shelby of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch and I. We have been alternately cooking up a storm and tweaking some recipes using our collection of Made with Love Eco-friendly Spice Blends. These products are of exceptional quality and we have been pleased as well as excited to be able to giveaway new SpiceBlends each week due to the generosity of Alex and Colin over at Made With Love. Everyone should have the opportunity to try these blends!!! You have one last chance to win. Don't forget they ship worldwide!!!

Each week we have been giving away a different couplet or trio of Spice Blends Gift Sets to you our readers generously supplied by Made With Love a local eco-friendly company. Simply find the weeks chosen "search and find image" and enter to win!!!This is our final post and your last chance to win!! Stay tuned for the roundup of delicious recipes from all 16 winners of this fantastic giveaway. I can't wait to see what they come up with!!!

So far, revisit Creamy Asparagus Soup with a Touch of Dill made with the Daring Dill Spice Blend , Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Ricotta and Feta made with their Pesto Garlic Spice Blend, Barbequed Shrimp made with Red Pepper Blend, Chicken Penne Prima Vera put together with the Prima Vera Spice Blend and Fire-Seared Antipasto Platter made with love with their Red Pepper Spice Blend. Perfecto!!!! Check out Shelby's creation this week at The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch . She came up with an exciting Nacho Cheese Sauce with the Jalapeno Spice Blend. We love these SpiceBlends so much we will continue to create dishes adding their delicious flavours and healthy properties to our dishes!!! It has also been a great adventure to share this experience with Shelby. Thank you Shelby for joining in on the fun with me:D

Here's how to win in the 6th and final week of our giveaway:

1) Visit their web site http://www.madewithlove.ca/ and find the image/photo "We Love to Share" for this weeks entry and enter to win at the e-mail below.

2) Leave a comment at madewithlovecontest(AT)gmail(DOT)com where you found the image/photo"We Love to Share". Please let us know your blog URL so that we can post the names of the winners on our sites with a link back to you!!!

3) You will be automatically entered to winTwo Earth-friendly Gift Set Couplets of Daring Dill and Country Onion Med-Size SpiceBlends worth $50. One for You and One for a friend!!!

4) Visit either Shelby at The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch or here at More Than Burnt Toast at the beginning of each week for a delicious recipe and a new chance to win!!!

5) The lucky winners who receive their couplets of Spice Blends will create a recipe using their products, blog about it with a link to http://www.madewithlove.ca/ . All of the recipe creations will be posted as a roundup on The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch and here on More Than Burnt Toast. Your recipe may even be on the Made with Love website!!!!

Their flavour combinations are somewhat unusual and take flavours to new heights.

Prima Vera Spice Blend is a wonderful blend of sun-dried tomato, sweet pepper and Italian spices. Try this blend for creamy, red or clear pasta sauces, in cream cheese on a bagel it is heavenly and as a Spanish-style rice side dish.

Crimson Love Spice Blend is a garlic lover’s blend with a strong essence of rosemary in a dried beet base with hints of nori and fresh greens. Wonderful for dips, dressings or pretty pink pasta!

Jalapeno Roots Spice Blend is a rich blend of jalapeno with garlic, onions, sweet peppers and lime in a dried carrot base. Creamy dips & pasta are gorgeous. Spice up your guacamole, veggies, meats or salsa.

Garden Curry Spice Blend is a mild curry blend with a mix of garden vegetables. Blended in cream cheese, pasta or yogurt dip it creates a mild, rich and flavourful sunshine cream!Country Onion Spice Blend is a traditional mix of fresh garden herbs, caramelized onions and chives. An extremely versatile blend, great on poultry, meats or eggs, fabulous for potatoes and herbed rice.

Pesto Garlic Spice Blend is their dried rendition of its namesake. Not fresh pesto but an easy instant version that is extremely versatile. No pinenuts or cheese here so safe for vegans or nut’free, just a beautiful blend of the herb flavours traditionally recognised as pesto. Great for pasta, meats or salad.

Daring Dill Spice Blend is truly their most sophisticated blend full of great dill flavour followed by a hint of fresh tomato and a hot mustard finish. Lovely on veggies, chicken or fish. Excellent for vinaigrette dressings and creamy sauces. Delightful!

Aztec Chocolate Spice Blend is a complex blend of Real Cacao, Coffee and Vanilla Beans with pungent sweet and spicy peppers. Aztec Chocolate is a traditional savoury flavour mix for Mexican and Latin American cuisine, led by the ancient Aztec and Mayan peoples of the region. Try it on meat dishes, beans, tofu or salad dressings this amazing sweet and spicy combo is great for everyday cooking. Also decadently fabulous for our desert dip.

Red Pepper Spice Blend is sweet with a mild spicy flavour similar to a pepper jelly. A blend of turbinado sugar with a mix of sweet and hot chilies. Amazing on veggies of any kind and a wonder to sprinkle on chicken, pork or fish. Great in mashed potatoes or melted in your popcorn butter it is absolutely addictive.

Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club Shares Bruschetta with Peach Salsa and Melted Brie

Bruschetta with Peach Salsa and Melted Brie

Our Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club is making it's second round. This has been such an enjoyable experience for us all.

The food blogging community has brought foodies together for many years. We create lifelong friendships and share our passions, ideas and recipes with each other and our readers virtually. Ultimately this is what has brought 5 ladies together to share their love of food, blogging and their commitment to a health conscious lifestyle to create the very 1st ever Virtual Supper Club sponsored by Cooking Light magazine!!!

Fire-Seared Antipasto Platter Made with Love Giveaway

The winners of last weeks draw are:

Lana of Never Enough Thyme

Jeanette of Cooked from the Heart

Shelby of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch and I have been cooking up a storm in an effort to bring to your attention these 100% natural spice blends from a local artisan company Made with Love . The company is a family run business with a back to basics focus on integrity, insight and simplicity. At Made with Love a bonus is that they choose their packaging consciously with our planet’s health in mind, opting for materials which are natural, reusable, recyclable or biodegradable.

Shelby and I have been alternately cooking up some recipes using our collection of Made with Love Eco-friendly Spice Blends. Each week we have been giving away a different couplet or trio of Spice Blends Gift Sets to you our readers generously supplied by Made with Love. Simply find the weeks chosen "search and find image" and enter to win!! We are in our 5th week of this amazing and generous giveaway!!!!

Their Spice Blends are a hand-crafted, 100% natural blend of spices, herbs and vegetables designed to make everyday cooking and eating simple, healthy and tasty. All of their Spice Blends combine Whole Super Food Nutrition with a focus on antioxidant properties in flavours that are deliciously addictive!!! Every Spice Blend can be used to make dips, spreads, dressings, marinades, sauces, pasta, stir fry, meats, eggs, tofu, beans, soups, chili, veggies, breads, appetizers ...the possibilities are endless to make EVERYTHING taste great!!!!! For the past 4 weeks we have been experimenting and making wonderful dishes with their Spice Blends.

So far, Shelby and I have been whipping up

Creamy Asparagus Soup with a Touch of Dill made with the Daring Dill Spice Blend

Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Ricotta and Feta made with their Pesto Garlic Spice Blend

Barbequed Shrimp made with Red Pepper Blend

Chicken Penne Prima Vera put together with the Prima Vera Spice Blend . Perfecto!!

Here's how to win in the 5th week of our giveaway:

1) Visit their web site http://www.madewithlove.ca/ and find the image/photo "Three in a Tree" for this weeks entry and enter to win at the e-mail below.

2) Leave a comment at madewithlovecontest(AT)gmail(DOT)com where you found the image/photo"Three in a Tree". Please let us know your blog URL so that we can post the names of the winners on our sites with a link back to you!!!

3) You will be automatically entered to win a Made With Love Eco-friendly Spice Blends Gift Set. This weeks winners will receive an Earth-Friendly Gift Set couplet of Red Pepper and Country Onion Regular-size Spice Blends worth $40.

4) Visit either Shelby at The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch or here at More Than Burnt Toast at the beginning of each week for a delicious recipe and a new chance to win!!!

5) The lucky winners who receive their couplet of Spice Blends will create a recipe using their products, blog about it with a link to http://www.madewithlove.ca/ . All of the recipe creations will be posted as a roundup on The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch and here on More Than Burnt Toast. Your recipe may even be on the Made with Love website!!!!

Their flavour combinations are somewhat unusual and take flavours to new heights.

Prima Vera Spice Blend is a wonderful blend of sun-dried tomato, sweet pepper and Italian spices. Try this blend for creamy, red or clear pasta sauces, in cream cheese on a bagel it is heavenly and as a Spanish-style rice side dish.

Crimson Love Spice Blend is a garlic lover’s blend with a strong essence of rosemary in a dried beet base with hints of nori and fresh greens. Wonderful for dips, dressings or pretty pink pasta!

Jalapeno Roots Spice Blend is a rich blend of jalapeno with garlic, onions, sweet peppers and lime in a dried carrot base. Creamy dips & pasta are gorgeous. Spice up your guacamole, veggies, meats or salsa.

Garden Curry Spice Blend is a mild curry blend with a mix of garden vegetables. Blended in cream cheese, pasta or yogurt dip it creates a mild, rich and flavourful sunshine cream!
Country Onion Spice Blend is a traditional mix of fresh garden herbs, caramelized onions and chives. An extremely versatile blend, great on poultry, meats or eggs, fabulous for potatoes and herbed rice.

Pesto Garlic Spice Blend is their dried rendition of its namesake. Not fresh pesto but an easy instant version that is extremely versatile. No pinenuts or cheese here so safe for vegans or nut’free, just a beautiful blend of the herb flavours traditionally recognised as pesto. Great for pasta, meats or salad.

Daring Dill Spice Blend is truly their most sophisticated blend full of great dill flavour followed by a hint of fresh tomato and a hot mustard finish. Lovely on veggies, chicken or fish. Excellent for vinaigrette dressings and creamy sauces. Delightful!

Aztec Chocolate Spice Blend is a complex blend of Real Cacao, Coffee and Vanilla Beans with pungent sweet and spicy peppers. Aztec Chocolate is a traditional savoury flavour mix for Mexican and Latin American cuisine, led by the ancient Aztec and Mayan peoples of the region. Try it on meat dishes, beans, tofu or salad dressings this amazing sweet and spicy combo is great for everyday cooking. Also decadently fabulous for our desert dip.

Red Pepper Spice Blend is sweet with a mild spicy flavour similar to a pepper jelly. A blend of turbinado sugar with a mix of sweet and hot chilies. Amazing on veggies of any kind and a wonder to sprinkle on chicken, pork or fish. Great in mashed potatoes or melted in your popcorn butter it is absolutely addictive.

Next week will be your last opportunity to win these exceptional spice blends that can be shipped worldwide.

This week I whipped up a delicious grilled antipasto. The great thing about antipasto it is wide open to possibilities depending on what is in season as well as what is available in your area. The Red Pepper Spice Blend brought these grilled veggies to new heights of taste perfection!!!!

**Fire Seared Antipasto Platter**

Printable Recipe

based on a recipe by Cooking Light

Dressing:

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons Made with Love Red Pepper SpiceBlend

Vegetables:

2 cups baby tomatoes

2 red bell peppers, quartered and seeded

2 yellow bell peppers, quartered and seeded

2 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices (or 6 - 8 baby zucchini)

1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 pound asparagus spears

1 package sugar snap peas
1 (1 1/2-pound) small eggplants
Cooking spray

Garnishes:

4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced

1 ounce capocollo, thinly sliced
1 ounce salami fileto (or meats of your choice)

6 ounces halloumi cheese, sliced thickly

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

black olives

**********************
Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

To prepare dressing, combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.

To prepare vegetables, marinate in dressing. Place vegetables on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until lightly charred. Depending on the veggies you choose will depend on the cooking time. For example I used sugar snap peas and asparagus so grill time was only about 2 to 3 minutes. Onions would take the longest. Arrange vegetables on platter; brush with remaining dressing.

Grill halloumi cheese for approximately 2 minutes per side. Brush with aomew of the remaining dressing.

Arrange prosciutto, capocollo, salami filleto and cheese on platter. Sprinkle platter with basil and olives.

Serves 4