Dinner tonight with friends will be risotto, so to follow with the Italian theme, I have put together a lightweight antipasto dish to serve with freshly baked pita chips. This lemony delight is vegan, chock full of vitamins and supports the Mediterranean diet. In other words, I am trying to lower the carb load and saturated fats, because I’m takin’ in too many! This would also be a great appetizer for the Superbowl party! You can play, “Hide the Vitamin” while everyone else watches the game!
Lemony Vegetable Antipasto:
- 1 red pepper, flame roasted
- 1/2 roasted cauliflower
- 1 can whole artichoke hearts
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 handful fresh basil, chiffonade
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions: To prepare the cauliflower, steam it for a few minutes just until it begins to get tender. Then place it in a baking dish with a drizzle of olive oil over the top, and roast it at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. It will be easy to pierce with a fork when it’s done.
While the cauliflower roasts, cut the red peppers in half. Using tongs, hold the pepper halves over the stove flame to blister. If you aren’t interested in this method, the peppers can be easily roasted with the cauliflower, but for less time. Roast them until they are just tender.
Once the veggies are tender, pulse each separately to chop. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, add extra olive oil if you like, and taste for salt preference. Serve with crostini, crusty bread or pita chips.
Vegetarian Perspective 