Orégano

Today we bring you another easy recipe you can make for any get-together. The recipe, taken from Directo al Paladar, is inspired by Italian cooking. Mozzarella, basil and tomato — a delicious combo that works not just in these little windmills but also in salads and, one of my favorites, on pizzas.

What do we need?

1 sheet of puff pastry
1 ball of mozzarella
2 ripe tomatoes
Basil
Olive oil
Oregano

How do we make it?

Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.
Cut it into squares about 8-10 cm (3-4 inches) on each side.
Once you have the squares, make a cut along each diagonal, stopping before you reach the center, so you can fold the corners in toward the middle.
Slice the mozzarella into strips and place a basil leaf and a piece of cheese on each of the “blades” formed by the puff pastry.
Wash the tomatoes and slice them into strips too, then place them on two of the blades.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).
Sprinkle with a little oregano, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and put them in the oven.
Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
When you take them out of the oven, place them on a rack so they stay crispy.

Tips:

This appetizer can be eaten warm or cold. If you decide to reheat it (in the oven or microwave) be careful not to let them get soft.
If you don’t like this “filling,” you can swap it for any other flavor — even sweet.

Knowing how little my dad cares for innovation in food (what he calls “chuminás” — fancy nonsense), whenever we put together appetizers for birthdays or special celebrations we always have to play the card of foods he considers “essentials”. So for my last birthday we went looking for appetizers he might actually like, and over at Directo al Paladar we found this one.

What do we need?

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  1 sheet of refrigerated puff pastry
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  100 grams (3.5 oz) of serrano ham
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  Oregano
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  1 egg
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How do we make it?

Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
Cut the puff pastry sheet into strips roughly 1.5 cm (0.6 in) wide and 10 cm (4 in) long.
Brush them with beaten egg so they brown nicely in the oven, sprinkle oregano on top, and flip them over.
Cut the ham into strips the same length as the pastry and lay them on top.
Twist the sticks with the ham one by one. To do this, grab each strip by the ends and turn in opposite directions. Pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Tips:

Every oven is its own beast, so temperature and time may vary. We recommend keeping a close eye on them, especially at the start, so the heat stays high but the pastry doesn’t get scorched.
The first time we made these we threw in two new versions: some with just oregano, and others with aged cheese. They were all delicious. That said, the serrano ham ones don’t need it, but for the others add a pinch of salt and you’ll see how much better they get.

Orégano

Caprese Windmills

What do we need?

How do we make it?

Tips:

Ham Puff Pastry Twists

What do we need?

How do we make it?

Tips: