Hi friends! I’m Marina from Marina Makes (marinamakesblog.com). It’s time to put your creativity to the test in food form.
This month, we’ll be putting together a colorful, delicious tapas board filled with sweet and savory bites. I’d love to see how your board turns out, so please feel free to share pictures on social media. Happy eating!
We would LOVE for you to share pictures enjoying your dinner!
Tag #DateNightInBox & #MarinaMakesEats
Painted with Love Shopping List
We understand that your TIME is valuable! If you choose to make any of the recipes below you can print out a complete shopping list! Enjoy!
Beverages
Red Wine Sangria
(recommend a sparkling grape juice as non-alcoholic option)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 4 hours and ten minutes
INGREDIENTS
- Half of a bottle of red wine (recommend a red wine from Spain)
- 1/2 cup of orange juice
- 1/4 cup of triple sec
- 1/4 cup of brandy
- Half of an orange, sliced
- Half of a gala apple, sliced
DIRECTIONS
Please note: The sangria needs to cool and marry in the fridge for four hours or more.
In a large pitcher, add red wine, orange juice, triple sec, brandy and sliced fruit. Stir to combine. Let the sangria chill in the fridge for four to eight hours before serving.
- Entree
TAPAS BOARD
Prep time: 60 minutes
Total time: 90 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Cheese of choice (recommend a fontina and parmigiano reggiano)
Meat of your choice (recommend prosciutto and sopressata)
Olives
Pita chips
Carrots
1 medium red pepper
1 medium orange pepper
1 medium yellow pepper
1 ripe avocado
8-10 strawberries
Mini angel food cake or mini pound cake
8-10 blueberries or blackberries
1/2 cup of candied pecans
Handful of grapes
White Bean Basil Hummus
15 oz can of cannellini beans
1/2 cup of loosely packed basil
Juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of tahini
1 small garlic clove
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Fluff Dip
1/2 cup of marshmallow cream
1/2 cup of cream cheese
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
Kale and Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
8 medium-sized white button mushrooms, washed and dried
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup of finely chopped kale
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon of panko bread crumbs (GF option: GF panko bread crumbs)
2 oz of goat cheese
1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese
Milk (can be skim, two percent or whole)
Pesto and Sundried Tomato Polenta Bites
Half of a 16 oz tube of polenta
4-6 tablespoons of jarred pesto
1-2 teaspoons of sundried tomatoes, diced into strips
Prosciutto Puff Pastry Bites
Half of a sheet of puff pastry, thawed
6 slices of prosciutto
1/4 cup of frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
Fill your tapas masterpiece with cheese, meats, carrots, pita chips, grapes, candied pecans and more!
Suggested prep order
Hummus (setting it in the refrigerator to cool while you prep the rest of the food)
Fluff Dip (setting it in the refrigerator to cool while you prep the rest of the food)
Stuffed Mushrooms
- Angel Food Bites
- Avocado and Strawberry Roses
Pepper Circles
Puff Pastry Bites (simultaneously with the polenta bites)
Polenta Bites (simultaneously with the puff pastry bites)
White Bean Basil Hummus
Add the beans, basil, lemon juice, salt, tahini and garlic to a blender or a food processor. Pulse a few times to mix the contents together.
Next add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil at a time until the hummus reaches your desired consistency.
Fluff Dip
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the marshmallow cream, cream cheese and sugar using a hand mixer or whisk.
Mix until smooth and completely combined.
Kale and Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Prep the mushrooms by removing the stems. A small tug should get them out. Place all of the stems on a cutting board, finely dice them and set aside. In a medium bowl, add the mushroom caps, a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.
Next, heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. Next, add the diced mushroom stems and chopped kale. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the kale is wilted and the diced mushroom stems are tender. Add the panko bread crumbs and cook for another minute or two, until they are slightly browned.
Remove the pan from the heat and add in the goat and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Add a splash or two of milk if the mixture seems a little too dry.
Place the mushroom caps on a baking sheet and stuff with a heaping tablespoon or two of the kale and goat cheese mixture. Cook in the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the mushrooms are browned and slightly bubbly.
Angel Food Bites
Cut the angel food cake into mini squares (cut as many as you’d like to eat).
Using a tablespoon, top each square with a dollop of fluff dip and a couple of blueberries or a blackberry.
Circular Pepper Slices
Slice the stem and tops off of each of the peppers. Next, cut each pepper into thick slices. Remove the seeds and part of the rib.
Place the pepper slices into one another, using a big slice from one pepper and smaller slices from the others to make concentric circles.
Avocado Rose
To make the avocado rose, cut an avocado in half lengthwise. Peel the skin off and place it on a clean, flat surface, with the pit side down. Using a knife, thinly slice the avocado starting with the top (smaller portion) of the avocado.
When you’re done slicing the avocado, spread the slices out to form a big half circle. Starting with one end, begin turn the slices into one another, forming a rose. Please use this video for reference:
Strawberry Roses
Place the strawberry on a fork, pricking the stem of the strawberry with a fork. Using a paring knife, form the first petal by slicing downwards towards the stem of the strawberry. Use the edge of the knife to fan the cut outward like a petal. Do this three more times around the base of the strawberry. Cut a second row, layering between the first row. Finish off the rose by slicing the top of the berry in half. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries.
I used the steps from this video tutorial:
Prosciutto Puff Pastry Bites
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the puff pastry slices into six squares and place them on a baking sheet. When the oven is preheated, place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for about five minutes, or until the puff pastry has puffed up and slightly golden.
Take out of the oven and brush each square lightly with olive oil. Top each with a piece of prosciutto, a few peas and a sprinkle or two of parmesan cheese.
Place the squares back in the oven for an additional five minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Pesto and Sundried Tomato Polenta Bites
Slice the polenta tube into half-inch thick circles. In a medium frying pan, heat a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Let the oil heat up for a minute or two and add the polenta rounds to the pan. Cook on each side for 3-5 minutes, until slightly golden and crispy.
Turn off the heat and place the polenta rounds on a plate. Top with a tablespoon of pesto and a couple of slices of sundried tomatoes
