In this heat, who wants to heat things up in the kitchen! Today, I prepared a Gazpacho with my Maria twists …..
Ingredients:
3-4 Tomatoes, finely diced or 2 cups of grape tomatoes (cut in halves)
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 Large Red Onion, finely diced (use your favorite)
1 english cucumber, finely diced
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, seeded and finely diced (adds nice color)
1 lemon, juiced and rind lemon
a pinch of red hot chili flakes
1/2 cup Fresh Italian Flat Parsley, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup of olives (your favorite)
1 cup of fresh mozzorella balls (cut in halves)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 tsp. dried oregano
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
6-8 fresh basil leaves (rough chop)
Mix everything in a large bowl and ready to serve. A great antipasto or the perfect meal. I like the lemon zest and juice to the mix – gives it a fresh taste!
Serve with fresh crusty bread! Not to mention, a glass of chilled white wine or water with slices of cumumber!
I will be preparing this dish on CHCH TV 11 on August 18th! Stay tuned !
a presto,
Maria
