Add a Splash with Grilled Red Peppers
Starters
Italian Nachos
Red Pepper and Chorizo Bruschetta
Tuscan Bread Salad
Italian Nachos
Crispy corn tortillas topped with chopped grilled red peppers, some diced red onion and crushed garlic, then drizzled with pesto and baked with a blend of grated Italian cheeses. This makes a colourful starter which can be spiced up for adults simply by adding our sliced green jalapeño peppers. Also, easily upsized to a main course.
Based on a 1.1kg jar of Grilled Red Peppers - 10 starter portions.
Cooks&Co Products:
Grilled Red Peppers 1.1kg plastic jar
Garlic Puree 1.2kg plastic jar (or 1kg plastic tub)
Green Pesto Alla Genovese 1.2kg plastic jar
Sliced Green Jalapeño Peppers 820g tin
Additional: Corn tortillas, red onion, selection of Italian cheeses, seasoning.
Red Pepper and Chorizo Bruschetta
Bruschetta makes an easy and delicious starter, and the variety of toppings is virtually endless. For a rustic look start by slicing thick chunks of sour dough bread and grill or pan-fry until golden. Rub with olive oil, then warm through chopped grilled red peppers in a pan with some crushed garlic, smear onto the bread and top with pan-fried diced chorizo. Season and scatter with fresh herbs to serve.
Based on a 1.1kg jar of Grilled Red Peppers - 10 starter portions.
Cooks&Co Products:
Grilled Red Peppers 1.1kg plastic jar
Garlic Puree 1.2kg plastic jar (or 1kg plastic tub)
Additional: Sour dough bread, olive oil, seasoning, fresh herbs, chorizo.
Tuscan Bread Salad
A bread salad is perfect for using up leftover bread, or bread not quite fresh enough to serve as it is, and several Mediterranean countries have their version from Italian Panzanella to Moroccan Fattoush. The bread captures the fruity flavours of the Med perfectly. Simply tear any leftover bread (ciabatta or pitta are perfect) into chunks and toss with fresh chopped tomatoes, grilled red peppers, chopped anchovies, capers, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Give everything a good stir, season, and scatter with fresh herbs.
Based on a 1.1kg jar of Grilled Red Peppers - 8 starter portions.
Cooks&Co Products:
Grilled Red Peppers 1.1kg plastic jar
Additional: Ciabatta, fresh tomatoes, capers, red wine vinegar, olive oil, seasoning, fresh herbs.
Mains
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Caponata
Mediterranean Tray Bake
Antipasto Pasta Salad
A pasta salad is easy to prepare and can be made in advance then refrigerated before serving, saving you precious time in the kitchen. Combine either a penne or fusilli pasta with our roasted red peppers, artichokes, button mushrooms and garlic, then stir through a classic Caesar or Italian dressing, herbs and seasoning for a colourful, seasonal dish suitable as a starter or main course.
Based on a 1.1kg jar of Grilled Red Peppers and 1.1kg jar of Long Stem Artichokes - 10-12 main course portions.
Note - not for publication, but for reference: each jar contains on average 14 pepper halves.
Cooks&Co Products:
Grilled Red Peppers 1.1kg plastic jar (net drained weight 0.7kg)
Long Stem Artichokes 1.1kg plastic jar (net drained weight 0.6kg)
Sliced Button Mushrooms 800g tin
Garlic Puree 1.2kg plastic jar
Additional: Penne pasta, chopped fresh basil, Caesar or Italian salad dressing, seasoning.
Caponata
A classic Sicilian dish, this is essentially a cooked vegetable salad that has a million uses. Diced aubergine, onions, garlic and celery are fried in olive oil until golden, then additions can include capers, red peppers, olives, pine nuts and herbs. It is typically used as an accompaniment for fish dishes, but can be eaten warm as a side dish or as a cold antipasto. It makes a delicious sauce for pasta or couscous, and is delicious spread on rustic bread topped with a mature Italian cheese such as Parmesan or pecorino, or as a panini filling. Make it go further by adding our Spiced Pizza Sauce as a tomato base.
Based on a 1.1kg jar of Grilled Red Peppers - 8 main course portions / 4-6 starter/side portions.
Cooks&Co Products:
Garlic Puree 1.2kg plastic jar
Grilled Red Peppers 1.1kg plastic jar
Green Olives Stuffed with Sundried Tomatoes in Oil 290g jar
Pine Kernels 700g plastic jar
Spiced Pizza Sauce with Basil and Oregano 800g tin
Additional: Aubergine, onions, celery, capers, fresh herbs, seasoning.
Mediterranean Tray Bake
One-pot cooking is popular in all Mediterranean countries, and a tray bake makes for easy preparation and simple portioning. With the addition of plenty of vegetables it also stretches your meat, poultry or fish a lot further. For a chicken bake, simply add chicken thighs, sausage, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion to a large shallow baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and scatter with lemon zest, crushed garlic and rosemary before roasting for a good hour until the chicken is cooked through.
Cooks&Co Products:
Grilled Red Peppers 1.1kg plastic jar
Sun-dried Tomato Halves in Oil 295g jars (or 1kg plastic jars)
Garlic Puree 1.2kg plastic jar
Additional: Chicken thighs, sausages, red onion, olive oil, lemon zest, rosemary.
