What better than an improvised appetiser to accompany a few glasses of wine with friends? Here are three quick-and-easy recipes for surefire snacks that make the most of nuts and extra-virgin olive oil – two natural, healthy sources of energy.
Cheese marinated in oil
Any kind of cheese you serve (cow’s-milk cheese, goat’s cheese, mild cheese, strong cheese) will take on a stronger flavour the longer it has been marinated in oil. You can add grated tomato, garlic, chopped onion, oregano, black pepper, walnuts, etc. to the oil. Fresh basil will add an aromatic touch and cayenne pepper will spice it up. Cut the cheese into cubes and marinate in the oil.
Spicy almonds
A classic appetiser with an unexpected twist. Simply add some extra-virgin olive oil, cayenne and black pepper, salt and oregano to a frying pan and toast the almonds. You can even add a spoonful of honey to give it a sweet edge.
Pistachio hummus
You can eat this hummus with pita bread, vegetables crudités or bread rolls. You’re bound to end up with a clean plate! You’ll need a jar of cooked chickpeas, 1 clove of garlic, the juice of half a lemon, 50 g pistachios, 1 spoonful of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 spoonful of tahini (sesame seed paste). You can also add 100 g roasted peppers to make it even more delicious.
Put the well-strained chickpeas in a blender with all the other ingredients except the pistachios, which you should chop up finely and sprinkle in at the end to give the hummus a lovely crunchy texture.
