Vegetarian Party Food : Three Quick Crostini Toppings
As mentioned yesterday we had some friends over for drinks and snacks on Sunday and served a variety of small open-faced sandwiches on toasted slices of baguette, known as Crostini.
The word means ‘little toast’ in Italian and an interesting fact I learned about this dish is that they are thought to have originated back in the medieval times, when it was easier for people to eat their meals off pieces of bread rather than having to use a plate.
I don’t want to give the impression that I was being lazy in choosing to make particularly easy and quick toppings for our toasts, but my motto is why not go easy when the results turn out to be very tasty. Going the easy route allowed me to offer a variety while not spending a ton of time in the kitchen preparing things.
Also worth noting is that all of these require the use of only a regular knife, as opposed to many Crostini topping recipes that require a food processor.
Everything was prepared within an hour the morning of the visit and then just put together quickly before our guests arrived.
The toppings were all vegetarian, with one vegan choice and the recipe cards are at the end of the post. Here’s what we had:
(1) A mixture of Feta, Goat’s Milk cheese and fresh Lemon Juice, topped by Sauteed Mushrooms and Onion, seasoned with Balsamic Vinegar, garlic, thyme and a generous grinding of black pepper.
(2) A spread of Green Peas, Shallot and Cream Cheese, topped with thin slices of radish.
↑↑ I managed to keep my mint plant growing over the winter. It’s not the fullest of plants but provided enough mint for the occasional recipe or Mojito. ↑↑
(3) A chutney of chopped Avocado, Roasted Red Pepper, Hot Pepper and fresh Lime Juice
To make the toasts : Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice a baguette into thin slices that are 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Brush one side with olive oil. Place in single layer on cookie sheets (you’ll need two for one regular sized baguette). Toast until lightly brown, around 6 minutes. Cool completely, and cover tightly until ready to serve. They keep nicely for about a day, but are better if less than 12 hours old. Use leftovers broken up as croutons in a salad. One regular baguette will yield about 40 slices.
Three Quick and Easy Crostini Toppings
Feta, Goat Cheese and Mushrooms
Ingredients approximated
- 3 tablespoons crumbled Feta Cheese
- 3 tablespoons Goat’s Milk Cheese
- 2 teaspoons fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 8 – 10 mushrooms, chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
- 1 clove fresh garlic or 2 cloves if they’re small
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- A generous grinding of black pepper, as much as you like
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Mix cheeses and lemon juice together in a bowl, sort of mashing it together into a paste. Note: it will still be a bit crumbly.
Heat a frying pan and add olive oil, onion and garlic. Saute about one minute and then add mushrooms. Saute until soft, about 2 minutes, and add vinegar, thyme, pepper and salt. Cook another minute or so, to reduce liquid.
Cool mushroom mixture before serving.
To serve, spread cheese mixture on toasted slices of baguette (Crostini) and top with some of the mushroom mixture.
May be made ahead and stored in the fridge.
Description
Cheese and mushroom topping
Green Peas, Shallot and Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup of frozen green peas
- 1 shallot or 2 green onions, chopped
- About 3 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- About 10 fresh mint leaves plus more for garnish (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Sliced radishes
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a frying pan and add shallot or green onions. Saute about 1 minute until cooked. Add peas and cook another minute or so. Remove from heat and mash the peas with the bottom of a drinking glass. Return to low heat and add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add salt.
Transfer mixture into a bowl and allow to cool a bit before stirring in chopped mint leaves.
Mixture may be made ahead and stored in the fridge.
To serve, spread pea mixture on slices of toasted baguette (Crostini). Top with slices of radish and garnish with more mint leaves.
Description
Green pea and shallot topping spread
Avocado and Roasted Red Pepper
Ingredients
- 1 or 2 avocados, depending on size (I used 2 small ones and had some topping leftover which we ate on crackers)
- A piece of Roasted Red Pepper – store bought or roasted yourself. (I used some we roasted on the bbq and stored in the freezer)
- Some finely minced hot pepper, the amount dependent on how hot your pepper is and how hot you like your food.
- Lime Juice, 1/2 to a whole lime, depending on size and taste
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Chop avocado and roasted red pepper and transfer to a bowl. Squeeze lime juice over and add salt. Stir together. Done!
To serve, spoon over toasted slices of baguette (Crostini).
May be made ahead but should be served within about 12 hours as the avocado will turn brown over time. It’s still good to eat, but not as pretty to look at.
Description
Avocado and red pepper topping
Ingredients part 4
Instructions part 4
Description part 4
Thanks very much for taking a look and possibly trying out my recipes! If it helps motivate you, not a bit of the food we put out was left on the serving plates by the end of the evening.
xo loulou
