The Italian translation for antipasto is ‘before the meal’ and was traditionally made up of salty olives, deli meats, marinated vegetables and cheeses and offered to diners to stimulate their appetite before the main meal. 

Unless you’re planning a party with lots of guests, keep the antipasto simple so you don’t crowd out the main meal. 

No matter how basic or lavish, antipasto should simply complement the meal you’re planning. 

The fragrance and appearance of the food that you serve is important, so blending flavours, aromas and colours will make for the most interesting antipasto plates. 

I usually prepare my antipasto selecting from the following ingredients 

Serves 20 as a starter (Scale as required for numbers) 

1-2 heads iceberg or cos lettuce

250ml (1 cup) Italian salad dressing

400g (1lb) thinly sliced ham

400g (1lb) brie or other soft cheese of choice, sliced

200g (1/2 lb) chemical free salami, thinly sliced

100g (1/4 lb) pepperoni, thinly sliced

100g (1/4 lb) prosciutto, thinly sliced

100g (1/4 lb) cold roast beef, thinly sliced

100g (1/4 lb) fresh mushrooms, sliced

200g (1/2 lb) roasted red capsicums

100g (1/4 lb) black olives, sliced

100g (1/4 lb) pickled mild green chilli peppers, sliced

100g (1/4 lb) pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced

100g (1/4 lb) Gorgonzola, crumbled

200g (1/2 lb) mozzarella, sliced

200g (1/2 lb) grated Parmesan

fresh chopped Italian herbs to garnish 

Preparation of the plate 

Remove large outer leaves from the heads of lettuce. Arrange approximately one third in a layer on a large serving platter. 

Drizzle desired amount of Italian salad dressing on top. Layer with ham and Taleggio cheese. 

Layer with another third of the lettuce leaves, desired amount of Italian salad dressing and salami. 

Repeat layering with remaining lettuce, dressing, pepperoni, prosciutto and roast beef. 

Layer with mushrooms, roasted red capsicums, black olives, green chilli peppers and green olives. Drizzle with more Italian salad dressing, as desired. 

Top with Gorgonzola, mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. To garnish, sprinkle with fresh chopped Italian herbs, such as basil, parsley and oregano.

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“Eating Savoury by Jimmy Boswell”

Super SPECIAL  Only $5.00 NZ$ – Save 60% ($4.00 US$)

All recipes are in imperial and metric so no conversion needed. 85 recipes, 135 pages with loads of pictures. 

Also includes charts on how to use and match herbs to meats and vegetables. Herb blends and loads of yummy savoury recipes.

Click this link to get your copy today. http://www.jimmyboswell.com/savoury_ebook.html

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Serves 4

Ingredients 

400 g (1 lb) fresh green beans, strings removed, ends snapped or cut off

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp lime juice or white vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 cup packed, chopped coriander

1/3 cup bottled, pickled jalapeno chilli peppers, sliced

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 avocado, sliced or cut into 25 mm long pieces

1 medium tomato, cut into 8 wedges, or a cup of halved cherry tomatoes

Method 

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and simmer until just crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the beans and run cold water over them to cool them quickly. Drain completely. 

Place beans in a large bowl. Gently mix in the lime juice or vinegar, olive oil, 1/4 cup onion, sliced pickled jalapenos, sea salt, oregano and coriander (cilantro). Let sit for half an hour.

When ready to serve, gently mix in the chopped red onion and cheese.  Serve the avocado slices and tomato wedges on the side or mixed into the salad.

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This is a nice and tangy sauce for lamb or beef  skewers.  

Ingredients  

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1 cup fresh onion, minced or grated fine
2 small shallots, minced or 4 spring onions diced fine
1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
4 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon each of ground fennel, cumin, turmeric, cardamom and clove, combined
1 tablespoon Harissa paste or 1/4 teaspoon ground chilli flakes
150g (6 ounce) tomato paste
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or 3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon raw honey 

1 kg (2.2 lb) 2.5cm (1 inch) diced lamb or beef pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper. 

Method  

Sauce 

Heat oil in a 1 medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Add sea salt, garlic, and shallots, and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir until all ingredients are well combined.  

Bring to simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook with the lid ajar, stirring periodically until mixture reduces and thickens, 20-30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool. 

Skewers 

In a large bowl add about 1 cup of the sauce and the pork pieces and mix to ensure that all of the pork is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, over night is better. 

Soak some bamboo skewers for a couple of hours. Thread 5-6 pieces of the pork onto skewers. 

Cook over a medium heat on the BBQ for 6-8 mins, turning occasionally, until browned. Glaze with some of the sauce each time you turn them. 

Tip: Pour sauce into a wide-mouth glass jar, cover and refrigerate. Use within 2 weeks or you can freeze in cubes for later use.

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Great as a starter. There is a underlying layer of spicy tang with a sweet finish. The bacon wrap gives a nice, light smoky flavour. 

Ingredients 

Marinade

2 tbsp olive or coconut oil
¼ cup raw honey
1 tbsp fresh diced rosemary
pinch of sea salt
coarse ground black pepper to taste
small red onion, chopped
1-2 small fresh red chillies, cored, de-seeded and chopped fine 
2-3 garlic cloves, smashed and diced fine 

Beef Cubes 

½ kg (1.1 lb) grass fed beef fillet (tenderloin), diced into small, 25mm (1 inch) cubes
8-10 rashers chemical free streaky bacon, cit into thirds
200g (8 oz) ricotta cheese, room temperature
bamboo skewers, soaked for a couple hours 

Method 

Combine the marinade ingredients well and add the fillet cubes. Mix well to ensure the cubes are all coated, cover and marinate overnight in the fridge. 

Preheat BBQ or oven grill on high (Broiler). 

Remove the beef from fridge. 

Spread some cheese on the bacon slices, add a beef cube and wrap tight. 

Thread 3-4 pieces onto a skewer, leaving 25mm (1 inch) between each piece. 

Make as many as you need to serve. 1-2 per serve as a starter. 

Place on a rack to catch the juices as they cook under the grill if using the oven, turning often until bacon is done and crispy, about 15 minutes.

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I made this recipe yesterday and added a new element. I received a carton of 6 jars of Lavenders Green Preserved Lemons. They are my all time favorite, Thanks Mary.

Ingredients

200g (8 oz) of Gorgonzola cheese (You can use Ricotta if you don’t like the strong taste of the Gorgonzola)

100g (4 oz) grated Provolone or Parmigiano cheese

1 tbsp fresh thyme

1 tbsp fresh chopped oregano

1 tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley

1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

5-6 chicken breasts

6 slices Lavenders Green Preserved Lemon

salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

6-12 strips of chemical free bacon (depends on the size of your chicken breasts)

Pulse the cheeses and herbs until combined in a food processor. Scrape into a small bowl and pop into the freezer for 20 minutes or so. You can also combine in a bowl, it will take a bit of elbow grease.

Prep chicken breasts by rubbing pieces of the Lavenders Green preserved lemon pieces on all faces of the breasts, rest for 20 minutes.  Reserve the lemon slices for later.

Now slicing a pocket lengthwise down the length of the chicken. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper on all surfaces and inside the pocket.

When ready to stuff, place a good amount of filling inside each chicken breast, spread it out along

the whole pocket with your fingers, then mash it in place. It will not close fully but that’s OK.

Wrap two slices of bacon around the entire breast.  Using the reserved lemon slices give the breasts another rub over the bacon.

Pre-heat your oven grill (broiler) on high. Grill for about 8 minutes per side – more or less depending on the thickness of your chicken. After 8 minutes flip and cook for another 8 minutes or until the breasts are cooked through. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow the chicken to rest and cool for a few minutes before serving.

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Ingredients 

400g (1 pound) of chicken tenderloins

400g (1 pound) chemical free streaky bacon

1/2 cup raw honey

¼ cup Dijon mustard

1 tsp fresh crushed garlic

½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

salt and fresh ground pepper 

Method 

Whisk together the honey, mustard, garlic, chilli and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Season the tenderloins with salt and pepper then add them to the marinade and mix well so the tenderloins are well coated. Cover and rest in the fridge for 1-2 hours. 

Pre-heat oven to 190 C (375 F) 

Remove chicken from marinade and wrap each piece with bacon, you can use a tooth pick to secure the bacon to the chicken. Place on a baking tray lined with foil and brush with the honey mustard marinade over each piece. Bake for 10-12 minutes. 

After 10-12 minutes, flip each chicken over and brush again with the honey mustard. Bake another 10-12 minutes, until bacon is brown and crisp. 

Serve with seasonal fresh vegetables and sweet potato chips.

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When buying a fillet cut, I look for the lighter coloured cuts rather than the dark ones. The lighter cut indicates more ‘marbling’, which will make it more tender and juicy.   

Ingredients 

4 grass fed beef fillets, about 25mm (1 inch) thick

4 rashers chemical free streaky bacon

4 cloves garlic, pealed

4 sprigs fresh rosemary, about 50mm (2 inches) long

4 teaspoons home made garlic butter

Olive or coconut oil

Salt and fresh ground black pepper 

Method 

Pre-heat your oven to 190 C (375 F) 

Pat the fillets dry and rub a clove of garlic over each fillet. Season both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Wrap a rasher of bacon around each fillet and pin the end with a toothpick to secure the bacon to the steak. 

Heat a heavy based oven proof skillet with 2 tbsp of oil over a medium to high heat. The skillet should be of a size that will hold the 4 fillets in one layer with a snug fit. You don’t want too much spare room otherwise the juices can burn. 

Once the skillet has heated add the fillets in one layer and brown for 2 minutes on each side to seal the fillets. Remove from the heat. Top each fillet with 1 tsp of garlic butter and a sprig of rosemary. 

Place in the middle of the heated oven and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and place the fillets on a warmed plate. Cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes. 

Serve with your choice of seasonal fresh vegetables. I sometimes serve the Mignon’s with a red wine jus poured over the steak. The steak also tastes great with a red wine and mushroom sauce.

Red Wine Jus 

http://jimmyboswell.com/foodblog/red-wine-jus/

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Ingredients 

10 slices chemical free streaky Bacon, not cooked

10 fresh large Scallops

Lemon Pepper, to taste

Sea Salt, to taste

Toothpicks

Olive or coconut oil 

Method 

Turn your oven onto the grill (broil) setting. 

Carefully wrap each sea scallop with one slice of bacon and secure it with use a toothpick. 

Lightly oil a baking tray (sheet) and place the wrapped scallops on the sheet.

Sprinkle with Lemon Pepper and Sea Salt. 

Grill (broil) for 5-6 minutes, then flip the wrapped scallops over and grill for an additional 5-6 minutes. 

Remove toothpicks before serving.

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This is an easy to make brunch dish that kids can do and they love to eat. 

Ingredients 

1 kg (2.2 lb) free range chicken tenderloins

500 g (1.1 lb) streaky bacon

1/3 cup raw honey

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp fresh chopped thyme

1 tsp smoked paprika

Juice from half a lemon

1 tbsp orange zest

½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

pinch of salt 

Method 

Preheat oven to 175  (350 F). 

Wrap each piece of chicken with a piece of bacon. Place on a cookie tray lined with aluminum foil. 

Mix together the honey, mustard, paprika, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to coat the tops of the bacon wrapped chicken with the glaze. 

Bake in a the oven for about 12 minutes then flip the chicken over, brush the remaining glaze on the other side and bake for another 12 minutes or until the chicken is done.

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