Tapa Recipes

Spanish tapas are tasty small plates that when combined can create a light supper or serve as a great appetizer. Patatas Bravas are tasty fried potato cubes served with a smoky, spicy dipping sauce.

These tender escargots in mushroom caps are smothered with wine sauce and cheese. Nothing big and fancy, but I liked how it turned out, so I thought I'd share. They're easy to make too!

A great way to serve tomato mozzarella salad. Great presentation; always a hit! You can find the bite-sized mozzarella ('Bocconcini') at most supermarkets. If they are on the larger side, cut them in half.

Tortilla Espanola is a dish I make all the time at home. My boyfriend's family are Spanish, and he just loves this authentic dish. It's easy to prepare and always a crowd pleaser. Traditionally this dish only uses only onions, potatoes and egg; however I like to add a little green, either parsley or chives depending on your taste. They're both wonderful.

This mahi mahi ceviche requires a little bit of knife work, but when you consider the seasonal advantage of not using the stove, and just how tasty this really is, I think it's all worthwhile. You can also use shrimp, scallops, swordfish, and snapper.

A wonderful appetizer to enjoy with friends when San Francisco's Indian summer warms the city. The true way to 'cook' the fish is to marinate it in citrus juice overnight, but I find that the poaching process is faster and an easy way to judge if it is indeed cooked. I often buy precooked shrimp (but NOT frozen!) and just poach the scallops. Best when served with cold beer (we prefer Pacifico®) and fresh limes. Using quality and sturdy tortilla chips is essential. Please note that the serving size is meant for appetizer portions.

These make-ahead, quick appetizers are a party-favorite!

After having these shrimp as an appetizer at a restaurant I have been trying to duplicate them. Serve with bread to mop up the extra yummy garlic butter!

Tasty, hot appetizers that take little time to prepare but will impress your guests!

This is a super juicy and spicy ceviche. It is so good! Serve with tortilla chips.

Italian style stuffed bell peppers for the vegetarian (can easily be prepared vegan). Even my meat-eating husband loved these.

These are fantastic for both a super bowl party or a luncheon tea. They are addictive, so be sure to make an extra batch.

Easy, fast, entree-style meal that impresses everyone.

Roasted portobello mushrooms are stuffed with a savory crab stuffing like a gigantic appetizer. If this isn't Heaven, your taste buds will be there anyway!

This recipe was given to me by a dear friend from Ecuador. This dish is also great with raw shrimp, scallops, or fish. If using canned oysters, cover the dish with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes. If using raw shrimp, scallops, or fish, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until they are opaque in the middle.

The quince is an old-fashioned, intensely aromatic, and dearly loved fruit. It is not an easy fruit to prepare, as it needs to be poached or cooked before it can be used in recipes. Quince paste is a wonderful accompaniment to cheese and crackers-try chevre as well as other mild, firm cheeses. You can also serve it for breakfast in place of jam.

If sous vide eggs had been invented 2,000 years ago, there would have been entire books of the Bible dedicated to their praise. But at the last meeting of the Jet City Gastrophysics, we took a giant leap forward. You see, the beauty of a sous vide egg lies in its exquisite texture. After about an hour in the water bath, the yolks become buttery with nearly the texture of pudding. The only way to improve on this amazing transformation is to add a crunchy shell. These fried eggs make excellent tapas, particularly if your guests aren't expecting what's inside. Perhaps in another thousand or so years, we'll discover something even more delicious.

A to-die-for take on the usual olive tapenade. Don't use California sundried tomatoes because they are too sweet! Every time I make this I get requests for the recipe! I've never actually had the patience to chill this and always end up serving it right away. It's a huge hit! Serve with your favorite crackers.

This is a traditional Chilean snack, or maybe an appetizer. The truth is that it's a snack eaten during winter time, especially when it rains. It is typical to arrive home after walking through the rainy streets of Santiago and sit down to have a cup of tea and eat a couple of sopaipillas. You can also eat ones sold by street vendors, but they usually don't taste as good as home-made ones. If you can't find zapallo, pumpkin is a good substitute.

This is a great bite-sized appetizer to serve at parties, or to give to kids for lunch, or anytime. These can be served hot or cold, and they freeze well. Serve with sweet chile sauce.

A different version of the commonly seen appetizer of scallops wrapped in bacon. Using prosciutto allows for the subtle flavors of this meat to come through without overpowering the wonderful flavor of the scallops. Additionally, the fat content and grease is significantly less than bacon for those that are health conscious. I serve this for guests as an appetizer and people love it. It can be made into a main course dish by increase the portion for each person.

Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, and chorizo is a classic Spanish dish sometimes served as tapas and sometimes as a full stew. This recipe adds potatoes to make a it little more hearty as a full meal. Serve with a citrus and fennel salad and some crusty bread for a full meal. I like to leave the garlic cloves whole as above and spread the cloves on the bread during meal. If you don't, then reduce garlic but chop and don't add until after liquid has been added or it may scorch.

Based on my father-in-law's recipe, these fish cakes use salt cod. Trust me; it is worth the effort to find salt cod. The slight saltiness of the cod brings out a whole new dimension of flavor in this salt cod recipe. Who knows fish better than a Portuguese fishing captain? Even Emeril would be proud! Serve with a good tartar sauce.

Prosciutto and cantaloupe are thread on a bamboo toothpick with red and green grapes creating a colorful and delicious appetizer!