companion blog to the e-book the 24/7 Low Carb Diner

Companion blog to the e-book
Available at http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Crisp Salami Cup Appetizers


These are so fun and really delicious. Perfect for parties and showers, picnics or movie night munching. They have a lot of eye appeal with the color and flowery shape, yet they are so easy to make. Ready to try?

Start with a package of super thinly sliced salami. That is important. I used Hormel slices. Choose your veggies, herbs and cheese. I saw lots of recipes for these online, including Rachel Ray's Antipasti Bites. Most used marinated artichoke hearts and jarred red peppers. I have a few who are not big fans of artichokes, so I went fresh with my recipe.  Zucchini is great, very neutral and let the other flavors shine. I also used fresh herbs from the beginnings of this year's herb garden. I don't have basil yet, but lemon balm was excellent. Either would be wonderful. You can't really go wrong with the filling, so feel free to play around. Don't like olives? Leave them out.

When it comes to baking the salami cups, you have a choice. You may choose to place a ball of foil inside each slice in the muffin tin to ensure the salami does not move, making it hard to fill. This makes for a more open cup. I like the wavy shapes, so I chose not to add the foil. Some cups are more of a challenge to fill, but it still works. I think they are prettier with more waves in the salami.


Crispy Salami Cup Appetizers

16 slices very thin salami
1/4 zucchini, unpeeled
6 grape tomatoes
6 Kalamata olives (or any type)
3 tbsp fresh diced chives
3 tbsp fresh chopped basil, lemon balm or any fresh herb
3 tbsp feta cheese
1 tbsp Italian dressing

Using a standard muffin tin, press the salami slices into the muffin cups, using a spoon to help press the meat to the sides.  Add foil balls if using. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.* Let the salami cool 5 minutes before removing from the pan, but don't wait too long, or they can stick to the cooled fat in the base of the cup. Drain on a paper towel.

Finely dice the zucchini, tomatoes and olives. Mince the fresh herbs. In a medium bowl, combine the vegetables and herbs with the cheese and Italian dressing. Spoon this mixture into the salami cups and serve.

* I heard from one Diner that her salami burned in that amount of time in the oven. Since slice thickness and brand may vary, be sure to check yours about 8 minutes in.

Makes 16       each cup has approximately 45 calories and  just under 1 carb.  

If your package of salami has more slices, just add  a bit more of the filling ingredients. Precise measurements are really unnecessary. Put what you like in there! If I wasn't feeding my hubby, I would shake some crushed red pepper in as well. Take these to a party and everyone will be so impressed with your mad cooking skills.

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2 comments:

Alicia said...

I love this idea and pinned it to try this weekend! Love the idea of the fresh veggies and the herbs. Never had lemon balm so will have to try it! Thank you!

Lisa Marshall said...

My lemon balm comes back year after year, even with the rough winters we have had with sub zero temps.