Tomato Mozzarella Bites Food

GARLIC-BASIL TOMATOES WITH MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Place tomatoes in glass or plastic dish.
• Shake remaining ingredients except cheese and salad greens in tightly covered container. Pour over tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours to blend flavors, turning occasionally.
• Layer cheese alternately with tomatoes on salad greens.

FRIED MOZZARELLA BITES

Steps:

• Heat 2 inches olive oil in a deep skillet over medium high heat. Cut each pound of mozzarella and smoked mozzarella into 16 cubes. Set up a breading station: flour, 2 eggs beaten with 1/3 cup milk, Italian bread crumbs mixed with a couple of handfuls of grated cheese. Reserve the chopped parsley. Roll fresh plain mozzarella in flour, dip in egg, then coat in bread crumbs. Bread all the plain mozzarella, then add chopped parsley to the bread crumbs. Coat the cubed smoked mozzarella in flour, egg, then Italian bread crumbs mixed with parsley. The chopped parsley will allow you to distinguish between the fresh and fresh smoked cheese once fried. Place herbs into hot oil and fry 30 to 45 seconds. Be careful not to stand over pan, the oil will spatter a little because of the water content in herbs. Remove herbs with a slotted kitchen tool and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Season immediately with fine salt. Fry the mozzarella bites in batches in a single layer. Cook until evenly deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and cool mozzarella bites on a paper towel-lined surface. Let stand and cool a few minutes so that the cheese will not be too runny when bitten into.
• For dipping sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and crushed pepper flakes. Saute garlic and hot pepper 2 or 3 minutes, and add tomatoes. Season with salt.
• To assemble your serving plate, pile mozzarella bites, alternating them with fried herbs. Set the dipping sauce in a bowl along side the balls and pile bamboo skewers or party picks on the edge of the plate to spear and dip the bites.
• Add some mixed olives, celery sticks, long bread sticks to round out this finger food selection.

TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA BITES

Steps:

• Using a toothpick, spear a half of a tomato, a leaf of basil, a mozzarella ball, and another half of a tomato. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• Place on a serving dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix the vinegar and oil together in a small bowl to serve as a dipping sauce.

ROASTED CAPRESE BITES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Using a small serrated knife, cut off the top eighth of each tomato and hollow out the insides, leaving the sides intact. (Discard the seeds and insides.) Slice a small sliver off each tomato bottom so it sits flat. Drain well on paper towel, taking care to dry the inside.
• Sprinkle the tomatoes with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stuff each tomato with a pinch of the chopped basil and a mozzarella ball and set on a small rimmed baking sheet.
• Combine the breadcrumbs with the olive oil, oregano and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the tops of the tomatoes.
• Bake until golden and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm.

TOMATO & MOZZARELLA BITES

Steps:

• Usining a toothpick, spear a half of a tomato, a piece of basil, a mozzarella ball, and another half of a tomato. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Place on a service dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix the vinegar and oil together in a small bowl to serve as a dipping sauce, or you can marinate appetizers in a bowl with marinade poured over.