Piquillo Pepper Salad With Sardines And Basil Recipes

PIQUILLO PEPPER AND SARDINE TARTINES

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Brush both sides of each bread slice lightly with olive oil. Arrange bread slices on small baking sheet. Broil until beginning to color, about 1 minute per side. Rub 1 side of each bread slice with cut side of garlic and cool.
• Place bread slices, garlic side up, on serving platter. Divide sardines among bread slices. Spread out sardines in thin layer. Sprinkle a few drops of sriracha sauce over each, if desired, then a few drops of lemon juice. Top each tartine with onion slices, several capers, then strip of drained piquillo pepper. Garnish platter with lemon wedges and serve.
• What to Drink:
• With the tartines, pour a refreshing Albariño, a white wine from Spain. We like the Carballal 2008 "Sete Cepas" from Rías Baixas ($15). The wine's mineral notes are balanced beautifully by stone-fruit flavors.

MEDITERRANEAN SALAD OF PIQUILLO PEPPERS, CAPERS AND BASIL

Steps:

• Toss all ingredients together and let marinate at least 30 minutes.

PIQUILLO PEPPERS STUFFED WITH SHRIMP SALAD

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add to pan, and saute until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Finely chop shrimp, and transfer to a bowl.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add tomato, and cook until skin loosens, about 1 1/2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice-water bath until cool enough to handle, about 1 minute. Peel tomato, cut into quarters, and remove and discard seeds. Finely chop tomato.
• Heat remaining tablespoon oil in pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 minutes.
• Stir tomato into onion mixture, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat; pour in sherry. Return to medium-high heat for 1 minute. Stir tomato mixture into shrimp, and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
• Stir in mayonnaise. Stuff each pepper with shrimp salad.

SAUSAGE-STUFFED PIQUILLO PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush a baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute sausage, green onion, and a pinch of salt in hot oil until meat is browned and crumbly and onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
• Mix rice, goat cheese, egg, 2 tablespoons parsley, garlic, cumin, 1 teaspoon blood orange zest, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Spoon rice mixture into each pepper. Place stuffed peppers in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Scatter almonds over the top, drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven until stuffed peppers are heated through and filling is hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Drizzle 1 tablespoon blood orange juice, remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, and remaining parsley over the top.

CHICKEN SALAD WITH PIQUILLO PEPPERS, ALMONDS, AND SPICY GREENS

Steps:

• Whisk vinegar and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil; season dressing with salt and pepper.
• Place chicken in large bowl. Warm drippings in microwave just until melted. Drizzle over chicken; toss to coat. Add green onions, 1/3 cup almonds, and peppers and toss. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Let dressing stand at room temperature.
• Add greens, basil, and dressing to bowl with chicken; toss to coat. Season chicken salad to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining 3 tablespoons toasted almonds over and serve.