Olive & roasted red pepper tapenade

My friend and I were wanting to make some bruschetta for a vegan dinner we were going to. We were in charge of bringing appetizers, and bruschetta seemed like a fitting complement to the vegan lasagna we were going to have for entree. I thought about how we could add a twist on your typical tomato bruschetta, and I thought about making an olive tapenade to spread on the crostini, and then top it with the tomato topping. This tapenade was so delicious, with or without the bruschetta topping...I really recommend this simple recipe, it's a very easy appetizer to make the next time you have friends over.

In a food processor, pulse together:

• 1/2 cup chopped kalmata olives
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Simple as that!

Steamed artichokes with mustard caper dipping sauce

Artichokes are a really fun, easy-to-make, yummy appetizer/light meal. There are tons of dipping sauces that you can make to serve with it. I came up with my own sauce with these condiments I found in my fridge. It is a really versatile sauce and could totally be used to make tuna salad or topped on top of other veggies like asparagus or green beans.

To prepare the artichokes, slice off the stem so the artichoke can stand upright. Also, trim the top of the artichoke by laying it on its side on the tabletop and slicing about one or two inches off the top. Get a big pot ready on the stove by placing about two inches of cold water and bringing it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, place a steamer in the pot and stand the artichokes on the steamer, stem side down, with the lid on. Let them steam for about 30 minutes; you'll know when they are done cooking when you can pull a leaf off easily.

To make the dipping sauce, combine the following and mix well:

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• juice from half a lemon
• half a shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon capers
• salt & pepper to taste

This sauce was enough for dipping two artichokes.