Chevapi and Crostini

This is an absolute favourite of Bo's, being that he's Croatian/Serbian it's basically a staple. There's a little butcher shop about a 45 minute drive from here that you can get them at, but they aren't hard at all to make, it just comes down to how lazy I'm feeling, lol.

Chevapi

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground pork
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground lamb (or ground pork if you can't find lamb)
1 egg
4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbl Vegeta (a Serbian jarred spice mix, optional)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your grill (if using)

2. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix with your hands until well combined.

3. Roll into rectangular mini sausages, 3" long and 3/4" in wide.

4. Place all of the chevapi in a single layer in a disposable foil baking pan and place onto your preheated grill on med-high heat. You can also cook these on a griddle, or in a large frying pan in a couple of batches (try to cook them all at once though, because it takes a bit of time). Turn the chevapi about every 7 or 8 minutes, once that side is well browned and has a slight crust. Be careful not to over cook though.

Note: These are fantastic on there own, but equally good dipped into ketchup or tzatziki sauce. Bo likes to load a bunch into a bun sometimes too for a sand which of sorts.

Make Ahead: After you've formed the chevapi you and just wrap them as a batch in plastic wrap, then put them in a zip-lock bag and freeze them for later. I like to do this on a weekend, make a huge batch of them then just pop them out of the freezer whenever we want!

Crostini

This is the easiest way to make brilliant little toasts to accompany a dinner

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bakes Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 6 - 8

Ingredients:

1 baguette or Parisian loaf
olive oil
Fleur de sel (or sea salt)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees

2. Slice your baguette into 3/8" think (1cm) slices and place on a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet

3. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt.

4. Bake for 10 minutes and removing from the baking sheet immediately.