Roasted Garlic and Ajillo Mushroom Sliders

(Today's post is provided by my husband!)
By Mark Bucha

Roasted Garlic and Ajillo Mushroom Sliders

I love the adventurous flavors of Spanish Tapas and French Hors d'oeuvres, and the small portion delights that tease the taste buds. Here, I combine two of my favorites recipes to create a tasty dish that is sure to please any Epicurean. Take a bite and let the melded flavors take you to your favorite bodega in Spain or bustling street side café in Paris. Enjoy!

Ajillo Mushrooms:

Ingredients

1/4 cup (2 fl. oz) olive oil

4 cups (8 oz) mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons dry sherry

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon dried red chile, seeded and crumbled

1/4 teaspoon Spanish paprika

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions:

Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the mushrooms over high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, sherry, lemon juice, dried chile, paprika, and salt and pepper.

Cook for about 5 minutes or until the garlic and mushrooms have softened.

Remove from the heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley and spoon onto bottom half of bread slices. Add top half of bread slices garnished with roasted garlic spread (recipe below) to complete the slider sandwich. Serve and enjoy.

*makes 8 sliders

**recommended wine pairing ( Marques de Caceres Crianza Rioja 2005 or Terra Andina Carmenere 2007)

Roasted Garlic Spread with French Bread:

4 heads of garlic

extra virgin olive oil

Long loaf of fresh French Bread

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut Bread into ½ inch thick slices. Place on a serving dish and set aside. Cut to tops off of each head of garlic, and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap each head in aluminum foil. Roast for 40 minutes. Squeeze out the roasted cloves of garlic in to a bowl. Mash garlic into a spread. Spread liberally on to top slices fresh French bread.