appetizers | Glitter and Grapes

Today I have a great summer appetizer recipe for you, courtesy of Health magazine. You can bet I’ll be making these soon!

Grilled Zucchini Roll-Ups with Herbs and Cheese

Ingredients

3 small zucchini (about 1/2 pound each), cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/16 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 1/2 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 ounces bagged baby spinach (2 cups lightly packed)
1/3 cup basil leaves

Preparation

1. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium.

2. Discard the outermost slices of zucchini; brush the rest with oil on both sides. Sprinkle the zucchini slices with salt and pepper. Grill until tender, about 4 minutes per side. You can prepare the zucchini a day ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

3. In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, parsley, and lemon juice, mashing together.

4. Put 1/2 teaspoon of the cheese mixture about 1/2 inch from the end of a zucchini slice. Top with a few spinach leaves and a small (or half of a large) basil leaf. Roll up and place seam side down on a platter. Repeat with remaining zucchini slices. You can make these up to a day in advance; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

So, the Oscar’s were last night. What did everyone think? I found them pretty boring, the red carpet pre-shows too, which is kind of disappointing. I’d like to think I would be a much better host/interviewer than someone like Lea Miller. I think we should start a petition to have either Emma Stone or Melissa McCarthy host next year’s show. I can almost guarantee you it would be fantastic. Those women were the highlight of the show for me. Emma Stone played her bit so well, you would have thought she was high or drunk (but in a good way)! Octavia Spencer’s speech after winning best supporting actress made be tear up a bit too, I love when people are that genuine and grateful to win. My awards show festivities were fun, here’s a glimpse of what my evening entailed:

Now for the good stuff. The fashion. Who did you guys think was the best dressed last night? While there were quite a few pretty dresses, there weren’t too many people who knocked it out of the ball park for me. If I had to pick my absolute favourite gown, I would probably choose Octavia Spencer’s with Milla Jovovich coming in a close second. Here are my picks for best dressed last night:

Octavia Spencer looked GORGEOUS in a crystal-embellished Tadashi Shoji