Garlic Mushroom Tapas (Champinones al ajillo)

This is probably one of the most delicious and popular Spanish tapas dishes. In Spain, about 1/4 of a cup of olive oil would be used to make this, but I used about 2 tablespoons. The extra oil would obviously add flavor, but this healthy version is still quite good. Serve it with some crusty sliced bread to mop up the leftover juices!

Makes: About 4 appetizer servings

Ingredients:

400 grams button mushrooms, thickly sliced (leave whole if the mushrooms are very small)

4 cloves garlic- 2 sliced and 2 finely chopped

1 small red hot chilli pepper, coarsely chopped

2 tblsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chicken stock (optional, but adds a lot of flavor)

2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

salt and crushed black pepper

Heat a tablespoon of oil and add the sliced garlic and red chili. Saute for about a minute and then add the mushrooms. After a minute or 2, add the lemon juice and chicken stock.

In a small bowl, crush the chopped garlic with the back of a teaspoon along with a little salt and parsley. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to make almost a paste-like mix. Stir this mix in with the mushrooms. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with crushed black pepper and serve.