Muffaletta Cups

I really wanted to do a little series of Mardi Gras recipes for you guys this year, but I faced a minor problem- Remember that low carb diet I've been on?  Well there is nothing even remotely low carb about most New Orleans foods!  

Like...nothing.

I might nibble on a tiny bit of King Cake, but while I'm sticking to my low carb diet (and my husband attempts to) I really can't eat a big bowl of red beans and rice (nom nom nom...) or a roux-based gumbo.  Not saying you shouldn't, but this works for me.

:-) My body likes it, and I like making my body happy, you know?

Anyway, I searched high and low for a dish for Mardi Gras that I can enjoy and then I found it- Muffaletta Crisps from Kristin at Gourmet With Me.

Super simple- she crisped the salami in the oven, filled with olive salad, and topped with provolone and ham.  Voila- breadless muffalettas that make a great appetizer for anyone, not just people trying to stick to a low-carb lifestyle!  Totally delicious!

Her recipe was more for the assembly of these delicious little bites than anything else, so I turned to my trusty Allrecipes.com for an olive salad recipe.  I've linked to the recipe I used as well as including the recipe below- though I do recommend backing off on the vinegar a little!

Keep these little guys in mind for your Mardi Gras celebrations next week!

Olive Salad for Muffalettas

From Allrecipes.com

1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained

1 (5 ounce) jar pitted green olives, rinsed and drained

1 (6.5 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained

1 small red onion, chopped

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon dried minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Place the black olives, green olives, artichoke hearts with their juice, and onion into a food processor. Pour in the vinegar and olive oil, and season with garlic, celery seed, oregano, basil and black pepper. Cover, and process until finely chopped. Use as a condiment on sandwiches, or a dip for crackers. Refrigerate leftovers.