Zucchini & Chorizo Bites With Cilantro Lime Pesto

1. 1

   Brush mini muffin tins with canola oil.

2. 2

   Roll out puff pastry sheet thin enough to get 14-16 rounds out of it. Use a round cookie cutter that was slightly larger then the opening of the muffin tin.

3. 3

   Line puff pastry rounds in tins and set aside.

4. 4

   Mix cream cheese, chorizo, parmesan, green onions, and 1/2 cup of the zucchini in a bowl. Taste at this point. It usually does not need salt because of the cheese and chorizo, but add if needed. If you want more heat, add some hot sauce. Maybe just a little pepper. Make it to your taste.

5. 5

   Fill pastry shells with filling.

6. 6

   Take what is left of the zucchini and divide in half. Press a few shreds of zucchini on top of each tart. You are looking for them to add another layer of zucchini taste plus an added crispiness when the bites are finished. Leave the other half to top when finished to add a fresh zucchini element to the appetizer.

7. 7

   Bake bites in a preheated oven set at 400F for approximently 25 minutes. Every oven is different, so keep an eye on them. You are looking for your pastry to be cooked and your top to be crispy.

8. 8

   While your bites are cooking, make the pesto. Set up food processor.

9. 9

   Add cilantro and garlic. Chop.

10. 10

    Add lime juice.

11. 11

    Slowly add oil while machine is running. When it starts to emulsify you have added enough oil.

12. 12

    Add sugar and hot sauce.

13. 13

    Taste and adjust seasonings. My bites were salty and full of heat, so my goal of the pesto was to make it fresh and tangy to compliment my tart. So I did not want to add salt to my pesto until I could taste them together. I knew I could add salt, but I could not retrieve it from the dish. I fought the urge to add salt at this point and it paid off. You might want to add more lime.

14. 14

    Remove bites from muffin tins. Place on serving tray. Drizzle pesto sauce on top of each bite. Place a few of shreds of the fresh zucchini on top of each bite.

15. 15

    Place a few pine nuts on top of each bite. I put the nuts on top versus into the pesto itself is because I wanted another texture element of the individual nuts.

16. 16

    Serve and enjoy seeing them disappear.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.