Valentine's Day Insalata Caprese

 Ingredients

Grape Tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves
Mozzarella fauxmaggio*
Olive oil**
Freshly cracked black pepper
Salt

   

Slice the mozzarella fauxmaggio into thin slices. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut slices into heart shapes, and arrange on a plate. Place a basil leaf on each slice.

Cut the grape tomatoes into heart shapes, arrange on top of basil leaves, drizzle with a really good olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

How to cut the grape tomatoes:

Choose firm oval shaped tomatoes, of as uniform a size as you can.

Slice a small portion off the lower half of the side, angled toward the bottom.

Like so.

 Remove smaller piece. Turn larger piece over.

Slice through the center of the larger piece.

Separate the two slices, turn them over, and press the seam together to form a heart shape.

Enjoy.

Nutrition Information
 

Serving Size: 328 g
Servings per Recipe: 1

Calories: 229 Calories from Fat: 155**
Total Fat: 17.2g, 26% of Daily Value***
Sodium: 725mg, 30% of Daily Value
Total Carbohydrates: 7.2g, 2% of Daily Value
Dietary Fiber: 0.7g, 3% of Daily Value
Sugars 2.6g
Protein 5.0g

* I prefer Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella.

** Try to find a local source, and make sure the label states "100% olive oil". Most olive oils, domestic or imported, are heavily diluted with plain vegetable oil, and they are not required to state this. I am fortunate to have two local sources of 100% olive oil. Owen's Creek of Cathey's Valley, CA and  Anderson Ranch of Snelling, CA.

*** Based on a 2000 calorie diet