Category Archives: Canapes/hors d’oeuvres

Mini Mushroom Frittatas (makes 20)

Posted in Canapes/hors d'oeuvres, Vegetarian by

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Am always looking for new items to serve with cocktails to liven up the cheese and crackers/shrimp with cocktail sauce, etc. I will be serving these at Thanksgiving as nibbles. Cooked in a small muffin sized tray, preferably non-stick silicone, these make great hors d’oeuvres/snacks or a light meal served with a salad. Best served warm. Can be frozen too and de-frosted ahead of a party.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

1 tbsp. olive oil seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper (plus extra oil for greasing muffin tray)

1 onion – finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic – grated

12 oz. portabella mushrooms – cut into small pieces

1 tbsp. parsley – finely chopped

6 eggs – beaten

Heat oil seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper in a frying pan and when sizzling add the onion and let soften a little but not brown before adding the garlic and stirring well.

Then add the mushrooms (may seem like a lot but they will shrink) and parsley.

Cook until the mushrooms are soft and any water has disappeared. Take off heat and leave to cool a bit.

Beat the eggs with a fork in a large mixing bowl and then add the cooled mushroom mixture.

Oil the muffin tray and then ladle in the egg mixture.

Cook in the oven for 15 minutes (for mini muffins). Remove muffins immediately and place on paper towel to absorb any moisture.

Serve while still warm.

 

 

 

 

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Mixed Fish Platter for Two (2)

Posted in Appetizers, Canapes/hors d'oeuvres by

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Charcuterie platter, cheese platter – make way for a fish platter. A great date night dish or for a special occasion or just because… Although everything is served cold it takes a little time prepare so I started in the morning. The platter consists of shrimp marinated in olive oil, lime juice, garlic and cilantro, smoked mackerel with a beetroot horseradish sauce, salmon brushed with a dill dressing and, lastly, scallops topped with guacamole (I cheated and bought the guacamole). I went to the fish counter in my local supermarket so I was able to buy 8 prawns/shrimp, 6 scallops, and a piece of salmon. The smoked mackerel was in the chilled cabinet.

SHRIMP

8 shrimp/prawns – medium sized, raw and de-veined

Juice and pulp of 1 lime

1 large clove of garlic – finely grated

1 tbsp. cilantro – finely chopped

3 tbsp. olive oil

Place all ingredients in a plastic ziploc bag and gently massage. Place in fridge and leave for a couple of hours.

Cook in a frying pan for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally, then let cool.

SMOKED MACKEREL

1 store bought smoked mackerel fillet – cut into four pieces

3 medium beetroot – roasted

1 tbsp. horseradish

Cook beetroot wrapped in foil for an hour at 350 degrees F. Let cool and process in food processor with the horseradish ( you will have some leftovers)

SALMON

1 piece of salmon (enough for 2 people to share)

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place salmon on a piece of aluminum foil, pour over lemon juice and oil and season.

Make a parcel of the salmon and cook in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. then let cool.

DILL SAUCE

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. dill finely chopped

Place all ingredients in a jar with a screw top lid and shake until emulsified.

SCALLOPS

6 x large scallops

1 tbsp olive oil

Guacamole

Place oil in frying pan and when sizzling add scallops and brown on both sides. This takes between 10 and 15 minutes and you need to keep an eye on the scallops and turn frequently.

Place on a piece of paper towel and cover also to remove any grease.

TO ASSEMBLE

Shrimp can be placed on the platter as they are.

Smoked mackerel should be cut into 4 slices with a teaspoonful of beetroot horseradish on top.

Salmon should also be cut into four pieces and brushed with the dill dressing.

Scallops should be topped with a good teaspoonful of guacamole.

 

 

 

 

 

Spicy Chickpea and Avocado Dip (at least 4)

Posted in Canapes/hors d'oeuvres, Vegan, Vegetarian by

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Healthy, healthy – mashed chickpeas and avocado with some cayenne pepper and a little lemon juice (to stop the avocado from discoloring).

1 avocado

1/2 can chickpeas

1/4 lemon

Salt, freshly, ground black pepper and cayenne pepper

Mash avocado and chickpeas together in a large bowl, then add the juice of a 1/4 of a lemon along with salt, pepper and two pinches of cayenne pepper (adding less or more depending on how spicy you like things.

Roasted Chickpeas

Posted in Canapes/hors d'oeuvres, Vegan, Vegetarian by

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Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Roasted chickpeas are great as a nibble instead of peanuts, etc. and they add crunch when sprinkled over a salad or soup. One way to serve them is to toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper along with cumin and curry powder. The aim is to get them crunchy all the way through so roast in an oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour and taste to see if thoroughly crunchy, if not leave in oven and keep checking.

1 x 15 oz. chickpeas – rinsed and drained

2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. curry powder

Place chickpeas in an ovenproof dish, pour over the olive oil and toss.

Add salt, pepper, cumin and curry powder.

Toss again and place in oven.

Check oven once in a while and stir the chickpeas so that they get evenly browned and taste one every so often until they are crisp like a nut.

Jo’s Greek Meatballs (4)

Posted in Canapes/hors d'oeuvres, Entrees by

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Meatballs to me are comfort food. These meatballs are very quick to make and combine what I think of as Greek flavors – lamb, oregano and feta cheese. I cook them in the oven on a metal rack over a roasting tin so that the grease drops into the tin and leaves you with moist but not greasy meatballs. They go nicely with a salad I serve them with a salad as I think a sauce would drown the taste. If you want a new idea for cocktail nibbles make them very small and serve on a toothpick.

1 pound of ground lamb seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 oz. feta cheese – crumbled

1 egg – beaten

Place the lamb, oregano and feta in a large bowl and mix well together.

Add beaten egg and mix again, then make into palm of hand size meat balls.

Cook in oven at 350 degrees for between 20 – 30 minutes depending on size of meatball (cut in half to see if cooked).

Feta, Tomato and Olive Canapes

Posted in Canapes/hors d'oeuvres, Vegetarian by

Made these delicious little canapes yesterday to hand round for a family gathering. Everyone loved them!! The Mediterranean flavors work so well together.

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Cut feta into slices and then into squares (same size as half of cherry tomato)

Cut cherry tomatoes in half.

Small black olives or larger ones cut in half.

Place tomato on top of feta and place olive on top of the tomato and skewer with a toothpick