Are you a menstrual cup user?
December 4, 2019
Disney’s The Lion King is coming to Manchester!
January 22, 2020I love a festive canapé!
On Christmas Day, we don’t have a starter [I know, shock horror!] Instead we eat festive canapés whilst drinking a fair amount of prosecco and remembering to check on the roast spuds!
I come from a family who love to cook. Christmas, for me, was never about mountains of presents, it was all about the food. Breakfast would usually consist of cured salmon [which my parents had home cured] on toast or my favourite ox tongue – DO NOT KNOCK IT UNTIL YOU HAVE TRIED IT!
I absolutely love a bit of tongue on Christmas Day – with lashings of horseradish sauce too! YUM!
Before the main event, canapés are served
I sound so posh – I’m not, although for my 21st my parents threw me a canapé and cocktail party haha!
The best canapés have to not be messy and be the size of about a mouthful – a regular sized mouth.
Below are my top four canapés that I am planning to serve on Christmas Day – they’re easy to prepare and don’t take up valuable oven space!
Festive canapé 1: Scandi inspired smoked mackerel wreath
I was taught how to make this from Gemma Wade of You Say Tomato Cooking and it is brilliant! Make sure that when you next go to IKEA you pick up some of their large wheel cracker breads because this is vital for this recipe [only for the wow factor, you could use normal ryvita type crackers]
- 400g full fat cream cheese
- 4tbsps drained capers
- Zest of a lemon
- Pack of smoked mackerel
- Dill
- Cornichons and pink pickled onions
Mix the cream cheese, capers and lemon zest together with lots of black pepper. Spread the mix onto two crackers. Top with the smoked fish and then sprinkle with dill, chopped cornichon and pink pickled onion.
Festive canapé 2: Romesco dip and hummus with flatbreads [v]
Since meeting Gemma from You Say Tomato Cooking, I have not been without a jar of homemade romesco sauce in my fridge. We use it on/with everything and anything! [It’s particularly good with pasta and grated halloumi].
1 pack of flatbreads
Hummus
- 400g tin of chickpeas [or if you can get them in a jar, even better!]
- 3tbsp of tahini
- 1 garlic clove, chopped [leave out if guests have issues with raw garlic]
- 1tsp cumin powder
- Lemon
- Olive oil
Blitz chickpeas, tahini, garlic and cumin in a food processor. Add olive oil until you get a smooth consistency.
Add lemon juice and season.
Romesco sauce
This is so easy to make and you will wonder why you have never made it before!
Visit this link which will take you to Gemma’s website for the recipe.
Festive canapé 3: Smoked salmon blinis [gf]
My sisters are gluten intolerant so this is a great recipe to make up for them.
Pack of smoked salmon
Blinis
This recipe is from my husband – he’s not Russian so apologies to all those who are and use a proper blini recipe!
- 6tbsp gluten free flour
- 2tbsp natural yoghurt
- Milk
- Salt to season
Mix the ingredients together – the milk is to be used to get a good pouring, batter like consistency.
Drop the batter in spoonfuls into a non stick frying pan. We do not use any oil. Leave for a couple of minutes and then flip over with a palette knife. Once the other side is cooked place onto a plate for cooling.
Sauce
- Small pot of soured cream
- 2tsp dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
- Dill
- Lemon zest and juice
Once the blinis are cooled, you can top them with the creamy sauce. A small teaspoon for each blini should be enough and then top with smoked salmon and some chopped dill along with a crack of black pepper. Yummy!
Festive canapé 4: Sticky sausages
- 3tbsp runny honey
- 2tbsp grainy mustard
- 40 cocktail sausages
Mix ingredients together and then roast the sausages in a roasting tin for about 30 minutes. They should be sticky and glorious!
………………..
So there you have it! My festive canapes that can be eaten over the festive period but also whenever you fancy throwing a chilled out party!
