Canapes are ideal for stylish entertaining without taking a lot of time and effort. They need to look nice, taste nice (well d’uh!) and be easy to eat. These are healthy too. So much more impressive than opening a bag of tortilla chips and a jar of salsa.
These are a few of my favourites which always go down well and which I prepared most recently just this Sunday! These quantities adequately/generously serve 12 guests.
Pear & St Agur filled Crispy Prosciutto Cups
Ingredients to make 24 cups:
- 150 g prosciutto, thinly sliced (12 slices), each halved so roughly square
- 2 ripe pears
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 75 g St Agur or other soft blue cheese
Method:
- Heat oven to 190 C/375F
- Line small muffin tin with the prosciutto – one half per cup, overlapping any tears, crimping to fit
- Cook for 10 minutes until the fat is golden and crisp (give them a couple more minutes if necessary)
- Core the pears and chop up small
- Mix the pears with the lemon juice
- When the “cups” are cooked carefully, with a fork, lift them out onto kitchen paper to drain and cool
- Just before serving fill the prosciutto cups with the pears and top with the cheese
Duck Bites with Citrus and 5 Spices
Ingredients to serve 12:
- 525 g duck mini fillets
- 1-2 tsp duck fat or coconut oil
- juice and finely grated rind of: 1 grapefruit, 1 orange, 1 lime
- 1 tsp agave nectar, or to taste
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- 1 tsp butter
Method:
- Marinade the duck in half the juices with all the rind and half the five spice powder for at least 2 hours, or overnight
- Drain and squeeze the duck dry
- Heat the oil over high heat and cook the duck in batches until brown all over and just cooked, about 3 minutes (don’t over fill the pan or the duck will stew – not nice!)
- Drain the duck on kitchen paper or in a sieve
- Boil the rest of the juices with the remaining 5 spice powder and the agave nectar until reduced by half.
- Switch off the heat and add the butter, stir to mix it in well
- Put the duck in a wide dish and pour the glaze over, stir to coat and serve hot or cold
Caprese Skewers
To serve 12, with other dishes:
- 24 baby vine tomatoes
- 24 baby mozzarella balls
- 24 large leaves basil
- a few extra basil leaves, rolled and chopped
- salt & cracked black pepper
- virgin olive oil
- 24 toothpicks or mini skewers
Method:
- Place the tomatoes in a wide container with the basil, salt & pepper and then cover with olive oil. Marinade for 2 hours or overnight
- Pierce one tomato, a basil leaf and a mozzarella ball on each skewer
Also serve a bowl of marinaded olives and a bowl of seeds and or nuts for variety of flavours, colours and textures. Lay out and put out toothpicks for the Duck Bites and the olives – ideally in a pretty container but the one they come in works too!
Great with wine or cocktails – cheers!
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The post Creative Canapes – Quick, Easy Ways to Impress! appeared first on Food on the Blog. Post by Karen Kennaby
