Tasty Cheese And Sesame Nibbles Food

QUICK & EASY PARTY NIBBLES

Steps:

• Bloody Mary shots with horseradish: For 10 shots mix 700ml tomato juice with 50ml vodka, juice from 1 lemon and a good splash of Tabasco and vegetarian Worcestershire sauce in a jug. Season then chill. To serve, pour into 10 shot glasses, add a thin cucumber stick to each as a stirrer, and top with a small spoon of creamed horseradish.
• Quails' eggs with sesame dukka: Toast 1 tbsp each of cumin and coriander seeds and 85g hazelnuts, then whizz in a food processor until finely chopped. Mix with 50g sesame seeds and salt to taste, then serve in small bowls with 24-36 hard-boiled quails' eggs, halved, alongside for dipping.
• Mini avocado tarts: Buy mini croustade cases from the supermarket, then put a small spoonful of sour cream in each case. Finely dice ripe avocados and mix with a little lime juice, some poppy seeds and finely snipped chives, then pile on top of the sour cream.
• Parsnip chips with maple-mustard dip: Peel a parsnip per person, then cut into chunky chips and roast with sunflower oil and seasoning at 220C/200C fan/gas 7 for 20-30 mins until crispy and golden. Mix a 200ml tub crème fraîche with 2 tbsp grainy mustard, 2 tbsp maple syrup and some seasoning and serve the hot parsnip chips alongside for dipping.
• Halloumi dippers with chilli pineapple salsa: For the salsa, finely dice 200g fresh or canned pineapple and mix with 1 finely chopped red onion, 1 finely chopped red chilli and juice of 1-2 limes to taste. Use a 250g pack halloumi per 5-6 people, slice into chunky strips, thread onto small soaked wooden skewers and grill, turning, until crispy. Serve with the salsa.
• Greek kebabs with houmous & tzatziki: Cook and cool bought falafel, then skewer each one with a chunk of cucumber, small cube of feta and a cherry tomato. Serve with pots of houmous and tzatziki on the side.
• Crunchy poppadoms with mango chutney: To feed a crowd, finely shred 3 peeled carrots, dice ½ a cucumber and finely slice 4 spring onions. Mix together with a squeeze of lemon juice and 1 tbsp toasted mustard seeds. To serve, pile into bought mini poppadom crisps, top with a small dollop of mango chutney and scatter with coriander leaves.
• Fig & blue cheese skewers: Skewer wedges of fig and cubes of blue cheese onto small cocktail sticks or skewers, then drizzle with a little runny honey and scatter with thyme leaves to serve.
• Christmas pudding truffles: Melt together 200g dark chocolate and 200ml double cream, then crumble in 100g leftover cooked Christmas pud (buy a vegetarian one), then chill. When firm enough, use a melon baller or roll into balls, then dip the tops in some melted white chocolate, scatter with edible decorations, then chill to firm.
• Mini cranberry & orange scones: Knock up a batch of scone dough (from a packet or find recipe on bbcgoodfood.com), adding some dried cranberries and orange zest into the mix before stamping out 4cm rounds and baking. When cool, split and spread generously with orange or jaffa curd (we used Waitrose) and top with a small dollop of clotted or thick double cream.

SAVOURY PARTY BITES

Steps:

• Mango & Prawn skewers 3 limes, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 chopped and deseeded red chilli and 1 tbsp chopped coriander. Cut a large mango into 20 chunks. Thread each onto a small skewer with a large cooked prawn (20 prawns will be about 250g/9oz). Marinate the skewers in the lime dressing for 1 hr (makes 20).
• Little caviar jackets Put 20 small new potatoes on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season. Roast for 25 mins at 200C/180C fan/gas 6, then cool to room temp. Cut a small cross in the top of each one, push open a little and top with 1 tsp crème fraîche and some caviar (makes 20).
• Sticky squash with sesame seeds Peel a large butternut squash. Cut into 20 x 3cm squares, then mix with 1 tbsp each of soy sauce, sesame oil and honey. Arrange the chunks on a large baking tray lined with baking parchment. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp sesame seeds, season and bake for 20-25 mins at 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 until crisp. Put a cocktail stick in each chunk to serve (makes 20).
• Chorizo & chilli mini pizzas Use a pastry cutter to cut out 20 x 6cm circles from a pack of soft Middle Eastern flatbread or wraps. Grate 75g/2.5oz Manchego and chop 75g/2.5oz chorizo and ½ a red chilli. Scatter over the bread bases, then bake at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 10 mins (makes 20).
• Goat's cheese on toast Roughly mash 250g/9oz goat's cheese with 2 finely chopped shallots. Toast 5-6 slices of sourdough and stamp out 20 small circles. Spread each circle with some cheese, top with a small blob of chilli jam (you'll need about 3 tbsp) and scatter with chives, snipped from a small packet (makes 20).

TASTY CHEESE AND SESAME NIBBLES

Steps:

• Pre heat the oven to 210c. beat the egg and glaze the pastry, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the pastry, then the Italian herbs, followed by a good sprinkling of the roasted sesame seeds.
• Cut into finger lengths and place on a cookie tray and bake in the oven 7-10 minutes until puffed up and golden.
• Note: You can roast the sesame seeds yourself by using a medium saucepan, and heating it and covering the base with the sesame seeds, constantly shake and stir as they wil brown very quickly, tip onto a kitchen towel and spread out to cool.

ARTICHOKE NIBBLES

Steps:

• In a small skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender.
• Stir in artichokes.
• Remove from heat; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, parsley, salt, pepper, oregano and hot pepper sauce.
• Stir in cheese, cracker crumbs and artichoke mixture.
• Pour into a greased 11x7x2-inch baking dish.
• Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or unil a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting into 1-inch squares.
• Serve warm.

ZHIR MA BAO (BLACK SESAME FILLING FOR BUNS)

Steps:

• Toast sesame seeds very lightly (be careful, black sesame becomes very bitter if overtoasted.).
• Add 1/4 cup sugar to the boiling water, dissolve.
• Combine 1/4 cup remaining sugar, sesame seeds, and 1 tbs peanut oil in a blender or masher.
• Process or crush to desired fineness - it can be anything from a gritty paste to a smooth filling.
• Add the hot water and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and the remaining 1 tbs oil during the grinding process to adjust sweetness, consistency, and smoothness to taste.
• NOTE: This recipe should yield a very sesame-flavored, gritty paste after 5 - 10 minutes of start-stop processing without any extras.

NUTTY NIBBLES

Steps:

• Combine popcorn, nuts and pretzels in a bowl and mix well.
• Place the butter, Worcestershire, pepper and garlic powder into a saucepan and melt over a low heat, mixing well.
• Pour the butter mix over popcorn mix and stir until all ingredients are well coated.
• Store in airtight container or package in cellophane bags.