PART 2. FESTIVE COOKING - PARTY FOOD | DIPS & CANAPÉS
Next in my mini-series on festive food and entertaining, I’m sharing easy canapé recipes and a couple of my favourite dips. Not only do they taste delicious, but they look stunning, adding a burst of brightness and colour to your festive table.
The great thing about dips they are easy party food and they can be made in advance then whipped out and garnished when guests arrive.
Most of the prep for these canapés can also be done in advance, then you just assemble at the last minute.
BEET TAHINI DIP
A simple but high-impact dip, it’s such a vibrant colour it will brighten up any spread. Serve as a dip, spooned onto a winter salad, or smothered on crostinis, garnished with picked dill.
300g red beetroot
90g tahini
20g extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish
10g salt
20g lime juice (1 lime)
Picked dill to garnish
METHOD
Scrub the beetroot, keeping it whole. Place it in a steamer or saucepan with 2 inches of water. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for 30–50 minutes, depending on the size of the beetroot. Test if it’s cooked with a small knife; it should slide in easily. Once cooked, drain and set aside to cool.
Once you’re ready to make the dip, place all ingredients into a blender and blend for 1 minute until smooth and fluffy.
Serve, finished with picked dill and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, alongside crudités, crackers, or fresh bread for dipping.
NOTES :
I scrub my beetroot thoroughly and leave the skin on to reduce waste and boost nutrition, as the skin is rich in nutrients and high in fibre.
BLACK PEA HUMMUS
These are made with black carlin peas, a British-grown pea by Hodmedods, with a nutty flavour, they make an excellent substitute for chickpeas.
This is a really fun and delicious hummus variation. You can buy dried or jarred. If you’re cooking from dried, soak overnight and cook in plenty of salted water for about 40 minutes until tender.
INGREDIENTS
380 carlin peas, cooked (190g dried)
70g olive oil
70g tahini
1 clove garlic
30g lemon
½ - 1 teaspoon
METHOD
Add ingredients to a blender, starting with 50g water or bean cooking water and blend until smooth. If you need more water to blend, add little by little until the blender runs to create a smooth dip. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed.
Pipe or spoon onto a plate, and drench in extra virgin olive oil - I’m lovingCitizens of Soil Tuscan olive oil for this, garnish with dill leaves and serve.
NOTES :
If you have extra carlin peas they’ll make a lovely topping - you can dress them in olive oil and seasoning, and top your hummus.
LEEK AND ALMOND CROSTINIS
A delicious and easy party bite to share with friends, showcasing the humble leek! This feels quite decadent with the creamy, rich tarator, but it’s full of goodness and a nice way to add some veg to your party spread.
INGREDIENTS
3 leeks (about 450g)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
30g parsley, roughly chopped
1 crusty baguette, cut into 1cm rounds
Almond Tarator
125g blanched almonds
200g water
20g sherry vinegar
15g lemon juice
5g salt
1 clove / 5g garlic, peeled
150g extra virgin olive oil
Optional Garnishes
Almond to grate over, Chilli flakes, picked herbs
METHOD
Make the Crostinis:
Preheat the oven to 210°C. Lay the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and brush with 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oven is hot, bake for about 8 minutes, until golden and crispy. Alternatively, toast them under a hot grill for about 3 minutes on each side, turning halfway. Keep an eye on them to avoid burning.
Make the Almond Tarator:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend for 1 minute until smooth and fluffy.
Prepare the Leeks:
Trim and slice the leeks into ½ cm rounds. Submerge them in a large bowl of water, wash well, then lift them into a colander to drain and rinse. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and once hot, place the leeks in a single layer with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 4 minutes, until just softened. Add the parsley, mix through, and turn off the heat.
Assemble the Toasts: Spoon a tablespoon of almond tarator onto each toast, top with the cooked leeks, and repeat with the rest of the crostini. They look lovely finished with a grated almond—use a microplane and grate generously. Finish with chilli flakes if desired.
NOTES:
I recommend using delicate olive oil in the almond tarator.
PANISSE WITH FLAME ROAST PEPPER
Makes 24
Jarred flame-roasted peppers are a great way to bring a taste of summer to your winter dishes.
They’re so versatile and make a simple yet delicious topping for panisse—a French chickpea fry that’s crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Panisse also serves as a lovely base for all kinds of toppings, it makes an elegant and healthy canapé option.
Panisse
375g water + 150g water
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
160g chickpea flour
1 - 2 tbsp olive oil
Pepper Topping
295g jarred drained flame-roasted red pepper
1 clove garlic
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp capers, chopped
2 tsp picked fresh oregano
Line a small baking tray, 18 x 14cm with baking parchment.
To make the panisse, bring 375g of water to boil in a medium saucepan with bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes with a lid on.
For the pepper topping, slice the red peppers into thin strips a couple of centimetres long. Grate the garlic into a mixing bowl, add the olive oil, sherry vinegar, capers and oregano, mix well. Add the peppers and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate.
Whisk the chickpea flour and the 150g water in a small bowl until smooth. When the infused water is ready, remove the bay leaves and keep the pan on medium-low heat. Whisk in the chickpea flour mixture and continue whisking until smooth and shiny. It should pull away from the sides of the pan.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared tray using a spatula. Smooth it out to an even thickness, cover it with a sheet of baking parchment, and let it cool, then refrigerate until firm.
Once set, trim the edges and cut into 4cm x 3cm pieces.
When you’re ready to serve heat a large non-stick frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the panisse in batches, frying each piece for about 3 minutes per side until golden and crispy.
Alternatively, you can bake the panisse. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray, arrange the panisse pieces so they don’t touch, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 25 minutes until crispy on the outside.
Top each panisse with the red pepper mixture and serve immediately.
BEET BLINIS, SMOKED CARROT, DILL CREAM
I love celebrating vegetables in their own right and don’t usually look to replicate other flavours, but this carrot “salmon” is very addictive! It’s more like a gravlax—freshnessf from lemon and dill, a little rich, smoky, oily from the smoked rapeseed.
The blinis are gorgeous, colourful and simple to make. They’re the perfect base for this vibrant topping, creating a canapé that’s both eye-catching and delicious. Pair them with White Rose kombucha for a combo that’s sure to wow your guests!
Makes about 30 blinis
INGREDIENTS
Beetroot Blinis
100g buckwheat flour
50g yoghurt
50g water
100g raw beetroot
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Dill Cream
125g coconut yoghurt (see notes)
10g dill, finely chopped
15g (½ lemon) juice
¼ tsp salt
Smoked Carrot
350g (2 large) carrots
4 tbsp smoked rapeseed oil
15g (½ lemon) juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Prepare the Carrot 'Gravlax':
After peeling the carrots, discard the skin, and continue peeling them into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Blanch the carrot ribbons for 2 minutes, then drain.
In a mixing bowl mix the carrots with the smoked rapeseed oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside to marinate.
To make the dill cream, mix all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl, Chill until ready to use.
To make the blinis, blend the pancake ingredients until smooth.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Drop ½-tablespoon portions of batter into the pan to form small blinis. Cook in batches until bubbles form on the surface and the edges set, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
When you’re ready to serve, assemble the blinis. Top each blini with a dollop of dill cream, then the carrot, and a sprinkle of chopped dill or poppy seeds.
NOTES :
For the dill cream. Coco’s works best as it’s thick and creamy OR a good cream cheese also works well, it will just need a bit of whisking to lighten it.
Make ahead: All of these components can be made in advance so you can just assemble when you’re ready to serve. The carrots and dill cream keep up to two days in the fridge, the pancakes are best made on the same day as serving.
