Creative canapes
These delicious delights are bound to give your guests a real treat at any party.
CUCUMBER NORI SUSHI ROLLS
Makes: 24
Ingredients:
2 tsp sesame seeds, 2 sheets of nori, halved
1 recipe sushi rice (see below), 1⁄2 tsp wasabi paste
1⁄2 cucumber, seeded and cut into julienne strips
2 tbsp pickled ginger, 6 tbsp shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
For the sushi rice:
175g (60z) short-grained rice, 200g (7floz) water
125ml (4floz) rice vinegar, 5 tbsp sugar
Method:
1 Put rice in a large bowl. Cover with cold tap water and stir with your fingers until water turns cloudy. Pour off water.
2 Repeat this 1 or 2 more times until water’s almost clear. Drain rice in a sieve and put it in a pan. Add 200g water, cover and bring to a boil over a high heat. Boil for 2 minutes.
3 Reduce heat to low and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, without lifting the lid, for 5 minutes.
4 In a separate pan,bring vinegar and sugar to boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool. Turn the hot rice out onto an oven tray and drizzle the vinegar and sugar mixture evenly over the rice. Toss gently but thoroughly withg a wooden spoon.
5 Quickly cool the rice to room temperature by fanning it while continuing to toss the rice. Cover the rice with a dampened tea towel and cool completely.
6 Toast seeds in a dry pan over low heat until nutty and golden for 3 minutes. Cool and have a small bowl of water ready to moisten your fingers. Place 1 half piece of nori, smooth side down, on the mat. Moisten your fingers with water, then spread a quarter of the rice in an even layer on the nori, leaving a 1cm (1⁄2 in) strip uncovered at the end furthest from you.
7 Press down the rice with moistened fingers to pack firmly. Spread a thin line of wasabi lengthwise along the centre of the rice with your finger.
8 Arrange a quarter of the cucumber, sesame seeds and ginger on top, making sure the fillings extend completely to each end of the rice.
9 With the bamboo mat, tightly roll rice around the filling, pulling the mat as you roll, unroll it. Repeat with remaining nori, rice, wasabi, cucumber, sesame seeds and ginger.
10 Cut each nori roll into 6 equal-sized pieced with a moist knife. Serve chilled or at room temperature with soy sauce for dipping.
LEMON MARINATED TORTELLINI & SUN-DRIED TOMATO SKEWERS
Makes: 20
Essential equipment: 20 x 5cm (6ins) wooden skewers
Ingredients:
20 fresh spinach and ricotta tortellini
10 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and halved
20 large basil leaves
For the marinade:-
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp olive oil
salt, black pepper
Method:
1 Marinate tortellini up to 1 day in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Assemble skewers up to 4 hours in advance. Return to room temperature before serving.
2 Cook tortellini in salted boiling water until tender, 4 minutes, or according to instructions on the packet.
3 Drain and rinse with cold water. Spread out in a single layer on a clean tea towel to dry.
4 For marinade, whisk lemon and oil until thick and combined. Toss the cooled pasta and marinade together in a non-metallic bowl to coat each piece well.
5 Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
6 Thread 1 tortellini and 1 sun-dried tomato half wrapped in 1 basil leaf on to each skewer. Serve at room temperature.
BASIL MARINATED MOZZARELLA & CHERRY TOMATO SKEWERS
Makes: 20
Essential equipment: 20 x 5cm (6ins) wooden skewers
Ingredients:
1 red pepper, quartered and seeded
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1⁄2 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
20 bocconcini (baby mozzarella balls) or whole mozzarella into 20 x 2cm (3.4ins) cubes
15g (1⁄2 oz) basil, finely chopped
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
20 large basil leaves
Method:
1 You can marinate the bocconcini up to 3 days in advance and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then assemble skewers up to 4 hours in advance, cover and refrigerate.
2 Grill and peel pepper quarters. Cut pepper quarters into very fine dice. Combine pepper dice, garlic, lemon, oil, salt and cracked pepper in a non-metallic bowl.
3 Add bocconcini and toss to coat each piece well. Cover and marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
4 Sprinkle basil over and toss to coat each bocconcini well. Thread 1 cherry tomato half and 1 bocconcini on to each skewer.
5 Wrap each remaining tomato half in 1 basil leaf and add 1 to each skewer. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
