Finger Food – Great for parties or snacks
For those unfamiliar with finger food, just a brief note to explain the foundamentials. Finger Food is as the name speaks, food which you eat with your fingers – it could include anything – Mexican tacos, enchiladas, dips, sausage rolls, chicken wings and many other delicious yummies.
Asparagus Guacamole Dip (FingerFood)
This is a fantastic dip for raw veggies, tortilla chips or to spread on a sandwich. It tastes similar to avocado guacamole, but is fat-free!
Makes: approximately 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed away, spears cut into 2-inch lengths
Juice of ½ (one-half) large lemon (1-2 tablespoons depending upon desired tartness)
2 -3 tablespoons fat-free, plain yogurt (depending on desired creaminess)
2 tablespoons fresh chives or green onions, small chop
¼ (one-fourth) teaspoon sea or kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and fine chop
Preparation:
Fill a large sauté pan with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil.
Add trimmed asparagus in a single layer (or overlapping just a bit) and cook, uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes until the asparagus is soft, but still bright green. It should be slightly softer then you would normally eat it.
Remove from the pan and place the cooked asparagus into a bowl or pan full of ice water. This is called “shocking” the vegetables and will stop the cooking process.
Once the asparagus is cooled completely, remove from ice water and dry well.
Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until just combined and asparagus is smooth. It should be the consistency of guacamole. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Avocado Shrimp Mousse (FingerFood)
Ingredients for 12:
1 pack plain gelatin
3 medium avocados, mashed
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried cumin
2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt
3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
160-180 g cooked shrimp
1 cup black olives, pitted and chopped
Crackers or tortilla wedges
1 greased 10-inch quiche pan.
How to prepare:
In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften. Cook over medium heat just until the water is boiling and the gelatin has dissolved. In a food processor, combine the avocado, lemon juice, herbs and spices, sour cream, cilantro, and gelatin. Process until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 6 hours.
To unmold, run the tip of a sharp knife around the edges of the pan and invert the pan on a flat platter. Arrange the shrimp and black olives in circles on top.
Serve with crackers or tortilla wedges.
Eggplant Pockets Filled with Herbed Ricotta Cheese (FingerFood)
Ingredients for 12 pockets:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large eggplants/aubergines, cut lengthwise into long slices, 6 slices per eggplant
Filling:
1 cup fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
How to cook:
Preheat the oven to 425F / 200C. Brush two baking sheets with oil and lay the eggplant slices on the sheets. Brush the eggplant with the remaining oil and bake for 15 minutes.
Alternatively, use a grill pan/griddle pan. Brush each side of the slices with oil and grill for about 2-3 minutes each side.
Meanwhile, make the filling by processing all of the filling ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Remove eggplant from oven and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling onto each eggplant slice. Fold the sides over the filling and place the pockets, seam side down, on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the pockets and bake for 15 minutes.
Tomato & Basil Tart (FingerFood)
Ingredients:
Serves 4 (or more if cut into smaller pieces)
1 packet of ready rolled puff pastry
3 tsp of basil pesto
3-4 tomatoes
1 tbsp fresh basil
10 stoned olives, halved
125g of buffalo mozzarella, sliced
Salt and pepper
How to cook:
Line a baking tray with parchment paper so the pastry doesn’t stick.
Unroll the pastry onto the baking tray and spread the pesto over the pastry as if you were making a pizza.
Top with the sliced tomatoes, halved olives, fresh basil and sliced mozzarella. Season well and drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over the top.
Place in a preheated oven at 200 degrees C for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is well-risen and the mozzarella has melted.
Cut into wedges and serve with salad or steamed vegetables.
You could use any cheese for this recipe:
– Cheshire cheese (UK white cheese variety) is slightly crumbly but when it melts down it goes into wonderful creamy cheesy paste.
– If you decide to use Cheddar cheese instead, try drizzling some Worcestershire sauce over before putting in the oven.
– Or you could place a handful of washed and dried spinach leaves on top of pastry, sprinkle with goats cheese and top with pine nuts.
Tomato, Goat Cheese and Basil Bites (FingerFood)
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes, sliced
6 slices Italian bread cut into bite size pieces
butter
3 tablespoons basil pesto
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 slices goat cheese
How to prepare:
Preheat grill and lightly grill the bread slices. Butter each slice, spread a little pesto, arrange a slice of tomato and a slice of goats cheese, season with salt and black pepper, and grill for further 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle fresh basil on top and serve.
Note: you can add a little crushed garlic for extra flavour and yumminess 🙂
Beer-Marinated Chicken Tacos (FingerFood)
Serves 6
Ingredients for the Marinade:
1 cup dark Mexican beer
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Ingredients for the Guacamole:
2 ripe Haas avocados
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 flour or corn tortillas
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
In a small bowl whisk together the marinade ingredients. Rinse the chicken breasts under cold water and dry with paper towels. Place them in a large, plastic resealable bag and pour in the marinade. Shake gently and turn the bag to distribute the marinade, place the bag in a bowl, and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours, turning the bag occasionally.
Cut the avocados lengthwise around the pits, twist the halves apart, and remove the pits. Scoop the flesh into a medium bowl. Add the lime juice and salt. Using a potato masher or the back of a spoon, mash the ingredients together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until about 1 hour before serving.
Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken breast until the meat is firm and the juices run clear, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time. Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board and cut them into thin strips.
Wrap the tortillas in kitchen foil and heat for about 10 minutes in preheated oven.
Arrange the sliced chicken inside the tortillas. Top each taco with a spoonful of guacamole. Serve warm.
Goat Cheese Tartlets (FingerFood)
The tartlets are very easy easy to prepare. The goat cheese has to be dry. Use solid, dry goat cheese or crumbles. Because an egg and cream are being used to make the mixture fluffier, the goat cheese can’t be too moist. If it is, the mixture will be soft and won’t hold its shape.
You could use a pastry bag with a large star tip to make the tartlets’ swirl but it is also okay to spoon the mixture into the shells.
Ingredients to make 24:
Blend:
2 cups goat cheese
1/2 t. salt
1 large egg
2 tbsp cooking cream
Fold in:
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
¼ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
After making the filling using the above ingredients, fill 24 mini-tart pastry shells (you can purchase these in a supermarket) using either a pastry bag or just a spoon.
Bake the tartlets for 10-12 minutes in a preheated oven (400F/220C). Top with sprigs of chives, dices peppers, tiny rolls of prosciutto, or olive halves.
Crab Meat Bacon Rolls (FingerFood)
Ingredients:
Makes 18 rolls
1/4 cup tomato juice
1 egg well beaten
1 can (1 cup) crab meat drained and flaked
1/2 cup dry fine bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
pepper,
9 slices bacon cut in half
How to cook:
Mix tomato juice and egg. Add crab meat, crumbs, parsley, lemon juice and seasonings; mix thoroughly. Roll into 18 fingers, about 2 inches long. Wrap each roll with 1/2 slice bacon; fasten with toothpick. Grill for about 10 minutes, turning often to brown evenly.
Chicken Croquettes (FingerFood)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoon flour
1 1/4 cup mixed milk and chicken stock
2 cup ground cooked chicken
Salt, Freshly ground pepper
1 beaten egg
2 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
Oil for frying
How to prepare:
Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour.
Gradually stir in the liquid and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick and smooth. Stir in the minced chicken and season well. Continue cooking for about 1 minute, on a low heat, until the mixture is firm enough to hold together in a mass. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then, with floured hands, form the mixture into little sausage shapes. Brush these with beaten egg and coat with bread crumbs. Shallow fry in hot oil until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.
Cheese Puffs (FingerFood)
2 cups grated sharp cheese
1/4 lb butter
48 pimiento green olives
1 cup flour
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the cheese and butter in a food processor, and blend until smooth. Add the flour and mix well. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 2 inch squares and wrap a square around each olive, sealing the seams.
Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes at 190C.
Stuffed Eggs (FingerFood)
8 eggs, hard-boiled
4-6 sweet gherkins, diced
1 red onion, minced
1 to 2 diced egg white
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dill
salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons paprika
Hellmans or your favourite mayonnaise
dijon or your favourite mustard
3 teaspoons lemon juice
Slice eggs lengthwise, slipping yolks into a separate bowl.
You can set aside the egg halves that didn’t come out perfectly and dice them for use in the egg salad mix. Add onion, tumeric, dill weed, salt/pepper, about half of the paprika. Use a fork to loosen the egg yolks and blend with other ingredients before adding any moisture. This helps avoid those lumps of unmixed yolk you sometimes find. Add gherkins and juice. Add 1/4 cup mayo and approximately 2 tablespoons mustard to start; mix well. Taste. Adjust moisture to your preference, using mayo, mustard or lemon. Scoop into egg white halves and top with paprika. Chill before serving.
Zucchini Parmesan Slices (FingerFood)
Serves 4-6
4 medium zucchini
frying oil
lemon pepper
garlic
parmesan cheese
Slice zucchini 1/4 slices. Heat a large frying pan. Add zucchini and cover each slice with lemon pepper, garlic& parmesan. Flip over and let cook until browned approximately 2-3 minutes. Repeat on other side. Small tip- wipe out frying pan between batches, to avoid to much blackening.
Bacon Spinach Quiche (FingerFood)
Serves 16 (makes 2 pies)
Ingredients:
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 cup light cream or half & half light cream
8 eggs
2 cups swiss cheese
1 package chopped frozen spinach, drained
10 strips bacon
Dash of cayenne pepper
2 pie shell (optional)
How to cook:
Brush pie shell with egg yolk at 400 degrees.
Weight the center of the pie shell down with pie weights (you can also use dried beans to do this).
Fry and drain bacon on paper towel.
Dice bacon.
Mix together buttermilk, cream, eggs and swiss cheese.
Add drained spinach, bacon and cayenne pepper.
Pour into pie shell (You can skip the pie shell and pour directly into a greased pan).
Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until solid.
Cheese Bites (FingerFood)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm butter
1 cup plain flour
2 cups grated medium/strong flavour cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp ground Cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika/red pepper
How to prepare:
Mix the butter, pepper and flour together. Add the cheese and mix in well. Shape into small bite-size balls, arrange on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven(190C) for about 10 minutes.
Makes 35 bites.
Stuffed Avocados (FingerFood)
Ingredients for 4:
2 1/2 oz Roquefort cheese
1 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
3 tbsp virgin olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 Avocados
Lettuce leaves
Few Stuffed Green Olives (any type) to garnish
How to prepare:
Mash the cheese with the parseley into coarse paste using a fork.
In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil and lemon juice, and then stir into cheese mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pits. Carefully scoop two thirds of the flesh out of each avocado half, leaving a thin shell, and add to cheese mixture. Mix well. Sprinkle insides of avocado shells with remaining lemon juice, and arrange the shells on a serving plate lined with lettuce leaves. Fill the shells with the cheese mixture and garnish with olives.
Spinach & Blue cheese tart (FingerFood)
This ideal for lunch, and can be eaten hot or cold.
Ingredients:
250g flour
125g cold butter, chopped
¼ cup iced water
pinch of salt
2 onions
2 tbsp butter
1 bunch of spinach
200g strong blue cheese
4 eggs
500ml milk
pepper
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
How to Cook:
To make the pastry, put the flour and butter into a food processor. When the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, add the water. Take out of the food processor. Knead lightly. Roll out and line a 30cm flan case. Refrigerate for at least 30minutes. NB: Short crust pastry can be substituted for this recipe.
Chop the onions and cook until golden brown in the butter. Put the onions into a sieve to drain off the butter. Wash the spinach well and cook in a little water for a minute, immediately drain and plunge into cold water. Squeeze all the water out of the spinach and chop roughly. Crumble the blue cheese.
Beat the eggs with the milk, salt and pepper and set aside.
To assemble the tart, spread the onions on the bottom, then the spinach, and lastly the blue cheese all over the tart. Fill with the egg mixture and sprinkle the top with the parmesan.
Bake in a pre-heated oven 200C for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Potato pancakes with avocado salsa (FingerFood)
Ingredients:
1kg potatoes, peeled
½ bunch shallots, chopped
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons self-raising flour
Salt and pepper
125ml (½ cup) oil, for frying
1 tablespoon butter
for the salsa:
1 avocado
2 large tomatoes, chopped finely
1 lemon, juiced
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
1 tbsp Hellmans Mayonnaise
How to cook:
Grate the potatoes (for easy use food processor) and squeeze out the water. Place in a bowl with the shallots, eggs, flour, salt and pepper and mix together well.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add the butter.
Drop dessertspoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil and cook until golden brown on each side. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. Keep warm.
Mash the avocado, then add the diced tomato, crushed garlic, lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the pancakes with chives and serve with the salsa.
Hot Chicken Wings (FingerFood)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cornflour
6 tbsp brown sugar
1kg/2 lbs chicken wings
How to prepare:
Combine all dry ingredients and mix thourghly. Add vinegar and orange juice and mix well. Wash the chicken wings, fold the wings. Place in a deep dish and cover with the marinade. Cover and refidgerate for 6-12 Hrs.
Remove wings from sauce and place on baking tray. Return sauce to a sauce pan, heat and cook until the sauce has thickened. Place the wings under a medium Grill for about 20-25 min, turning occasionally and basting with the sauce.
Satay Drumsticks – an alternative to traditional drumsticks (FingerFood)
Ingredients for 12
1/3 cup light soy sauces,
2 tbs. peanut butter (smooth),
2 crushed garlic cloves,
1 small, finely chopped onion,
juice of one lemon,
2 tbs. of oil,
12 chicken drumsticks
How to cook:
Combine all ingredients (except drumsticks) to make the marinade. Remove the skin from the drumsticks and score through the flesh at 2 cm intervals. Arrange the drumsticks in a big bowl or a dish, cover with the marinade and allow 1 hour for the meat to marinade. Preheat the grill to medium-high, remove drumsticks from the marinade and grill, turning occasionally and brushing with the marinade, for about 20-25 minutes or until tender.
Salmon & Cucumber Bites (FingerFood)
Ingredients for 40:
250 gr. soft cheese,
1 x 250 g can red salmon (drained),
chopped dill,
1 tbs. sour cream,
1 teaspoon lemon juice,
1 tbs. finely chopped chives,
1 tbs. plain joghurt,
4 medium cucumbers
How to cook:
Beat cream cheese in a small bowl with electric mixer until creamy, add remaining ingredients (except cucumber) and mix well. Slice the cucumbers in rounds, spoon heaped teaspoons of the cheese mixture onto the rounds and arrange on a big serving plate. Optional decoration: dill leaves or very thin strips of red peppers.
Crab fritters (Tuna or Salmon fritters) (FingerFood)
Ingredients
Makes 30
500 gr. of crab meat (you can replace with tuna or salmon),
2 cups breadcrumbs,
4 spring onions,
2 tbs. fresh coriander,
juice of half a lemon,
1/2 cup mayonnaise,
2 eggs, lightly beaten,
frying oil
How to prepare: Combine all ingredients except frying oil in a big bowl. Heat 1 tbs. of oil in a frying pan, drop tablespoons of the mixture into the pan, leaving about 2 cm between each. Cook for about 2 minutes each side until golden brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Repeat these steps with the remaining mixture, adding more oil in the pan as needed. Serve them hot with a dip of your choice.
