December is the month of Christmas gatherings and if you aren't keen on ordering pizzas or bringing potato chips for potluck sessions with your friends again, impress them by preparing some party food yourself. Here are 10 simple party food recipes that you may want to try this year.
Lemon-Caper Parmesan Potato Salad Bites
Credit: My Recipes
Turn "jacket potatoes" into irresistible potato salad bites. Capers offer a twist on traditional relish; they're actually pickled flower buds and add bright, briny flavor to this appetizer.
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine potatoes and oil; toss to coat. Arrange potatoes, cut sides down, in a single layer on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Turn potatoes; bake 10 minutes. Remove and cool 20 minutes.
3. Preheat broiler to high.
4. Using a paring knife, carefully cut a circle in the cut side of potatoes. Using a melon baller or small spoon, remove pulp from potato, leaving a thin shell. Combine pulp, sour cream, 1 tablespoon chives, and next 5 ingredients (through pepper). Evenly fill potato shells with filling; sprinkle with cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon chives.
5. Broil potatoes for 2 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
How to Make Lemon-Caper Parmesan Potato Salad Bites VideoSource: My Recipes
Chunky Guacamole
Credit: Real Simple
Serves: 8
Hands-On Time: 10 min
Total Time: 10 min
2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/3cup finely chopped sweet onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
hot sauce (optional)
- 1. Mash the avocados with a fork until chunky.
- 2. Stir in the lime juice, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and hot sauce, if using. Season to taste with salt and ground pepper.
- 3. Serve at room temperature.
Source: Real Simple
Strawberry Bruschetta
Total time: 35 Minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 nectarine, diced
1 cup quartered grape tomatoes $
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil $
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar $
1 teaspoon sugar $
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt $
1 (12-oz.) French bread baguette $
1 (10.5-oz.) goat cheese log, softened $
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Stir together strawberries, nectarine, grape tomatoes, basil, minced shallot, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, freshly ground pepper, and salt.
2. Split baguette in half; cut each half crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Spread cut sides of bread with goat cheese. Place bread pieces on a baking sheet, and bake 13 to 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from oven, and top with strawberry mixture. Cut into 2-inch slices.
Source: My Recipes
Chicken Sandwiches With Melted Cheese
Serves: 4
Hands-On Time: 5 min
Total Time: 25 min
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 slices white or whole wheat bread
1/2 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded (2 cups)
4 ounces blue cheese
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 350º F.
2. Spread the butter on one side of each slice of bread. Lay 4 slices on an ungreased baking sheet, butter-side down.
3. Divide the chicken among the 4 slices and top with some of the cheese and apple slices.
4. Place the remaining bread slices on top, butter-side up. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Turn and bake until crispy and golden, about 10 minutes more.
6. Cut in half and serve immediately.
Source: Real Simple
Pork Belly Sliders
Credit: Spoon Fork Bacon
When something has the word pork in it, it's probably going to be bomb. Like these Pork Belly Sliders. The carrot, daikon, and cucumber make it feel less heavy and glutinous. The neat thing about these is that you can make a bunch and have them for dinner, or you could totally just make one big one and eat it yourself.
Makes 16
Ingredients
Pickled daikon and carrots:
2 carrots, peeled and julienne
1 cup daikon radish, peeled and julienne
2 tablespoons salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup rice wine vinegar
¾ cup water
Marinade:
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 ½ tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
black pepper to taste
½ lb thinly slice pork belly
Green onion mayonnaise:
½ cup mayonnaise
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
16 sweet Hawaiian Rolls
Preparation
1. Place carrots, daikon and salt in a colander over the sink and mix together. Allow to sit for an hour, tossing together every 15 minutes. Thoroughly rinse and place into a mixing bowl.
2. Place sugar, vinegar and water in a small pot and bring to a simmer until sugar dissolves. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
3. Pour sugar mixture over carrot and daikon and place in the refrigerator for an hour.
4. Place marinade ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Add pork belly and toss together until well marinated. Place in the refrigerator and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
5. Place 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil into a grill pan and heat over medium-high heat. Sear and cook pork belly on each side for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Place mayonnaise, green onions and garlic into a small bowl and stir together.
7. To assemble: Spread a small amount of the spread onto the tops and bottoms of each bun. Place a couple pieces of pork belly into each bottom bun and top with cucumber slices followed by a small amount of daikon and carrots. Place tops on each slider and gently press. Serve.
Source: Spoon Fork Bacon
Cypriot-Style Potato Salad
Credit: Jamie Oliver
“You can’t beat a good potato salad – serve it with grilled fish, meat, or as part of a big spread. Delicious! ”
Ingredients
1.2 kg Cyprus potato , or other waxy potato such as Jersey Royal or Charlotte
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon , juice of
extra virgin olive oil
olive oil
50 g Greek olives , stones in
2 tablespoons capers , rinsed
1 bunch of fresh coriander
6 spring onions
Preparation
1. Scrub the potatoes clean, then cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender but still holding their shape. Drain and set aside until just cool enough to handle, then slice into rough chunks, flaking away the skin as you go.2. Place into a large bowl with the lemon juice and a good lug of extra virgin olive oil. Season lightly, then toss well so the potatoes absorb all those lovely flavours. Season to taste, then leave to cool completely.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Crush the olives with the flat side of your knife, tear out and discard the stones, then roughly chop the flesh. Add the olives and capers to the pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp. Meanwhile, pick and roughly chop the coriander leaves, then trim and finely slice the spring onions. Stir them through the salad, sprinkle over the olives and capers, then serve.
Beef Short Ribs With Mushrooms
Credit: Real Simple
Serves: 4
Hands-On Time: 20 min
Total Time: 3 hrs 30 min
Ingredients
3 1/2 pounds meaty short ribs, cut flanken style
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups good-quality beef stock
1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
6 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper and dredge the short ribs. Heat half the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then sear the beef on all sides until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the beef and set aside.
3. Add the onion and garlic and cook until brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes more. Add the stock, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan. Return the beef to the pot. Bring to a boil. Cover pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the beef is fork-tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
4. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, heat the remaining oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Toss with the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Remove the ribs to serving dishes, place the pot over high heat, and reduce the cooking liquid until slightly thickened. Serve with the mushrooms and cooking liquid.
Source: Real Simple
Hooters Buffalo Wings
Credit: Food
Serves: 2
Total Time: 27 mins
Ingredients
1⁄4 cup butter
1⁄4 cup louisiana hot sauce
1 dash pepper, ground
1 dash garlic powder
1⁄2 cup flour
1⁄4 teaspoon paprika
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
10 chicken wings
Bleu cheese salad dressing
Celery
Vegetable oil, for frying
Preparation
1. Combine the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt in a small bowl.
2. If the wings are frozen, be sure to defrost and dry them.
3. Put the wings into a large bowl and sprinkle the flour mixture over them, coating each wing evenly.
4. Put the wings in the refrigerator for 60 to 90 minutes. (This will help the breading to stick to the wings when fried.)
5. Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.
6. You want just enough oil to cover the wings entirely -- an inch or so deep at least. Combine the butter, hot sauce, ground pepper, and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well blended.
7. Put all the wings into the hot oil and fry them for 10 to 15 minutes or until some parts of the wings begin to turn dark brown.
8. Remove the wings from the oil to a paper towel to drain.
9. But don't let them sit too long, because you want to serve the wings hot. Quickly put the wings into a large bowl.
10. Add the hot sauce and stir, coating all the wings evenly.
11. You could also use a large plastic container with a lid for this.
12. Put all the wings inside the container, add the sauce, put on the lid, then shake. Serve with Bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side.
Source: Food
Baked Egg Rolls
Credit: My Recipes
Serves 8 (serving size: 2 rolls)
1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Mist a baking sheet with cooking spray. Whisk cornstarch, 1 Tbsp. water, soy sauce and sugar.
2. Warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté coleslaw mix, water chestnuts, scallions and garlic until slaw has wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in tofu; cook until hot and most of liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Re-whisk cornstarch mixture and add to skillet. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Lay 1 wrapper on a flat surface, a long edge facing you. Spoon 1/4 cup tofu mixture on bottom third. Fold sides in toward center; roll tightly away from you, enclosing filling. Place, seam side down, on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Mist tops of egg rolls with cooking spray.
4. Bake until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Source: My Recipes
Turkey Tonnato with Tuna-Spiked Mayo
Credit: Jamie Oliver
“This is my twist on a classic dish from the Italian region of Piedmont – it’s totally retro and really delicious ”
Serves: 8
Total Time: 30 mins
Ingredients
4 fresh red chillies
4 anchovies
- 2 tablespoons small capers
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons quality tinned tuna, in oil
- 2 heaped teaspoons Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
- cayenne pepper
- 1 lemon
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 800 g free-range cooked turkey breast , ask your butcher to slice it very finely for you
- 60 g rocket
Preparation
Get your butcher to very finely slice the cooked turkey breast for you – it’ll save you a lot of time and trouble.
Prick the chillies with a knife, then hold them over a direct flame on the hob (or place under the grill) for around 5 minutes, or until blackened and blistered all over, turning occasionally. Transfer to a bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to cool for around 10 minutes.
Halve the anchovies lengthways, then add to a bowl along with the capers, red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Scrape off and discard the blackened skin from the cooled chillies. Halve, deseed and finely slice them lengthways, then add to the bowl. Mix well.
Mash the tuna in a pestle and mortar to a smooth, creamy paste. Stir in the mayo, a pinch of cayenne, a squeeze of lemon juice and roughly 1 tablespoon of the dressing from the anchovies and chillies. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if you think it needs it.
Arrange the turkey slices on a large platter, then drizzle over the tuna-spiked mayo. Now it’s time to get retro – lay over the anchovy fillets in neat vertical lines, then place the chillies horizontally on top so you’ve created a pattern, a bit like a checkerboard! Sprinkle over the capers and the rocket and drizzle over the remaining dressing. Finish with a sprinkling of cayenne and a good grating of lemon zest, then tuck in.
Source: Jamie Oliver