Quick and Easy Canapes

Egg & Bacon Vol au Vents

Egg & Bacon Vol au Vents, Caprese skewers, Tuna and Cucumber Wedges

Here are some really easy canapé ideas that can be put together in next to know time, they look great and they taste fab!  The amount of ingredients used will depend on how many canapes you are looking to make so you will need to adjust accordingly.

For the vol au vents I used 3 hard boiled eggs mashed together with a few tablespoons of mayonnaise, don't overdo the mayo, you don't want the mixture to be too loose, season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.  I had two packs of ready made vol au vent cases (24 cases) which you then spoon or pipe the egg mixture into.  I grilled two rashers of bacon which I then cut into thin strips and placed a couple of slices into each vol au vent and then topped with some cress.  Not only do these look really good but they are so tasty.

Caprese skewers, Tuna and Cucumber Wedges

The caprese skewers are so easy, I used a bag of mini mozzarella pearls, there were 12 in the pack. Drain them from the liquid and pat dry.  You will also need 12 cherry tomatoes, 12 basil leaves and 12 cocktail sticks.  Place a folded basil leaf on top of the cherry tomato, top with the mozzarella pearl and skewer with the cocktail stick, it really is that quick!  I had a bottle of balsamic glaze which I also put out so people could drizzle over themselves but the skewers tasted amazing as they were, the flavours of each component just go so well together.

Lastly for the tuna and cucumber wedges I mixed together one drained can of tuna with half a finely chopped red onion, freshly ground black pepper and a few tablespoons of mayo.  Again, don't overdo the mayo, you don't want the mix to be sloppy it needs to hold together to sit on the cucumber.  I cut a cucumber into 12 thick slices and then topped each slip with a spoon of the tuna mix.  If you like a bit of heat you can add a few drops of tobacco to the mix just to spice it up a bit.

I made these recently for an afternoon tea and they went down really well, great flavours from all of them and again, so quick to put together, give them a try and let me know what you think.

Gin and Tonic Pickles

Gin and Tonic Pickles

• 1 medium size kilner jar
• 2 large cucumbers
• ½ cup gin
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 4 slices of lime
• Tonic water

 Method:

Trim the ends from the cucumbers and cut them into half and then quarter them (or more depending on the size!).  Place the cucumber into the kilner jar along with the lime slices, add the salt, sugar, gin and lime juice, close the jar and give a good shake to combine everything.   Open the jar and top up with the tonic water, making sure the pickles are completely covered, re-seal and leave for a couple of days in the fridge, once opened they should last in the fridge for up to a month, I say should, however I doubt they will be around long enough!

I have literally just made these - so I have yet to taste them - however as big gin lovers what’s not to like?  These pickles should be perfect for that Boxing Day buffet, I can’t wait.  Recipe is courtesy of delish.com