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.

New Years Day Canapés

New Years Day Canapés

Here are a couple of quick and easy canapé ideas, I won't bore you with the smoked salmon blinis recipe as I'm pretty sure most people know how to put these together: shop-bought blinis, smoked salmon, creme fraiche mixed with horseradish and some lumpfish caviar, job done.

For the tuna and cucumber canapés you will need a tin of tuna, drained and mashed in a bowl, add a squeeze of lemon, few grinds of black pepper, small handful of diced red onion, mix well and then add a teaspoon of the mix onto a thick slice of cucumber (it needs to be thick as you don't want a floppy cucumber!).

Given my love of a bit of spice I think next time I may add a few dashes of hot sauce to the tuna mix, liven it up a notch!

I really hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and I would like to thank you all for checking in on A Mouthful Of Mark, here's to another great year ahead of foodie adventures!

Open tuna salad sandwich with poached egg

Open tuna salad sandwich with poached egg

• Tin of tuna, drained
• 2 tomatoes
• Handful of black olives
• Small handful of feta cheese, cubed
• Spring onion, sliced
• Wedge of cucumber cut into quarters
• Handful of mixed salad leaves 
• 2 eggs, break each egg into a small ramekin dish
• Bread of choice
• Salad dressing
• White wine vinegar

Serves 2

Method:

Cut off a couple of decent slices of bread, butter them and place onto your plate.  Top the bread with some salad and then put the tuna on top followed by the feta, cucumber, spring onions, olives and tomato, season with a few grinds of black pepper.

Bring a medium pan of water to the boil, add a few splashes of white wine vinegar and then tip in the eggs and cook for 3 minutes.  Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place each egg in top of your sandwich, drizzle over some salad dressing and serve.

This is quick and easy to make and is a super tasty lunch.  My local Co-op sells a mature cheddar and jalapeño bread which is what I used here, it is seriously good, go get some, trust me you won't regret it!  This is perfect when sat out in the garden with a nice cold glass of Pinot on the go, a great way to welcome in the summer to come!

Tuna fishcakes

 Tuna fishcakes

• 300g potatoes
• 160g tin of tuna
• Olive oil
• Small handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 large egg
• 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp plain flour plus extra for dusting
• Sea salt and black pepper

Method:

Firstly peel the potatoes and cut into small chunks.  Cook in boiling salted water for around 10-15 minutes or until you can push a skewer through with no resistance.  Drain the potatoes and leave to steam dry in the pan.  

Once you have let the potatoes steam dry for a few minutes, mash them up in the pan, spreading them evenly around as you want the mash to cool.  Once cooled, add the drained tuna, egg, tbsp flour, chopped parsley, good pinch of salt and a good few grinds of black pepper.  Zest the lemon into the pan and then mash and mix everything well until it is all combined.  Dust a large plate with a little flour, divide the potato mixture into 4 and then lightly shape and pat into circles.  Put the fishcakes onto a clean plate dusted with flour and pop into the fridge for around an hour in order that they firm up.

Heat a couple of tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the fishcakes and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until crisp.  

I served these fishcakes with a nice side salad, topped with mayonnaise and a few splashes of Kankun Habanero Sauce, coupled with a rapeseed vinaigrette dressing and boy did these go down well, filling and tasty and a def must make again!  These can be made with salmon but I personally prefer tuna.

Recipe courtesy of Jamie Oliver

Super Tuna Pasta Salad, Feta & Crispy Cayenne Crumbs

Super Tuna Pasta Salad, Feta and Crispy Cayenne Crumbs

• 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 lemons
• 250g dried pasta shells
• 350g broccoli
• 1 slice wholemeal bread
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cucumber
• 1/2 bunch of fresh chives or dill
• 4 tbsp natural yoghurt
• 2 X 120g tins of tuna in spring water 
• 50g feta cheese

Method:

Place the chopped onion into a large bowl with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then squeeze over all the lemon juice and put aside.

Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.  Chop the broccoli florets off the stalk.  Cut the woody end off the stalk, halve the stalk lengthways, then chick it in with the pasta to cook through.  Chop the florets I to small bite-sized chunks, adding them to the water for the last minute only, just to take the rawness away.

Meanwhile, whiz the bread and cayenne into crumbs in a food processor, then toast in a dry non-stick frying pan on a medium heat until golden and crispy, tossing regularly.  Peel the cucumber, halve lengthways and scrape out the watery core, then finely slice.  Finely chop the herbs.  Mix the yoghurt into the lemony onion, then add the cucumber and herbs.  Drain the pasta and broccoli, finely chop the broccoli stalk, and add it all to the bowl of dressing.  Drain and flake in the tuna, toss together well, then taste and season to perfection.  Divide between 4 bowls and serve sprinkled with crumbled feta and the hot crispy crumbs.

Recipe courtesy of Jamie Oliver - Super Food, Family Classics

Despite the pasta, this is a light zingy salad that is crying out to be eaten al fresco, perfect for a summer evening with a nice chilled glass of white wine and of course a few friends to share it with.

Tuna Fishcakes

Tuna Fishcakes

• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 jar line caught tuna
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Handful of chopped parsley
• Tablespoon chopped capers
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Method:

Peel and chop the potatoes in half and boil in a saucepan of salted water for around 10-15 minutes until soft.  Drain the potatoes and mash them in the pan with the back of a fork then set aside to cool.  Once the mash has cooled season with salt and pepper, add the lemon zest, parsley, capers and the drained tuna.  Mix together thoroughly breaking up the tuna as you mix, add the flour and beaten egg and combine together.  Divide the mixture into four portions and shape each one in your hand to form the Fishcakes and then place on a lightly flour dusted plate and refrigerate for at least and hour.

Put a good glug of olive oil into a frying pan over a medium heat, cook the fish cakes for around 3-4 minutes each side until you have a nice crispy crust, then plate up and enjoy.

This is a nice light dinner, perfect for when the days are getting warmer.  I served this with salad and dressed the fish cakes with a sundried tomato mayonnaise.

Mexican tuna nicoise

Mexican tuna nicoise

Well, originally we were due to have tuna salad this evening however it was pretty chilly out and I got to thinking what can I do to pep this up, and this is what I came up with and boy was it tasty....

• 1 red pepper thinly sliced
• 2 flour tortillas
• 2 tbsp of kankun chipotle sauce
• 1/4 block of feta cheese (cubed)
• 4 tbsp sweetcorn
• 1 jar of line caught tuna
• Couple of handfuls of pea shoots
• Handful of sliced black olives
• 2 soft boiled eggs
• Drizzle of rapeseed vinaigrette

Method:-

Spread the kankun sauce over the flour tortillas, place on a baking tray and place in the oven at 200 degrees for around 10 minutes.  Once done remove and leave to one side to cool slightly.  Bring to the boil a small pan of water and boil the eggs for 5 and a half minutes, then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.  

Scatter the pea shoots over the tortillas along with the sweetcorn and sliced peppers.  Break up the tuna and place on top of the tortilla and crumble the feta on the top and scatter the black olives over it.  Carefully peel the soft boiled egg and place on top of each tortilla.  Drizzle with the rapeseed dressing (or dressing of choice) cut into the egg so the yolk oozes out and enjoy.

I really hope you enjoy this as much as we did, was something different and spur of the moment and it worked.

Spaghetti with tuna stuffed peppers

Spaghetti with tuna stuffed peppers

• 1 tin of tuna in olive oil
• Half a red onion finely diced
• 4 Tablespoons of mayonnaise 
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• Jar of peppadew  peppers
• 2 Tablespoons of juice from the peppers
• Spaghetti (vary portion depending on amount of guests)
• Small jar of pasta sauce of choice 
• Few grinds of black pepper

Method :-

Drain the tuna and break up into small pieces into a bowl, mix with the olive oil, lemon juice, mayonnaise, pepper juice and diced red onion.  

Drain the peppers and stuff with the tuna mixture.  Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta for 10-12 minutes.  Whilst the pasta is cooking heat through your pasta sauce, a chilli/tomato sauce is good.  Once the pasta is cooked, drain and plate up, placing the stuffed peppers amongst the pasta and drizzle with the pasta sauce.

This is a quick and easy yet tasty dinner. Enjoy....

Spaghetti with tuna, chilli, rocket and lemon

Spaghetti with tuna, chilli, rocket and lemon

• 200g Spaghetti
• 1 jar/can of drained tuna
• 1 chopped long red chilli
• 1 bunch torn rocket leaves
• 60ml lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp rinsed capers

Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.  Drain the tuna, break it up but leave it chunky.  Thinly slice the chilli, mix the olive oil and lemon juice together.  Once the pasta is cooked toss through the chilli, tuna, capers & dressing and garnish with the rocket leaves.

Recipe from Donna Hay cook book - Fresh and Light Dinners

Line caught tuna and grilled Haloumi rainbow salad

Tuna & grilled Haloumi rainbow salad

• 1 jar line caught tuna
• Sliced black olives
• Salad leaves of your choice
• Haloumi
• Soft boiled eggs (1 per serving)

Slice the Haloumi and place on a baking tray and put under a moderate grill. You can brush the Haloumi with olive oil or a flavoured oil of your choice before grilling.When it starts to brown turn over and grill the other side. Keep an eye on it as it can burn very quickly.

Boil your eggs for 5 minutes then run under cold water to halt the cooking process, then leave to one side for a further 5 minutes.

Place your salad leaves on your plate and position the Haloumi around the leaves and then dress with the tuna, I like to leave it in chunky strips. Scatter the olives over the salad and then lightly drizzle with a salad dressing of your choice, for this I used a rapeseed vinaigrette. Lastly carefully peel your eggs (remember they are soft boiled and can split) and then place on top of the salad and gently cut it in half and let the yolk ooze down into the salad.

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