Go easy on the Tabasco if your guests don’t appreciate spicy heat.
Makes 16 canapés
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
1 large avocado, halved, destoned and peeled
Juice of 1 lemon
Tabasco sauce, to taste
Coriander leaves (from a small bunch)
16 cooked jumbo king prawns
4 cherry tomatoes, quartered
Per canapé 33 cals, 2g protein, 3g fat (1g saturates), 0.4g carbs (0.2g total sugars), 1g fibre
1. Whizz the avocado, lemon juice and Tabasco in a food processor with half the coriander to form a paste. Press through a sieve with a wooden spoon, collecting the purée in a bowl. If you wish, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm (½in) round nozzle.
2. Push a cocktail stick through each prawn horizontally. Pipe a swirl of purée on to each prawn or dot with a heaped teaspoon of the mixture. Top each with a cherry tomato quarter and a reserved coriander leaf.
Make the purée up to a few hours ahead and chill in the piping bag. Assemble the canapés (apart from coriander leaves) up to 3 hours ahead. Cover and store in the fridge, removing 30 minutes before garnishing and serving.
Peeling shells off quails’ eggs is fiddly, so buy them pre-cooked and peeled to save time.
Makes 16 canapés
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
4 slices of rye bread or pumpernickel
8 pre-cooked quails’ eggs
8 tsp mayonnaise
¼ tsp celery salt
Small bunch of cress
Per canapé 40 cals, 1g protein, 3g fat (1g saturates), 3g carbs (0g total sugars), 0.4g fibre
1. Lay the slices of bread on a chopping board. Trim off the crusts and slice each one into four 4.5cm (1¾in) squares.
2. Halve the quails’ eggs lengthways. To assemble, spread each bread square with ½ teaspoon of mayonnaise, top with half an egg and sprinkle with celery salt and a few cress leaves.
Assemble the canapés without the cress up to 3 hours ahead. Store on a serving plate in the fridge. Remove 30 minutes before garnishing and serving.
Buy pre-cooked Swedish meatballs to save time, or use mini falafels in place of the meatballs for a vegetarian option.
Makes about 16 canapés
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 5 minutes
1 tsp finely chopped dill, plus extra fronds to garnish
4½ tbsp thick Greek yogurt
1 tbsp oil
300g (11oz) small meatballs, at least 16
40g (1½oz) cranberry sauce, plus extra to brush
32 dried cranberries
Per canapé 67 cals, 4g protein, 4g fat (2g saturates), 3g carbs (2g total sugars), 0.2g fibre
1. Mix the chopped dill with the Greek yogurt and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the meatballs for 5 minutes until browned all over, swirling the pan often over a medium–high heat. Pour off the fat and discard.
3. Reduce the heat, add the cranberry sauce to the pan and cook for 1 minute until the meatballs are glazed and sticky and cooked through. Transfer to a plate to cool, or chill if making ahead.
4. Brush with a little more cranberry sauce. Top each meatball with about ½ teaspoon of the yogurt mixture, a small dill frond and two dried cranberries.
Make the dill yogurt, then prepare the meatballs to the end of step 3 up to a day ahead. Store in separate, covered containers in the fridge. Finish the recipe up to 3 hours ahead. Chill again, then remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.
This quick and easy pâté also makes a tasty starter served with gluten-free toast.
Serves 16
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
200g (7oz) full-fat cream cheese
50ml (2fl oz) crème fraîche
Small bunch fresh dill
100g (3½oz) smoked salmon
Finely grated zest and juice ½ lemon
TO SERVE
16 Little Gem lettuce leaves
Lemon wedges
Per canapé 76 cals, 2g protein, 8g fat (5g saturates), 0g carbs (0g total sugars), 0g fibre
1. Pulse the cream cheese, crème fraîche and most of the dill in a food processor until combined. Then pulse in the smoked salmon, lemon zest and juice and some salt and pepper, until combined but still retaining some texture. Scrape into a serving bowl or jar, cover and chill.
2. To serve, garnish the chilled pâté with reserved dill. Serve with Little Gem leaves and lemon wedges.
Make the pâté up to 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. To serve, mix to recombine and then complete recipe.
A lighter canapé option.
Serves 16
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 5 minutes
3 tbsp teriyaki sauce