There’s nothing worse than hitting Christmas eve and having the presents, the Christmas dinner and the decorations all ticked off your list only to realise…you have nothing done for Christmas eve itself.
The last-minute panic, trying to have something everyone will eat, battling your way through crowds in the local supermarket – it’s just not worth it. Get prepped ahead of time this Christmas by having a gawk through our list of delicious hors d’oeuvres, ready to make your Christmas eve that bit more special. With inspiration for top chefs to microwave cookers, there’s a little something for everyone in these gorgeous Christmas recipes.
Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus
Ingredients:
1 bunch of asparagus
Prosciutto
1 pinch salt
2tbsp balsamic vinegar
2tbsp honey
Instructions:
Chop hard ends off the asparagus stalk
Drizzle with oil and sprinkle a pinch of salt over them.
Wrap prosciutto around 2 or 3 stalked and secure with cocktail sticks
Grill for 20 minutes at 220 degrees Celsius.
Combine balsamic vinegar and honey, drizzle over the asparagus and serve!
Cranberry Brie Cheese Basket
Ingredients
2tbsp Thyme, fresh leaves
Salt and pepper
½ cup Cranberry sauce
Olive Oil
1 Bread boule
1 wheel of brie
Instructions
Cut the top crust of the bread boule off, leaving the top flat.
Scoop out the inside of the bread boule, leaving a solid base.
Brush olive oil all over the inside of the concave you have made in the bread. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.
Cut the seal off the top of the wheel of brie and insert into the concave. Cover with cranberry sauce and more thyme.
Cover over with the top of the bread boule. Bake for 20 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius.
Cut bread boule into sections and pull apart to serve.
Parmesan Cheddar Basil Bites
Ingredients
3tbsp Basil, fresh
1 ½ cups All-purpose flour
1tsp Kosher salt
½ cup Butter
2 ½ cups Cheddar cheese
5tbsp Half-and-half
1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
Blend cheddar cheese, half and half, butter and salt together until combined.
Gradually add the flour, parmesan and basil, stirring until the mixture becomes a doughy texture.
Roll out dough onto a well-floured surface and cut into desired shapes.
Place onto a baking paper lined tray and cook at 200 degrees Celsius for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
Allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Burrata Bruschetta
Ingredients
5 sprigs Basil
3 cloves Garlic
2 cup Grape tomatoes
1 pinch Sea salt
½ cup Olive oil, extra virgin
8 slices Ciabatta bread
450g Burrata cheese
Instructions
Chop grape tomatoes in half and roast at 150 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.
Drizzle olive oil over ciabatta slices and grill for 7-10 minutes or until toasted.
Chop garlic and basil into small pieces.
Slice Burrata cheese and spread over ciabatta slices. Drizzle olive oil over them and sprinkle with salt.
Cover with tomatoes and basil and grill for a further 5 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius.
Serve!
Saganaki Shrimp Skewers
Ingredients
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
1 Lemon, juice of
2 shallots
300g unfrozen prawns
2 cloves garlic
½ cup dry white wine
Canned chopped tomatoes
100g feta
1 pinch dried basil
3 pinches dried smoked paprika
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch dried coriander
1 pinch dried parsley
Instructions
Chop shallots and garlic into small pieces.
Heat olive oil in a pan and fry up prawns. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, lemon juice. Once cooked, set aside.
In the same pan, adding more olive oil, fry shallots and garlic. Once shallots become lightly translucent, add canned tomatoes, white wine, smoked paprika dried basil, salt and pepper, dried coriander and oregano.
Allow to simmer on a low heat until it reduces to a thick sauce.
Meanwhile, skewer prawns, alternating between cubed feta and prawns.
Arrange on a plate and cover with sauce. Garnish with dried parsley. Serve warm.
Caramelised onion and pear tarts
Ingredients
2tbsp olive oil
1 large or 2 small/medium yellow onions diced or thinly sliced
1tsp salt
2tbsp unsalted butter
3 pears peeled and diced into small cubes
2tbsp sugar
100g goat cheese
3tbsp chives minced
frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg lightly beaten
Instructions
Sautee onions in salt and olive oil. Stir occasionally until onions are lightly caramelised at a light golden-brown colour. Set aside.
Add butter, pears and sugar to the same pan and stir to combine and soften. Add to bowl of onions.
Cut out the shapes for your tarts from your puff pastry, roughly 2 inches square. Brush with the beaten egg.
Add half a tablespoon of goat’s cheese to the centre and top with pear and onion mixture.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius until pasty is golden brown. Top with chopped chives.
Smoked Salmon Crostini
Ingredients
1 baguette sliced 2cm thick
2tbsp olive oil
150g wild smoked salmon
220g cream cheese room temperature
1 jalapeno minced
4 sprigs fresh dill stems removed and minced
1 lemon juiced
1tsp garlic minced
¼tsp salt
Garnish with capers and more fresh dill
Instructions
Slice baguette into 2 cm thin slices. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and grill for 10 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius.
Allow to cool for 20 minutes.
Smear with cream cheese and a little minced jalapeno and garlic.
Cover with salmon, squeeze with a little lemon juice and garnish with caper and dill.
Bacon-wrapped dates
Ingredients
20g pistachio nuts
1 pack smoky streaky bacon
250g dates
Maple syrup
Instructions
Slice dates down the middle to make a pocket, without cutting the whole way through.
Insert pistachio nut without shell.
Close date around nut.
Wrap date with smoky streaky bacon strip and place on baking paper-lined tray.
Drizzle smoky bacon-wrapped dates with a little maple syrup. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius, or until bacon crisps.
Martha Stewart’s Upside-Down Mushroom Tartlets
Ingredients
450g Cremini mushrooms
1 Shallot, large
2tsp Thyme, fresh leaves
Salt and ground pepper, Coarse
1tbsp Olive oil, extra-virgin
1 sheet Puff pastry, frozen
3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Place cut puff pastry in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate while mushrooms cook.
Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until soft.
Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft and browned.
Season with salt and pepper. Stir in thyme and remove skillet from heat.
Lightly oil 6 large muffin cups. Divide mushroom mixture and cheese among cups, then top each with a chilled pastry round. Bake until pastry is golden brown and puffed, about 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through.
Run a small knife around cups to loosen tartlets. Place a rimmed baking sheet or large plate over pan and invert to release tartlets. Sprinkle with more thyme. Serve warm.
Caprese skewers
Ingredients
Baby tomatoes
2 balls mozzarella
Fresh sprigs of basil
Skewers
Balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Chop baby tomatoes in half and add one to a skewer.
Place a leaf of basil above it on the skewer and add mozzarella above it. Repeat, alternating between tomatoes and mozzarella, with basil leaves in between each until skewer is full.
Arrange on a plate and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.