Help me impress my foodie neighbours with canapés

[OneMorePieceofCheese]

Our incredibly foodie neighbours are coming over for drinks and nibbles at the weekend.

N1 is a huge foodie and he cooks the most incredible feasts whenever we go over. His partner, N2 is lovely but - erm - not shy about putting his opinions forward!

I have offered to do nibbles and am a decent cook but I've got no inspiration. I have most kitchen kit (but no deep fat fryer) and I'll be putting the kids to bed in the hour before they arrive so it needs to be easy to reheat or pull out of the fridge!

Wow me with your canapés!

Semi-serious suggestion : It’s Spanish week at Lidl, starting on Thursday. You can get properly auténtico olives, quesos, jamón, tortilla, gazpacho, croquetas etc etc. Serve with chilled manzanilla Sherry and you will earn loads of foodie points.

Do they eat anything?

Make some really good hummus and a couple of other Moroccan-style dips (e.g. tomato and aubergine or carrot and preserved lemon). make flatbreads for dipping. Hard boil some quails' eggs and serve with celery salt and home-made mayonnaise. perhaps add some merge sausages on sticks.

A fair bit of work but it can all be dome ahead of time and you won't need to be perpetually disappearing to then kitchen

merguez

I second the above suggestions.

Baba ghanoush, red pepper hummus, toasted pita strips, nice olives, peppadew peppers stuffed with ricotta.

Lidl is a great idea. Unpacking it all and put on nice plates. They won't ever know.

I think I would do a cheese board, some nice bread or crackers, some walnuts or mixed nuts, and a nice box of posh chocolates. It might not be Canapés but most people I know would like it.

@Sexnotgender

I second the above suggestions.

Baba ghanoush, red pepper hummus, toasted pita strips, nice olives, peppadew peppers stuffed with ricotta.

Also Beetroot borani - totally amazing beetroot dip for flatbreads.

thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/beetroot-borani/

Mini/tiny Yorkshire puddings with wholegrain mustard creme fraiche and rare roast beef garnished with watercress ( delia)
Smoked mackerel pate ( easy to whizz up in a food processor) spread on home made crostini ( thinly sliced baguette, dip in olive oil with garlic, bake in oven till golden) - both can be prepared day before.
Also Thai crab crostini - tinned white crabmeat with fish sauce and garnish, spread on crostini as above
Mini cocktail sausages in a mustard marinade served in a boule loaf scooped out - nigella

@barneymcgroo that website is amazing ❤️ Off to discover gastronomic delights…

The Spanish selection from Lidl sounds a brilliant idea, you could serve the gazpacho in shot glasses.

Add a couple of homemade items such cubes of frittata or anchovy puff pastry twists.
Perhaps add some Spanish specialty fish such as sardines with olives, or those tiny sardines.

Personally, I’ll be avoiding any dips or sharing items for a while yet, but that’s just me.

Crostini with thinly sliced apple, roast duck and balsamic drizzle

The best canapés I've ever had!

Do you have nice cheese or deli type shops locally? I'd get lovely unusual stuff and meats and do a charcuterie with lovely bread. I think simple but good quality produce is best because you want to look casual 😉

This is really easy: buy blinis, ready made. They take 4 minutes to warm in the oven. (You can warm them before, they don’t have to be served warm) then top them with several different toppings. I do:

Creme fraiche, topped with smoked salmon and dill
Creme fraiche, topped with thin slices of cherry tomatoes and basil
Creme fraiche topped with caviar
Brie and red currant jelly

But you could do anything. Here’s a photo!

Add nice bread, butter, balsamic and olive oil and maybe quails eggs with celery salt (you just hard boil them like normal eggs)

Ooh some lovely ideas here, thanks!

Nigella does a good cheats blini recipe with smash! They are amazing, I make them every Christmas. Can make ahead of time. Top with the suggestions above! This thread is really making me hungry!

Cheese gougeres: basically chop pastry with shredded gruyere added. It is a firm favourite here, and I always make many more than needed because they freeze well.

Half fig with a bit of gorgonzola on top, wrapped with some prosciutto and grilled.

twice baked new potatoes: bake new potatoes. Half and scoop the centres into a bowl and add sour cream, minced chives, butter, salt and pepper. rescoop back into skins and place unto grill until browned just before serving.

not chop pastry - choux pastry

Mackerell pate - tin of mackerell , lemon juice and Philadelphia blitz it up stick it in the fridge done, serve with crackers so easy but so delicious

Nigella's dried fig, goats cheese & prosciutto bundles are gorgeous. Take longer than the 5 mins the recipe says but can be made ahead.

Boursin stuffed mushrooms - make ahead then cook when you need them. I add finely chopped walnuts

Dips can be served in small ramekins so each couple has their own. Or fill some shop bought croustade.

But I think the Spanish week idea may be the answer!

Mary Berry soufflé croutons - delicious and can do the prep ahead

www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2069060/Recipe-Wonderful-souffl-croutons.html

Just a tip if you're doing blinis.

I don't bake mine, but put them in the toaster for a couple of minutes inside a toaster bag. I put about eight or ten at a time in. Much quicker than in the oven.

Fig, fresh mozzarella, parma ham and basil on a cocktail stick, drizzled with balsamic, is my go-to canapé.

That with some mixed nuts, nocellara olives and warm cheese straws would be delicious.

Google ‘Greek Salad on a Stick.’
Easy and looks nice.