Make New Year's Eve at home a delicious one with these easy homemade party bites

If your celebration is smaller than you thought it would be, make the most of your intimate party with some of our favourite canapés

Crispy, crunchy and always delicious - canapés should be tiny taste explosions. Picture: Bríd O'Donovan

Fried mushroom filo tarts

Tiny crispy bites filled with creamy mushrooms - heaven.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 1 pack easy roll filo, defrosted

• 250g mushrooms of choice, I like chestnut or a wild mix

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 tbsp fresh thyme

• 100ml cream

• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

• 80g butter

• 50g Parmesan, grated (optional)

Method

1. Leave your filo out, in its packet to thaw.

2. Put your mushroom in a food processor and blitz, or finely chop them. Place a large frying pan over a high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, wait for it to be very hot and add half the mushroom mixture. Let this cook for 1-2 minutes keep stirring.

3. Now add the remaining half of the mushrooms and keep frying over high heat for 2-3 more minutes. Season with plenty of salt and pepper. Add your crushed garlic and thyme, fry for 2 more minutes. Pour in your cream, stir and allow this to evaporate for 1 minute.

4. Finally stir in the parsley and half your butter, taste to check for seasoning, and set aside to cool a little.

5. Open out your filo pastry. Lay a damp cloth over the top to stop it drying out. Get one sheet and fold it in half. Cut down four strips in each half. Your strips will be about the width and length of a long bookmark.

6. Place a teaspoon of your mushroom mixture in the top corner; add a sprinkling of parmesan if you wish. Paint the strip with melted butter. Begin to fold diagonally on itself to form a triangle. Once you get to the bottom, paint your triangle with butter and place on a baking sheet.

7. You can also make little filo squares in a muffin tin. Painting with butter is key here. Fill the squares with the mushroom mix, sprinkle on some Parmesan.

8. Bake at 180°C for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy delicious! These are devils pockets, so allow to cool before serving.
   
   Photography by Bríd O'Donovan

Sticky Chinese meatballs

Everybody loves a meatball and these ones are sweet and spicy and incredibly moreish

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 450g pork mince

• 4 scallions, finely chopped

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

• Small handful coriander, finely chopped

• 3 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 egg

• 150ml hoisin sauce

• 2-3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pork mince, scallions, garlic, coriander, soy sauce, sesame oil and egg.

2. Season with some salt and add some chilli powder or flakes if you want to make it a little spicy.

3. I like to use my hands to make sure it is well combined.

4. Form about 20-24 balls around the size of ping pong balls. 

5. Add a tablespoon of oil into a large frying pan.

6. Place over a medium high heat and begin to fry half of your balls.

7. Cook these for 4-5 minutes, turning throughout and allowing to brown.

8. In the meantime warm the hoisin sauce in a large bowl in the microwave.

9. Toss the balls in the sauce and serve with cocktail sticks and toasted sesame seeds as garnish.
   
   Photography by Bríd O'Donovan

Hot pear, blue cheese and walnuts

How to make blue cheese better? Add warm pears and honey.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 2 pears, cut into 8 wedges each

• Olive oil

• Salt

• 100g blue cheese, I love crozier blue

• 50g chopped walnuts

• 2 tbsp honey

• 16 crackers of choice

Method

1. Fry your pear wedges in some olive oil and salt until a little golden and soft, set aside.

2. Put the pan back on the heat and fry your chopped walnuts until browned a little, now add the honey and toss it all together.

3. Layer up the cracker with a sliver of cheese, the hot pears and the crunchy sweet walnuts and enjoy. Of course you could swap out the cheese for a vintage cheddar or eliminate altogether for any vegans.
   
   Photography by Bríd O'Donovan

Grilled prawn and chorizo skewers

Chorizo gives these bites a piquant flavour that cannot be matched - a perfect pairing.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 100g prawns, defrosted & peeled

• 100g chorizo, sliced into discs

• Small bunch of parsley

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method

1. Skewer each prawn in between two discs of chorizo and place on a hot grill or barbecue for one minute on each side.

2. Finely chop the parsley, sprinkle on top of the hot skewer and squeeze over the lemon wedges to serve.

3. As a dip, I sometimes make a homemade aioli or you could do a quick fix with four tablespoons mayo, one small crushed garlic clove and up to two tablespoons of lemon juice.
   Photography by Bríd O'Donovan