3 Brilliant Appetiser Recipes To Start Your Summer Soiree

If you’re looking to ease the appetites of guests early in the evening, turn to these delicious canape recipes from Angela Casley.

Why wait for the main course to serve moreish dishes to your dinner party? These breezy appetisers take the pressure off a heaving dinner table, delivering powerful flavours through mini bites.

Stuffed mini peppers with ricotta and pancetta

Makes 20

Not only are these stuffed baby peppers pretty in colour, they are quick to create. Allow three per person as they are a little taste sensation. You could use bacon instead of pancetta if you have some on hand.

200g ricotta

2 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp chopped thyme leaves

Salt and pepper

10 mini peppers, halved

10 slices pancetta, halved

Extra thyme leaves, to sprinkle

Oil, to drizzle

Mini white bean and roasted tomato tarts

Makes 24

Slow-roasting tomatoes really brings out the flavour and sweetness. Here, a savoury tart case is filled with a very simple bean puree, then a tomato plonked on top. It’s a mouthful of sheer delight. I always make my own pastry — it is so simple. By the time you think about buying it, you’ll have it made. But if that’s scary, buy it and simply cut out the circles for mini muffin tins.

Pastry

1 ½ cups flour

100g butter, cut into cubes

Pinch salt

1 egg

1 Tbsp olive oil

Tomatoes

24 cherry tomatoes

1 Tbsp thyme leaves

Salt and pepper

Filling

390g tin white beans

1 clove garlic

1 Tbsp lemon zest

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Avocado and prawn bruschetta

Makes 8

You won’t believe how quick and simple it is to make delicious bruschetta. It’s also a great way to use leftover bread that has perhaps gone a little hard.

8 slices sourdough

¼ cup olive oil

2 ripe avocados

1 tsp lime zest

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion

1 green chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped

½ cup basil leaves

300g cooked prawns

Extra olive oil, to drizzle

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