Got a Christmas party where you need to bring your own plate to share? Here are some quick and easy recipes to take to your family gathering this Christmas.
Baked Ricotta and Antipasto Crepes
You’ll Need:
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 red capsicums
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large zucchini, halved, sliced
- 500g fresh ricotta
- 1/2 cup stuffed green olives, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 teaspoon lemon rind, finely grated
- 50g butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups tomato passata
- 1/2 cup parmesan, or vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated
- Fresh basil leaves, to serve
Method:
- Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Gradually add flour, whisking to combine. Gradually whisk in milk. Set aside for 30 minutes to rest.
- Meanwhile, preheat grill on high. Quarter capsicums. Remove and discard seeds and membrane. Grill, skin-side up, for 5 minutes or until skin blisters and blackens. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 10 minutes. Peel and discard skin. Roughly chop.
- Heat oil in a large (20cm base) non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook zucchini for 5 minutes or until tender. Add to capsicum. Add ricotta, olives, pine nuts and rind. Season with salt and pepper. Wipe pan clean.
- Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Brush frying pan with a little butter. Heat over medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter into frying pan, swirling to cover base. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining mixture to make 8 crepes.
- Spoon 1/2 cup passata over the base of an 8-cup-capacity baking dish. Place 1 crepe on a flat surface. Spread 1/8 of the ricotta mixture over crepe. Roll up to enclose filling. Place in prepared dish. Repeat with remaining crepes and ricotta mixture. Spoon over remaining passata and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and heated through. Serve scattered with basil.
Recipe: Cake Crumbs
Summer Spaghetti Salad
You’ll Need:
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 12 ounce package spaghetti, broken in half
- 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
- 1 medium yellow summer squash, ends trimmed
- 6 sticks string cheese
- 4 cups red and yellow cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1 large onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
- 1 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted*
Method:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add pasta, tossing to combine. Add broth. Heat, uncovered, over medium heat for 10 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish. Meanwhile, use a spiral vegetable slicer to cut zucchini and yellow squash into long strands. Snip strands into shorter lengths, if desired. Add to spaghetti. Set aside to cool completely. Pull cheese into thin strands; chill until ready to serve.
- In a small bowl toss together tomatoes, onion, parsley, salt, pepper, remaining oil, and vinegar. Add cheese to spaghetti mixture. Top with tomato mixture and walnuts.
- Toasted Walnuts: Toss together the walnuts, 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 5 minutes until toasted; set walnuts aside.
Recipe: bhg.com
Mini Christmas Trifles
You’ll Need:
- 200g dark fruit cake
- 1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
- 1/2 x 500g tub Pauls Premium brandy custard
- 300ml thickened cream
- 100g packet red glace cherries
Method:
- Crumble fruitcake into a bowl. Drizzle over brandy, if using. Stir to combine.
- Spoon heaped teaspoons of cake mixture into twelve 70ml-capacity shot glasses. Top with heaped teaspoons of custard. Repeat layering twice, finishing with custard. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight, if time permits.
- Using an electric mixer, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Spoon into a snap-lock bag. Snip 1 corner from bag. Pipe over custard. Top each with 1 cherry. Serve.
Recipe: Taste.com
For more Christmas cooking inspiration, head to our Pinterest page!