Ruth Macintyre runs cookery school and award-winning bakery Ruth’s Little Kitchen and shot to fame during lockdown with her online classes and workshops.
Christmas is a time to relax and enjoy good food and drink and this year especially I think we all deserve to treat ourselves. These recipes are all fairly quick and easy and are ideal to have in the cupboard or fridge over the festive season.
Even if you’re not entertaining why not treat yourself to some canapes? Do adapt the recipes and use what you have available.
Cheesy biscuits
Makes: 8
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
This is a very easy, super-delicious nibble. While I have added paprika, cayenne is a good adaptation. Another lovely addition is to egg wash and sprinkle with crushed walnuts, not only does this add texture but it adds a lovely flavour. I cut them into little squares for less waste but any shape will do.
Ingredients
100g (4oz) plain flour
Pinch of salt
½-1 tsp smoked paprika, to taste
50g (2oz) butter or margarine
50g (2oz) mature cheddar cheese, grated
1 large egg yolk
Cold water to mix, approx 1 tbsp
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 200C/Gas Mark 6.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Sieve flour into a large bowl, add salt and paprika pepper and mix.
- Rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Mix in the cheese and the egg yolk and enough cold water to give a stiff dough.
- Roll out the pastry to 3mm and using a small cutter of your choice, (or you may want to cut them into squares) cut out biscuits, start from the outside.
- Place on lined baking tray. Repeat until all pastry used.
- Bake in oven for 12-15 mins, until pale golden in colour.
- Remove from the oven and cool slightly on tray before moving to a cooling rack.
Per serving: 125 cals, 8g fat (5g sat fat), 0g sugar, 0.5g salt
Vegetarian
Blinis with a creamy salmon topping
Makes: 25
Prep: 10 mins (+ 1 hour)
Cook: 1 min
Blinis (Russian pancakes) are traditionally made from 100 per cent buckwheat flour which is gluten free. However, I like to use a mixture of flour, it lightens them. Make ahead of time and store for later, but do try and get them all the same size.
They will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to two months.
Ingredients
To make the pancakes:
75ml (2.5fl oz) whole milk
30g (1oz) Buckwheat flour
50g (2 oz) strong white flour
1/2 tsp salt
A pinch caster sugar
1 tsp fast action yeast
100g (4oz) soured cream
1 large egg – separated
Melted butter or vegetable oil for frying
Salmon and sourcream topping:
225g (8oz) smoked salmon, thinly sliced
50g (2oz) creme fraiche or sour cream
Fresh chives or dill, for garnish
Method
- Heat milk in pan until warm, leave to cool.
- In a large bowl mix all flours, salt, sugar and yeast.
- When milk is warm to the touch but not hot, whisk in the soured cream and egg yolk.
- Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the milk, whisk to make a batter
- Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Whisk the egg white into soft peaks and fold into the rested batter.
- Heat frying pan on a medium heat and add oil.
- Add a ½ tbsp-1 tbsp of batter per pancake and cook until bubbles form on one side.
- Flip and cook for a further 30 secs.
- Cool on a rack.
- To serve, top the blini with a piece of smoked salmon. Add a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of chives.
Per serving: 57 cals, 4g fat (2g sat fat), 0.5g sugar, 0.4g salt
Stuffed dates
Makes: 20
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: None
Dates are so delicious I am not sure why we only have them in our home at Christmas! But every year my husband Tim goes to London on a shopping trip with my daughter and they come back with them. I have also tried them stuffed with a light blue cheese mixed with double cream and drizzled with honey. I use Medjool dates, they are the larger variety and juicier.
Ingredients
100g (4oz) soft goat’s cheese, slightly forked to separate
20 Medjool dates
20 walnuts
Method
- Add the goat’s cheese into a small bowl and mix with some black pepper.
- Run the knife the length of the date and split open
- Pull out the seed and any extra fibre.
- Add roughly 1 level tsp of the cheese.
- Slightly close the date and wipe away any excess.
- Add a walnut on the top and press down into the cheese
- Repeat with all the dates and then arrange on a plate.
Per serving: 106 cals, 5g fat (1g sat fat), 12g sugar, 0.1g salt
Gluten free, dairy free and vegetarian.
Crab Crostinis
Serves: 8
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Ingredients
For the crostinis:
½ baguette or similar loaf (can be slightly stale)
Up to 100ml (3 floz) in olive oil (depending on loaf size)
For the crab topping:
100g (3.5oz) white crabmeat
1 small onion/shallot finely chopped
Parsley, a handful, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
40g (1.5oz) mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas Mark 4.
- Slice the baguette on the diagonal roughly 2mm thick.
- Brush each slice on both sides with olive oil and bake until golden (up to 15 mins).
- Move immediately to a cooling rack.
- To make the crab topping gently mix the crabmeat, onion, parsley, chilli and mayonnaise in a bowl.
- Add lemon juice to lighten the texture and to suit personal taste.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Divide equally between 8 toasts and serve.
Per serving: 200 cals, 13.5g fat (2g sat fat), 1g sugar, 0.6g salt
Dairy free
Mini toad in the holes
Serves: 6
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
While I have included these as Christmas nibbles, there’s nothing to stop you having these with your Christmas dinner. I love adding herbs from the garden into them, especially rosemary. If you use ready-cooked sausages, miss out step 3, there is absolutely no need to cook the sausages twice.
Ingredients
12 cocktail sausages
2 tbsp sunflower oil
100g (4oz) plain flour – sieved
2 large eggs
175ml (6fl oz) milk
A handful of fresh herbs chopped eg sage/rosemary
Salt and pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/ Gas Mark 7 Fan.
- Liberally brush a 12-hole muffin tin with all the oil.
- Put one sausage into the middle of each hole and roast for 15 mins.
- Meanwhile mix the flour, eggs, milk, herbs and seasoning together in a large bowl until smooth.
- Pour the batter into a jug
- After 15 mins, remove the heated muffin tin from the oven and quickly pour the batter mixture evenly over the sausages.
- Quickly return to the oven and bake for 15 mins until well risen and golden brown.
- Serve immediately and with a small dollop of cranberry sauce or mustard in the middle.
Per serving: 219 cals, 12g fat (3.5g sat fat), 15.5g sugar, 0.9g salt
Mini spring rolls
Serves: 12
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
A very easy and quick canape to make using either your own vegetables or a packet of pre-cut stir fry. I have made these rolls vegetarian, but if you wanted to, save the recipe and use leftover turkey or other meat in them, they would be delicious. They can also be made using the whole filo sheet, making them suitable for lunch or a starter.
Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
300g (11oz) bag of stir fry vegetables
20g (1oz) fresh ginger, chopped finely.
1 clove of garlic, crushed
3 of spring onions – finely sliced
½ tsp Chinese five spice
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 sheets of filo pastry – cut into 4 even pieces, covered with a damp cloth
Vegetable oil for greasing
Sesame seeds
Sweet chill dip or plum sauce for dipping
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas Mark 6.
- Heat the wok over a high heat and add the oil, spring onions, garlic and ginger. Then add the mixed vegetables, five spice and hoisin sauce. Cook for 1 min.
- Immediately move the vegetables to a bowl and allow to cool.
- Take one half piece of filo and lay on the worktop.
- Keep the remaining filo covered.
- Brush a border of oil around the filo.
- Spoon some of the mixture between the border of the narrowest end of the filo, fold both the sides in, covering the ends and roll the filo and mixture over once, so that the mixture is covered.
- Lightly brush oil down the fold, all the way to the bottom so that when the filo pastry is rolled it sticks to the oil.
- Continue to roll all the way down and place the spring roll seam side down on the baking tray.
- When all 12 are made, lightly brush the tops with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 20 mins, until golden brown.
- Transfer to a cooling rack.
Per serving: 46 cals, 1.5g fat (0.1g sat fat), 1.5g sugar, 0.2g salt
Spiced chickpeas
Serves: 6
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 45 mins
If you have a low-calorie spray then a quick mist of the chickpeas when in the bowl ensures the spices will stick. I have used rapeseed oil, but any vegetable oil could be used.
Ingredients
400g (13oz) can chickpeas, drained and dried
1 tsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Salt and pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C/ Fan 160C/Gas Mark 4.
- Double check the chickpeas are dry.
- Tip the chickpeas into a bowl and toss with the rapeseed oil, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.
- Ensure chickpeas are completely coated.
- Pour onto a baking tray and bake for 45 mins.
- Move tray around after 20 mins to ensure chickpeas are drying out evenly.
- Cool and store in an airtight container.
Per serving: 47 cals, 1g fat (0.1g sat fat), g sugar, 0.5g salt
Gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan
Prawn cocktail little gems
Serves: 8
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: None
I’m not keen on most ready-made prawn cocktails – I find them too cloying. But used as a base, with some fresh tomatoes chopped in, a dash of Worcester sauce, a sprinkle of paprika… the sauce is re-born. Generally at Christmas I will make it with home-made mayonnaise, however shop-bought mayonnaise is fine. Here is my tried and tested recipe.
Ingredients
8 baby gem lettuce leaves, washed
200g (7oz) prawns – peeled and defrosted, if frozen
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp yogurt
A dash of Worcester sauce
Juice of ½ lemon
Seasoning
Paprika/cayenne
Method
- In a small bowl add mayonnaise, ketchup, yogurt and Worcestershire sauce
- Add a 1 tsp of lemon juice, combine, season and taste.
- Add prawns and gently turn.
- Divide between lettuce leaves, arrange on plate
- Add a sprinkle of cayenne
- Garnish with segmented lemons
Per serving: 51 cals, 3g fat (0.5g sat fat), 1.5g sugar, 0.5g salt
Mini lamb koftas with a yoghurt dressing
Serves: 6
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
A perfect little canape, prepare in advance and serve with riata. You could try them with cumin seeds, if you have them, I just keep the quantities the same.
Make sure you serve them with toothpick and dip into the dressing. If you don’t manage to cut the onion really finely cook and cool as normal and then add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse a few times – just don’t over-do it, you want some texture.
Ingredients
For the koftas:
Olive oil
½ onion, peeled and finely diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tsp cumin
Chilli flakes, to taste
250g (8oz) minced lamb
1 tbsp parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing:
Small bunch of mint, leaves only
½ tsp cumin
3 tbsp natural yogurt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
Oil for sauteing
Method
- On a medium heat, add a little of oil and fry the onion and garlic until soft. Add the cumin and chilli flakes and cook, stirring, for about 2 mins. Set aside to cool.
- Put the lamb into a mixing bowl, add cooled onion mixture, chopped herbs and salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Roll the lamb mixture into pieces the size of walnuts and flatten them into patties about 1 cm thick.
- Place on a tray, cover and chill in the fridge for 10 mins
- Meanwhile make the dressing – roll up the mint leaves and finely chop.
- Add all ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
- Place a frying pan over a medium high heat. When hot, add the koftas for 5-6 mins each side, both sides should be well browned.
- Serve the koftas warm with the dressing on the side to dip into.
Per serving: 124 cals, 9.5g fat (3g sat fat), 1g sugar, 0.25g salt
Gluten free