The Right Start With These Gourmet Appetisers

The Right Start With These Gourmet Appetisers

These gourmet appetisers will ensure you have winners at your next do.

 

1. Asparagus Bouquet

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Calorie count: 100 calories (per serving)

The Right Start With These Gourmet Appetisers
Gourmet Appetisers: Asparagus Bouquet

Ingredients: 

Salt, for blanching the asparagus

20 ml honey

50 g low-fat yoghurt

5 edible flowers

20 g pomegranate arils

10 g microgreens

50 g black olives, sliced

16 baby asparagus, peeled

 

Method:

  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the asparagus in the boiling water to blanch, remove it, and plunge into ice-cold water (shock). Remove, dry and arrange on a serving platter.
  2. Garnish the asparagus with the pomegranate seeds, edible flowers, microgreens and black olives.
  3. Drizzle the honey and low-fat yoghurt over the asparagus and serve.

Tip: Always ‘shock’ the asparagus in cold water after boiling to retain the bright green colour.

 

2. Brined Papaya Roulade

Serves: 8

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Calorie count: 100 calories (per serving)

The Right Start With These Gourmet Appetisers
Gourmet Appetisers: Brined Papaya Roulade

Ingredients: 

10 g microgreens

80 g crumbled papdi

10 g orange zest

40 ml vinegar

50 g sugar

5 g nigella seeds (kalonji)

200 g raw papaya

 

Method:

  1. Peel the raw papaya and cut it into paper-thin slices.
  2. Heat a pan on a low flame add the orange zest, vinegar, sugar and kalonji and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Add the papaya slices and cook until the papaya becomes transparent. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
  3. Line a serving platter with crumbled papdi.
  4. Shape the papaya slices into rolls, and place them on the papdi.
  5. Serve garnished with microgreens.

Tip: Blanching papaya also cuts the raw smell.

 

3. Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese Pizza

Serves: 6

Prep time: 20 minutes + 30 minutes resting time

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Calorie count: 250 calories (per serving)

The Right Start With These Gourmet Appetisers
Gourmet Appetisers: Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:

8 cherry tomatoes, sliced

5 button mushrooms, sliced

4 fresh ripe figs, sliced

100 g mozzarella

30 g tomato sauce

For the pizza:

40 ml olive oil

20 ml water

20 g polenta

3 g salt

5 g sugar

5 g yeast

100 g flour (maida)

 

Method:

  1. To prepare the pizza dough, knead together the olive oil, water, polenta, salt, sugar, yeast and flour. Set the dough aside to rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven at 220°C.
  3. Roll the dough out into an oval and half bake it. Remove and place on a baking tray. Spread the tomato sauce on the pizza base, sprinkle the mozzarella on top with mushrooms and figs.
  4. Bake in the oven for 6-10 minutes.
  5. Serve hot garnished with cherry tomatoes.

Tip: Dust the pizza dough with a little maida while rolling to make it crispy.