Canapés add elegance to every celebration and they are an especially welcome treat on Christmas Eve while everyone is passing time waiting for Santa to arrive. One way to make sure you are ready to whip up a lovely selection of tasty bite-sized treats is to keep some PeppadewTM Peppers on hand. They are a Christmas store cupboard essential for anyone planning to entertain friends and family over the festive season. These spicy yet sweet little peppers from South Africa are deseeded and then bottled in a secret brine recipe to retain a crisp texture and give just the right balance of flavour. Here are four recipes from Peppadew to help you create an elegant first course for your holiday meal.
Mini Peppadew and goat’s cheese tarts
Serves 12
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
350g ready-to-roll shortcrust pastry
flour, for dusting
2 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
150ml single cream
flaked sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper
For the goats cheese and tomato filling
100g mild Goat’s cheese, cubed
8 mild Peppadew Sweet Piquante Peppers, sliced
1 tbsp shredded basil leaves, to garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4 and lightly butter a 12-hole deep muffin tin.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Using an 8-9cm pastry cutter, cut out 12 circles and place them into the muffin tin. Chill in the refrigerator.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the egg yolks, whole eggs and cream and season with salt and pepper.
Place the goat’s cheese into the chilled pastry cases and scatter over the peppadew. Pour over the egg mixture.
Place the tarts in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is lightly golden and the eggs have set. Cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the tin. Serve warm or cold sprinkled with basil.
Peppadew Guacamole on Quesadillas
Serves: 15
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
For the guacamole;
Juice of 1 lime
7 mild Peppadew Sweet Piquante Peppers, drained and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
3 ripe avocados
For the quesadillas;
6 flour tortillas
75g Mozzarella, sliced
75g Cheddar cheese, grated
3 hot Peppadew Sweet Piquante Peppers, finely chopped
3 spring onion, sliced
Directions:
Put half the lime juice in a bowl. Add the peppadew, garlic and coriander. Halve stone and peel the avocado. Chop roughly and add to the bowl. Roughly mash with a fork then season with black pepper. Spoon into a bowl and cover and chill until ready to serve.
Place 1 flour tortilla on a small heated griddle. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons each cheese. Spread with a third of the peppadew and spring onion. Top with another tortilla.
Turn over and cook for a further 2 minutes or until cheese beginning to melt.
Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients. Cut the tortilla into bite size pieces and arrange on a serving plate. Top each one with guacamole and serve
For a quicker option, spoon the guacamole on tortillas chips.
Mini Peppadew and Tuna Kebabs
Serves 16
Preparation time 1 hour
Cooking time 8 minutes
Ingredients:
450g fresh tuna steak
2 tbsp sesame seeds
32 mild Peppadew Sweet Piquante Peppers, drained
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp honey
Directions:
Cut the tuna into 32 x 1.5cm cubes. Place the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. Add the tuna and mix until al the tuna cubes have a generous covering of sesame seeds.
Thread the two cubes of tuna alternatively with two peppadew onto a short skewer. If using a wooden skewer, do not forget to soak in water for 30 minutes before using.
Preheat the grill. Cook the kebabs under the grill for 7 minutes, turning frequently, or until the tuna is cooked and the peppadew slightly charred.
Mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil and honey. Serve the kebabs with a drizzle of the dressing or with the dressing as a dipping sauce.
Brie Filled Peppadew
Something this simple should not be so delicious.
Serves 12
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 3 minutes
Ingredients:
24 mild Peppadew Sweet Piquante Peppers
120g brie
Drizzle of honey
Directions:
Drain the peppadew and arrange on a baking sheet.
Cut the brie into cubes measuring about 1.5cm, you should have about 24 cubes of brie.
Carefully stuffed the brie into the centre of the peppadew. Drizzle with a little honey.
Place under a preheated grill and heat for 3 minutes until the brie is just melted and the peppadew lightly charred.
Serve on their own or on lightly toasted baguette